Rosin Presses - How do they work?
You might have heard about rosin presses before, but have you ever wondered what exactly they are, and how rosin presses work? We’re here to give you all the details about what a rosin press is, how they work, and give you an idea of all the different types they are!
Rosin presses are compact machines that allow practically anyone and everyone to extract their own concentrates at home. They allow users to have full control over the quality and quantity of concentrates they consume, and they also allow for fun experimentation with different strains or parts of the plant.
Believe it or not, there are many types of rosin presses, and they all have their special way of working. From manual to hydraulic to hybrid rosin presses, you have many different options available to you so you can choose the perfect one for you. Rosin presses are perfect for people who want to make their own concentrates out of their favourite dry herb strains, and we love them as much as the next dry herb fan. So let’s dive into their inner workings and see exactly how they convert our favourite dry herb strains into our favourite concentrates!
HOW DOES A ROSIN PRESS WORK?
The simplest way of describing a rosin press is that it applies an immense amount of pressure to the dry herb put into it in order to fully extract all the concentrates from it. Once pressed, all you need to do is collect the concentrates and enjoy them.
However, there can be more to it depending on the type of rosin press you use. For example, RosinBomb presses simultaneously heat and press to get a much higher concentrate yield; and other presses simply apply pressure.
They are relatively easy to operate and depending on the press, all you need to do is turn it on, feed the dry herb into it, and then collect all the goodies. Others are manual, though, and these types of rosin press don’t usually require any power source, and you need to physically press the dry herb to get the concentrates
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PRESSURE
The pressure is key when operating a rosin bomb. There are a few ways you can achieve this pressure, and it all comes down to the type of rosin press you would like to use. Electric presses do all the hard work for you, as they can apply insane amounts of pressure, while manual presses use the operator’s own weight to extract the concentrates.
Depending on the type of rosin press you use, the pressure is applied in different ways. For example, pneumatic presses use high-pressure air to apply pressure, hydraulic presses put Pascal’s law into effect using a small amount of liquid to deliver high pressure.
Many modern rosin presses offer users the opportunity to choose the pressure at which they want to press their dry herbs. RosinBomb is known for this, as the majority of their rosin presses have precise pressure-control, allowing users to fully manipulate pressure and other functions.
YIELD AMOUNT
The yield amount (a.k.a. the amount of concentrates extracted from the plant) can change drastically depending on a few factors such as what part of the plant is used (i.e. flower, trim, shake, hash, etc), the amount of pressure, and the amount of heat applied during the extraction process.
It’s important to know the yield amount you will get from your raw product (dry herb) in order to calculate the amount of herb you will need to achieve a certain amount of concentrates, and also know what temperature and pressure will give you the best yield.
Another factor that affects the yield amount is the type of rosin press. The higher the pressure, the higher the yield, and the happier you will be at the end of the process. However, many prefer to keep the yield a bit lower in order to get the purest concentrates possible without any extra oils from the plant.
Be aware that the yield can also be altered by the type of pressing bag or material you use. Different types of raw materials require different types of materials or bags. For example, 36 or 72-micron bags are perfect for ice water extractions, and 115-micron bags are optimal for flower or shake. So do your research now and get the highest yield later on!
So really, the yield amount is fairly up to the user, the equipment used, and the type of raw material used. This may seem a bit complicated now, but it gets much simpler as you gain experience in the art of the rosin press. Also, the majority of rosin presses come with all the information you need to know before starting the process of extracting at home.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRESS
Now that we’ve gone over how rosin presses work, let’s take a look at each different type of rosin press available, their defining factors, and what they’re best for. This way, when you buy your own rosin press, you know exactly which is best for you!
Manual Rosin Press
A manual rosin press is usually compact in size and design. As it has no external forces that could amount to pressure, they are designed to use the user’s body weight to press the raw material and extract concentrates.
This type of rosin press is widely preferred by people looking for something simple that allows them to extract at home without any bells and whistles. As the units are usually small, they are easily stowed away and set up, and they are very easy to operate.
If you want a rosin press that is small, lightweight, and simple in its operation, or if you’re just looking to dip your does into the world of at-home extraction, you should look into a good manual rosin press.
Pneumatic Rosin Press
A pneumatic rosin press is a big step up from a manual rosin press as it is complete with much more technology, and presses the raw material automatically. They are larger in size, need electricity to operate, and apply almost 1000 times more pressure than manual presses.
A defining factor of a pneumatic press is the way it applies pressure. Like any pneumatic press, it uses high-pressure air to apply pressure, and so gives a quick and consistent amount of pressure throughout the extraction process.
Pneumatic presses are great for people looking for a quick high-pressure press that can extract both flowers and dry sift at high yields. They are significantly larger than manual presses, so you should definitely consider that factor. But if the size is of no consequence, you could start out with a pneumatic press instead of a manual press if you’re already serious about making your own concentrates.
Hydraulic Rosin Press
Hydraulic presses use the pressure caused by putting a plunger into a contained liquid, putting Pascal’s law into full effect. These are good to use when you want an incredibly high amount of pressure in a small amount of time.
This type of rosin press can either be manually adjusted or can be automatic, and this allows you to choose which you find to be the best for you. After that, they’re quite easy to operate, and they give you a great view of the concentrates being extracted, which is always fun to watch.
