3 minute read
Resin Never Lies
from Munkey Biz Issue 20
by HAPPY MUNKEY
BY THE DANK DUCHESS
If you want to test the quality of a grower and his/her practices, make some bubble hash because the resin never lies.
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As a hashmaker who also grows cannabis, I am in an enviable position. I am not beholden to the growing practices and conditions of anyone but myself. I have not always been so independent. When I first started making bubble hash, I relied upon “organic” growers to provide resinladen buds that had not been sprayed with anything. To my dismay, much of the material that I bought in those early days was poor. My hash was brittle, unpressable, and seemingly devoid of oil content. My mentor, Hashmaster Frenchy Cannoli, assured me that when I managed to meet the right type of dedicated growers, I would have much better results. I thought I was getting the good good. I thought I was getting THE DANK.
------“My boy just ran this and it was super fire. Like 30%.”
Each grower practically said the same thing. It took quite a few mediocre batches of bubble hash before I realized that everyone’s “boy” was open blasting BHO (butane hash oil) and not purging anything. The yield on making BHO is always significantly higher than with bubble hash. Another eye opener was that lots of “super fire” material was subpar; producing flashy, but relatively useless resin heads. By making bubble hash it became obvious that all growers are definitely not the same.
- The Dank Duchess
The BHO process involves vacating the entirety of the resin head; capturing all of the cannabinoids and terpenes in one fell swoop. Making bubble hash is hardly as forgiving as the process is dependent on being able to collect the perfectly formed resin head decapitated cleanly at the base (abscission point); all while submerged in a detrimental environment (ice and water) for the trichome head. Terpene loss of a certain degree is commonplace. Therefore good bubble hash requires a phenomenal starting point. Good growing practices are made obvious by the yield, color, terpenes, and ability to melt after being properly dried. None of these metrics individually function as absolutes. There are peculiarities to each run of material, so understanding the variables is important.
Color is tricky. Everyone is looking for the lightest yellow, almost white, resin. However, light color is not always a sign of superior resin. Some cultivars have naturally darker hued resin. Plants that are grown outdoors will produce darker resin. Hash run in warmer conditions will be darker. At the same time, plants that are past their prime will also be darker.
In being past their prime (and thereby indicating a grower not quite on top of his/her schedule), the plants will often produce resin that will not melt as well. At the point of senescence, resin walls become thicker and drier and less likely to melt. Late plants also will have much less terpenes.
Coasting on the obsession with light color, growers will sometimes cut their plants up to two weeks early. Unfortunately, it is during these last two weeks of ripening that resin production is seriously cranked up. When young plants are washed, often the yield is significantly less because of the reduced oil content. Young plants with little oil also melt poorly.
Another trope is, “Well nothing is detectable on tests, so it is practically organic.” This can be a whole story onto itself, but let’s just say that the labs may not be able to tell, but when produced into bubble hash, the resin reveals all. When using harmful additives and pesticides, the pressability, meltiness, and the flavor are all compromised.
When considering a new grower and his/her plants, all of these factors come into play. Base your estimation on a grower’s worth on how good are the bubble hash results and you will not be steered wrong because the resin never lies.
