The Best Freeze Dryers for Hash: Full Breakdown
Freeze drying is an essential component to the ice water and bubble hash making process. A freeze dryer helps take producers stuck in the three- and four-star range to create five- and six-star hash products. These helpful devices can dry hash 7x faster than air drying while preserving terpenes and increasing the color of the product.
The freeze drying process is a three-stage process that removes water, preserving the product while eliminating contamination and retaining its terpenes. In doing so, products can see their potency increase while cutting down on processing time, but most importantly, it removes the variable of potential contaminant growth that bedevils the typical air drying process.
The process is as followed:
- The Freezing Phase: The extracted oil is cooled to below its triple point, ensuring that melting won't occur.
- Sublimation (Drying) Phase: Pressure lowers while heat is added to remove water from the oil.
- Adsorption (Secondary Drying) Phase: Ionically-bound water molecules are taken out of the oil as the temperature increases from the previous phase. In doing so, the molecules' bonds break, leaving the freeze-dried hash remaining.
Keep in mind that while freeze drying does cut down on dry times, a bit of wait is still expected. Mostly full freeze dryer trays should take around 18 hours, however newer technology in the Labconco FDry-8L can get as low as 8 hours or less. Overly thick trays of hash or producers seeking extremely dry hash should expect the process to go for at least 24 hours.
Recommended Freeze Dryers
Producers have a few options to choose from when considering freeze dryers. The team at PurePressure are particularly fond of the following three freeze dryer options:
Large Harvest Right Pharmaceutical Freeze Dryer
The Large Harvest Right Pharmaceutical Freeze Dryer is one of the top choices in making six-star bubble hash today. Producers get the dual advantage of working with a device that can not only handle high volumes of production; they last for a pretty long time too. With the capability to handle a lot more than the average freeze dryer, Harvest Right freeze dryers provide producers with a pharmaceutical model that enables companies to freeze dry up to 12 and 14 pounds of wet hash, or 3 to 3.5 pounds of dry hash each cycle.
Large Harvest Right Pharmaceutical Freeze Dryer
Starting at $ 3,995.00
At the price point and capacity that they offer, these are among the most popular freeze dryers on the market and that we sell. They also come with a vacuum pump and, just like the Medium version described below, can be upgraded with an oil-free vacuum pump as well.
Medium Harvest Right Pharmaceutical Freeze Dryer
Operations of smaller scales can get in on the Harvest Right action as well. The Medium Harvest Right Pharmaceutical Freeze Dryer also provides producers with the ability to handle large volumes while having less of an impact on a company's operating costs. It features 7 trays as opposed to the Large version's 8, but they are slightly smaller. This unit only costs a good bit less than the Large Pharmaceutical freeze dryer, making it a very attractive price point for many producers.
Medium Harvest Right freeze dryers are some of the most popular options on the market, with some producers housing one to four freeze dryers in their labs. With the ability to freeze seven to nine pounds of wet hash, totaling 1.75 to 2.25 pounds in dry hash, it's understandable why many producers typically get a few over time to meet their demand.
Labconco FDry-8L Freeze Dryer
The newest entrant to benefit the hash making community is the Labconco FDry-8L Freeze Dryer. An established authority in the actual medical pharmaceutical freeze drying space, Labconco is a bonafide leader, offering a range of benefits with its latest freeze dryer.
Providing a thorough dryness like no other on the market that we've tested, the FDry-8L has been known to reduce dry cycles to as little as eight hours, while offering producers massively improved variable control of the process. Best of all, monitoring and data logging can be conducted remotely, leaving producers to run their operations as efficiently as possible and not fear that their batch will be ruined if the power goes out for example.
Labconco FDry-8L Freeze Dryer System
Starting at $ 17.525.00
Regarded as the premier option on the market today, the FDRy-8L does come at a higher price point than other freeze dryers. PurePressure's packaged system includes a top of the line Leybold SOGEVAC Neo 16 D vacuum pump in the purchase price, which is a significant upgrade over the Harvest Right vacuum pump options. However, selling pre-tax for roughly $17,500, a freeze dryer is a worthwhile investment that should prove its return on investment in short order for producers that only want to produce the best hash possible. If you are looking to take your bubble hash freeze drying to the next level, this is the unit to do it with.
More About Labconco’s Latest Freeze Dryer
Labconco's FDry-8L aims to provide producers with the most modern freeze dryer on the market. It does so with stellar features, including 5" color touch screen smart controls, unprecedented vacuum protection and a full view of the entire process. The FDry 8-L also includes real-time monitoring and the ability to customize runs to suit each company's needs. All the while, producers can set their specific needs into the FDry-8L to lock in ideal shelf temperatures and vacuum levels.
The operating system is straightforward and efficient, offering producers the ability to log data and create a flexible production process.
Plus, those that buy through PurePressure receive our company's custom-developed freeze drying recipes, ensuring that your operation starts with heavily tested and verified processes for developing top-shelf hash. Customization goes one step further with the FDry-8L having the ability to store up to 30 programs, totaling up to 16 steps, which can be stored and easily retrieved for a more efficient process. While these freeze dryers do require more learning to perfect using all of the features they offer, it is well worth the time investment for what they can do for your ice water hash quality levels.
Labconco's FDry-8L also allows producers an up-close look at the freeze drying process with an unobstructed view into the machine and variable monitoring. Such monitors enable producers to receive remote notifications or run parameters to gauge any troubling circumstances, such as a power outage, or other variables that may arise. All of which is supported by the FDry-8L's multiple independent sensors that monitor shelf temperature and the product, while tracking collector temperature and the vacuum level of materials as well.
Producers can pick up their FDry-8L from Labconco in 115v or 230v configurations, with each coming with a one-year manufacturer's warranty. Keep in mind that a dedicated 20amp circuit is required for operation.
Get The Hash Freeze Dryer Best for Your Operation
Both Harvest Right and Labconco are excellent producers of the finest hash freeze dryers on the market today. But keep in mind that the freeze dryer for your operation must fit your business goals while fitting within the realistic means of your operation. That means, staying within budget and the scale of your lab. If you are unsure of which is best for you, contact us, and we’ll be happy to get you situated.
Once your company has the freeze dryer it needs, it’s time to put it to action. If you're looking for expert consulting or help taking your ice water and bubble hash production to the next level, make sure to check out PureCannalabs and the consulting services they offer!