There is one little factor that isn’t in a hydraulic rosin press’ favour, and that is the fact that the yield from a hydraulic press can be much lower than expected. What you need to do is experiment with different temperatures and pressures with each strain of herb in order to make sure the yield is as high as possible. But once you have those things down, you’ll be golden!
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Electric Rosin Press
The electric rosin press is all the rage at the moment, and with good reason! They are very quiet, fully automatic in all functions except the insertion/removal of raw material/rosin, and they are arguably the easiest to operate out of the bunch.
Many prefer electric rosin presses over other types because they come in many sizes, they are perfect for at-home extraction thanks to their quiet operation, and they use electricity to put the pressure into effect rather than air or liquid.
If you’re looking for a modern rosin press that you can use in the comfort of your own home, an electric rosin press is one of your best options. Not to mention that you can usually fully customize the amount of pressure and temperature at which you extract the rosin for the best yield every time.
Hybrid Rosin Press
Hybrid rosin presses are very similar to electric presses, as they are also powered by electricity. One of the only differences between them is that a hybrid press requires users to press a button to press the raw material, and an automatic rosin press doesn’t.
Hybrid rosin presses are quite efficient in their yield amount, as they combine all of the best features into one amazing rosin press. They can get to be heavy and bit large, but they are still relatively quiet, and they are truly worth it.
If you’re looking for a rosin press that you can fully customize to fit the exact strain of raw material you’re using, and that you can control in terms of how slow or fast the pressing happens, then the hybrid rosin press is your new best friend.
ROSINBOMB PRESSES
RosinBomb is a well-established rosin press brand. They have been one of the most popular rosin press manufacturers for a while thanks to their innovative designs, the state-of-the-art original technology, and the great range of rosin presses they offer. Here are their all-star rosin presses:
RosinBomb Rocket: the Rocket is a high-power 10in tall table-top rosin press. It is automatic, offers 1500lbs of force, operates at 200°F-220°F (95°C-105°C), and can press up to 5g of raw material at a time. It’s easy to use, offers good yield, and can press any type of raw material (flower, dry sift, trim, shake, etc.).
RosinBomb M-50: the M-50 is one of their most popular rosin presses. It presses at up to 5000lbs of pressure, has temps of 35°F-300°F (1°C-149°C), and can press up to a whopping 14g of any type of raw material on every press cycle.
RosinBomb M-60: the M-60 is a powerful rosin press, offering up to 6000lbs of pressure, can reach temperatures of up to 300°F (149°C), and presses up to 30 press cycles of 15g of material per hour! It is also complete with RosinBomb’s original Flow Channel technology which makes the collection process thousand times easier!
ROSIN TECH PRESSES
Rosin Tech is an American rosin press manufacturer that is one of the best on the market. They made their way to the top as soon as they debuted their line of high tech rosin presses that are super high powered and can press huge amounts of raw material in one cycle. Here are some of the community’s favourite Rosin Tech rosin presses:
Single Ram Pneumatic Rosin Press: this is a single ram pneumatic press that has 8000lbs of pure pressure power, has temperatures ranging up to 482℉ (250℃), and is large enough to press large batches of raw material in every cycle. It’s easy to operate, but it can be a little large, so keep that in mind.
Twist: the Twist rosin press is Rosin Tech’s signature at-home press for true rosin lovers. It heats up to 425℉ (212℃), and the user needs to twist the top bar to press the rosin. It is very small, and it can even be bolted to practically any surface for extra comfort. It’s a great option for people looking to press at home without noisy compressors.
BIG Smash: the biggest and baddest Rosin Tech press is the BIG Smash. It is a hybrid press which needs a plug-in for the heating, but needs to be pumped manually in order to press. It boasts 4000lbs of pressure, heats to 425℉ (212℃), and can be used for personal or commercial uses.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A ROSIN PRESS
Finding the perfect rosin press is quite simple, whether you’re a beginner or an extraction pro! All you need to do is start by setting a budget, establishing the type of pressing experience you’re looking for (quiet, big-scale, manual, automatic, etc), and then checking off the list below to ensure the rosin press is the highest quality possible:
Ensure that the brand is well-known for quality. A low quality rosin press will just make your life harder and will ultimately end up costing you time, money, and all that good bud -- a total vibe kill.
Look for the right size of rosin press. For example, if you don’t have much space, a smaller fully automatic rosin press is the best bet because it will fit in the small space and you won’t need room to move around and press the material manually.
Find a rosin press that has a good range of temperatures. Not every strain of herb is the same, and some will do better on low temperatures and others will yield more on higher temperatures. Don’t worry if you don’t know what temperatures go with what strains. Rosin presses are easy to get the hang of, and a little safe experimenting never hurts.
Note that some rosin presses can only press a little bit at a time, and other can press a large amount in a cycle. So if you’re looking to press for personal use, a smaller unit isn’t bad at all. But if you’re looking for a bigger-scale production, you will want to get a unit like the RosinBomb M-60 to press large amounts in small amounts of time.
Now you know all about rosin presses! Since you’re practically an expert on rosin presses, we know you will have a much easier time choosing the perfect rosin press and that makes us happy!
Don’t let the technicalities overwhelm you! As soon as you start looking at all the different types of presses out there and you watch a youtube video or two, you’ll feel a lot more acquainted with the force and yield amounts. Now all you need to do is go out and put all this theory into practice! Good luck!
