Ready to impress the extracts connoisseurs?
But before you even start flexing those muscles or investing in an expensive rosin press, do you know how to get the best results?
There’s more to just buying the most expensive rosin press, as there are other factors that affect the quality and quantity of your rosin press.
You have to consider these, especially if you want to run a business or simply want to get the most out of each and every press.
But before jumping into what you need to do, let’s take a look at the rookie mistakes in extraction.
Common Mistakes in Rosin Extraction
A lot of things can go wrong when making extracts, but these can be corrected by practicing the proper technique.
But there are two (2) things you should not take for granted in extracting rosin since these affect the outcome.
Using Low-Quality Cannabis
It stands true that you reap what you sow when it comes to rosin extraction.
Thus, you should ensure that the material you use was processed properly. If you use buds or kief from a plant that was not given the proper nutrients or lighting, most likely, the quality of rosin you will get will be compromised.
Humidity also plays a crucial role here, as buds should be at the ideal levels of 55 to 62 percent.
That is why, at the earliest stage, make sure you are using buds or kief that was cultivated and cured with care.
Not Using a Proper Rosin Press
Not using an appropriate rosin press in this context means an improvised rosin press, such as a hair straightener.
While there’s a lot of thrill in setting up your rosin press with ordinary household items, you won’t get the same results.
If it’s your first time to do rosin extracts, you should not even think of using makeshift items, such as a hair straightener, due to the inaccurate and insubstantial heat it emits.
While rosin extracts started with hair straighteners, technology caught up quickly with affordable solutions, such as the
Ju1cebox Handheld Manual Rosin Press. And there are also do-it-yourself rosin press kits that work with shop presses.
And if you are looking for high outputs, then consider getting a press that can handle large quantities of buds or kief by the gram.
To help you choose a rosin press, you can check the buyer’s guide
here.
Now let us look at the factors that are just as important, but can be addressed easily
Expert Tips on How to Make Rosin Like a Pro
Temperature Levels and Time
Lower heat settings produce good flavors at the expense of having lower yields. While higher heat settings give you more yield per gram, but flavors are not dominant like those extracted at lower temperatures.
But don’t overdo it, as you may end up with rosin with a burnt taste. If you keep things too low, you might not get much and waste a nug or puck in the process.
Time is also a crucial factor that goes in tandem with temperatures.
If you are working at lower temperatures, you will need more time to get the best yields, while higher temperatures will need less time to get those extracts.
To help you get started, consider working at temperatures between 210 and 220 degrees Fahrenheit and work between 50 seconds to three (3) minutes.
Note that different strains react differently, so you need to play around with both temperature and time to get the best results.
Using the Right Rosin Bags
Is there a rosin bag that does it all?
Well, all rosin bags will work, whether you are extracting from buds or kief.
But there are rosin bags that work better with buds, in the same manner, there are bags that produce superb results with kief.
As a rule of thumb, the lower the micron rating, the better it can filter your rosin from your material.
Thus, if you are looking to work with pucks, use rosin bags that have a lower rating, as the rosin can flow out easily, keeping your keif in the pouch.
Higher micron ratings, meanwhile, are less porous, which is suitable in blocking particles from buds and trims. If you want to know more about rosin bags, check out our
article on micron bags.
Work in Smaller Quantities
While you might notice your rosin press has a large real estate on its plates, it might not be a good idea to use every inch of that heating surface.
It’s best to work in smaller quantities since you give your rosin more space to reach the parchment paper without losing terpenes. Try working on buds that measure about half to a third inch in size.
It might take more time, but you get better chances of preserving the quality of your rosin.
Another advantage of working in smaller quantities is the decreased chances of blowouts, or when your bits of unwanted plant materials get mixed into the rosin.
Factors that contribute to a blowout are overflowing of content, an uneven distribution of material, and pressing the bag with haste.
The best way to approach blowouts is to do it slowly.
Don’t rush things because rushing is most likely to ruin your extracts.
You should also check the quality of your bags, which, if substandard, can also cause blowouts. Don’t even think of reusing rosin bags, as these have compromised quality.
Pressure Is Important, but Only Up to a Certain Point
Now, getting those extracts needs you to exert a lot of pressure to push the rosin out of the plant.
But you don’t need to overdo the pressing. Overdoing it can destroy the rosin bag, leading to blowouts.
While there may be rosin presses that can push up to 20 tons of power, you will realize that all the pressure you can be excessive.
There are a lot of strains that produce a good yield of around 24 percent with pressure of only 550 pounds per square inch (psi).
But some strains may need more pressure, which is why you should consider experimenting with a psi that ranges from 550 up to 1,500.
You then adjust accordingly, in tandem with the time and temperature of your heating plates.
Perseverance and Patience
These are non-negotiables, as the quality of your rosin depends on how patient and persevering you can get.
Being able to extract the best rosin means having the will to continuously try different settings to get the best result.
As different strains have respective reactions at particular settings, you need to continuously try each one you encounter to get the best results.
You might not be able to get it the first try, but you need to be patient enough to endure the trial process in extracting.
There are many resources available online such as
Facebook Groups that help you plot where to start in the extraction of a particular strain.
And with technology today, there are rosin presses that can save settings that you can use for the most used strains for extraction.
Conclusion
The road to becoming a pro in rosin extraction may seem difficult to some people, but the journey of learning the tricks in extraction is worth it.
Every press you make is a learning process. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, especially when you are starting.
Given the vast information available on the Internet, you will be able to master them easily, as these serve as a good starting point.
