06-03-2020 10:00:23 - Updated: 6 March, 2020
Bubble Hash, also called Bubble Hash Bags or Water Hash, is one of the purest cannabis extracts available. Its origin and inventor remains a mystery in the community, some give the authorship to Mila Jensen from Pollinator, others to Bubbleman from Bubblebags and others to Robert Connell Clarke-Sam the Skunkman duo. This controversy, which arose in the 1980s, continues nowadays but, what is so special about hashish extracted with ice and water? If you keep reading right now you’ll see…👉
🧐 What is Ice O Lator or Bubble Hash?
It is a method of mechanical separation of the cannabis resin, which combines cold and movement to detach the trichomes from the plant matter. The resin remains in the cold water, and then passes through meshes containing holes of different sizes, where the glands containing most of the cannabinoids and essential oils of marijuana are trapped. It can be made with weed grown from photoperiodic or autoflowering seeds, it is indifferent, and it can be made with buds or resinous leaves, but in each case the quality achieved in each of the meshes may vary, since the size of the trichome heads can change, even within the same plant.
There are different qualities of Ice O lator, the meshes or bags collect the pieces of vegetable matter that adapt to the size of their holes. Best qualities are called “Full Melt Bubble Hash“, which means that it leaves no solid residue after burning.
✅ What do you need to make Bubble Hash?
- Extraction bags or meshes of different microns
- Specific washing or whipping machine
- Bucket where meshes can be fitted
- Spoon or card to pick up hash
- Thermometer
- Very cold water
- Frozen weed
You can find the washing machine to make hash with water in different sizes and prices, it helps and facilitates the process, but it is not essential, since it can also be made by hand perfectly. In the case of wanting to do it manually, instead of the washing machine or whipping machine we will use another bucket and a wooden spoon or similar.
To properly perform this cannabic extraction technique we need less instruments than for most concentrates. So you can say that it is a simpler, cheaper and safer method than others, especially those who need solvents.
🔥 Bubble Hash bags or meshes
There are several types of bags for extracting hashish with water, of different units, capacities, sizes and models. There are one-gallon or 4-liter sets that are used to make small amounts of concentrate, there are 5-gallon or 19-liter sets and even 75 and 90-liter sets.
There are kits of 3, 4, 5 and up to 8 meshes of different microns, not by putting more bags will leave more water hash, but the same amount is distributed in more qualities. Each of these bags or screens contains small holes that are measured in microns, there is a work bag that is usually 220 microns, then depending on the kit there can be meshes of 160, 120, 90, 73, 45, 30 or 25 microns.
Years ago the models of bags to make bubble hash only contained holes in the bottom, that slowed down the process quite a bit. Luckily, nowadays they have improved and there are some types that contain holes all over the surface.
Ice-o-lator Small, a simple way to extract resin from the remains of our harvest with the help of water and ice…
Small: 220-70-38 mc (3 Bolsas)
Small: 220-185-120-90-70-45-38 mc (7 bolsas)
Small: 70mc (1 bolsa)
Small Mini Crystal 38 mc (1 bolsa)
Small Outdoor
Small Indoor
Small Super Mini Crystal 25 mc (1 bolsa)
Also in medium, large, etc…..
🎯 Washing machines for Bubble Hash
They are machines similar to common washing machines that are used to stir or centrifuge water, along with ice and cannabis, so that the trichomes can be removed more easily.
As with the bags, there are different types and sizes of washing machine to make Ice O lator, 20 and 50 liters are the most used ones, but since a few years ago industrial machines have appeared on the American market to make bubble hash on a large scale.
The renowned machine to make cold extractions of marijuana resin. You can use it with water or ice…
Features
Washer-extractor
for cold resin extraction.
Programmable for 15 minutes.
Capacity: 14 litres.
135W….
Other accessories needed to make Bubble Hash
Look for a high bucket, with the minimum capacity to fit all the content and where you can fit the bags so that they are well fastened. If you are going to make the hash without a washing machine, you will need another large bucket where you can comfortably whip the weed along with the ice and water.
