Bubble Hash vs Dry Sift: everything you need to know to make the right choice

Bubble hash and dry sift are the two most modern and demanding hashmaking techniques. But they don’t produce the same results—neither in texture, aroma, nor use. Here is a detailed comparison by Don99, master hashmaker at the Hash Factory. For a comprehensive comparison of the four main extraction methods (Ice-O-Lator, Rosin, Dry Sift, Charas), check out our in-depth guide to CBD hash extraction methods. If you’re looking for products that are truly worth checking out, our guide to the best Swiss CBD hash sorts through the artisanal products available in Switzerland.

The technique: chilled water vs. dry sieving

Bubble hash: ice water extraction

The principle: the material (flowers, leaves) is frozen, then stirred in water filled with ice cubes. The thermal shock detaches the trichomes from the plant. The material is then filtered through a series of increasingly fine-meshed filter bags (220, 160, 90, 73, 45, 25 microns). Each bag collects a different fraction of the resin.

The bag that gives the best quality is generally the 73-micron one – this is where the pure trichome heads are, without pedicels or plant matter.

Dry sift: dry sieving

More traditional. The dried material is beaten over fine sieves. The trichomes detach and fall through. The granularity of the sieve determines purity: a wide sieve allows more plant matter to pass through, while a fine sieve (60-90 microns) isolates almost exclusively the trichomes.

The process involves running the material through the sieves multiple times, using progressively finer mesh sizes, to gradually purify the final product—hence the name “Triple Filtered,” given to dry sift material that has been passed through three successive mesh sizes.

The texture

Bubble hash

Depending on the drying process and final press, bubble can take the form of brittle stones (gentle drying), malleable paste (light pressing) or blocks. Color ranges from golden yellow to brown, depending on the fraction (thin bags are light, wide bags dark).

Dry sift

Crumbly, powdery texture at first. Squeezing produces a compact hash that softens with the heat of a finger. Color ranges from very light yellow (very fine sieves) to brown (wide sieves). To learn all about the textures of each type of hash, check out our guide , “Charas, Pollen, and Pressed: Understanding the Textures of CBD Hash.”

The aroma

Bubble hash

Generally a richer, more terpenic flavor profile—ice water preserves a large portion of the volatile terpenes.