If you are looking for a clean yet potent hit, ice wax dabs could be just what you need. It is a bubble hash collected using ice and water to separate the plant’s THC from frozen matter. Next, you filter it through an array of mesh screens of differently sized microns. The result is a fine, grainy textured wax that should look like sand from a pristine beach. When you dab ice wax, it will melt fully and leave practically no residue.

Ice wax is one of the most flavorful, potent forms of cannabis concentrates that you can make without solvents. You won’t need the assistance of any explosive solvents like butane. Instead, to make this wax hashmakers use washing machines or buckets filled with ice and water to agitate trichomes. Then, the material is sifted through mesh bubble bags to separate essential oils from less desirable plant materials to make ice wax or bubble hash.

Ice wax concentrate is among the most potent types of marijuana concentrates one can make without the aid of solvents. Usually, it is necessary to use a solvent such as butane when making a concentrate, but ice wax is different.

How to Make Ice Wax: Washing the Hash

Set up your bubble bags by placing them in one of the buckets, starting with the bag that has the smallest micron size and working your way up to the largest, one bag inside the next. Alternate the layers of ice and cannabis until the bucket is almost full, and then top off with cool water.

Allow the ice, water, and cannabis to sit for at least five minutes to give the trichomes a chance to get cold and brittle. Then, begin agitating the mixture by stirring. As you agitate, the trichome heads will break away from the plant material and become suspended in the water. The more you stir, the more you’ll break up the plant matter. Many ice wax makers will start with an agitation time of only a minute or two to produce an initial wash of the highest quality ice wax.

After agitation, pull the first bag with the plant material and ice out of the rest, allowing the water to flow through the filter screen and back into the bucket and remaining bags. Set the first bag aside in a separate bucket to be washed again, if desired. One at a time, pull the bubble bags out of the bucket, allowing the water to flow back into the container. Once the water has drained away, a layer of golden-hued trichomes will remain on the filter screen. Rinse the trichomes with the hose for a couple of minutes to wash away any impurities.

How to Make Ice Wax Dabs

To make high-quality ice wax, you need to get your material from marijuana plants with plenty of trichomes. If you use low-grade brick weed, your ice wax will look and taste awful and won’t provide a potent hit. According to industry experts, the best ice wax comes from plant material frozen immediately after being hand-trimmed.

You will need several micron-sized bubble bags of varying sizes. Ideally, you will have 5-gallon bags or bubble bowls with 70, 90, 120, and 160 microns. The more screens you use to filter the material, the purer it will be.

Speed is of the essence when making ice wax. The faster you get it done, the fewer flavonoids, cannabinoids, and terpenes are lost. If you soak it for too long, you allow the outside layers of the material, containing all of the aroma and flavor, to be washed away.

Before you start on your journey of how to make ice wax dabs, make sure you’ve secured the following:

• A full set of bubble bags or bowls in various micron sizes
• A work bag (this should come with the bubble bags)
• A spray bottle
• Two large buckets
• Cold water and a bag of ice
• High-quality marijuana matter with lots of trichomes
• A clean stick or wooden spoon
• A thick card such as an old credit card

How to Make Ice Wax Concentrate: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1

First, set up the buckets. Put the empty work bag into one and the bubble bags into the other. Stack the bubble bags in order so the smallest micron bag is on the bottom and the largest on top.

Step 2

Add the plant matter and ice to the work bag in alternating layers. Add enough cold water to cover this mixture. Allow it to settle for approximately 10 minutes.

Step 3

Add more cold water to thin out the mixture. When it’s a soupy consistency, agitate the solution with the stick or spoon for up to 20 minutes.

Step 4

Lift up the work bag and drain it into the bucket, squeezing out any excess liquid. Then, pour the water solution into the bucket containing the bubble bag stack and rinse the first bucket to ensure no solution is left.

Step 5

Lift your full-stack of bubble bags and tilt at an angle. As the mesh on the bottom is draining, take the largest micron bag off the top and start gathering material with the card. Use the spray bottle to clean the mesh.

Step 6

Continue the process with the remaining bags. As you collect the material from each one, place it straight onto a pressing screen.

Step 7

Dry the collected material for up to 36 hours. Chop up your wax and spread it out for faster drying. Trapped water interferes with the wax’s taste and smell, and could lead to mold. If you want to make very large amounts, you can press it with a rolling pin and free up moisture pockets.

How to Smoke Ice Wax Dabs

There are several ways to smoke your ice wax; some are better than others. Here, we explain the most popular techniques so that you can choose the best option for your needs.

Smoking Ice Wax Concentrate with a Dab Rig

This is the method we recommend. A rig is a water pipe that is modified by adding dabbing accessories such as a nail attached to the pipe’s intake. It can be made of several materials, but most users prefer quartz or titanium.

Add water to the rig’s chamber and blow into the downstem to see if you can cause the water to bubble. If any water splashes into your mouth during the process, pour some of it out. If you are using a quartz or titanium nail for the first time, it is essential to ‘season’ it. When new nails are heated, they can leach out natural minerals and give your wax an unpleasant taste.