If you’re already growing cannabis from seeds, chances are you’ve considered trying your hand at making homemade dabs. Solventless concentrates from pressed weed are all the rage and easily made at home with or without fancy equipment.
What is rosin?
Rosin is a solventless organic cannabis concentrate that uses heat and pressure to extract the oil. The extract produced is a clean and potent concentrate, making it one of the most coveted dabs available. Pressing weed for rosin is safe and easy, unlike other dab varieties such as BTO (butane hash oil), which rely on harsh chemical solvents. Rosin results in a product that maintains all active ingredients, really packing a punch.
Novices should go easy until they know the effects of this high-impact concentrate. As is with most other things, quality input means quality output. The best bud produces the most effective rosin. The highest quality concentrates use buds that are fresh-frozen.
The bud is taken directly from the plant without drying and placed in the freezer to maintain freshness. This method of freezing weed before pressing it will allow you to save up a decent stash before going to work on the press.
Best Weed Strains for Making Rosin
Concentrates are exploding in popularity. Seedsupreme has you covered in offering the best strains for trying your hand at making rosin! The kind of bud used for making rosin makes a difference. The best strains for concentrates are high in THC and possess complex terpene profiles and potent trichomes. What are trichomes on weed? Trichomes are resin glands responsible for the plant’s aroma and flavor – essential elements for rosin. Here you can read more about trichomes, if you are interested. Ideal strains are oil-rich, which will result in producing the biggest yields.
All cannabis seeds for concentrates are measured for quality using a 6-point scale. One of the biggest factors is clarity. Though it’s not a dealbreaker if you end up with some plant residue in your rosin, it will impact the purity. Rosin with some degree of plant contamination can still be used in dab form, but clarity is important. Incorporating screens or rosin bags in your pressing will provide some protection against plant material ending up in your pressing. If you end up with something less than prime, you can use that rosin to sprinkle in a bowl, use in edibles, or in making capsules.
Temperature is another key factor. If cannabis is pressed with too much heat, it can result in a dark color and damage the terpenes. Practice makes perfect. More than likely you will learn a lot in the process of making your first batch of concentrate. The best way to improve is through trial and error. Start experimenting and see what works best for you!
These are just a few of the many varieties that are perfect for pressing into rosin:
- Blueberry feminized seeds - Classic strain with lots of really big trichomes that make it ideal for making rosin, wax and other concentrates. With a THC content that varies from 16% to as much as 23%, you’re never entirely sure what you’re getting yourself into.
- Durban Poison feminized seeds - Their aroma is what makes it so famous. A mix of lemon, cloves, and awesome licorice keeps you hooked. It’s one of the best weed strains for making rosin.
- Orange Bud feminized seeds - Seedsupreme's favorite strain when it comes to cultivation, as it’s so easy to cultivate both indoor and outdoor. Orange Bud gives you a cerebral high. It’s ideal for those with an active lifestyle as it undoubtedly will get you through the day.
Equipment for Making Rosin
Rosin requires heat and pressure to extract the hot cannabis oil. There are rosin presses for weed available, but they’re a bit of an investment with prices starting in the $400-$500 range. Fortunately, there are DIY methods available to press weed for rosin at home that require just a few common household items.
Here’s a list of the items you’ll need to make your first batch of rosin:
- Cannabis (flower, hash, or kief)
- Hair straightening iron
- Heat-resistant gloves (to protect from burns)
- Parchment paper
- Scissors (for trimming parchment paper)
- A dab tool to scrape the hot rosin from the parchment paper
- Container for the finished product
The process is simply heating the bud or other form of cannabis to 280-330℉ and collecting the oil extracted from the pressed weed. This oil can vary in consistency based mostly on temperature. Too high a temperature can impact terpenes and alter the flavor of the rosin. Being a concentrate means it takes a decent amount of cannabis material to produce a little bit of rosin. That being said, what it lacks in size, it makes up for in potency. Four or five dabs are equivalent to 3-4 bowls of flower.
Practice makes perfect when it comes to pressing weed to oil. You’ll gain insight through trial and error. The same concept applies to making dabs at home. You may hold back on committing all of your best stuff to your first batch until you’ve gained confidence.
Process of making rosin at home
The rosin-making process depends on which tools are utilized, but the basic premise is the same. You must heat the cannabis and collect the oil produced. If you’re pressing weed, the process is certainly more straightforward, but it’s totally achievable using household tools.
If you want to try pressing weed for rosin at home using the household tools method, these are the steps to follow:
- Set straightening iron to heat to 280-330℉.
- Use scissors to trim parchment paper - approx 4x4” and fold in half. And place cannabis inside.
- Ensure all cannabis is safely inside the paper and between irons and press for 30 seconds.
- Listen for the sizzle, letting you know the oil is expelling. Then, unfold paper.
- Use a dab tool to scrape hot rosin from paper for immediate use or placement in an air-tight container for future use.
What to do with the post-press leftovers?
Once you’re done pressing all the best rosin from your flower, what’re the options for what’s left? While some might be inclined to bin the remains, others have found a few more ways to get the most from their flower.
Edibles
When pressing the weed to make rosin, the squished remnants used to extract the oil remain. These are called “pucks.” Though much of the oil is extracted in the initial pressing, these pieces still contain potent elements, so don’t toss them! One option is re-pressing them. A second pressing, applying more pressure and slightly higher temps can still squeeze some decent stuff from the remaining pucks. These may not be ideal for dabbing, but you can use the resulting chips for vaping, sprinkling in a bowl or in a joint for added impact and flavor.
Another option that doesn’t involve pressing weed. To do so, you need to add lipids to activate the cannabinoids. The simplest way to do this is using butter or oil. Adding heat will allow the cannabinoids to bind to the fats. Once this is complete, you can use the resulting material for any of your favorite edible recipes.
Capsules
Though not the primary use for pressed rosin, any leftover bits would be prime for use in this form. Capsules provide a level of consistency besides the obvious benefit of being discreet. The process of making capsules requires a few things, such as MCT oil, pill capsules & a syringe. One must also use an oven for this.
Both rosin pressed from weed and bubble hash are easily made at home without fancy expensive equipment, but, that equipment does exist and may be worth the investment down the road. To start, think about making rosin at home using some quality flower and toss in any leftovers, too. If you find the process easy and you’re happy with the result of your pressed weed, you can consider making DIY bubble hash, which is a bit more involved and requires some technique. Once you get that down, you can try bubble hash rosin! So many possibilities - from dabs to edibles and capsules!
The journey from seed to dab can take many forms. Get the best cannabis seeds today and enjoy the squish!
