From Kief To Hash, Trust the Process

From Kief to Hash

What is Hash? On the cannabis plant, there are very small resin glands rich in cannabinoids and terpenes. Some of these cannabinoids and terpenes are highly potent and responsible for the psychoactive effect of weed. These cannabinoids are called tetrahydrocannabinol or THC.

Clear, crystally trichomes form on the plant during growth, and these trichomes can be harvested into a green, powder-like substance. This is called Kief.

How to Separate the Trichomes from the Plant

There are quite a few methods to separate the trichomes from the plant. One of these methods is using a kief tumbler and it renders quite a big amount of Kief.  Kief is difficult to store though, and with a big amount lying around, it could be used to make hash.

Hash is pressurized and heated Kief. When heat and pressure are applied to kief, the composition gets altered. The resin glands get ruptured that changes the taste, color and consistency of it.

The more kief gets pressurized, the darker the color gets. Hash is easier to use as kief and burns slower. Hash just like Kief can be used on their own or to top bowls or joints.

There are various methods to make hash from kief.

Easy Method to Make Hash

Ingredients: parchment paper, iron (no steam), t-shirt, thin towel or damp newspaper.

Doing it:

• Heat iron on the lowest setting
• Take the parchment and fold it to the amount going to be pressed. Fold it in half and put it on an ironing board.
• Put a layer of kief on the flat side of the parchment paper. Spread it about 2 mm thick and fold to top part down. Secure the kief close to the folded side.
• Put the t-shirt, towel or damp newspaper on top of the parchment.
• Push the iron down and hold it for about 3 to 4 seconds. Repeat it about 20 times. Turn the paper around every now and again.
• Check your progress and adjust heat or force of swipes if too loose or sticky
• Turn the iron off when done.

If you don’t have an iron you can try the next method:

Ingredients: Kief, Glass jar with lid, parchment paper

Doing it:

• Use a square of parchment paper and put kief in the middle of it.
• Fold the kief into the paper ensuring the corners even if you have to tape it down.
• Put hot water in the glass jar and secure the lid. Careful not to burn your hands.
• Use the jar as a roller and repeat the process by pressing it down. This should be done for about 8 to 10 minutes.
• When done, cool it down in the refrigerator’s freezer for about an hour.

If you don’t have a lot of kief, then a pollen press can also be used. A pollen press is literally a cylindrical tube with two twist-off caps on the ends. One cap gets twisted off and the cylinder gets filled with kief.

Then the other cap gets twisted back on and while pressure is applied, the kief gets pressed down until it is tightly packed. It then gets removed and you have your hash.

It is not too hard to make you own hash at home.

Try and enjoy!