Removing THC Via Ice Water Extraction
Ice water extraction is the process of removing THC laden trichomes from plant material by washing the material in cold water. Also known as bubble hash, full melt or water hash IWE works because THC is denser than water. Most people are familiar with bubble-bags and the process associated with making bubble hash but for those of you don’t here is a brief run down. Once plants are harvested the trim harvested off the plants after the flowers are trimmed is immediately frozen to preserve the resin and keep the leaf from drying out. If the leaf is dry during the washing process it is more likely to break apart and add contaminant to your hash which will have to be cleaned out later on.
Once you have your frozen material ready to go the next step is to wash. There are many different methods to agitate the leaf and cause the trichomes to separate from the plant material the principle remains the same. By adding plant material to ice cold water and then agitating the material you cause the dense resin glands to separate from the leaf material and slowly drop to the bottom of whatever container you are using to agitate the trim.
Once you have done this you will have a THC laden water solution which will be filtered through a series of various micron bags. Remember, different cannabis trichomes have different sizes so filtering through specifically engineered screens allows a hash maker to pinpoint the most desirable resin glands.
Ice water extraction is a solvent less or non-volatile solvent form of hash making which makes the resin brittle so it can be easily separated. This process is extremely clean and creates a pure, clean product, high in THC and extremely tasty with no chemical residue. Once you have your water filtered and are left with a final product in your screens the next step is to dry it out and enjoy!