Hash is not new. Go to the Malana, and you will find hash being peddled at every corner — albeit illegally — and it is one of the best hash you can ever consume. Thankfully, hash is legalized in many parts of the world and is now available in most dispensaries at great prices.
But how do you consume hash? You can either smoke it or vape it. For many cannabis users, smoking isn’t an option due to its health implications. This is where vaping can come in handy.
Vaping hash is relatively safer and allows you to experience the rich flavor of hash that’s not hampered by cannabis or tobacco. But vaping hash isn’t as easy as placing ground-up cannabis in the pod and turning on the device.
To vape hash, you need a base, like a hemp fiber or concentrate pad, to contain hash. Then, you need to light it at higher temperatures. You must also clean the vape device thoroughly after every use.
Do you want to learn how to do this properly? Read on to learn about vaping hash smoothly without sacrificing the flavor or the high. Here’s your guide to vaping hash, some nifty tricks, and a few of the best vaporizers you can use.
Hash, also known as hashish, is a type of cannabis concentrate, but it is unlike other concentrates that you may come across in your local dispensary. This concentrate retains more plant material compared to others, making it distinct in flavor and feel. Essentially, it is concentrated trichomes.
It is prepared from cannabis buds after they are dried and cured. Traditionally, for thousands of years, hash has been prepared by hand, where the grower rubs the buds in their hands and collects the dark matter that forms on the skin. It can also be made by sieving followed by compacting, either by mechanical pressure or by hand.
Depending on how it's prepared, your hash may either look like resin — malleable and dark colored — or pollen — granular and yellowish. But in all forms, it is potent since it is nothing but trichomes separated from the plant material, with THC potency ranging from 20% to 60%.
It’s one of the oldest forms of cannabis concentrates and has been the go-to choice for many reasons. One of them is that it is super easy to store for extended periods without losing potency.
Most people associate hash with a small ball or brick that looks somewhat like Play-Doh, but there are many types of hash, depending on how it’s prepared. The classic form of hash is crafted by hand, where the grower separates the trichomes from the plant material and rolls it up into smaller balls.
But with the advent of technology, experts have found new ways to produce hash. Most companies use motorized machinery, where the trichomes are shaken off the buds, and the kief is caught on a screen.
Another common form of producing hash is by running buds through dry ice, which freezes the trichomes, followed by a vigorous shake to loosen them. These are solventless processes, but there’s also a way to produce hash with solvents like ethanol or butane.
The solvent breaks down the trichomes, which are then removed later. Therefore, the result differs from the solventless processes and is not considered the best quality.
Here are some of the most famous types of hash you can enjoy if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on them:
There are many other types of hash. The characteristics of each will depend on factors such as the strain of cannabis used, the method of production, and the region where it is produced.
Since so many types and varieties of hash are available in the market, from posh dispensaries of Amsterdam to the mountain gullies of the Himalayas, hash is now divided into a few grades, which are as follows:.
Low-grade hash contains less than 50% trichome concentration, similar to what you would find in your grinder’s dry sieve. This hash is often rough in consistency and still contains some plant matter.
If you are using this type of hash, you must cut it into as small pieces as possible because it may not burn properly if it’s in bigger chunks when you vape it.
Next up is mid-grade, which is also known as half-melt. This is the most common type of hash you will find in most dispensaries since this is way better than low-grade hash but still accessible enough for most users.
Similar to the low-grade hash, it is always a good idea to cut this hash into small pieces for a smooth vaping experience.
This is where things get serious — high-grade hash is what dispensaries often refer to as a five-star hash. And this hash is also full-melt, unlike the previous ones, so it melts completely when you heat it.
High-grade hash is the best type of hash for vaping since it burns and melts smoothly, but you must be extra careful with it. Since it burns evenly, there are higher chances of it ending up in the crevices of your device. So, it is recommended to use high-quality chamber pads at slightly lower temperatures while vaping high-grade hash.
There are two primary ways to consume hash: smoke it in a joint or use a vaporizer. Smoking is the most popular form of consumption for hash, but it is losing its charm in modern times.
To smoke hash, you need to either mix it with cannabis buds or tobacco. However, you may want to avoid it, as science has revealed that smoking isn’t the safest way of consumption, even if you don’t use tobacco. Smoking releases many carcinogens that can damage your lungs in the long run.
