How can I easily, cheaply and quickly press a small amount of hash?

Contributed by: ledfether

The focus of this thread is on simple, cheap, and small batch hash production.

This method is geared towards simple, cheap and common materials. Although this method uses some heat, an appliance such as a blender or mixer is not needed, nor is any freezing or straining required. There is no wait for the product to dry out either. You can basically smoke it right away.
I use my $35 Crystal Catcher sifter box from whiskeyfalls.com and my ?SweatLeaf? grinder to separate the gland heads (KIF) from the vegetable matter. I work a batch of bud vigorously across the screen with a credit card (instead of sifting). I discarded the vegetable matter once done, but it surely has some potency left in it. Very dry, fluffy bud is my preference.

The real secret to my method is Parchment paper. Parchment paper is wonder-stuff for baking. It?s very strong and durable, heat resistant and the fibers of the paper are very dense, and have a good ?non-stick? quality. The Parchment paper I have is silicone coated for even better release.

Items needed:

Pile of KIF, separated by your favorite screening method (dry)

Parchment paper (look near wax paper, aluminum foil etc. in grocery stores)

Water (enough to finger dip)

Heat source (Heat softens/bursts the gland heads so they will congeal better) Any safe heat source will do (it?s better to have a flat surface for the hand pressing). I used an iron for heat in this example.

Garlic press (Optional, for larger batches)

Hand pressed method:

Cut a piece of parchment paper approximately 6? square. Place your dry KIF in the center of the paper and carefully fold the paper around the KIF, creating as small of a compartment as possible for the KIF within the folded paper.

Place the folded KIF/paper on a heat source, with the most folded side facing up towards you.

Using your fingers or thumb (if you can handle the heat) or another object, press the folded KIF/paper firmly against the heat source. Hold the KIF against the heat source for a half of a minute to a minute, or when the heat transfers through to your fingers through the folded paper. You do not want to over heat the KIF, you just want to soften it and gel it a little - you may feel the KIF ?give way? or otherwise move a little as the heat and pressure work on it.

Remove the KIF/paper from the heat, unfold carefully and carefully remove the flattened KIF from the paper. Cut the ?KIF wafer? (I use a razor blade) and stack the pieces on top of one another. Re-fold the paper and apply to the heat source again very briefly, just to warm it up a little and make it softer and more pliable.

Remove the KIF (now already becoming hash) and begin rolling carefully it between your fingers, trying not to loosen or separate any KIF powder from the pressed product (you?ll see what I mean). Moisten your fingers with water to assist in the rolling/balling of the clump. You can press the clump onto any loose pieces left in the paper (like chewing gum picking up dust) and continue to wet your fingers a little to blend those bits in.

Once you have the ball of hash rolled to your liking, you can either let it set for a bit to evaporate any surface water remaining, or slice off a chunk and start smoking!

Garlic pressed hash:

Prepare your KIF as mentioned previously, but you will need quite a bit more to make this worthwhile.

Cut a piece of parchment paper (use your judgment and practice this a few times before trying it with your KIF) and carefully form it to the inside of the garlic press. You have to form it with your finger the best you can and then use the upper part of the press to finish forming the shape prior to adding the KIF.

As you can see, an almost full garlic press cup of KIF can be pressed into a wafer a little bigger than a quarter. The wafer shown is about a gram of hash.