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How to Shake ’N Bake
I like a big shaker, preferably the kind you really need to
grip with two hands to give it a vigorous shake. Ideally, you
want a hash shaker with capacity for 10 grams or more of raw
material. But if you are working with a smaller shaker you can
still get great results with more frequent, less-packed loads.
Above all, the raw material must be sticky green. Fan leaves
and stems won’t work and will likely damage the screen
in the shaker so don’t even bother. Only frosty trim leaves
and smaller popcorn size buds are suitable for shaking. The
objective is to harvest the maximum yield of crystal from the
harvest leftovers. Fortunately, the process for transmuting the
trim into top shelf is not an alchemical magic trick — it’s easy.
• Step 1: Freeze the trim in a lunch box. If you’re not in a
rush you can leave a securely sealed lunch box full of trim
leaves and popcorn buds in the freezer for six months with
no deterioration. But if it’s just been dried post-harvest, at
least 48 hours in the freezer is recommended. By freezing
the resinous raw material, we are making the trichomes
much easier to dislodge, which is key to the success of this
method. Handle with care and wear latex gloves like you
would at harvest if possible.
• Step 2: Friction will free the frozen resin heads, then they
will filter through the fine micron screen into the capture
area in the base of the shaker. To make the magic happen,
simply load the shaker with frosty trim directly from the
lunch box, reseal, and shake like hell. When reloading
put the hash shaker in the freezer for at least 45 minutes
between shaking sessions. Always reseal the lunch box
and return it to the freezer. Don’t forget and let the stash
defrost while you’re busy shaking.
No need to overdo it. Two minutes of furious shaking is long
enough before it’s time to stop and reload. Shaking for too
long can be counterproductive with more plant material
penetrating the screen. Blonde to sandy sugar is what we
want to see. Greenish pollen in the base of the shaker is
disappointing and a sign you’ve shaken a load too much.
At this point you are probably wishing you paid attention
when I suggested gloves. The good news is nobody has yet
lost a finger to frostbite from this method.
• Step 3: Carefully unscrew the base of the hash shaker
to reveal the hash return. Inside you should find a
considerable pile of kief has accumulated after a few
rounds of shaking. Ten to 20 percent returns on high
quality trim and small buds is to be expected. This stash
is ready to smoke. A coat of moon dust will make your
joints even more interstellar. Shake ’N Bake. However, you
should resist the urge to dip excessively into the crystal
carpet and save most of it for pressing instead.
"Hash has a
fantastic shelf
life and can be
cured for years,
aging like a
fine wine."
Pressing Hash Coins and Pucks
Roll out a sheet of baking paper across the table and prepare
to press some hash coins and pucks. Carefully scoop the
pollen up from the base of the shaker with some roach paper
for a shovel and fill up that press. Pop the weight or block
back on top. Then twist firmly to compact the crystals into
a solid coin or puck. Most hand presses these days are very
easy to use and some have impressive capacities. In practice
one-gram and two-gram hash coins are relatively simple to
press, but the much chunkier five-gram hash pucks are quite
challenging to press by hand.
Pressing hash coins requires a steady hand and you also
need to be able to apply sufficient force when twisting the
press to compress the pollen into a pristine coin. By the second
or third attempt you’ll have pressed at least one piece of
cannabis currency you can be proud of and some of you will
press stacks when you get the hang of the process. Best of
all, hash has a fantastic shelf life and can be cured for years,
aging like a fine wine.
Alternative: Logging
If pressing is too challenging, or you plan to shake a
significant quantity of trim, then there’s an alternative. The
humble log shaped lump of hash can be molded by filling
a standard plastic coin bag, the typical kind you get at the
bank, about one-fifth of the way with pollen. Now you must be
prepared to accept some minor attrition for pollen that gets
stuck inside the baggie.
By simply compressing and rolling the pollen powder back
and forth you can eventually get it to come together in a
decent size cylinder of hash. This might take a day or two
of occasional firm thumb presses and rolling of the lump
to complete. But if you have a little patience you can press
14 grams of hash into shape. Just turn the bag inside out to
retrieve your log of hash. It might not be as neat as a hash
coin but its still a very portable and storable stash.
Maximum Yield 89