What Is Bubble Hash and How Is It Used?

Though hash is hailed as the world’s first concentrate, not all hash products are created equal. From pressed and unpressed offerings, the hash market has been climbing exponentially as cannabis continues to legalize and expand. If you’re new to the delightful world of hashish, trust us when we say there’s one type you don’t want to miss: bubble hash.

While it’s related to the classic pressed hash you may already be familiar with, you can think of bubble hash as a fine-tuning of it—using ancient techniques and ice water, the end product preserves an unusually high proportion of the cannabis plant’s flavorful terpenes. The result is incomparable, delivering the fullest expression of this centuries-old concentrate and making it a top choice for hash lovers around the world.

But what exactly is bubble hash, and how exactly is it made? Is it similar to other solventless concentrates like kief and rosin? If you’re curious to explore the wide world of bubble hash, you’re in the right place. By the end of this post, you’ll be a true bubble hash connoisseur and ready to restock your stash box with this truly exceptional concentrate.

What Is Bubble Hash?

Bubble hash is a modern refinement of classic hash. Typically taking the form of tiny glistening pebbles rather than the chalky blocks you may know and love, it’s an intriguing alternative to regular hash. But before diving into the nuances of bubble hash, it’s important to understand where hash itself came from, as it’s a product with quite a backstory.

Ancient farmers of present-day India and Pakistan had a hunch that the secret to the cannabis plant’s delightful effects lay in its trichomes, the tiny glands that form a layer of silvery dust on flower and cannabis nugs, and house the majority of its potent cannabinoids and terpenes. From there, they found a way to separate and concentrate those glands from the plant, commonly with screens and regular agitation of the plant material, thus creating hashish.

Before long, hashish production spread throughout the Middle East and beyond, becoming an essential and storied commodity. But even as modern-day concentrates first took center stage in the 1990s, the story of hash was far from over. A very simple insight—that using ice water could improve hash extraction, purity, and flavor—brought this timeless product into the modern age, and bubble hash was born.

How Is Bubble Hash Made?

We are passionate about all things bubble hash, but it’s for a good reason: bubble hash making requires zero chemicals and nothing more complicated than ice water and filters. What’s not to love about a potent product chock-full of tasty terpenes and delectable aromas? Plus, it can be relatively easy to produce—here’s how bubble hash is made:

1. Cured cannabis flower is submerged in pure and icy water. When sufficiently chilled, the trichomes separate easily from their tiny stalks.

2. As the trichomes sink to the bottom of the water tank, a series of increasingly fine filters remove the lipids, plant matter, and other unwanted compounds.

3. Voila! The leftover product of this process is flavorful bubble hash.

You may be wondering where the name “bubble” hash comes from. When the finished hash is heated, it releases tiny bubbles—we like to think of it as an entertaining visual cue that you’re about to enjoy an extraordinary cannabis treat.

Bubble Hash Potency and Ratings

In one sense, bubble hash is no different from our pressed temple ball hash and unpressed (“loose”) hash in that they each boast strong, but not overwhelming, potency. While individual products vary based on the specific strains they’re made from, hash potency typically falls in the 40% - 60% THC range. By way of comparison, the very strongest flower typically tops out in the mid-30% range for THC.

When it comes to assessing a specific bubble hash, what may be more useful is what’s called its melt. The melt refers to the proportion of product that “melts away” as it’s heated. The higher the melt, the less resin is left behind, and the purer the product. For example, our unpressed hash is available in melts ranging from 50% to 80%.

Hash melt and quality are typically graded. At Nasha Hash, we use colors to grade our quality hash, with onyx being considered at the connoisseur level and green being at the entry-level. Depending on the grade, our pressed temple balls are available in melts ranging from 65% to as high as 90%, sometimes even higher. The result? An exceptionally full-flavored and complex smoking experience, with none of the harsh or bitter flavors lesser hash is known for.

Bubble Hash vs Other Concentrates

Wondering how bubble hash stacks up against other popular solventless concentrates? We’ve got you covered.

Bubble Hash vs Kief

Kief is a little like unpressed hash in that it’s made from separated and dried trichomes. However, while kief comes in the form of a dry, sandy powder, bubble hash tends to be richer and stickier. When comparing bubble hash and kief, it’s important to remember that bubble hash is a highly refined and pure product. In contrast, kief typically includes a higher proportion of plant matter, which can give it a slightly harsh, more coarse flavor.

Bubble Hash vs Dry Sift

Dry sifting is more of a process than a product, though you will sometimes see hashish marketed as “dry sift.” Essentially, it’s the waterless version of bubble hash in that dry sifting involves rubbing cannabis flower through fine mesh screens. As we discussed, the cold-water process of making bubble hash involves chilling the plant matter in very cold water to make the trichomes easier to separate. In general, dry sifting will produce a powdery product, while bubble hash exhibits greater variation in texture.

Bubble Hash vs Rosin

These two products have some very obvious differences but also some surprising similarities. Rosin is created by collecting cannabis plant matter—whether it be cured or flash-frozen flower or some form of cannabis concentrate, such as kief—and pressing it with the aid of heat and high pressure. In fact, rosin can even be made from bubble hash!

Regarding consistency between bubble hash and rosin, rosin usually takes the form of a dense and slightly oily mass, while bubble hash exhibits a range of looser, pebble-like textures. Each is a highly flavorful and completely solventless way to enjoy the natural goodness of the cannabis plant.

How to Smoke Bubble Hash

If you’ve tried other forms of hash before, then consuming bubble hash shouldn’t present too much of a challenge. Though you can use a dab rig or other specialized tool to vaporize it, many people enjoy bubble hash by adding small amounts to joints or bowls, thus adding a burst of potency and deliciously rich flavor. Here are more of our favorite ways to smoke bubble hash:

• Hash Pipe: Though similar to a standard hand pipe, a hash pipe features a series of small holes at the rim of the bowl. This design prevents precious material from falling through the bottom of the bowl as it melts—a special concern with our higher-grade, full-melt hash offerings. The result is maximum flavor and potency with little to no wasted product.
• Chillum: Similar to a “one-hitter,” a chillum can be made of stone or clay, adding a unique twist to your hash enjoyment. The self-contained combustion chamber makes it a great choice for lower-melt products that might otherwise create a bit of a mess.
• Healthstone: Designed for use with a miniaturized dab rig, a healthstone is essentially an inert stone on which to place a small amount of bubble hash. Its special texture allows the melted hash to permeate the surface, making it easier to pass the rig around and share with friends. Since it’s semi-absorbent, it can be a great choice for bubble hash of all grades.

Discover Quality Hash and More With Nasha Hash

If you’ve spent any time in a dispensary, you already know there’s no end to cannabis concentrates, from wax to shatter, batter, budder, and others still. But despite the near never-ending rollout of new and unique concentrates, hash has always been in a league of its own, whether in the form of a temple ball, loose powder, or bubble hash.

At Nasha Hash, we take quality hash very seriously, and our potent and delicious bubble hash is no exception. It’s as versatile as it is flavorful, adding a powerful boost to all your bowls or joints or consumed on its own. Find it in our products collection, or head to our Store Locator to see where you can sample premium bubble hash and our other handcrafted hash offerings.

Hungry for more hash knowledge? Visit our hash blog, where you can explore more hash-related content, like the story of temple ball hash, the signature product we like to think of as our love song to hash. Happy reading!