All about Bubble Hash Washing Bags!

There are 2 main types of bubble bags on the market - the classic version with a mesh at the bottom and nylon walls - and the full-mesh bags, which are consisting from mesh only - or mostly. Beside of that there are different extra-option available, for example bags with wired/framed tops, conical bags or so-called stacked-bags with different heights. Here a short list with the most important bag versions/options:

Bubblebags are available as

Classic/Original Bags

This bags come with a mesh at the bottom and solid sidewalls.

Full/All Mesh Bags

Fullmesh bags are totally (or mostly) made from mesh. Some have parts of solid nylon on the top. This bags have a much higher flow-rate compared to the classic bags and save considerable processing time.

Stacked Bag (Sets)

Stacked (or staggered) wash bag sets comes with bags with different heights. The lower micron-sizes are shorter, the bigger micron-sizes are longer. Like that everything is flowing better, it prevents the hash from getting stuck underneath and the bags are more easy to rinse. Also there is less mesh to clean: Keeping high micron bags like 220 or 160 shallow gives you less mesh to clean after every wash.

Wire/Solid Frame Bags

This bags comes with a solid steel ring included at the top. This helps to place them on top of the collection vessel and also make it more easy to rinse and clean them.

Conical Bags

This bags have a larger upper diameter than the lower diameter. Useful? Well, maybe for some special purposes.

The most hash-washing bags are made from food-proof nylon. Beside of that, some companies are producing polyester-bags instead! Because nylon is hydrophilic (absorbs water), it can become heavier and take longer to dry. But its a bit stronger then polyester on the other side...

Yes. Cheap sieves/mesh can come with production-wise deviations. These errors can lead to the mesh size not being exact and therefore the result not being as desired. As a private user, this tiny deviations probably not will change your result much, specially if you are only working with 2 or 3 filter bags, but having stable and well produced bags is crucial for every professional hashmaker in order to get repeatable and reliable results. Additionally, with continued use, cheap filter-bags could wear out and stretch, causing the mesh size to become uneven and allowing larger trichomes or contaminants to slip through. High quality bags should come with a controlled quality, with even stitches and precise mesh-structure (exact within maximum 1 micron) and with an absolutely uniform, square mesh pattern for maximum filter performance!

Beside of the quality of the sieves, also the rest of the material as like as the stiching plays a big roll. Perfect is a high quality food-grade material that won't disintegrate, you really don't want to have traces of plastic and fibers in your hash. The seams should be sturdy and reinforced to withstand the stress of the washing process. The stitching should not be loose or visibly inconsistent - and the seams should be ideally covered to avoid trichomes become stuck inside. A good bag also should include grommets for hanging, some metal ring on top or some other kind of top-lock-mechanism, like drawstrings and cord locks to secure the bags.

While its absolutely possible to wash hashish with just 2 bags (for example 220 and 25 micron) - which is resulting in only one quality of hashish - experienced hashmakers are normally using multiple bags - normally between 3 and 6 - depending to the cannabis-variety and its trichome-sizes. (Perfect mesh-sizes can be found out with small test-washes) This allows to separate multiple qualities of hashish - which then can be mixed together partly, and/or used for different purposes like dabbing, smoking, further pressing to hash-rosin or to make tinctures/oil or edibles.

Bubble-Bags are available with mesh-sizes between 220µm and 15µm. (µm = Micrometer or "Micron"). The big mesh-sizes (220µm - 190µm) are normally used as so-called wash-bags to filter out the plant material. The smaller bags (180µm - 15µm) are so-called collection- or filter-bags and are used to collect and separate the resin with its different trichome sizes. 15µm-bags are used rarely, usually all bag sets include a 25-micron mesh as smallest bag - some (specially the sets for outdoor washing) even only use a 45-micron mesh as smallest collection bag. The quality collected in the bags always depends from the variety - and from the next bigger collection bag used in the set! Here a list of common mesh sizes and their purposes:

Bubblebags comes in mesh-sizes of

15 Micron (Collection Bag)

This bag size is rarely used. The flow is slow, and it also filter out dirt and dust... But its existing...

25 Micron (Collection Bag)

25µm bags are a part of nearly every wash-bag-set on the market as the smallest net in the kit. The flow is slow, it also can filter out some unwanted dirt, and the quality collected in there (if not used as the only collection bag) is normally from lower quality. But still useful for edibles, for example...

38 - 45 Micron (Collection Bags)

Some people prefer the 38µm size - some the 45µm... Wash bags in this range have a large yield but secondary grade...

60 - 73 Micron (Collection Bags)

The standard size in this range - if you buy a bag-set - is normally the 70µm or 73µm mesh... But there are also 60µm meshs for more flexibility. In filter bags of this size you normally collect prime quality...

80 - 100 Micron (Collection Bags)

Wash-Bag sets with a bag in this range normally include a 90µm mesh... But there are also 80- and 100µm meshs for more flexibility. Anyway, in this bags you normally collect an incredible quality of hashish!

120 Micron (Collection Bag)

This wash bags filter out relatively big trichomes with a great quality! Standard in the sets is the 120µm - a 140 one can bring you some more options.

140 - 160 Micron (Collection Bags)

This wash bags filter out very big trichomes. Not the best quality, but usable for edibles! They not come in so many wash-bag-sets, but offer you more flexibility and improve the quality in the next lower nets.

185 - 190 Micron (Wash / Clean-Up Bags)

Not used from many private hashmakers, but if used instead of (or additional to) a 220µm bag, the hash collected in the next lower bags will get a bit cleaner.

220 Micron (Work Bag)

This is usually the biggest net in the set and used to filter out the plant material but not for collecting resin.

Bubblebags should be cleaned and properly dried directly after every wash. Like that, a quality bag will be perfect for years. Wash bags are easy to clean, just use ice cold water and a toothbrush. If done after every wash, alcohol is not needed often.

Simple bubblebags are normally the most easy and cheap tool to collect hash if you are a private user, washing only a few times in a year. But even in the commercial production, big bags are used regularly. But for sure, there are alternatives for commercial producers - as like as for hobbyists and DIY makers! For example:

Bubble-Bag Alternatives

for commercial/big producers include tools like

Vibrating sifting systems: Which are fixed meshs in a vibrating case on top of the collection vessel. This have some higher flow rate but is not often seen in small scale environments. Here you can find some of them: Waterhash Vibrating Sifters

for home users include

HASHCRU's system: If you a DIY person and like to build your own stuff - check out HASHCRU's system for water sieving hash that does not employ nylon mesh bags, paddles, or standard sieves. The process leverages true micron filtration, controlling environmental conditions, water flow, hydrogenperoxide, and using basic principles of physics to separate trichomes from other materials in water. Interested? Read more here!

The size of the bags depends to the amount of plant-material you are going to wash and so to the amount of water you are using - if you are not running some kind of recirculating system. Anyway, the bags need to fit to your collection-vessel and hence the bag-diameter should be a bit bigger then the diameter of your vessel. If you are washing in a combined work- and collection vessel, go sure the bags are long enough too...

P.S.: We've prepared some nice tools for you if you are looking for the right sized- or shaped bags or sets!! If you are searching for a full wash-bag-set, then check out our 🧙‍♂️ WASH BAG SET WIZARD 🧙‍♂️, or use the 🧙‍♂️ BUBBLE BAG WIZARD 🧙‍♂️ to sort all known filter bags from all the listed producers by diameter, material, types and mesh-size (and by amount of included bags for the sets)!