Rosin Press

What is a Rosin Press?

A rosin press is a machine that uses heat and pressure to extract an oily substance called rosin from material such as flower, dry herbs and dry sift. A rosin press machine uses a pair of heated plates to press material with enough pressure to cause the terpenes to seep out that oily substance that we call rosin. You can use pretty much any material in a rosin press, such as flowers, nuts, dry herbs and pollen.

You can even use micron filtration bags to get a purer and more concentrated form of rosin. Rosin presses and rosin have both become well known and popular due to its easy extraction process that is also solventless.

What is Rosin?

Rosin is a concentrate that has a sap-like consistency. As we have just mentioned, rosin is derived by using a rosin press to apply heat and pressure to the starting plant material. What makes it so popular is the fact that unlike other methods that use solvents such as butane and propane, rosin presses don’t use any chemicals during the extraction process. This results in a rosin concentrate that’s solvent-less and pure – yet very potent.

We want to let you know that even the best rosin can be produced easily and quickly from the comfort of your own home. As the demand for rosin has increased, rosin press machines have become more diversified and suitable for home-use, yet still supplying the effectiveness of industrial machines.  Our rosin presses are powerful enough for both home and commercial use.

What does a Rosin Heat Press do?

A rosin press provides an efficient, effective and safe means of extracting rosin from starting materials. A rosin press is an amazing piece of equipment that combines extreme heat and pressure to force the dry herbs, or whichever substance you choose to use, to liquify. This then provides a very concentrated and potent concentrate.

A manual rosin press is a very versatile investment, as you can produce a variety of different products, from dry herbs to lavender to whatever you feel! The basic extract most think of when it comes to rosin is a translucent, sap-like concentrate.  However by varying the heat, pressure and time on your rosin heat press machine you can produce more dense extracts which have a different hardness, shape, flavour and colour. Our rosin presses lend themselves well to experimenting with extracts in this way.  

Are Rosin Presses portable?

Many people would think that they aren’t, however, here at Nectar Rosin Press we have a wide variety of Rosin Presses, all of which are portable! There are of course some rosin press machines that are more easily portable than others, for example our Pollen Press – it is so compact in size yet so efficient, it also weighs very little so can easily be brought out and about with you.

Which filter bag should I use with my Rosin Press?

Here’s a guide to help you decide which mesh size (in microns) you should use for which type of materials.

Since some of the output material will stick to the bags, we recommend to avoid using filter bags for pressing material weighing less than 7g, as this will cause a reduction in the yield.

Using nylon bags is better, as polyester bags shrink with heat and are likely to cause blowouts. Note that filter bags are one-time use only unless double or triple pressing the same material.

What’s the best temperature to use my Rosin Press at?

Knowing which temperatures you can control your rosin at is key to using a manual rosin press machine effectively.  If you use lower temperatures (65°C-105°C or 150°F- 220°F) you will have lower rosin yields, but more flavour and a more stable, butter-like consistency. 

On the other hand, with higher temperatures on your rosin press  (105°C-121°C or 220°F- 250°F) you’ll get greater rosin yields, but less flavour and a less stable, sap-like consistency.

Cold pressing with a rosin press machine (pressed at 160 °F to 190 °F  / 70 ℃ – 87 ℃ for 1 – 5 mins) produces a malleable, batter consistency terpene-rich rosin, though it does come with a sacrifice in yield. 

Hot pressing with your rosin press  (pressed at 190 °F to 225 °F  / 87 ℃ – 105 ℃ for 40 seconds – 3 mins) produces a sappy or shatter-like rosin. The higher the temperature, the higher yield you get, however anything over 225 °F tends to have a fair drop in quality and terpenes. To preserve terpenes, press at 210 or below. For flower, start pressing at 200 °F / 93 °C for 85 – 125 seconds and evaluate from there. 

We know that’s a lot of information to take in so here’s a quick rosin press machine temperature reference table to help you out:

How should I prepare my materials before using the Rosin Press?

Depending on the amount of material that you will be using in your rosin heat press, there are a couple of options that we suggest. If you are pressing less than 1g of material then simply grind it up and place it between parchment paper in the centre of the press plates of the rosin press.

If you are using more than 1g of material in your rosin press machine then we recommend that you use a pre press mold to create a puck. The reason for pre-pressing is to have a condensed brick / puck of material that you can then press in your rosin press  – this increases the yield (the amount of rosin produced as a ratio of material used).

How do I use a pre press mold?

1. Take apart the pre-press mold and place the Mold Cylinder onto the Mold platform
2. Grind up your starting material (if flower) and drop it into the Mold Cylinder. We suggest a minimum of 1g of flower
3. Don’t put too much material in the filter bag as doing so could cause a filter bag blowout and reduce your yield
4. Insert the puck / brick into a filter bag if used and then place this inside a folded parchment paper sheet and place it between the platens. Now you’re ready to press! Make sure to leave some space between the fold and the puck to avoid tearing the parchment paper during pressing

What is a filter bag?

