How to Make Rosin Dabs at Home?
- 1. How to make rosin with cannabis buds?
- 2. Why make rosin at home?
- 3. Will the rosin be potent?
- 4. Consuming and storing rosin
- 4. a. How to consume rosin
- 4. b. How to store rosin
- 5. Rosin, resin, and live resin comparison
- 5. a. Rosin
- 5. b. Resin
- 5. c. Live resin
There’s a new trend in the cannabis industry. Just about everyone wants to smoke something containing the maximum amount of THC. Most feminized seeds produce a maximum of 25-30 percent THC. But, what if you want to enjoy something more potent, more powerful? You dab – yes, that’s what you do. Not the dance form, silly – I’m talking about concentrates. Although cannabis concentrates are extracted from the bud itself, they contain high levels of THC. Some concentrates have more than 70 percent THC. As the name suggests, cannabis concentrate is a concentrated form of the THC or resin present in the plant. Since the extract contains only the resin and THC sans the plant material, it is much more powerful than regular buds. For medical cannabis users, it’s a boon to be able to smoke or vape extracts or even use them in edibles because it simply works faster while delivering perfect doses to get rid of ailments.
Whether you’re a recreational or a medical marijuana user, extracts are the new big thing in the cannabis industry. Concentrates such as Butane Hash Oil, Rosin, Budder, Shatter, and Dry Ice Hash have become very popular in recent times. No matter what you try, the high is so powerful that you only need a single puff to rest your head on floating clouds. You can make several extracts at home, but I’ll talk about Rosin today. To make quality Rosin, you’ll need a hydraulic press, but that’s expensive. So, we will stick to equipment that’s easily accessible and affordable at the same time.
The method below makes rosin accessible to everyone! Plus, it doesn’t involve any complex procedures or flammable substances. Using only heat and pressure, you can produce top-tier cannabis extracts at home. Instead of constantly blazing buds, why not switch things up by extracting the very resin that makes them hit so hard in the first place? By mastering the process of creating your own rosin, you’ll unlock a skill that will help you put your yields to the best use possible. Plus, everyone loves the guy or girl that brings along their own homemade rosin to the smoke party!
1. How to Make Rosin With Cannabis Buds?
Rosin can be made with both buds and dry sift/kief that’s usually found at the bottom of your grinder. For now, we will stick to cannabis buds. Here’s a step-by-step procedure that can help you make Rosin at home in no time. You'll need:
- Flat Iron or Hair Straightener
- Rosin screens
- High-quality marijuana
- A bar clamp or some sort of press to apply adequate pressure
- Baking or parchment paper
- A dabber or blade to collect the Rosin
Break the buds coarsely
The amount of bud you’ll use will depend on the amount of concentrate you need. Once you get a hang of this, it’ll become easier, but until then you have to experiment. For starters, you can begin with a bud of medium size. If using a hair straightener, make small batches and collect all the Rosin at the end.
Remember that the buds shouldn’t exceed the surface of the hair straightener or flat iron. So, start with a bud that’s as big as your thumb. Now, break up the buds and fill them in the Rosin screen. Pack them tightly. Rosin screens work great even if you’re using Kief instead of bud. It prevents plant material from entering the extract. If you don’t have a Rosin screen, a 4”x4” parchment paper will work fine. Place the bud on the paper and fold it in half. Now, you have a small piece of parchment paper that fits inside the hair straightener.
Apply heat to the bud
Rosin can be extracted only when heat and pressure are combined together. The more the pressure, the higher the yield, but it doesn’t work that way with heat. If you apply too much heat, the buds can burn and you’ll be left with black roasted buds that are good for nothing. Typically, temperatures ranging from 240°F to 300°F (115°C to 150°C) will be perfect. Just make sure you don’t go overboard. If the temperature cannot be controlled, simply switch off the straightener or iron just before you press the buds. Now, switch on the hair straightener and wait for it to reach desired temperatures. Keep the heat on its lowest setting to prevent problems. Place the Rosin screen filled with the buds in between the hair straightener.
This level of heat is important because it will help to melt the trichomes—the small structures that are packed with cannabinoids and terpenes. If you’ve ever handled a cannabis bud, you’ll know just how very sticky they are. The resin that drenches their exterior is very viscous, meaning it doesn’t flow at all at room temperature. However, the right amount of heat makes it much more liquid in structure, allowing it to melt slightly and move out of the flowers when enough pressure is applied.
Apply pressure
This is the most crucial part. Many people use a manual press to apply more pressure on the straightener. Keep the straightener flat and firmly press the bud. As stated already, your yields increase with pressure but don’t overdo it lest your straightener breaks down. The best way to extract more Rosin is to place the hair straightener in between a manual press, but if you don’t own one, simply use your hands – whatever works for you. You can also place the straightener on a flat surface to ensure that there’s more pressure. If the heat shoots above temperatures recommended, switch off the straightener. Now, with the buds in between the straightener, apply pressure. Press evenly so that the Rosin is extracted from all sides. After ten seconds or so, you will hear a hissing sound, which indicates that the buds are secreting the Rosin. You’ll also see Rosin oozing out on the sides of the Rosin screen.