This is where vaping comes in. Vaporizers work by heating the concentrate, which produces a thick cloud that you smoke. Sure, vaping is not entirely safe, but experts say it’s much safer than smoking and is less harsh.
But apart from the health concerns, many users find vaping hash better than smoking it because it produces a more intense, rich flavor. So you can appreciate the flavor of hash a lot better with vaping.
Using a vaporizer is relatively easy once you get the hang of it, but if this is your first time smoking, don’t worry. Here is a short step-by-step guide on how to vape hash. Follow these steps.
The first step is to get a concentrate pad designed for cannabis concentrates. It should fit your vaporizer. Usually, these pads are made of stainless steel and allow you to vape cannabis concentrates like hash without risking damage to your vape.
Without a pad, the concentrate will melt and may fall into the crevices of your devices, damaging them. But you can use other alternatives if you can’t find a concentrate pad. For example, many vape users swear by hemp fiber — it does not cause any side effects or combust, but it protects the chamber from hash residue.
If you can’t find hemp fiber, the last resort is to simply sandwich your hash between ground-up cannabis buds. This isn’t the ideal way to vape hash, as the cannabis buds’ flavor may interfere with that of hash, but it works in a jiffy.
The next step is to find high-quality hash, whether you get it from your friend or from a reputable dispensary. Unfortunately, hash’s quality is hard to quantify, so it is better to rely on reviews and anecdotes. Some hash users even believe that good hash burns like a candle and bad hash burns unevenly.
Once you have your concentrate pad and hash ready, you need to break down your hash into smaller pieces. This will ensure your precious hash is burnt evenly so you can enjoy it as it deserves.
You also need to use the right quantity, otherwise your vape can get damaged. So, if you have a scale, measure your hash and only use 0.1 grams for starters. If you don’t have a scale, only use hash that will fit on a small teaspoon. You can also use a pinch and see how you react to it.
Load your hash on the concentrate pad or hemp fiber and place it in the chamber of your vape device. Here, you must be meticulous and not drop even a crumb of hash down the chamber.
Once the chamber is ready, shut it and turn on your vape device. Set the right temperature — generally around 390°F or 198.889°C — and enjoy your hash.
After you’re done vaping your hash, it is always a good idea to clean the vape. The hash residue is sticky, and you don’t want it to build up in the chamber, as it can be challenging to clean.
The best way to clean the chamber and the concentrate pad is with isopropyl alcohol.
The steps mentioned above on vaping hash are for vape devices that can handle cannabis concentrates, but what do you do when you have a vape designed only for dry herbs?
Vaping hash in a device designed for dry herbs is generally not a good idea. This is because hash turns to a goo during vaping and can stick to important parts of the vape and damage it. But if you want to go ahead with it nonetheless, it is possible.
You just need to be a little more careful.
If you’re using dry herb vapes, you must use hemp fiber or ground-up cannabis to hold your hash. This will ensure none of the hashy goo ends up on the crucial parts of the device. And after each use, you must clean the chamber immediately before the hash solidifies.
To improve your experience of vaping hash, here are some more tips to help you out:
Hash combusts at a higher temperature than cannabis buds, so you must choose a vape that can handle cannabis concentrates. Generally, these vapes may not support using dry cannabis buds. Even cannabis bud vapes designed for higher temperatures may be unable to burn hash properly.
Another reason why you should stick to cannabis concentrate vapes is that the vapes designed for dry herbs are designed for buds, not the sticky goo that concentrates turn into during vaping. The latter is much more difficult to clean.
Before you proceed, know that we have no affiliation with any of these manufacturers and our recommendations are based on personal experiences.
So, here are some of the best vaporizers for hash you can buy right now.
VapCap M is known for its simplicity. It requires no charger and is quite ergonomic to use, and its design is compact, so it can easily fit in your pockets, and you can carry it anywhere you want.
Loading it with your favorite hash is also straightforward — pack its cap, light it with a torch lighter, and then inhale. So, if you want to smoke hash in your VapCap M, wrap it in some hemp fiber and load it into the cap.
Protip: When you heat the cap, you’ll hear an audible click indicating it's ready for vaping. But when smoking hash, wait a few more seconds before inhaling it since hash requires higher temperatures to burn properly.
