Obtaining ice water hashish at home with the remains of your crop is very simple using Ice-o-Lator bags, thanks to a technique based on the use of water, ice and successive sieves. This video offers a step by step guide on how to obtain different calibres of extractions and what materials you need to get them. You just need a little practice, some patience, and of course, the right materials, which you can find at our online shop.
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Ice-o-Lator Hash Making
Ice-o-Lator consists of some very simple bags used to extract hashish using water and ice, hence the name. They became popular through the Dutch company Pollinator, a pioneer since 1992 in the manufacturing and marketing of extraction systems for cannabis systems. The hashish is obtained by cooling the cannabis’ resin glands, which are known as trichomes, which then harden and sink in the cold water while the vegetable waste material (that is to say the leaves and other parts of the plant) floats on the water.
In order to collect these resin glands, you need nylon bags of different sizes that are used to separate them from the rest of the plant material that is not wanted. The trichomes will gradually stick to the sieve of the bag, a small net in the lower part of it, although it is necessary to remove branches and other hard parts of the plant so that the extraction process is more effective.
You have to consider the fact that the quality of the hashish obtained will depend on the thickness of the bag used. The best quality bags are not usually more than 45 microns. Then there are bags from 60 to 75 microns, from 90 to 120, from 150 to 180 and higher. With strainers of 30-45 microns we obtain hashish that is “top quality”, with the 60-75 micros it is second rate quality, then there is the 90-120 microns (third rate quality) until you get to bags of 150-180 microns, the fourth rate quality level or “commercial quality” which is what you normally find on the streets.
To carry out the extraction, you need, in addition to other materials: a 25 litre capacity bucket, a tool that can be used to stir the marijuana around and it should be as long as required by the container in which the bag is inserted into (it could be a suitable stick or a kitchen whisk), various kilograms of ice, a thermometer and the dry remains of the crop, especially the little leaves that protect the buds which are full of resin. It is clear that the larger the amount of trichome we have, the better the quality of the hashish we are going to obtain.
How to make Ice-o-Lator step by step
The first thing you have to do is insert the different bags into a container (a bucket may be perfect), very well fastened but leaving enough space between them. They will be placed in bucket, going for smallest to largest (the size is usually indicated on a small label in the upper part of the bag, or identified through a colour scheme) until the largest is placed on the inside where the vegetable waste material will be caught.
Then, the cannabis leftovers are mixed with very cold water and lots of ice. It is not recommended to overload the bags excessively, as the resin needs space to fall to the bottom. The colder the mixture is, the better the final results will be, as the trichomes need to be at a temperature close to 0º in order to harden quicker and then gravity makes their work easier. It is even recommended to put the dry crop leftovers in a freezer for several days beforehand, to achieve a better effect.
You let the mixture rest for 15 minutes, check that the temperature is between 0.5º and 3º C (trichomes break away from vegetable matter at around 4º C) then stir the cannabis around well for 20 to 25 minutes, making use of the tool that you have chosen. When that time has passed, wait another quarter of an hour and repeat the process until the leaves remain floating on the surface. Then we take out the first bag, the biggest one, and strain out the water well.
The glands that we are looking for are in the other nets. Take out the following bag and drain the water again in order to obtain the first hashish, a small brownish-grey mass. Then remove the following bags, that contain all of the liquid and substances that have gradually filtered down through the previous ones. The last bag will collect the smallest glands, which is why you will need to use a little water to bring them together.
In this manner, you will have obtained different qualities of hashish, separated out depending on the size of the gland. The next time that water runs through, it is possible that the bag will be obstructed and does not completely let water through. This is a sign that the process is working correctly. You will just need to move the bag with your hands to ensure that the mass which has formed moves position and the water can flow through the gap it leaves.
Then it very important to flake apart the product you have obtained (you can use a kitchen strainer to squeeze with a spoon and a toothbrush to scrape) and dry optimally for a few hours, by placing on small transparent trays or using kitchen paper. This step is very important, because, if the material is not dried properly, or if there is some moisture, it will end up rotting, and the fungi that grow are very harmful.
Once you have carried out this step, the time has come to enjoy your own home made hashish with all the guarantees of quality and freshness. Not to mention the pride than comes with making it yourself with a method as simple as the Ice-o-Lator bags.