You’ll also need a spoon, card or other device to collect the resin from the mesh. A thermometer, which usually comes with the extraction kit. A couple of bottles of cold water prepared for later, and most importantly, the cannabis, which can be buds or cuttings, fresh or dry.
⚠️ How to make Ice O Lator
First let’s see how Bubble hash is made by machine or a washing machine. First of all we plug in the washing machine, fill it halfway or more with water, add an ice pack and wait for the water temperature to reach about 39º F (4º C).
Meanwhile, we fill the pyramid-shaped bag with our vegetable matter, close it and when the desired temperature is reached, we put it in the washing machine and start it up. We left it whipping for about 10 or 15 minutes, and we use that time to prepare the bucket with the meshes..
How to use Bubble Hash bags
It’s very easy, you just have to fit the Bubble bags in the bucket one inside the other, starting with the one with the fewest microns. If we are working with a 5-bag kit, we first put the 25-micron bag in the bucket and adjust it with the help of the fastening strings. Then we put in the 45-micron one and hold it the same way, then the 73-micron one, then the 120-micron one and finally the 160-micron one. When you do Water hash manually, the last mesh is the working one, 220 microns. We’ll see about that later, now let’s get down to business…😜
👾 Making Bubble Hash with Ice and Washing Machine
Once the 10 or 15 spin cycles have passed, and when we have the bucket ready with the bags in order, we proceed to filter the Water hash. To do this, we place the bucket under the washing machine so that the drainage system drains the water inside.
It is necessary that all the water from the washing machine passes through the meshes and falls into the bucket, the resin will be trapped in the bags according to its size, which is what we are looking for.
Once all the water has been drained off, we begin to take out the bags, drain them individually little by little and collect the Ice O lator. Before, we are going to use one of the cold water bottles we had prepared to put water little by little in each bag, from the outside in, so that the resin is gathered and it is easier to take it out, this is also useful to wash the extraction a little.
You will see that in some bags there is not much and in some of them most of the resin will be concentrated, it is normal because each variety has a different size of trichome, but the best qualities are usually in the meshes of 73, 90 and 120 microns. To collect hash use the spoon or a card carefully, and leave them separated by quality, on the drying table cloth that comes with the kit. (A small piece of mesh similar to bags).
📱 How to make Ice O Lator by hand
As we said before, to make hash with cold water by hand we need a separate bucket to make the shakes. We fill it half full with water, add ice and wait until the water reaches a temperature of about 39º F (4º C). In the meantime we are preparing the meshes in the other bucket, just as if we were doing it by machine, but this time we have to add the 220 micron bag at the end, which is where all the vegetable matter will remain next to the ice.
When the water is 39º F (4º C), we take the weed out of the freezer and we throw it into the water, and with the help of a wooden spoon or similar we shake all the content during 10 minutes. An electric kitchen mixer or a drill with a whipping attachment is also useful for this mission.
Once the time to whip has passed, we will slowly change the water from one bucket to the other one. Then we take out the bags, drain them one by one and take out the hash just like on a machine. We put the 220 micron mesh aside with all the content if we want to give more rounds with the same plant material, something we recommend to make good use of weed.
👌 How to dry Bubble Hash
First of all, Water hash must be prepared for drying, that is to say, the resin must be broken up into small pieces to facilitate the loss of humidity. To do so, the ideal option is a kitchen strainer, underneath we put a cardboard with a baking paper on it, and we “scrape” carefully the Ice O lator with the strainer so that the resin falls on the paper.
To eliminate the humidity in our extraction just leave it in a cool, dark and dry place, below 68º F (20º C) and 40% relative humidity if possible. With these conditions, in about 15 days our concentrate will be dry.
For the most sybarite and large producers, a special freeze-dryer has come onto the market to dry Ice O lator, the problem is that it is quite expensive and not within everyone’s reach.
Curing Bubble Hash
Once the hash has dried, it can be perfectly consumed, but as with other methods of resin extraction, after a cure they are better. To cure Water hash it is best to leave it locked in an airtight container in the dark, in a place where it is not exposed to sources of heat or humidity and to open the container from time to time.
