Bubble Hash … What Is It Exactly? See Here
Bubble Hash
Noun | ˈbə-bəl ˈhash
Bubble hash or water hash is a hemp concentrate made by separating trichomes from the hemp flower using ice water, agitation, and a sieve or filter bags. This CBD concentrate is made from hemp CBD strains with high levels of cannabinoids and terpenes. Manufacturers use ice water to retain the volatile oils, also known as terpenes, found on trichomes. Trichomes and cannabinoids are not water-soluble, so agitation with ice water doesn’t break them down. The end result is a dry, clay-like texture with a sensational flavor coming from compacted trichomes and resins from the bud. This concentrate is often used as a “topper” of dried flower in a pre-roll or pre-roll blunt.
“I can’t wait to try Mr. Hemp Flower’s new CBD Bubble Hash concentrate I just ordered.”
“Did you know that CBD bubble hash is made using ice water to retain the terpenes?”
What’s bubble hash?
Bubble hash comprises countless trichomes separated from the flower of the hemp plant. The CBD flower is densely packed with ripe trichomes, or resinous glands, which are the part of the plant that produces cannabinoids. The “frosty look” of the trichomes indicates that the flowers are potent and of high-quality.
To make this concentrate, manufacturers agitate the highest quality hemp flowers or trim in purified ice-filled water. You’ve probably guessed what happens during this process: the resinous glands (trichomes) freeze and break off the plant matter. The trichomes fall to the bottom of the metal sieve and go through a series of mesh screens. To get less plant matter and finer material through the sieve, they filter it through tinier mesh microns.
Its color depends on the ripeness of the hemp flower, the amount of plant material that makes it through the filter, and the size of the sieve. Ranging from blond to red to black, users prefer this CBD concentrate in lighter colors.
How to identify high quality bubble hash
This concentrate gets its name from the way it bubbles when exposed to flame. And, when it comes to quality, that’s how it’s rated — on its ability to bubble. “Full melt” (a term used to describe the quality of hash, but most commonly bubble hash) bubble hash “bubbles” the best and is considered the gold standard. The “full melt” CBD concentrate leaves behind white ash and “bubbles” until fully evaporated. To keep its ability to fully bubble, the product must be free from residual plant material. Rated on a six-star scale, the best bubble hash product gets six stars, and the rating reduces based on how much residual plant matter this concentrate contains.
However, a six-star hash that “bubbles” till evaporating isn’t necessarily more potent than the one that contains some residual plant matter. The use of larger-size microns means letting some plant matter through, together with the largest trichomes. This contributes to a more potent product.
The sieved hash is then left until the moisture evaporates, and it’s later being cured — an integral step of hash making. Curing bubble hash means sealing up the freshly dried hash and leaving it in a dark place to mature for a couple of weeks. Curing tends to improve the flavor and aroma of the final product, but it also brings long-term stability. It prevents it from “buttering out” or turning into an inconsistent product — as, over time, the oils and solids inside the hash tend to separate. Curing the product for a few weeks tends to prevent that from happening.
Typically, this type of CBD hash is consumed together with hemp flower. So get yourself some Special Sauce CBD Hemp Flower, or a hemp flower strain of your choice, and sprinkle in some CBD bubble hash for a better taste and higher potency. This concentrate can be dabbed or tapped lightly by a flame when on top of a bowl of hemp flower.
Brief History
Have you ever heard the phrase, “If it doesn’t bubble, it’s not worth the trouble?” It became a thing during the peak popularity of this product in the early 2000s. Bubble hash first hit the cannabis scene in the mid-1990s, and the above phrase describes how the highest rated hash bubbles until it hits a vaporous state. The process of extracting cannabinoids and terpenes to make this potent concentrate is still common, but its availability has lessened with the rise of other concentrates like rosin.