6 Star hash refers to loose resin of the highest possible quality. This is premium quality solventless, and it’s actually quite hard to come by. You’re not going to find true 6 Star hash in dispensaries. A lot of things have to go right in order to create the best of the best, and only one thing has to go wrong in order to destroy it. 

At the same time, the only job of the hash maker is to not mess up what the cannabis plant has already produced. 

6 Star hash is the result of flawless isolation, collection, and preservation of top-quality resin within the trichome heads of the cannabis plant. “Full melt” is another expression used to describe 6 Star hash, which reflects the ability of the purest of hash to fully melt away after dabbing, without leaving any waxy residue behind. 

While the term “hash” is sometimes used to refer to both loose resin (bubble hash) and rosin, these forms of solventless concentrates are obviously distinct. Therefore, the term isn’t appropriate to use interchangeably in this context. 6 Star hash is a qualifier that applies to bubble hash, or loose resin collected through ice water extraction. We don’t refer to the best rosin as “6 Star”. The star rating system applies only to bubble hash. 

Hash is rated from 1 to 6 stars, with 1 being the lowest quality and 6 being the highest. Read more about this in our article How Bubble Hash Is Rated. 

Hash makers use a process called ice water extraction to collect loose resin and create bubble hash. This method of “washing hash” uses ice cold water to separate trichome heads from the cannabis on which they grow plus a series of sieving bags to isolate and collect these heads. Trichome heads contain high concentrations of the most desirable therapeutic compounds that cannabis produces, which is what makes them so very valuable to solventless extraction artists. These heads are often referred to collectively as “resin”, the top prize of hash makers. 

The ultimate goal of ice water extraction is to collect only the resin, without any additional plant material. Anything besides trichome heads is considered contamination, which would include trichome stalks, minuscule plant particles, chlorophyll, and foreign objects like dirt or insect parts.  

6 Star hash includes only the most negligible amounts of contamination. It’s the purest of the pure. 

So how do hash makers create 6 Star hash? The technique involves a combination of science and art, and requires a high level of knowledge and skill. To the novice hash maker, there’s an overwhelming number of variables that come into play. Even experts may find the goal of 6 Star hash daunting. That said, we can distill the process by identifying the main categories of inputs, which serve as a guide for making 6 Star hash. 

Genetics

Identifying winning plant genetics is key to producing 6 Star Hash. 

The best strains produce resin that has both chalky and greasy qualities. That chalkiness helps with structure while the greasiness points to a good oily melt and an abundance of terpenes. The magic is somewhere in the middle. 

Too chalky and the hash is likely lacking in terpenes and meltiness. Too greasy and it’s going to be difficult to work through the sieves and ultimately lack in yield. So how can you identify the best genetics for washing 6 Star Hash? Learn more in these articles:

Which Cannabis Strains Are Best for Washing Bubble Hash?
How To Identify Cannabis Strains for Solventless Bubble Hash Production
Why Is Pheno-Hunting Important?

Cultivation

Cultivation is the labor of love that brings forth the full expression of a plant’s genetic potential. But only if it’s done properly. And growing cannabis for flower production doesn’t always follow the same techniques as growing for hash production. It really depends on your goals. Growing cannabis for the sake of quality resin, not necessarily flower volume, is the key to the hash maker's desires. 

Growing medium, nutrient selection, and indoor vs outdoor are all important considerations. While the terpene content of outdoor resin is often otherworldly, outdoor buds tend to collect way more dust particles and bug parts than indoor. It’s a give and take. Often the purest and cleanest hash comes from indoor buds. 

Read more about cultivation in these articles:

Cultivating Cannabis Specifically for Resin Production
Cannabis Nutrient Selection and Its Relation To Resin Color, Quality, and Clarity
How to Increase Terpene Production When Growing Cannabis
How To Build The Ultimate Indoor Grow Room Part 1
How To Build The Ultimate Indoor Grow Room Part 2

Harvesting

There’s nothing special about the harvesting process to create 6 Star hash. Follow the same principles that you would anytime you harvest cannabis flowers. Treat the trichomes with an air of reverence. Be incredibly gentle. Trichomes are easy to bruise and damage, so don’t jostle the buds around. Handle the plants by the stems and branches only, don’t grip onto the flowers themselves. 

