When one thinks of dabs, the first types that come to mind are usually the stereotypical and well-known varieties such as wax and shatter. In recent years (as in the last six years or so), heightened interest in the world of concentrates has caused the number of varieties to explode, with more types of concentrates than ever before ready to be tried and used.
From dabs made entirely using special solvent-less extraction methods to products that end up resembling butter more than shatter, here are a few lesser-known concentrates out there to look for at the dispensary!
Rosin
Rosin is a concentrate made without solvents, instead made with pressure and heat. It doesn’t use butane, CO2, propane, or any other hazardous gases in its creation, and it is virtually indistinguishable from shatter you can pick up from the store. Rosin retains the flavor of the bud you used, its honey-like and sticky to the touch, and it can be easily made with household items – its the most popular form of home-made concentrates.
Live Resin
Live Resin is another concentrate that is made without the use of any solvents. Live resin is much the same as Rosin – but with industrial-size presses condensing the ENTIRE bush at once rather than small batches. A good way to visualize it is to think of the way carbon turns into diamonds – with a MASSIVE amount of pressure, the carbon is condensed into a much smaller and much stronger material.
It looks and feels different for various strains, but nearly all live resins have a lot of THC crystals that are easily seen.
PHO
We’re not talking about the delicious Vietnamese dish here, folks.
PHO, or Propane Hash Oil, is made in a similar way to BHO – butane hash oil, what most concentrates in stores are – except instead of using butane is uses propane. The consistency ends up being taffy-like or similar to blue tack, stickier than most concentrates but still very malleable. This is a great one to put on top of a full bowl of bud, but not good for your vaporizer. The consistency means it is likely to melt and could mess up your atomizer if used often enough.
CO2
CO2 concentrates are akin to PHO, except with carbon dioxide used rather than propane or butane. The consistency is generally oily after the extraction process, but it is unique in being a non-BHO concentrate that can have multiple different forms based on the methods used during the process. CO2 Concentrates can end up looking waxy, shatter-like, or even airy and honeycomb-like.
Ice Water Hash
You will probably not find ice water hash in the dispensary, as it is nearly always made using home methods. Sometimes it is labeled as “bubble hash” in dispensaries, and is often included in premium joints to amplify the THC content. A very airy and very easy to work with concentrate, ice water hash requires a lot of preparation and a strict adherence to the process of extraction, but you can save by making it at home. It’s a little complicated, so be sure to find a guide that’s easy to follow online.
By Erik Petrovich, Bee-Nails
