Greg Baughman, Author at Cryo Cure

The 5 Most Common Cryo Cure Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them)

by Greg Baughman | Apr 10, 2023 | Cannabis Technology

Cryo Cure’s innovative machines and patented process make it possible to produce top shelf Live Cured Flower, perfectly preserved cannabis that offers a consumption experience like no other. However, in order to end up with Live Cured Flower, it’s important to utilize Cryo Cure’s machines properly and follow the process closely. Avoid these common mistakes when using Cryo Cure’s machines to guarantee you’ll get optimal, fresh frozen Live Cured Flower every time.

Mistakes to avoid when Cryo Curing cannabis

To achieve the unparalleled quality and preservation that Cryo Cure offers for cannabis flower, you must properly maintain the machines and follow the process correctly. Take care to avoid the following mistakes by adhering to the simple solutions below, and you can be confident that your Cryo Cure machine will turn out top shelf cannabis flower time and again.

1. Failing to check vacuum pump oil levels

Before each use, it’s important to check the oil levels in the vacuum pump to ensure there isn’t too much or too little fluid visible through the sight glass.

A common reason why there may be too much fluid is vapor pull-through, which occurs when the ice bank cannot condense the ice quickly enough. As a result, some of the vapor removed from the buds during the Cryo Cure process makes its way into the vacuum pump, where it recondenses into a liquid and raises the fluid levels in the vacuum pump. This can disrupt the vacuum in future production runs and lead to sublimation issues, preventing the optimal preservation of your cannabis flower.

On the other hand, if oil levels are too low, you run the risk of damaging components in the machine. Oil is necessary for lubricating moving parts to prevent friction and overheating. Maintaining oil levels can extend the longevity of your Cryo Cure machine and the components within it.

Solution: Simply check oil levels regularly and change as needed. At Cryo Cure, we recommend maintaining the oil level at the halfway point of the sight glass. Additionally, the oil should appear clean and clear. If it looks cloudy or murky, you should immediately change the oil.

2. Failing to clean the seals on vacuum doors

If you don’t frequently clean the seal on your machine’s vacuum doors, it’s only a matter of time before a vapor gap forms, creating a leak and preventing the machine from creating a vacuum. Without a vacuum, the cannabis flower will effectively defrost during the cycle, damaging terpenes and bud aesthetic. Worse yet, premature defrosting often results in elevated moisture content, which increases the risk of microbial contamination from molds and mildews.

Solution: Thoroughly clean the seals on vacuum doors before and after each use of a Cryo Cure machine. During a cycle, monitor the vacuum gauge to ensure a vacuum is established before walking away from the machine.

3. Improperly freezing flower

Prior to putting your cannabis flower through a cycle in a Cryo Cure machine, it’s critical to properly freeze it.

One common mistake is not freezing biomass at low enough temperatures or for long enough durations. Freezing your cannabis at -10℉ for one hour will not be sufficient to completely freeze the moisture within the buds. For Cryo Cure’s preservation process to work, all of the moisture content must be completely frozen.

Another common error is packing the wet biomass in bags and then loading it into the freezer. When this happens, partial sublimation will occur, which results in freezer burn. Think of a frozen steak left in the freezer for too long — it’s the same principle here. This freezer burn can damage sensitive compounds like terpenes. Once the biomass is removed from the bags, it will be stuck together in a big block that must be broken apart. This ruins the aesthetic of the buds Live Cured Flower is known for.

Solution: Ensure flower is thoroughly frozen by setting your freezer to at least -10°F. Depending on the volume of biomass you intend to freeze, you should leave your flower in the freezer for anywhere between 2 to 12 hours. The more biomass you’re freezing, the longer you should let it chill. Also, avoid freezing your buds in bags or other closed containers; instead, leave them exposed to the elements of the freezer. For best results, we recommend using WavDri Drying Trays, which easily stack and offer multiple flat surfaces to evenly spread buds for freezing.

4. Measuring moisture content and water activity incorrectly

The main objective of Cryo Cure’s process is to reduce moisture content and water activity (aW) to the ideal levels for preserving freshness, flavor, and potency for the long term. The only way to be certain that you’ve done so is to measure both moisture content and water activity with the appropriate devices.

Some producers prefer to gauge the quality of a cure by feeling the bud, and many are quite exceptional at doing so. However, if you want the absolute best results, it pays to use the right tools for precise measurement.

Solution: Always use a moisture meter and water activity meter, scientific instruments designed to precisely measure moisture content and water activity. The ideal moisture content in Cryo Cured flower is between 8% and 12%, while optimal water activity is below 0.7 aW. If you are unable to procure a moisture meter or water activity meter, leave a small section of stem on your flower when Cryo Curing it so you can perform the “snap test.” The stem of properly cured flower should pop when it’s bent. If it doesn’t, the flower is likely too wet. Similarly, if it’s extremely brittle, the flower is likely too dry.

5. Using low quality cannabis

This mistake is as simple as the old adage “garbage in, garbage out.” If you want to end up with high quality Cryo Cured flower, you need to start with high quality, fresh cannabis. Cryo Cure is best to make top shelf flower better. This process excels at preserving cannabinoids, terpenes, and the aesthetic of the bud, but these elements need to be worth preserving if you’re hoping to produce true Live Cured Flower.

