You’ve just purchased a pollen press and you want to get the most out of your experience.
Here we have outlined the ways to get optimal use out of your pollen press and to make you the creator of your own raw pressed hash.
Your end result should look like little pucks of various densities that have a light brown or yellow-gold hue. Pollen presses are typically composed of stainless steel with plastic or steel components.
To start, take a piece of parchment paper or tin foil and lie it flat. This is used to receive the kief or pollen from the screen and bottom of your grinder or any other source you may get it from. Once you’ve made a pile of kief crystals, contort the paper or foil into a tube-like shape and pour the collected trichomes into the open end of your pollen press.
Insert the pin and tighten the end caps using muscle power to create pressure. Avoid using any tools to screw the ends on as this can damage your press. Store in a warm place and let it sit for at least 8 hours, while tightening the caps every hour to compact the crystals as much as possible.
In light of Moroccan hash making techniques, you can leave your press outside in the sun (if possible). This will allow for the crystals to stick together in the heat, without altering any of the medicinal properties of your hash. If you are having difficulties extracting it from the pollen press, put a piece of parchment paper between the kief and the ends or try lightly hammering the ends of your press.
In short you can follow these steps:
- collect your crystals
- pour into press
- insert pin & tighten caps
- leave for at least 8 hours in warm place
- extract and enjoy!
What is the point of a pollen press?
A pollen press is a great tool that allows you to use all parts of the marijuana plant from the collected trichomes or kief at the bottom of your grinder. If you are a grower who is trimming your own bud, you can use specific cannabis trays that will catch these crystals to be used for your press.
A pollen press is 100% hand operated and requires no electricity to use. It is a simple technology that allows you to transform your harvested kief concentrates into useful products. Hash is known to be a healthy alternative to other forms of cannabis products because of its raw properties and smooth, pure taste.
Many hash users make pollen pucks for easier storage of their crystals as it is better to keep them in compact form than in powder form. With the pollen press, you are in control of how much crystal to pack inside and it grants you the opportunity to experiment with different methods of pressing and extracting your pollen.
Others note that smoking hash pucks from a pollen press makes for a smoother more sustainable burn than smoking powder. Hash pucks can be used in your vaporizer or sprinkled in a joint for extra flavour.
How do you heat a pollen press?
As mentioned earlier, you can heat your pollen press by leaving it in the sun or storing it in a warm place over night for 8 hours. Make sure to tighten the ends of your press for optimal results, about every hour. Alternatively, you can heat your oven to 300 degrees celsius and leave your pollen press in for 5-7 minutes.
Use heat proof hand protection to remove from the oven and stick it in the freezer for a few minutes to insure easy extraction. Make sure your pollen press does not have any plastic components before putting it in the oven. Remove from the press and enjoy some homemade hash!