✨ Press or not? What is the best way to keep the Ice O Lator?
Here is a dilemma, a discussion in which many experts disagree. Is it better to press Bubble hash? Some puritans think so, that the ideal is to press the hash and turn it into the typical piece hash. Some even say that, if you smoke the hash without kneading, the flavor won’t be as good as pressed.
Some people also say that pressing the Ice O lator is like putting an expiry date on it, in other words, from the moment you press it the countdown to consumption begins without losing any of its properties. Others say that the ideal is to have it shredded until the moment of consumption and then press it.
⛳ How to consume Bubble Hash
You can vaporize, eat and of course smoke Bubble hash, and even use it to make creams, drinks or ointments. Vaporized is a delight, it is certainly the tastiest solventless cannabis extraction, but you need a good vaporizer for concentrates. This way the same amount of hash is better used, it is healthier than other forms of consumption, such as smoking Bubble Hash, and also the effect is cleaner.
Smoking Bubble Hash
The best way to smoke Bubble hash is by dabbing at a low temperature, to fully enjoy the organoleptic qualities and the smoke does not saturate us. In a bubbler type bong, heating with the torch or nail not too much, and with small amounts of hash.
Although not ideal, many people like to make Ice O lator joints, especially nicotine addicts. In this case you can mix the shredded resin with the tobacco, or if you have pressed the hash you can make a thin stick that extends along the whole joint.
Eating Bubble Hash
Bubble Hash Brownies are popular in the USA, but it’s not the only recipe you can “dress” with this concentrate. It can be added to other foods, and even high alcoholic drinks and prepare super potent potions.
One thing is clear, if you’re going to eat Bubble hash you have to decarboxylate it first so that the cannabis has all its properties.
⭐ Bubble Hash effects
Within solvent free concentrates, the power of the Bubble hash of complete fusion is among the highest, along with the Live rosin surely. When you smoke directly the effect is instantaneous, feeling it in body and mind since you expel the smoke.
The THC content of Bubble hash can be as high as 75% or more, so it is not recommended for inexperienced users. The kind of effect varies depending on the genetics used for the extraction.
☕ Bubble Hash weight or return
If you are looking for a great return you will get better results with other types of cannabis extractions, such as BHO or Rosin, where you can exceed 20%. However, Ice O Lator can give you a return of between 12% and 15% by adding several turns to the same weed.
Mechanical extractions normally perform less well than solvent extractions, but they have the advantage of not needing to be purged, so they can be safer.
📖 How to clean Bubble Hash bags
Before cleaning them you can put them in the freezer for 3 or 4 hours, to take advantage of the resin that gets trapped in the holes. Once you take the nets out of the freezer you can hit them on a smooth surface and watch the trichomes fall.
Then you can soak them in hot water, they’ll be as good as new in no time. If you rub them a little with your hands you will finish even earlier, it is a material that is very easy to clean.
Another option is to immerse the bags in ethanol or ethyl alcohol, this way the resin dissolves in this liquid and the meshes are completely clean. Then all you have to do is evaporate the alcohol and collect the remaining resin, it would be a Qwiso. If you’re going to do it this way, you don’t have to put the meshes in the freezer, because alcohol will remove all the trichomes.
➕ Tips on Bubble Hash
- Drain the bags slowly, without forcing or squeezing. You can leave them on absorbent paper to help during the process, the meshes with less micronage take longer to evacuate all the water.
- Always use clean and cold water. If the water in your area is very hard, use distilled water instead, and if you’re going to do several turns, add ice between shakes.
- Once the extraction process is finished, you can dry the vegetable matter and use it to make oil, cream or food, as it still has resin.
– What is BHO?
– Find the main differences between BHO and DHO
– Rosin hash technique: one of the latest trends
▶ Conclusion
Bubble hash or Ice or lator is the favourite method of cannabis extraction of many users, this writer is among them. At first it may seem a bit of a hassle, but when you get the hang of it it’s really easy.
The resulting product is the purest and it can be made in different ways. In another article we will see the way to make Bubble Hash Fresh Frozen style, and if you liked this one I hope you share it.😀👍