Rosin Press filter bags keep your rosin free of contaminants. Without a filter bag, the source material will have a tendency to “pancake out”, which then increases the surface area of the material and reduces pressure. Using a rosin press without a filter bag will cause the source material to not hold consistent pressure and this will then subsequently reduce the amount of rosin extracted.

Should I use a filter bag?

Whether to use a filter bag with your rosin press depends on a few factors. Here’s a guide to help you decide which mesh size (in microns) you should use for which type of materials and whether you need to use one at all:

Since some of the output material will stick to the bags, we recommend that you don’t use filter bags with your rosin press for pressing material weighing less than 7g, as this will cause a reduction in the yield.

Also, using nylon bags is better, as polyester bags shrink with heat in the rosin press and are likely to cause blowouts. Please note that filter bags are one-time use only unless double or triple pressing the same material in your rosin press machine.

What is a rosin press filter bag blowout?

A rosin press filter bag blowout happens when the seams of the filter bag burst during extraction.This will cause the starting material to leak out and potentially contaminate the rosin that is being produced. Blowouts can occur if there is too much pressure applied too early in the extraction when using your rosin press. The best way to extract rosin while avoiding this is to apply pressure low and slow with your rosin press machine.

What is a Suitable Pressing Force for Pressing the Best Rosin?

It depends on which type of rosin press you are using and what you are pressing. For example, if you are using the our Pollen Press rosin press, it is capable of pressing around 1.5 tonnes. However, you should be looking at Platen PSI, and not just the force, therefore you should take into consideration the size of the puck and/or platen sizes of your rosin press machine too. The larger the puck at the same pressing mass, the lower the Platen PSI, and hence we have specifically designed the Pre Press Mold to ensure you get an optimal high yield press.

A general rule of thumb for pressing with your rosin heat press is between 300-1000 PSI. (More than this and you will increase the chances of blowouts and closing of oil channels, but less than this and it will result in lower yields).

The calculation for the Platen PSI is:

PSI = Pressing Force / Area of Applied Pressure

The diameter of our Pre Press Mini Mold is: 3cm or 1.1811 inches

So the area of applied pressure when using the Nectar Pre Press Mold is: Pi x r (squared) = 3.14 x 1.1811 x 1.1811 = 4.38 sq inches

The pressing mass is 1.5t = 3000lb.

Platen PSI = 3000 / 4.38 = 685 Platen PSI

What do I need to start producing Rosin?

Pressing rosin at home with a rosin press machine honestly couldn’t be any easier, especially when you order from us as you receive everything you need to get started straight away with your rosin press machine! You will need the following in order to start extracting rosin:

A DIY rosin press machine (any our rosin presses)

Choice of starting material

Rosin filter extraction bags*

Parchment paper (unbleached, if possible)

So you pretty much need nothing other than the rosin press which comes with everything else you need, and of course your chosen material!

*Rosin filter extraction bags should only be used when pressing more than 7g otherwise yields may be sacrificed.

How safe is a Rosin Press?

The solventless extraction of a rosin press machine is one of the safest methods of extraction in the industry. It is non-volatile extraction, meaning it doesn’t use any strong chemicals such as butane, ethanol or CO2; which produces a natural and pure rosin concentrate. It’s this primary reason that rosin press usage is making waves in the extract market.

Solvent extraction methods on the other hand produce higher yields but involve a risk of injury and negative impacts on health due to requiring specialist machines that handle volatile chemicals. Moreover, to carry out solvent pressing, you have to comply with strict health and safety regulations so it’s a much larger operation.

All in all, solventless pressing using a small rosin press machine is a cleaner and safer process with minimal risks. The only risks that come with using a rosin press are burning yourself on the plates, which is incredibly easily avoidable, and getting your fingers stuck in the plates from the pressure applied, which again is very rare and difficult to do by accident! 

What yields can I expect?

The yields that you will receive from your rosin press depend on the type of material that you are using, as well as the amount of pressure and heat that you apply with the rosin press. However if we are talking strictly about the type of material then here is a rough estimate guide to help you out:

Trim: 3% – 8%

Shake: 8% – 15%

Flower: 15% – 30%

Pollen: 30% – 60%+

Pressing flowers in a rosin press machine is the most common option and usually provides you with the best quality rosin. However, the yield will depend on the quality of the flower itself, if it is covered in trichomes and looks frosty then chances are it will provide you with a very decent yield.

Pressing pollen in a rosin press, will almost certainly give you great quality rosin and decent yields every time.

What Material is Used in the Manufacture of Nectar’s Rosin Press Plates?

Our rosin press heat plates are manufactured from high quality aluminium for efficient heating and quick cooling.

What if my Nectar Rosin Press machine breaks?

Nectar Rosin Press is the UK’s best rosin press brand with reputable experience. We have so much confidence in our products, we offer a 2 Year No-Hassle Warranty with all our rosin presses. You also get 24/7 lifetime customer care across multiple channels including WhatsApp, Phone and Email.

Nectar Rosin Press Return & Warranty Policy: No returns on any sales are permitted, all presses now come with a two year warranty, which begins upon product delivery. During that time we will supply parts free of charge, for anything that breaks. If the press is damaged beyond repair and requires a return, we will cover the cost of shipping and send out a new rosin press machine.