Ice-O-Lator: How to Get Skuff Using These Bags
In this article we will see how to make Skuff (resin, pollen, popo, powder, kief, call it what you want). To do this, of course, you have to have manicure waste, it's a shame to waste a pretty head to do that.
All you need to know about the preparation of skuff - Ice-o-lator - Hash here is the traditional method
There are multiple ways to make Skuff. I will introduce you to the most common ways to use.
This method consists of using one or more sieves and hitting them with chopsticks. (like someone playing the drums) to drop the pollen that had stuck to the manicure waste.
To use this method and make it as optimal as possible, you would normally need 3 sieves:
- A first of 160 microns.
- A second of 70 microns.
- And a third of 45 microns.
The micron is a unit of length that represents one thousandth of a millimeter. In particular, we need these sieves specifically, because they allow pollen to pass, while filtering the waste of plant matter. The higher the microns, the more material they let through. Thus, when we make resin and have several sieves, we obtain different qualities of Skuff, each of which has very specific aromas.
The traditional sieve method favors flavor at the expense of quantity compared to the second method.
The process
Beforehand, you must put all the waste in plastic bags (or freezer bag) and place them in the freezer overnight. When freezing crop waste or even buds, it will later be easier to separate the trichomes, which make up the Skuff, from the plant material.
For the process, it is necessary that to place its frozen vegetable matter in the sieve, without filling it too much so as not to compress the leaves too much. Then, close everything with a resistant canvas, tied by an elastic around the sieve, to make a nice little package.
The first sieve we will use will be the 160 micron sieve (If you only use one, you can choose either the 160 micron if you want more quantity than quality, or 70 micron. The 45 micron really won't give you much, but for against it will be of truly exceptional quality).
Place the sieve in a dish large enough to fit, otherwise lay it on an oilcloth. You will then have to tap it with chopsticks for 15 minutes. (yes yes 15 minutes! Come on, stopwatch and don't stop̂you don't) Once the first pass has been made, collect the Skuff which has settled at the bottom of the dish with a card and repeat the operation by depositing your Skuff obtained in the 70 micron sieve, then in the 45 micron sieve.
You will thus obtain 3 different qualities of skuff:
- The one between the 160 and 70 sieve will be our first quality, this one will be present in greater quantity.
- The one between the 70 sieve and the 45 sieve will be our second quality: you will have less, but it will be better than the first quality.
- And finally the one that will pass through the 45 micron sieve, which will be our third and best quality.
There you have it, you did some dry Skuff, but it still lacks a step before it really becomes Hash.
It was the simple method of making Skuff the traditional way, however, how do you do it with the ice-o-lator method?
Making Skuff, The Ice-o-lator Method
Here we are going to see how to make Skuff with the ice-o-lator method just using water and ice.
Unlike the traditional method where we extract the Skuff dry, here our Skuff will be wet, because we will use the force of the water and the cold of the ice.
To do this, there are 2 methods: Either you have an “Ice-o-lator” machine (a kind of a small washing machine specially conçue to extract resin), either you are using system D.
Personally, I still recommend using the D system, it's a bit physical, but it takes a machine that you will use once a year.
The basic model of the “Ice-o-lator” costs a hundred dollars and even to say, it is not as efficient as the D system, which will cost you around 30 €. It's up to you: if you have a lot of plant material on a regular basis, it is better to invest in a machine, conversely if you do not have a lot.
Here, I will detail the method without the machine. But the “Ice-o-lator” follows the same principle, except that it is a machine that will do all the work for you.
Home
- Several BubbleBag, sieve bags
- A drill
- A seal large enough to hold the BubbleBags
- A mixer rod for the drill. (rods for mixed paint or concrete for example)
Rest assured, you can find everything on Amazon or on specialized sites for really not very expensive, if you already have a drill at least.
You need a large bucket in which the sieve bags fit perfectly, it will really make the job easier.
As with the traditional method, place the waste in the freezer overnight before running the process.
For the operation, you must place the Hashbags in the bucket, respecting the order (otherwise you risk making m ****). The bag with the smallest micron will be placed in the bucket first, the others will follow in an increasing way, so that the bag with the highest microns is the one in which the plant material will be placed.
