Processing Prep & Storage

What Makes Great Hash?

Cannabis Dispensary located in ME

Harvesting your crop at its peak trichome development and terpene production will allow our team to harness the fullest potential of the plant. How your material is stored prior to processing can also make or break the success of the extraction and determine the quality of the final product.

Fire In, Fire Out

Proper storage isn’t just about preparation, your ultimate goal is preserving the cannabinoids and terpenes so that they can be efficiently extracted. Improper storage practices can not only lessen the quality of the extract, but it can completely ruin the material in some cases.

Light

The biggest factor which will degrade your material is light. Harsh UV rays will burn off the most valuable compounds in your plant, cannabinoids and terpenes. Make sure you store your material in a cool dark place.

Air

Another factor for proper storage is oxygen levels. Too much oxygen can speed the degradation process while too little can alter humidity levels which can cause mold or mildew. The best way to ensure proper storage against oxygen is to properly vacuum seal your product. Vacuum sealing the bags too tight can crush and compact the marijuana which will reduce your yields.

Temperature

High temperatures can cause buds to dry out and terpenes to evaporate, resulting in bland tasting concentrates. If planning to extract the material, it is crucial to get it into a freezer as quickly as possible after harvesting. If you do not have a freezer, store in a cool, dark and dry place like your dry room.

Moisture

Mold loves moisture, so to prevent it, you have to keep your environment’s humidity in check. If planning to extract cured material, you will want your material as crispy dry as possible. If planning to freeze your material, it’s important to get it into a freezer within 60 minutes of harvesting.

Connoisseur Quality

The type of extraction and desired end product is the primary consideration when deciding whether to freeze or dry your next harvest. Our team is here to help maximize the potential of your material and that all begins with your material preparation.

Cured Material Prep:

When harvesting for a cured extraction, dry all plant material according to your drying protocol, buc off all stems and final trim.
While trimming, remove small stems and fan leaves that don’t have trich coverage on more than 50% of the leaf which will help improve your yields.
Carefully seal all trim in plastic bags. Vacuum sealing the bags too tight can crush and compact the marijuana which will reduce your yields.

WARNING Do not use scented trash bags as that will affect the terpenes of your product.

Immediately place the bags in a freezer at a temperature of -38 degrees or lower which will preserve the cannabinoids and terpenes.

Fresh Frozen Prep:

When harvesting for fresh frozen extraction, time is off the essence. It’s important to get the fresh plant material into the freezer within 60 minutes of harvesting.
Harvest one plant at a time. Remove all fan leaves except small sugar leaves and buck buds off all branches into golf ball size.
Carefully seal the material in plastic bags. Vacuum sealing the bags too tight can crush and compact the marijuana which will reduce your yields.

WARNING Do not use scented trash bags as that will affect the terpenes of your product.

Immediately place the bags in a freezer at a temperature of -38 degrees or lower which will preserve the cannabinoids and terpenes.
After two hours from harvesting, if not frozen, the plant will begin to lose monoterpenes which will degrade the authentic plant taste of the final product.

Consistency is Key

Your final product is what can set you apart from the rest of the pack. We take pride in offering a vast array of consistencies and innovative products for our clients to choose from. If you don’t see something that you’d like below, please contact us to discuss an alternate option.

Refined Sugar

This product is made from dry cured material, usually trim or small buds. We extract the material with a blend of hydrocarbon solvents. We then filter it through a specific blend of medias to refine fats, waxes and other undesirables out of the plant material. This process is referred to as color remediation. After the crystallization and purging process in a vacuum oven you are left with a granular product with terpenes that separate. The terpenes are evenly mixed as we prepare the product to be packaged. Refined Sugar is a clean, high-potency concentrate but typically has lower terpene content than other consistencies.

Cured Badder

This product is made from dry cured material, usually trim or small buds. We extract the material with a blend of hydrocarbon solvents. We then filter it through a specific blend of medias to refine fats, waxes and other undesirables out of the plant material. This process is referred to as color remediation. We then quickly “whip” the oil until it is agitated enough for it to begin crashing out quicker. This “whipping” technique will create a badder-like consistency. Drier vs wetter consistencys depend on the quality of the starting product, material storage and amount of terpenes retained. Cured Badder is popular for it’s convenient consistency and will typically have a higher terpene content than Refined Sugar.

