Why the "White Ash Test" is Bullshit

I can go into my grow room, cut a bud off a non-flushed plant in DWC being fed synthetic nutrients, throw it in my bong without drying it or curing it at all and get nothing but white ash left in the bowl. Sure, it's a bitch to light and smokes like shit but it leaves white ash 100% of the time for me.

By no means am I advocating not flushing/drying/curing your weed, as I believe it's an essential part of the process, I'm just providing some food for thought about the "White Ash Test". To take it to a whole new level though, the plants I tried this with have nitrogen toxicity which amuses me as nitrogen is typically what's blamed for dark ashes.

Lot of the stuff floating out there about growing isn't tested scientifically, not saying it isn't true, but you can't always believe everything you hear to be fact.

I'm sure you could get white ash from a kernel of corn if you heated and sucked on it long enough.
White ash is from normal combustion in a joint or bowl.

If you're using a torch, then your statement is true. But for the most part, it's the pesticides that are sprayed on the buds that create a potent poison and that creates a tar-like burn. It's disgusting. I've smoked my fair share of bud that has been like black poop hit, buddy would warn me not to take the last hit if I got it on the rotation. Just about any self-aware stoner comes across this. Not much we can do about it unless we kind of clean out our bud. I'm not one to point fingers,
I'm just saying its perspective for your findings. I've got bud that has cured well to look old but would smoke like a champ. The more golden it gets, you're more likely going to have a white ash smoke because there isn't a residue on your plant. But uncured unflushed pot doesn't have enough to back that up. You're probably just growing it right, lots of other chemicals have been used to grow pot but sticking with the regular nutrient soaks shouldn't do anything because nutrients are used really really fast in buds apparently. The photosynthesis process allows for good change in the plant quickly if your plant is lacking a nutrient or several so nutrients don't stick around to much. Plus burning these in a way isn't really bad in plant form, just the wetness is the bitch to beat eh?

I still hold to the white ash test because using a standard lighter and many types of smoke, the stuff that has any extra adulterants will always leave dark sooty ashes no matter what. Let's just say you grow good weed and it happens to always produce white ashes. Just because of this post I am going to have to do my own experimentation lol. I just cut down a few, they were flushed well more than they needed to and turned out snow white ashes. I am going to smoke this plant i have been avoiding because it had no flush at all, using same exact nutrient regimen, all organic no pesticides.

It is bs. I don't flush and my ash is always normal.

I've only experienced black chunky ash and the joint crackling like a sparkler from people who dont flush. I always flush because I dont want to find out if it ruins the smoke. I only get one chance to do it before I hack it down. I just happen to do it faster cuz I'm in hydro.

I always thought this had more to do with curing than flushing?

About a pound.

a little science goes a long away

I always flush when i poo, or my butt will turn black

innerG said:

I always thought this had more to do with curing than flushing?

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The only time I've seen black ash is smoking weed that hasn't been dried enough.

Dave's Not Here said:

The only time I've seen black ash is smoking weed that hasn't been dried enough.

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Yeah and sometimes even if it's dry but not cured well you get the 'crackling' that's isn't like a seed, but like smoking a part that is moister than the rest or something

Moisture causes the crackling. Same thing happens when you burn uncured firewood. Next time you cook bacon pay attention to the sound. It will stop crackling when all of the moisture is gone!

Flush, Flush, Flushity, FLUSH - sung to the tune "SPAM".

Please note that in flushity - the flu should be dropped! Flush shit not plants!

PLEASE, please tell me just exactly HOW flushing works to do what you think it does? - @HydroRed

I was talking to this guy Tues. that "grows".....He asked how l got such tasty weed and don't flush...
"2 weeks controlled dry and 2 week MINIMUM cure"..... " SHIT dude, mine's dry in 2-3 days!"

LMFAO "You need to fix that dude" is all I said

Ghostfox said:

I can go into my grow room, cut a bud off a non-flushed plant in DWC being fed synthetic nutrients, throw it in my bong without drying it or curing it at all and get nothing but white ash left in the bowl. Sure, it's a bitch to light and smokes like shit but it leaves white ash 100% of the time for me.

By no means am I advocating not flushing/drying/curing your weed, as I believe it's an essential part of the process, I'm just providing some food for thought about the "White Ash Test". To take it to a whole new level though, the plants I tried this with have nitrogen toxicity which amuses me as nitrogen is typically what's blamed for dark ashes.

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The only literature that I have read anywhere saying that you need to flush to get white ash is Big Mike and his Advanced Nutrients rhetoric bullshit to sell his Final Phase - which has been discontinued (changed label) and now called 'Flawless Finish' LOL only noobs and the dim fall for this.

Extrome said:

Lot of the stuff floating out there about growing isn't tested scientifically, not saying it isn't true, but you can't always believe everything you hear to be fact.

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"quora How-do-ashes-get-their-colour"

Hey I am to new to post links but there's good data at this site ^^ if you Google it.


Saw this science article on ash colour. He explains the black white grey ash as caused by refraction of the base chemicals and metal salts.

Black ash is refracting the base metals and chemicals the grey is a mixture of grey and white ash once again the base metals and oxides combine to cause the refraction after burning.

How does this translates into bud? We can establish the colour of ash is determined by refraction of base metals and oxides.

Black ash has a different chemical composition to white ash.

Grey ash is a combination of white and black ash.

I can't say which is "better" other than subjective experience but hopefully this link can explain the science a little better than I can.

At least we can say for certain that the chemical composition and oxidisation after burning is different.

If we look at nutes composition it may have some clues but tbh there may be a lot of variables like curing drying flushing. I smoked a strain that was most of the time burnt well left grey white ash tasted great got me whacked but occasionally the same strain burnt black and wouldn't fully combust or the chemical oxidisation was different and can leave a lump in the cone that tastes like shit.

The weed isn't as good either effect wise it appears quite wet or bendy stems its bloated but after a couple of days dries out burns well smokes well but not as good. Its a very consistent strain it's just occasionally a bit rushed he prob doesn't flush or cure sells wet.

Oxidisation could be a variable maybe heat differences or moisture levels which could effect a similar chemical composition. Its the same bud just moisture has effected the oxidisation and base metals refract differently plus carbon might be a residual of organic chemicals that did not oxidise.

That is speculation but there is a difference according to the science but there maybe other variables idk

Moisture and certain terps cause the crackle and pop, white ash is bud, black ash is plant matter

Dave's Not Here said:

The only time I've seen black ash is smoking weed that hasn't been dried enough.

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^