Collect the Rosin
If you see a bright yellow substance on the parchment paper, congratulations, you have Rosin! The Rosin will also stick to the sides of the Rosin screen, so use a dabber or any object with a pointed tip to collect the gooey material. It’s okay to press the straightener again and repeat the process to collect some more Rosin. Rosin screens prevent plant matter, but it’s quite possible for some pistils to get into the rosin. If you see anything green, simply use the dabber to clean it. Once you’ve collected all the Rosin, store it in an air-tight container, just like you store hash or pollen. Rosin tastes good even if you store and use it after a long time provided you store it well. So, there you have it – your very own, homemade Rosin that can be used for several illnesses including back pain, headaches, migraines, etc.
2. Why make Rosin at home?
You can make any kind of concentrate if you have the right equipment. Most users try to make Butane Hash Oil (BHO) at home, but it’s best to not try it unless you have a lot of experience. For one, Butane is flammable and dangerous. If something goes wrong, your entire home could be destroyed within a matter of seconds. Yes, there are many people making BHO at home, but why take such a huge risk when you can make beautiful Rosin and other concentrates at home? Another important thing to remember while making BHO is that you need to remove the Butane completely from the final product. Failure to do so will result in lung irritation.
On the other hand, making Rosin is completely safe and you don’t have to worry about anything remaining in the final concentrate. You can dab without guilt and your lungs will thank you for it. Also, it’s cheap and easy to make Rosin. All you need is a hair straightener, and voila, you have Rosin. Of course, you’re probably wondering about the quality of your Rosin. And the yields too. While the quality will be as good (if you use high-quality bud) as the concentrates you find in a dispensary, the yields will certainly differ. This is because dispensaries use tools like Rosin Tech or Rosin TRP that cost at least $500 and above. They also use different tools to extract all the Rosin from the bud. Since you’re using only a hair straightener, and the pressure you apply won’t be equal to Rosin Tech unless you’re the Hulk yourself, you’re going to end up with slightly smaller yields. But again, that’s okay because you perhaps need only a small amount for your personal use. It makes sense to buy a Rosin tech or any other hydraulic press if you’re selling the concentrates, but a hair straightener is perfect if you don’t need a lot.
3. Will the Rosin be potent?
You’re not wrong to ask this question, especially when you’re using a simple tool compared to big dispensaries that invest a lot in special equipment. Obviously, stuff made using sophisticated tools will be better than homemade ones, but you got good news here. Although your yields will be lesser than that of a dispensary, the potency will not change. Whether you make the Rosin with a flat iron used to press clothes or a hair straightener or Rosin tech, the potency will remain the same. For instance, if you use high-quality Green Crack Auto buds, the Rosin will smell and taste like a Green Crack extract you bought at the dispensary.
As long as the buds are full of flavor and cured properly, you don’t need to worry about the potency. Additionally, applying heat to the buds will not reduce the potency either. Think of it as making edibles. You need to decarboxylate marijuana before making edibles so that the THC is activated. The procedure to make Rosin is similar to where you’re applying heat to activate the THC. The best way to ensure that you have high-quality Rosin is to grow your own cannabis at home. This way, you’re absolutely sure of the final product and you also get to experiment and make different kinds of extracts. For medical cannabis users, it’s especially important to use good quality flowers, or you’ll be disappointed. If you can’t afford the buds or extracts sold at the dispensary, make up your mind and start growing cannabis at home today!
4. Consuming and Storing Rosin
Now that you know how to make rosin dabs, let’s learn a bit more about how to store and consume them.
How to Consume Rosin
Rosin can be consumed in several different ways, so you can either place it on top of flowers and smoke it in a joint, in a dab rig, or in a portable vaporizer. Just make sure your vaporizer has a concentrate insert to avoid damaging your vaporizer.
How to Store Rosin
Rosin is super sticky so in order to store it correctly, you will need a special silicone container. These containers are fairly cheap and easy to find in your local smoke shop, you will also find glass containers but it’s recommended silicone ones just because they will not break if they fall, unlike glass containers. In general, it’s recommended to keep rosin at ambient temperature for up to 3 days but if you’re storing it for longer, make sure to place it in the fridge so that your rosin does not lose its flavor. Now, if you’re not worried about flavors, you can store it at room temperature for 3 months or longer and the potency will be the same, although there will be a noticeable drop in flavor.
5. Rosin, Resin, and Live Resin comparison
If you’ve been to a dispensary before, you’ve probably heard all of these terms and wondered, What are they? Despite the similar name, they’re fairly different, so read along to understand what you need before making your next trip to your local dispensary.
Rosin
Rosin is made by applying heat and pressure to cannabis buds, as mentioned in this blog, you can make it with a special rosin press or by putting weed between the hot plates of a hair straightener and pressing as hard as you can, the result will be a golden-brown substance.
Resin
Resin can refer to two things. For growers, it usually refers to the trichomes growing on cannabis plants, which is what you would collect to make kief or use cold water to make bubble hash. On the other hand, resin also refers to the black or dark-brown leftover resin found in bongs and pipes. This resin is also referred to as reclaim and it’s not recommended to consume as it will have a lot of impurities and taste super bad.
Live Resin
Live resin is one of the most sought-after cannabis products as this kind of product is fairly new and it’s made from freshly harvested frozen plants. This type of extraction is usually done with solvents and specialized equipment and will exhibit a yellowish, light-brown, and sometimes white color, depending on the quality of the product.
