Great info dude!! This page alone should be a sticky! very informative! I'm buying bags next week so I am excited to try your technique. +rep
Thank you. Your kind words are inspirational. And you know I would love this sticky'ed.
I don't want to talk trash on anyone, to each their own (even tho most don't know how to dry hash because bubbleman was teaching people BAD technique for years. the hash wars are something I am researching and writing up now. sam skunkman is evil, mila is his puppet. joe pietri is an angry jerk, bubbleman got lucky). BUT I've been working with Steep Hill Lab to get some facts on hash. I'll tell you what I've learned from my experience with Blackberry Kush. Blackberry Kush is a low THC variety. Mine tested about 16% THC. Great for Blackberry Kush (top 5! and it was vegan organic!) But the super stars test around and over 20% THC, like OGKush, ChemDawg, BlueDream, Headband, you know, the "in your face strong" varieties.
Well okay, now we compare the hash from these varieties. OG tests around 50, ChemD around 51, Headband around 53. My Blackberry Kush tested over 52%, from a lower THC variety. How can this be? It's all full-melt crazy good hash, usually made in similar fashions. I used 45 to 160 microns. The other hash makers use a smaller fraction, usually 76 to 120, or something like that. It's all about using as few bags as possible. Separating the smaller particles, <45 microns (I let them go back to mother nature, lol). Washing genlty. Rinsing well after collection. and of course Drying well. Then you still have to cure it or you won't get soft waxy crumbly hash, that is my goal.
Hash will easily turn into hard crystals with this method. After grating you have a short drying time until you really need to get it curing, usually about 36 hours. It's a learning curve. Use your senses, rub a little between your fingers. You want dry and crumbly and soft, but not sticky. Sticky means wet, or your hands are too hot. Pay close attention to the temperature of your hands when you touch hash for the actual grating, and to assess it drying then curing. I've used ice to chill my hands for this in the summer. The seasons have a huge affect on hash making.
Post edit: actually, I often use my nails to break small pieces chunks of hash up, to see how dry/cured they are. If it softly turns to a powdery texture, sometimes gold sometimes the color on the outside of the hash, then it's right. It's not sticky, but a little will stick to your fingers.