If there’s anything the Original Resinator does differently and correctly, it’s CO2 trimming.The Original Resinator is a pioneer in infusing CO2 in the trimming process. Marketed under its Cryo-Trim technology, the company created an indelible mark in the cannabis industry. Some have followed suit with their spin on CO2 trimming, but the Original Resinator remains the innovator that started it all.
What is CO2 Trimming?
CO2 trimming is a new method of trimming buds right after harvest that quickly sheds off sugar leaves while preserving the natural look of the bud. Travis Arnovick and James Watts, the pioneers behind the Original Resinator Trimmers, started this process.
The infusion of CO2 in the trimming process is a game-changer. The buds are flash-frozen by infusing CO2 inside the tumbler, making the leaves more brittle. In this state, the leaves easily fall off without blades. Hence the whole process does not utilize any bladed tumbler and significantly reduces the risks of bruising the buds.
Once the buds normalize in temperature, they become ready to consume while retaining flavor profiles, cutting down the drying and curing process to a little over 24 hours.
Advantages of CO2 Trimming
CO2 Trimming offers advantages such as having a bud ready to use within a shorter period, unlike waiting weeks for a bud to completely dry and cure before trimming. The use of CO2 infusions speeds up the process. Using any of the Original Resinator’s bud trimmers gives you that sheer advantage over time, which results in a faster return on investment.
Trimming with CO2 also means not having to use bladed tumblers. If automated trimmers already reduce the risks brought by human error when cutting, a bladeless system that uses CO2, such as the Original Resinator’s bud trimmers, means even fewer chances of bruising the buds during trimming.
Traditional trimming methods entail mess or worry about trichome loss. When trimming using CO2 for flash freezing, you don’t have to worry about these, as the leaves fall easily using the bladeless tumbler. And just as important, you can use CO2 on wet and dry buds, giving you more options for bud trimming.
Getting the Most Out of CO2 Trimming: Tips and Best Practices
You can get good results by ensuring your buds are neatly bucked before trimming. It would be best to get a reliable bucker before trimming with CO2.
If you plan to trim freshly harvested buds, they need a wet cure or freeze-dried before jumping into the trimming process. The point is to preserve the bud while removing any oxygen inside the bud, which can ruin the flavors due to oxidation. For those who are working on dry plant material, it’s best to dry them before entering the curing stage when doing a CO2 trim.
CO2 Trimming is also best done with temperature probes. You want to do the flash freezing sparingly, which can damage the buds. The ideal temperature varies per bud, so you want to keep track of temperatures inside the tumbler to get the best results. You can turn off the CO2 valve once you reach the ideal temperature inside the tumbler. Then, you can run your Original Resinator trimmer as usual. After the trimming, let the buds settle to room temperature, and they will be ready for the dispensary.
CO2 Trimming vs. Cryo-Sifting
While you can do both using the Original Resinator trimmers, there will be different settings. CO2 Trimming only needs temperatures within 10 – 30 degrees Fahrenheit to achieve. Cryo-sifting, meanwhile, needs lower temperatures to achieve a good sift. It’s also worth noting that filtering with the Original Resinator needs a few minutes of spinning in its chamber to extract correctly.
CO2 Trimming Impact on Cannabinoids and Trichomes
You can expect very minimal losses when it comes to cannabinoid losses with CO2 trimming. Original Resinator themselves stated that most losses in cannabinoids were at 0.8 percent, around the same ballpark figure you’d expect from a hand trim. And when temperatures are set according to the strain type, you can expect little to no loss when it comes to trichomes.
Conclusion
Bud trimming with CO2 aims to change the industry. While people see time efficiency as the immediate effect, other things will change in the future. For one, using CO2 in trimming also means a faster turnover of goods in the dispensaries, which also means starting the growing process faster and increasing profits year-on-year.
Trimming with CO2 also means reducing the costs of having a holding area for your buds. For those who go the wet route, you won’t need to have a dedicated space for curing buds. For those who go for dry, there won’t be a need for the curing stage. In the long run, if more companies embrace CO2 trimming, more growers will save on logistical costs.
