How Is Cannabis Rosin Made and How to Use It?
Rich in flavor and bold in taste, rosin is a popular marijuana extract, made by pressing cannabis flower under high heat. The result? A solventless extract that can be smoked, vaped, consumed with a dab rig, or even put into edibles. Keep reading as we explain how rosin is made, and other key information about this special type of cannabis extract.
What Is Rosin and How Does It Look?
Rosin is a high-grade cannabis extract that you can get with pressing dry flower material under tremendous heat. It can be done even with a clothes iron. Unlike other types of cannabis concentrates (such as live resin, hash oil, shatter, wax or distillates) rosin does not contain any residual solvent like butane, propane or ethanol. Which makes all the difference with this type of concentrate. Solventless means you get more organic and cleaner extract.
Typically, rosin extracts have yellowish or pale cream color. The substance can be sticky, similar to butter. The appearance of rosin products may vary, depending on what steps were taken while producing the extract.
What’s the Difference Between Live Resin and Rosin?
Most folks might be more familiar with live resin rather than rosin press. Both extracts may look similar, but they differ exactly due to the extraction method. Live resin uses solvents for extraction. Chemicals such as butane are used to squeeze out the cannabinoids and terpenes from the cannabis plant material, while rosin is obtained simply by applying heat and pressure on the cannabis flower. Between the two, live resin is the more affordable option, as rosin is generally considered a purer product.
How Is Cannabis Rosin Made?
Unlike most other concentrates, rosin is easy and safe to prepare. Solventless extraction is simple to conduct both if you are willing to produce small or larger quantities of the fresh extract. Rosin is typically acquired from dry cannabis flower with the application of heat and pressure. However, various other forms of dried or frozen plant material, including fresh trim, kief, and hash, can also be repurposed for rosin press. To extract rosin, manufacturers may use a special rosin bag or parchment paper method to batter and melt the cannabis material with a heated hydraulic press.
Preparing rosin at home can be done with various home appliances such as flat iron or hair straightener. Cannabis flower for rosin extraction can be placed between two pieces of parchment paper, and then pressed with the appliance of choice.
What Is the Price of Solventless Rosin?
Live rosin is usually more expensive than most other extracts, therefore 1 gram can cost anywhere from $50 to $120. Solventless cannabis extraction results in getting some of the purest cannabis products; there’s no risk of any residual solvents. Rosin is valued for its purity and cleanliness, just like other solventless extracts such as ice water hash or dry sift. Hence also the price per gram.
How to Prepare Cannabis Rosin Extract at Home?
Since rosin is a solvent-free extract, its extraction technique is pretty easy to try it yourself. Set aside a starting material (or how much flower you are willing to spend on making rosin) and choose an appliance for heating and pressing (e.g., flat iron). Below are the steps you should follow.
- Turn on the flat iron to a low temperature. The applied heat should be around 300°F (or about 150°C). Excess heat can destroy the terpenes.
- Cut a small piece of parchment paper and fold it in half. Put the dried flower for rosin extraction in the folded paper.
- Put on protection gloves on your hands as you proceed with rosin extraction.
- Firmly press the folded parchment with the heating device. It will take a few seconds before you hear a crackling sound, a signal that the resin has separated from the dried flower. Stop applying heat and pressure as you hear the sound.
- Unfold the paper and remove the flattened chunk of weed. Use a dabber/dab tool to carefully collect the sticky rosin.
- Clean the rosin from any remains of plant material that might be in it.
- Move the rosin to a cold surface for a couple of seconds to get a more consistent end product.
How to Store Rosin Extracts?
If you are not using the product immediately, store the rosin press in a cool, dark place in a clean airtight container. Keep the container away from heat sources such as ovens or radiators. Cold will help preserve the rosin consistency and avoid getting an overly sticky cannabis concentrate that’s difficult to use and dab.
Different Delivery Methods for Rosin Consumption
Rosin can be smoked, vaped, dabbed, or even infused into edibles. Whichever way you decide to consume, be sure that each method delivers an aromatized and potent experience.
Here are five ways how you can consume rosin:
- Smoking: Spread the rosin on your joint or spliff rolls like you would with any other cannabis concentrate. Make sure you have extra rolling paper, because rosin is sticky and it can sometimes tear apart the paper.
- Cold-start dabbing: Dabbing requires that you have a dab rig (water pipe), a nail, dab torch and dabber. Drop the rosin in the unheated bowl and then heat it up until it has reached the right temperature. Cold start dabbing allows for a gradual release of vapor and rosin content, and it’s recommended for less experienced dabbers.
- Hot-start dabbing: Heat the bowl before placing the rosin inside the nail. After the device has been heated, place the rosin inside the bowl. It’s a stronger hit, not recommended for those with low tolerance to THC.
- Vaping rosin: Turn on your dab pen and use a dabber to fill the chamber with rosin extract. Without a dabber, handling cannabis rosin may be a tangled and frustrating task. Make sure you have appropriate tools for working with concentrates.
- Edibles: Instead of regular cannabis flower decarboxylation, add rosin in the saucepan with butter. Stir on low heat until the butter and rosin are blended together. The rosin butter can then be added to any recipe you wish to infuse.
No matter how you choose to consume rosin press extract, have fun and enjoy! Remember to use cannabis concentrates responsibly, as they are more potent than your average pre-roll. Take smaller hits in the beginning and see how it goes from there.
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Stephen Andrews
