How to Use Rosin Bags to Elevate Your Extraction Results

Posted by Seth Styles on

When you’re ready to get serious with your rosin press, rosin bags start to feel a lot less optional and a lot more essential. Of course, you absolutely do need them when working with dry sift but the consistency of dry herb makes a filter bag technically optional. And if you’re satisfied with working in very small increments of dry herb, then a rosin bag probably isn’t going to dramatically enrich your experience. But whether you’re interested in upping your quality or your quantity of starting material, the right rosin bag could be just what you need to refine your technique.  

What is a Rosin Bag?

If you’ve never seen a rosin bag before, they’re sacks typically comprised of mesh nylon in varying degrees of saturation with the mesh acting as a filter.  These bags prevent plant material from contaminating your extract, utilizing the fine mesh as a filter to keep solids separated from the extracted oil. Plant material and debris can dramatically reduce the quality of your rosin, impacting everything from flavor to harshness of delivery. At 420 Market, we keep a healthy stock of filter bags from the Rosin Tech line because they are specifically designed with the rosin pressing experience in mind. 

Larger or Smaller Micron Bags: Which Are Better? 

Those new to using filter bags may be initially daunted by all of the different sizes available. But the process of selection is simplified when you understand that the smaller the micron size, the less plant material will be permitted to sift through. Perhaps you’re asking yourself “Why doesn’t everyone just get the smallest micron size?” As with many things in life, it’s all about finding the perfect balance. The higher micron bags will allow more plant material to filter through but also allow for more bountiful yields whereas smaller micron bags let less plant material through, typically allowing for a more modest yield but with a higher purity. In most cases, rosin bags with larger micron sizes (ie. 90u through 220u) are used in pressing dry herb nuggets whereas smaller micron sizes (ie. 25u through 90u) are utilized for dry sift. Everyone has their own reason for pressing rosin and we’ve found that the micron bags offered by Rosin Tech’s line of filter bags have the right option for virtually any scenario. You just need to find the balance that works for you. 

Common Mistakes with Rosin Filter Bags

Overpacking a rosin bag is a frustrating mistake that novices are particularly prone to make. You’ll know that you’ve overpacked a filter bag if it is too stuffed for pre-pressing or flattening.This faux pas can lead to the ultimate in rosin pressing foils… the burst bag. When a bag explodes during a press, all of the plant material you’ve thus far kept separated from your extract gets mixed right back in, pretty much ruining the batch. You’ll also need to make sure that your starting material is evenly packed into the rosin bag, leaving no spaces where material can become trapped during the process. Trapped material results in diminished yields, so it's crucial to make sure you leave no spaces when packing your bags. One of the best ways to bypass this possibility is by investing in a pre-press mold. 

Properly Packing Dry Herb Into a Rosin Bag 

When using dry herb as your starting material, it’s recommended that you push whole nuggets back against the sealed edge of the bag until the bag is filled. The bag shouldn’t be filled too tightly, but if too much excess room is leftover, we recommend trimming the rosin bag with scissors. Otherwise, you run the risk of hot rosin absorbing into the nylon mesh material of the bag itself. If you invested in a pre-press mold, you can use that to prime your packed rosin bag, which can contribute to better yields while reducing the risk of a blown bag. The micron bag can then be placed between parchment paper and loaded into your rosin press. 

The Differences in Packing Dry Sift

The process is somewhat different when working with dry sift that requires smaller micron bags. We’ve found the most successful loading of dry sift is accomplished with a spoon and/or funnel. When the sift is deposited into the bag, care should be made to keep the distribution even and consistent with no empty spaces. Again, you want to pay close attention to not overpack the bag. A good rule of thumb is to never let the bag increase in thickness to ¼ of an inch, even prior to applying the pre press. Fill the bag, leaving a good ¼ to ½ inch  of space. Then, fold this excess space back to make a seal of sorts for your rosin bag. If you’re really nervous about a blown rosin bag even after forming a seal and using a pre-press mold, you can always add a second micron bag of the same size. 

Unless you’re just pressing the smallest amounts of starting material, we recommend using rosin bags for your press, regardless of whether you’re using dry herb or sift. It could really elevate your finished product and help you to refine your technique. Once you settle on the micron size that’s best for your intention you can count on 420 Market to have plenty onhand to get you started and keep you going!


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