More about bubble hash
Bubble hash is a cannabis concentrate comprising countless trichomes, or resinous glands, that have been separated from the plant using ice water, agitation, and a sieve. Bubble hash gets its name from the way that it bubbles when exposed to flame. The bags used to make it at home are also known as “bubble bags.”
The process of making bubble hash involves agitating cannabis plant material in ice-filled water. The resinous trichomes freeze and break off of the plant matter, sinking to the bottom of a metal sieve, usually within a series of mesh screens, each with a diminishing sized mesh. The finer the mesh, or “micron,” the finer the material and lesser the plant matter.
Bubble hash comes in an array of colors, depending on the ripeness of the cannabis being used, the amount of plant material that makes it in, and the size of the mesh micron it was filtered or “sieved” through. Bubble hash can range from blond to red to black, with the lighter colors often being the most desirable.
How to judge the quality of bubble hash
Bubble hash is usually rated on its ability to bubble. “Full melt” bubble hash bubbles the best, until “fully melted,” and is considered the gold standard for bubble hash. It leaves behind white ash and is able to fully bubble away until completely liquified or evaporated. If the bubble hash has any residual plant material, this may reduce its ability to fully bubble, which will also reduce its overall rating. Hash is rated on a six-star scale, with six stars being the absolute “best.” Highly rated bubble hash will likely have come from the finest microns and been made from quality flower and/or resinous trim.
Larger-size microns may let some plant matter through, but they also let the largest trichomes pass in their entirety. As the microns diminish, smaller trichomes and trichome pieces are sieved, lone trichome heads and stalks falling through. This means that while the finer microns make better bubbles due to lack of plant material, it doesn't necessarily mean they create a more potent product.
Once the moisture has evaporated from the sieved and collected hashish and after it has been cured, bubble hash is often consumed at the same time as flower. A popular method of using it in this manner is to roll the hash into small balls and place them on top of a bowl of cannabis. The concentrate only needs to be tapped lightly by a flame in order to enjoy its fun bubbles and intoxicating high. It can also be dabbed.
A brief history of bubble hash
Bubble hash came onto the cannabis scene in the mid-1990s and hit the height of its popularity in the early 2000s. The phrase, “If it doesn't bubble, it's not worth the trouble,” became popular during this time for its stark truth. The highest rated bubble hash does just that, bubble all the way to a liquidy, vaporous state.
Making bubble hash is still a common method of extraction, though its vast availability has waned with the advent of other craft concentrates, such as butane hash oil (BHO) and rosin.