Hash Washing Evolved

Cannabis concentrates have been on the rise in recent years—so much so that some reports, including one from Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics in 2018, forecasted that concentrates will outsell flower by 2023.

Additional data the following year from BDS Analytics detailed just how significant the concentrates market is. As of August 2019, concentrates accounted for 37 percent of the market share for June 2019, totaling $90.9 million in total sales. Colorado was another state that saw significant performance stats from cannabis concentrates.

The data from BDS Analytics covered concentrates extracted using both solvents and solventless methods. For some time, manufacturers almost exclusively relied on using solvents to generate large yields in a time frame that would meet market demand. In recent years, technological advancements have made solventless methods feasible for large-scale commercial production.

With innovation and scalability on the rise, solventless products will no longer be made with suboptimal equipment. No one trying to make an impact in cannabis should be using hair straighteners to press rosin. This is especially true for hash. The versatile concentrate is used to create numerous other solventless cannabis products and should be revered for its impact on the cannabis community. For bubble hash producers, the days of using garbage containers and washers meant for other purposes are over.

Today, top producers need equipment meant for solventless extraction and only that. If your operation makes the investment, it will likely see gains in its overall product and its bottom line.

Use Equipment Meant for Solventless Rosin Extraction

While the trend is fading, too many producers still rely on DIY equipment. This has to stop. Not only is it a bad look for the industry, but segments of the market demand that much more clarity on their cannabis products. Patients who treat cannabis as medicine are unlikely to want medicine that was partially developed in a garbage can—regardless how many times they are told the can is clean and used strictly for extraction purposes.

Or, think of it this way: you wouldn’t use non-food-grade products to prepare food, would you? Then, why do it differently with a consumable product like cannabis? Sure, marijuana may not be entirely legal at this time in all places. However, its acceptance so far has ushered in an era where you don’t have to use garbage containers and other products not meant for cannabis extraction.

Today, extraction tech developers aim to meet the highest standards on the market, thus proving the reliability of their equipment for producers and consumers alike. The team at PurePressure followed California’s rigorous testing standards to ensure that the Bruteless™ hash washing line met the highest standards in the market today.

The team also strove to include features hash producers need. These include containers with no nooks or crannies for easy cleaning, as well as a removable false bottom, an insulated sleeve, and three drainage ports to give a production what it needs to produce hash properly.

When searching for equipment to produce bubble hash or other concentrates, be sure only to choose food-grade machinery. Ensure a company is FDA compliant. Seek clarity before making any purchases.

Proper Machinery Produces Proper Solventless Concentrates

Some have called ice water hash production a difficult process. Those who do tend to point to its low yields generated from the extraction process.

And they are right. That is, they were right, until recently.

Technological advancements across cannabis are now helping increase yields and justify their inclusion in product offerings. Hash washing is now starting to produce worthwhile returns on investment. This includes seeing daily eight-hour workday yields reaching between 300 grams and 1,800 grams of hash.

The total yield depends on the size of the container and the amount of product used. Those seeking larger returns may want to consider the Bruteless™ 65-gallon option, which can wash upwards of 15,000 grams of fresh frozen flower at a time, in total generating an estimated daily revenue between $27,000 and $54,000.

Whether going for a large or smaller option, using proper cannabis extraction technology is going to help produce better products. Not only should quality increase, but so should quantity, thanks to larger containers that are made for smooth production and easy cleaning.

Giving Producers More Insight with Sight Inside

In storytelling, going through the looking glass represents seeing a world that is not quite what it seems.

Thankfully, that is not the case with hash washing. Instead, a looking glass— more specifically, a sight glass—allows producers to get a better look at the hash washing process in real time.

Instead of having to wait it out and see the results, producers who use sight glass can see the results take shape as they occur. So what? You get to watch flower being washed. Is that it? Far from it!

The sight glass allows producers the ability to make changes if the process is not living up to expectations. In broad strokes, producers get to create excellent water management practices, thanks to having a better look at how their flower is washed.

Still don’t think it’s a valuable addition? Think about other aspects of the hash making process. Would a freeze dryer be better with or without a look inside? With the former, producers are opening and closing the container, exposing the product to the outside elements, and introducing unneeded warmth to the process. The same is now the case for the washing machine, which only needs to be opened if any alterations need to be made to the water.

Not Every Product Lives Up to the Billing

The previous points about tech advancements are still valid. Innovations have certainly increased capacities and yields in solventless cannabis extraction, especially with ice water hash production. That said, not every product lives up to the standards needed today. That’s why producers must consider each aspect of the machinery before making any purchases.

Sure, a machine can produce the yields and hold the amount of cannabis needed to satisfy a commercial production. That, however, isn’t all that needs to be considered. Modern technology, especially solventless, has to consider the full plant experience. Unlike solvents, where terpenes and other parts of the plant’s profile are often stripped out, solvents need to retain the whole plant experience. Otherwise, the machinery and its products fall short on delivering.

Consider tech on the market today. Some being billed as the superior options can only produce four-star hash at such high volumes. Often, this is due to equipment parts, like the uses of mixing blades that are tough on the plant and can damage its trichomes. So, while the production can produce the yields needed, it falls short on providing high-quality products consumers demand.

In short, these types of equipment aren’t worth the investment. PurePressure took these points into consideration when developing their Bruteless line. They understand that producers need quality equipment that produces not only the yield but also the plant profile that consumers expect from a full-melt cannabis extract. The same goes for other applications using the Bruteless line, including mechanical separations of THCA and terpenes.

Going solventless can be cost-effective and serves as a viable method for generating revenue quickly using a product in demand. If the proper research is conducted, a producer can save thousands compared to startup solvent extraction lab costs. The key to achieving this outcome is doing your research and purchasing FDA-compliant products made for hash washing or other solventless extraction methods.

Do your research. Make the right purchases. See your revenue and customer satisfaction soar in no time. Go solventless today.