Then immerse part of the grass in the bucket, but do not put too much: we must be able to keep a free movement in the water while mixing with the drill and the rod. Otherwise, you risk having a hard time first and secondly making it squirt all over the place. Then add cold water and multiple size ice cubes if possible. The grass must be completely submerged under water and ice cubes. Then wait about ten minutes to allow time for the waste to soak up water. Also check the water temperature, it must be between 0 and 4 ° C for a perfectly performed extraction.
Then, you will simply have to mix with the drill for 5 to 15 minutes but be careful, the more you exceed the 15 minutes time limit, the more you will increase the output, but doing so at the expense of quality. (ideally it should be run for 12-13 minutes, ça will be more than enough to have a good quality and yield ratio).
Do not mix too hard, if foam forms it is because you will have mixed much too hard and the quality of the finished product will be affected. Once this step is completed, filter everything with the Bubble Bags by removing them one by one from the bucket. (in the first, you will have to take out the rubbish, so squeeze everything well so that there is no more water and then throw away the plant matter. While the other bags will separate the water from the trichomes and give you the precious Hash -
As you go through the different filters, you will get different qualities and therefore different flavors, so don't mix them if you want to be able to compare them.
Squeeze the bags well, so that there is no more water when you go to collect the bottom of the bag. But beware, it freezes your hands when you pat the sides to drain the water.
You will finally be able to recover the precious material with the drying screen which you would normally have supplied with the bags. (if you have several passages to make because you have a lot of plant matter, do not throw the water out of the tank. On the contrary, reuse it)
Put your hash in a container that you will place away from light, so that it can dry properly and that there is no more humidity inside. It should be ready in 24-48 hours. Do not squeeze the hash, at least not yet, and do not heat the harvested material either. Unlike the traditional method, it will be Hash, not Skuff. No need to heat it to transform it, you can directly smoke it when it is dry.
Transform Skuff into Hash
When you use the traditional method to make Skuff, you then have to make a final transformation so that the powder becomes hash and brings out all the flavors when you smoke it. To transform it, the powder will have to be raised to temperature.
Personally, I have professional tools and I use a hydraulic press, but it is a device that is relatively expensive and of which I make a almost weekly use. However, there are various methods to transform it without having to ruin yourself in equipment. Just one small thing: don't use small pollen presses, the result is really poor.
First method: aluminum
The most simplistic technique which does not require any material, apart from aluminum foil, a lighter and preferably a thick book.
Fold an A4 sheet of aluminum foil in 4 and place the powder inside, in the shape of a bar, it will be easier to compress. Close the two ends so as not to lose any and fold it all over itself to have an aluminum bar. Then simply heat for ten seconds evenly each of the two sides without burning your fingers.
While hot, quickly crush "the package" with a very thick book, with all your strength, for 1 to 2 minutes, the time for the Skuff to cool down and compress well.
Gently unfold the foil and gently peel off the bar. There you go, it was that simple! Remember that the more you heat the pollen, the darker it will become and the taste will change accordingly. You have your own homemade hash and it's a real treat.
The second method: the oven method
This process takes a little longer. So I will define it step by step so as not to get lost.
- Wrap the pollen in cellophane paper to create a tight, firm and waterproof bar.
- Wrap the cellophane sealed with a lighter in wet newspaper and place everything in an oven preheated to 150 ° C. Leave it there for about 10 minutes.
- Take the package out of the oven and place it on a cutting board. Then roll it very gently evenly using a rolling pin.
- Wet the compressed package with hot water and put everything in the oven, again for about 10 minutes.
You can repeat this process over and over again to create a smoother, better quality Hash with each new pass.
- When finished, place the package in a fridge overnight, so that it cools down well and sets properly. Then you will just have to roll a small cone to enjoy one of the most delicious hashs you will have smoked in your life, I guarantee it!
The third method: with a car
The typical barbarian method! (one had to be right?). You need a car, two wooden planks and cellophane.
Wrap the Skuff in the cellophane paper, but do not compact it too much, otherwise the cellophane may explode as the car passes by. Place the package between the two wooden planks and simply roll over it with a car, remaining on it for 3 seconds. There you go, quick and easy, however the quality will not be as perfect as with the oven method. Simply a System D method for making hash quickly when you really don't have time. (this method works, but frankly don't do it, it's more funny than productive).
For more tips, methods and tips on growing cannabis, feel free to order my books "Growing Green Gold" and "Growing Green Gold Indoors" on amazon.