Learn more about harvesting techniques in the following articles:

How To Harvest Cannabis for Peak Trichome Ripeness
How To Harvest Your Cannabis Crop
Top 10 Tips on How To Prepare Your Harvest for Fresh Frozen

Freezing

The basic idea is to freeze cannabis flowers as soon as they’re harvested and trimmed. You can use a regular freezer or a chest freezer, as long as temps are below freezing. Avoid cramming the bags too tightly and if vacuum sealing, be sure to leave a small cushion of air inside for padding between the stacked bags. 

Read more about fresh frozen cannabis in these articles:

Do I Need To Freeze Fresh or Cured Material Before Washing?
Washing Fresh Frozen or Cured Flowers for Bubble Hash: The Pros and Cons
Equipment for Preparing Fresh Frozen Cannabis
Top 10 Tips on How To Prepare Your Harvest for Fresh Frozen

Extraction

Isolating, collecting, and preserving resin from cannabis material is the art of hash making. Extraction is where hash comes to life. Mixing cold water and cannabis together allows the trichome heads to fall away from their stalks, and sieving this mixture through a series of filter bags lets hash makers collect varying grades of resin. Ice water extraction is the most effective way to make 6 Star Hash. 

There’s a lot that goes into this process, but the main focus is on keeping everything super cold and minimizing the amount of contamination that gets mixed in with the resin when it’s time to collect. The hash maker's job is simply not to destroy what the grower has produced. 

Learn more about washing hash in these articles:

How To Wash Bubble Hash
Top 20 Best Tips for Washing Hash
Best Qualities for Bubble Wash Bags
How To Wash Fresh Frozen Cannabis for Bubble Hash Guide
How To Build a Cold Room for Washing Bubble Hash

Drying

Air drying is a good option that requires minimal equipment. But the right preparations have to happen before air drying can be effective. First, the wet hash needs to freeze, and then you can break it down into a grainy consistency using a microplane or metal sieve. The sand-like hash can thoroughly dry in this state, as long as it’s placed over parchment paper with a desiccant like cardboard underneath. 

Freeze drying is a better option. Freeze dryers rely on the process of sublimation, coupled with a vacuum-sealed chamber, to remove moisture from wet hash quickly and thoroughly. They also preserve terpene content, clarity, and remove the risk of mold growth during the drying process. They’re not cheap, but freeze dryers are worth it. Read more about drying hash here:

How to Use a Harvest Right Freeze Dryer to Make Bubble
Hash How To Properly Sieve Bubble Hash for Air Drying
Top 5 Bubble Hash Drying Tips

Conclusion

The hash makers who know the most often exclaim that they know so little. The more we learn about cannabis and the resin it gives us, the more mysteries open up before us. That said, there are some techniques that have been developed over the decades (and in fact over the ages) which reliably produce 6 Star solventless hash. 

Genetics, cultivation, harvesting, extraction, and drying are components of the process. Each of these contain dozens, even hundreds, of steps and techniques. Making hash is achievable for even the novice solventless enthusiast. But making a true 6 Star hash is a different story. 

Experience is the best teacher. Persistent practice will give you the knowledge and skills to become an exceptional hash maker. Then the holy grail of 6 Star hash will be yours. 

Thoughts? Let us know by joining our secret Facebook group. Hang out with a community of like-minded solventless heads like yourself. Ask our head extractor questions, share your latest press and learn from hobbyists and experts in the industry.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do you make a 6 Star hash?
There’s no secret, it only requires extraordinary starting material and flawless execution. The best techniques for washing hash leads to a 6 Star product. 

How is 6 Star hash different from other hash?
True 6 Star hash is very rare. It’s the best of the best. 6 Star hash fully melts and doesn’t leave behind any oil or residue when dabbed. 

Where can I buy 6 Star hash?
6 Star hash generally isn’t available at dispensaries. It’s so valuable that it normally stays close to the hash makers who are skilled enough to produce it. 

Is 6 Star hash very hard to make?
To make 6 Star hash, a lot of things have to go right. Just one simple variable out of place can ruin the entire effort. In this regard, it’s hard to make 6 Star hash. Even very skilled and experienced hash makers normally don’t make a true 6 Star hash every time. 

What is the best kind of hash?
6 Star hash is the very best quality of hash, a truly premium product.