Some users of VapCap M claim that hemp fiber can sometimes interfere with the hash’s flavor. If you experience this, you can also sandwich the hash between ground-up cannabis buds. If you don’t want that, you can also vape the hash straight away — just remember to clean the cap thoroughly after each use.
That said, vaping hash in a Vapcap M has its own pros and cons. While it’s an efficient way to consume a cannabis concentrate, thanks to its ability to extract active compounds from the hash with minimal waste, you’ll find the taste more potent and flavorful. The device is designed to preserve the terpenes and other compounds that contribute to the taste and aroma of the hash.
In addition, you’ll notice that vaping hash is more cost-effective as you can often use smaller amounts of hash to achieve the desired effects compared to other consumption methods.
However, one disadvantage is that you’ll need some technique and experimentation to get the best results, as it can be more challenging to vaporize evenly compared to dry herbs.
PAX is known for producing some of the best vapes since it was established, and their PAX 3 is no different. This vape device offers the latest vape technology without compromising on affordability.
It has a 20-second heat-up time, countless customizations, and LED lights. And you won’t need to purchase the peripherals separately since it comes with all the necessary accessories right out of the box, including a concentrate pod.
Using PAX 3 is also quite easy. Fill the concentrate pod with your hash, close it, and attach it to the vape. Then, turn on the vape, set the heat using the mobile app, and inhale when ready. It’s hard to overlook this vape device's ease of use and features, so it’s worth a shot for everyone wanting to vape hash.
Mighty+’s price tag is as mighty as it can get, but don’t let it put you off. This is a flagship-level vaporizer by Storz & Bickel, the same team that created the Volcano desktop vape. This device heats up in under a minute and comes with various replacement screens, a concentrate pod (YAY!), and some cleaning tools.
The design is also ergonomic and seems natural to hold, thanks to its grippy texture and shape. So even long sessions won’t feel uncomfortable on your hand. Moreover, this vape device is medically certified, valid in Europe, Canada, and Israel — always a good thing!
It’s got everything you’d need from your vape device.
To vape hash using Mighty+, you first need to load the concentrate pad with hash and place it in the vape’s chamber. It is advisable to use a dab tool to spread the concentrate well and proceed as you would with cannabis buds. However, set it at higher temperatures for a smooth vaping experience.
No need to worry if this vape device is out of reach for you. You can pick other vapes from Storz & Bickel and won’t regret it. This company is one of the best vaporizer manufacturers in the market, and most of its products are segment-leading.
Plus, you can use all their vapes to vape hash, including Volcano Classic, Crafty, Volcano Hybrid, and many more.
The Linx Hypnos Zero is a good starting point for new hash vapers. While this device is only made for vaping dabs like rosin or BHO that vaporize completely, you can still vape hash in it. Of course, it’s not the intended use, but if you’re careful and clean the device after each session, you won’t be breaking any of the vaping laws.
Simply place a small piece of hash in the chamber and light it up. Once you are done vaping, clean it with isopropyl alcohol or as recommended by the manufacturer.
Protip: Do not let the hash cool down, as cleaning can be difficult.
Utilian 2 is another choice for new hash vapers who want to consume hash in a jiffy. Like Linx Hypnos Zero, even this vape pen is not designed for vaping hash, but you can use it for vaping hash as long as you use hemp fiber to hold the hash and clean the chamber after each use.
The only downside with this vape device is that it holds very little hash, so if you plan to share your vape pen with your friends, there might be better devices for it. Also, expect only to get a few tokes of it at a time.
Vaping hash is a unique experience. Hash is one of the oldest forms of cannabis concentrates, and with its long history, it has now evolved into something that deserves the attention of every cannabis user.
Hash provides you with one of the purest experiences of consuming cannabis. It is rich in flavor, and the high is smooth, often regarded as superior to that of cannabis buds. And did we mention it? Hash is highly potent with THC levels above 50% since it is mostly a concentrate made of trichomes.
But to smoke it, you need to use the right technique. In most cases, you need to first break down the hash into small pieces and place it in hemp fiber or on the concentrate pad. If you can’t find either, you can sandwich the hemp with ground-up cannabis.
Then, place it in the chamber of your vaporizer and set the temperature, as mentioned earlier. This will ensure it burns smoothly without leaking into the crevices of your device. But after every use, clean your vape device thoroughly.
Inhale and enjoy.
