// Definition
The scientific term for freeze drying, a dehydration process that uses vacuum and sub-zero temperatures to sublimate water from frozen material. In hash making, it rapidly removes moisture from fresh-frozen bubble hash while preserving terpene content.
// From the Episode
Dr. Mark used this term as the proper chemistry name for what hash makers call freeze drying. He raised the concern that the vacuum involved in lyophilization could cause volatile thiols to escape from trichome heads, potentially losing dankness. Fletch countered that frozen heads help retain volatiles, and that reducing vacuum exposure time by lowering initial water content is key. Dr. Mark proposed a study comparing thiol levels in air-dried vs. freeze-dried hash.