The 5 classic mistakes of the beginner hashish maker

Extracting resins such as hashish or rosin from hemp involves a number of techniques that can be hazardous for the uninitiated. Rue de la Boulette offers you a small, non-exhaustive list of 5 classic but avoidable mistakes to help you become a hashish master, or a hashish mistress! Solvent-free extraction processes require the greatest care and constant attention, even for cold or water beating. Every detail counts if you want to obtain a pure, healthy and clean concentrate.

We asked our in-house specialists. Here are the main avoidable mistakes that practice teaches us.

Choosing a quality hemp
Too much ice kills the extraction
PPE as Personal Protective Equipment
Never use excessive force (lol)
Storage, storage, storage

1. Choosing a quality hemp Universal and invariable law:

It is impossible to make a good concentrate from a bad hemp. In other words, a good hash or a good resin is necessarily a healthy plant grown in a clean environment. This is true for the soil, the water and even the quality of the air around the hemp, all of this counts the most. Everything that could have altered or polluted the plant since the seed ends up in the tablet. No matter how skilled you are in solvent-free extraction, there is no point wasting your time with poorly dried hemp with larvae, spores, etc., the same goes for hemp that has grown too close to sources of air pollution such as heavy road traffic, etc. Finally, make sure that the plant has not been fertilized late during flowering with mineral fertilizers without being 'rinsed' before harvesting. If this last point is visible when burning dry hemp, it is much more difficult to detect on PEFC (fresh frozen hemp)

2. Too much ice kills the extraction

Whether you use dry ice or water, equip yourself with a specific and precise thermometer to measure the water temperature. First of all, you must ensure that you have top-quality ice that does not contain any pollutants or contaminants. Generally, the dry ice found online is food grade. Tap water is generally chlorinated, for example. To ice it, it is best to let it settle and aerate for a few hours before packaging it for your extractions. Too much ice can dilute and reduce the potency of your final product. The ideal temperature for beating hemp with ice water is between 0 and 4 degrees. When it comes to cryoextraction, you must be careful with protection. The working temperature is very low, but it must not exceed -50°. Here too, excess ice can lead to the threshold of sublimation and damage the raw material. Ice should be used to cool the processing water, not to improve agitation. The goal is to obtain a gentle and efficient extraction. Excess ice can also make the extraction process more difficult and longer, so it is important to monitor process temperatures and add ice only when necessary.

3. PPE as Personal Protective Equipment

Producing the highest quality resin starts with one essential step: wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE). It is definitely worth investing in a unique outfit to make resin. Always wear gloves, a lab coat or apron, and a hairnet when handling hemp and especially ice. Don’t forget safety glasses and even a protective mask or plastic face shield. Also, remember to protect your feet in case of a weight drop or spill: suitable safety shoes, otherwise toe-capped boots are the best. Consider making a small vestibule where you will change and systematically change your shoes before entering your extraction lab. Use waterproof and ergonomic storage containers throughout the process. In addition, it is important to use clean and fitted PPE to ensure that no foreign bodies or other bacteria are introduced into your lab. Ideally, you need 2 outfits + PPE to alternate regularly and clean your equipment. Inappropriate PPE can compromise the quality and safety of the final product, it can also have harmful biological implications. When making concentrate, you concentrate everything, including microorganisms and pollutants. These precautions are fundamental. 4. Never use excessive force (lol) Stirring and pressing are nt essential steps or a little elbow grease may be necessary. But excessive use of force can ruin your chances of obtaining a homogeneous and successful resin. For example, shaking your ‘ice bath’ too violently can fragment the trichomes and harm the quality of the final product. The same goes for excessive pressure when using a rosin press, this excess can give the rosin a harder consistency and a burnt taste. It is important to find the right balance between force and time to obtain the result. Generally speaking, be gentle with hemp, hemp will reward you.

5. Storage, storage, storage

Whatever method you choose to obtain a hemp concentrate, you must handle it with infinite precautions. First of all, use gloves, a small shower cap and clean, lint-free canvas clothing. Otherwise, if your hash smells of synthetic fiber, you will have been warned. Anything that comes close to your hemp must have been cleaned with soap or disinfected beforehand. Use canvas fabric or craft paper rather than plastic on the surface for storing biomass, the ideal remaining metal or glass, avoid wood if possible, otherwise outside a contact envelope made of craft paper, canvas or glass Hemp must be stored dry in the shade and in a cool place. Exposure to light, heat and open air can oxidize cannabinoids and terpenes over time. Under these conditions, you will obtain a less potent and less tasty final product, perhaps even more lethargic than it should be. Discover our article on the evaporation of terpenes to learn more. Once produced, store your resin or rosin in a cool, dark place, in an airtight container that you will air from time to time. It is also important to keep your storage container clean and free of any contaminants to avoid compromising the quality of your final product. Black soap is hashish's friend, all your utensils, all your surfaces must be regularly cleaned and disinfected with a little deflavored alcohol without added perfume.

The hashish master's ball

Creating hash and rosin of suitable quality and without solvent requires particular attention to details such as storage temperature, absolute cleanliness and humidity. Equip yourself with the necessary tools and be attentive to any accidental contamination, cleaning products, pets, cosmetic products, hair, etc. By avoiding these 5 common mistakes, you are on the right path to obtaining a final product that meets your expectations. Our team is always available to answer your technical questions and advise you on the best ways to extract hashish from hemp. Do not hesitate to contact us on social networks and by email.