5 Power Tips to Bubble Bag like the Pros.

1. Mix in a bucket first

This step we absolutely recommend! Traditional bubble bag instructions will tell you to ‘place your bags in the bucket – then put ice, water & herbs into the bags’. While this works fine, the benefits of doing the mixing in a bucket first – are based on your ability to to do a more thorough job of mixing, while saving your 220 micron bag a heap of wear and tear. Mixing in a bucket means you can really give a vigorous stir without the concern of scraping the bag. If you are using a powered mixing device this is even more true. The only thing to remember is that you’ll need an extra bucket (1 to mix, 1 to catch)

2. Use a power tool to mix

The most tedious and time consuming part of the bubble bag process is the ‘mixing’. Not too many people like the idea of stirring a large bucket of stew for 20 minutes. This is why many pro bubble baggers use a power tool to do the mixing. Some common tools used are paint mixers  and aeration devices. If using a paint mixer or large drill powered mixer – do not use any tool that has residue from other chemicals previously used. Aeration devices (bubblers) will take longer to achieve adequate extraction – but require very little work other than adding some more ice. Save your arms and sit back!

3. Dry with your and pressing screen

You may not believe the number of people who don’t know what that small square piece of mesh is. We call that the pressing screen. The pressing screen is used to speed up the drying process of your herbal extracts. Simply place your pressing screen on top of a paper towel or fine porous fabric towel. Then place your damp herbal extract onto the pressing screen. Now fold everything in half, so the herbal extract is being ‘squeezed’ in the sandwich. Moisture works it way out through the pressing screen into the towel. This is the easiest way to speed up the drying process using your pressing screen.

4. Wash 3 times

When you’ve finished your cycle and you can see the gold, don’t stop there! Experienced bubble bag users will tell you, they often receive more extract on the second wash than the first!

While you will normally receive your mother load on the first cycle, you will ALWAYS benefit from passing your herbs through the wash at least 1 more time. Often the first cycle will help to loosen the crystals and extracts, but it’s not until that second or third cycle that you really get the extraction process happening. This is one of the most important aspects of getting good quantity.

5. Use quality herbs

In terms of quality AND quantity this might be the most important factor. To put it bluntly – quality herbs make quality extracts. While bubble bags make an excellent way to ‘upcycle’ otherwise unused ‘rubbish’ herbs, you will always stand to create the ‘best’ extracts by using the best quality herbs. This is due to the higher ratio of ‘the good stuff’ and less herbal contaminants that take away from the purity. So if you want the best – start with the best!