Live Resin

This product is made from material that is freshly frozen immediately after harvesting. This careful process will preserve the terpenes that are on the plant at that time of harvest. We extract the material with a blend of hydrocarbon solvents. We rarely use any color remediation on Live Resin to help preserve the full spectrum of cannabinoids. After the crystallization and purging process in a vacuum oven you are left with a granular product with a high terpene content. Because we do not refine this product, the THC content is not typically as high as our remediated products but it will be one of the most flavorful products that we offer.

Live Badder

This product is made from material that is freshly frozen immediately after harvesting. This careful process will preserve the terpenes that are on the plant at that time of harvest. We extract the material with a blend of hydrocarbon solvents. We rarely use any color remediation on Live Badder to help preserve the full spectrum of cannabinoids. We then quickly “whip” the oil until it is agitated enough for it to begin crashing out quicker. This “whipping” technique will create a badder-like consistency. You will typically have a wetter consistency due to having a high terpene content. Because we do not refine this product, the THC content is not typically as high as our remediated products but it will be the most flavorful product that we offer.

Diamonds

This product can be made from both fresh frozen or cured material but your best results will come from quality fresh frozen material. We extract the material with a blend of hydrocarbon solvents. Although not required, we can filter it through a specific blend of medias to refine fats, waxes and other undesirables out of the oil. Once extracted the super-saturated solution is poured into a jar and tightly capped for an extended period of time. The pressure from the solvent will force the THC to crash out slowly and form “diamonds”. Once fully crashed out the product is strained and the terpenes are separated from the THC-A diamonds. This product is the most potent form of concentrates with pure THC-A testing above 99%. The separated terpenes are much lower in THC content but can be used in vape carts or added back on top of the diamonds for a potent and flavorful concentrate.

Shatter

This product is made from cured material. We extract the material with a blend of hydrocarbon solvents. Although not required, we can filter it through a specific blend of medias to refine fats, waxes and other undesirables out of the plant material. We then pour the oil onto a tray with parchment paper and purge in the vacuum oven. This will form a “slab” of concentrate which we flip throughout the purging process to help remove solvents. Shatter is a brittle glass-like concentrate that is high in THC but lower in terpene content. It is the most affordable option for BHO concentrates.

Distillate

This product can be made from fresh frozen or cured material but is usually best suited for crude material or material which has not been stored properly. The starting material can be extracted with hydrocarbons or ethanol. The crude oil is then dissolved in ethanol and winterized which is a process which uses extreme cold to separate fats and waxes. Once properly winterized, we filter the oil and process it through a rotovap which evaporates most of the ethanol. The remaining crude oil is then processed through a short path unit which purifies the product further by isolating the different cannabinoids and fractioning out the undesirable compounds. Because of the amount of refinement, potency can reach upwards of 95% THC but it does not offer the full spectrum benefits. Distillate is an ideal product for vape cartridges and edibles as it is already fully decarboxylated and ready for human consumption.

Live Rosin

This product is made from material that is freshly frozen immediately after harvesting. This careful process will preserve the terpenes that are on the plant at that time of harvest. Commonly referred to as Ice-water Hash, we extract the material using extremely cold water instead of hydrocarbon solvents. The material is “washed” with water instead of a solvent which knocks the trichome heads off of the material. The water/hash mixture is then filtered through fine micron bags and placed in a freeze dryer to remove the water. The product is then pressed using heat and extreme pressure to extract the resins from the trichome heads. Life Rosin is a full-spectrum product that is very flavorful and desirable due to it being completely solventless.

Cured Rosin

This product is made from dry cured material, usually trim or small buds. Commonly referred to as Ice-water Hash, we extract the material using extremely cold water instead of hydrocarbon solvents. The material is “washed” with water instead of a solvent which knocks the trichome heads off of the material. The water/hash mixture is then filtered through fine micron bags and placed in a freeze dryer to remove the water. The product is then pressed using heat and extreme pressure to extract the resins from the trichome heads. Because the product is made from cured material it will typically be a darker and dryer consistency than Live Rosin.

Sift Rosin

This product is made from the trichome heads that have fallen off of the material during the trimming process, otherwise known as kief. The product is sifted and pressed using heat and extreme pressure to extract the resins from the trichome heads. Because this product does not require the time-consuming “washing” that Live or Cured material requires, it is a more affordable option for the consumer who wants to dab a solventless concentrate.

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