Solution: Don’t use Cryo Cure on mids and expect the machine to magically turn it into fire.

The Cryo Cure process results in quality, every time

Cryo Cure machines are designed to simplify, improve, and expedite the drying and curing process, but they’re not a magic bullet. In order to get the best results, it’s critical to properly maintain your machine and adhere to Cryo Cure’s patented process. By keeping the five mistakes listed above in mind, and the simple solutions that can help you avoid them, you’ll be well on your way to producing top shelf flower quickly and easily.

If you’re interested in how Cryo Cure can help you level up your cannabis flower, check out our selection of Cryo Cure machines. Whether you’re a craft grower or commercial producer, there’s a Cryo Cure model for you. We promise after your first cycle, you’ll be amazed by the difference Cryo Cure makes.

How To Grow Top Shelf Cannabis That Stands Out

by Greg Baughman | Mar 30, 2023 | Cannabis Cultivation

Cultivating top shelf cannabis flower takes time, patience, and resources, but the reward in the end is a premium cannabis flower that speaks for itself. Of course, there are a lot of factors that contribute to the overall quality of cannabis flower; virtually everything a plant experiences throughout its life can influence the final product. To cultivate truly top-shelf flower, the process requires attention to detail and reliance on the latest best practices and techniques that the cannabis industry has to offer.

What is top-shelf cannabis?

Top-shelf cannabis is flower with quality above and beyond what’s typically sold in a dispensary. This could be judged on the size of the bud, levels of THC and other cannabinoids, terpene levels, and other factors.

Everything from bag appeal to nose and flavor to the consumption experience will be demonstrably exceptional, even to the most experienced consumers. Premium top shelf flower can be identified by its appearance, aroma, consistency, and experience, all of which reflect the effort a cultivator puts into growing such high-quality buds.

What goes into producing top-shelf cannabis?

The best cultivators maintain tightly controlled environments so their plants experience the ideal growing conditions throughout their entire life cycle and post-harvest. Here’s an overview of some of the key aspects that go into producing top-shelf cannabis.

Genetics

Everything starts with genetics. Genetics affect everything about your plant, including potency, flavor, appearance, yield, overall health and durability, and the consumption experience.

To grow top shelf flower, you need top shelf genetics, so sourcing your seeds from reliable breeders who focus on quality is always key. Whatever cultivar you plan to grow, be sure the parents of your seeds were strong, healthy flowers chosen by the breeder specifically for their exceptional traits.

Sourcing top shelf genetics requires establishing a relationship and partnership with breeders you can trust. For any cultivator interested in consistently producing the very best flower, networking with breeders and understanding how they develop their seeds is a crucial step.

Grow medium

Once you’ve acquired your seeds and confirmed the quality of the genetics, it’s time to select a grow medium. Each cultivator has their preferences when it comes to growing medium. Some work with a soil mix, others prefer soilless mediums like coco coir, and some rely on hydroponics. There’s no right or wrong medium, necessarily, but there are some key considerations that apply no matter what medium you select.

pH levels: Cannabis plants require a slightly acidic grow medium to take up nutrients. If pH falls outside the optimal range, it doesn’t matter how many nutrients are available — the plant will not be able to make use of them. Exactly how acidic the medium should be depends on which you’ve chosen. Soil mixes should range between 6 and just below 7. For coco coir or hydroponic grows, aim slightly more acidic in the 5.5 to 6.5 range. Some fluctuation of pH in these ranges is desirable, as it will ensure the full range of nutrients are taken up by the plant during its life cycle.
Nutrients: Cannabis plants need a range of nutrients to grow to their fullest potential. These include three key micronutrients: nitrogen, which promotes leaf and stem growth in both the vegetative and flowering stage; phosphorus, which encourages the growth of big, healthy buds in the flowering stage; and potassium, which encourages strong plants that won’t wilt. In addition, cannabis plants can benefit from macronutrients like boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, silicon, and zinc.
Microbes: For soil grows, certain bacteria and fungi are beneficial for cannabis plants, creating a symbiotic relationship in the grow medium that makes nutrients more bioavailable to the plant. This is important to optimize growth and bloom. Some beneficial microbes include endomycorrhizal fungi and ectomycorrhizal fungi, which make nutrients more accessible to cannabis plants. These microorganisms can also ward off pests and diseases that can harm cannabis plants.

Cultivation environment

The environmental conditions in the grow room are critically important to growing top shelf weed. Even if you start with the best genetics and you optimize your grow medium and nutrients, environmental conditions still need to be ideal. Some of the most important factors in a grow room environment include:

Temperature and Humidity: The ideal temperature and relative humidity for the cannabis plant change throughout its life cycle, like most conditions that influence its growth. During the vegetative stage, when a plant is producing most of its leaves and experiencing stem and node growth, temperature should range between 70℉ and 78℉, while humidity should remain between 40% and 70%, depending. During flowering, both temperature and humidity should drop a bit to simulate the end of the growing season, signaling to the plant it is time to put all its energy into growing big, resinous buds. These buds can be fertilized before winter so they can drop their seeds and make way for the next generation. During flowering, temperature should range from 68℉ to 75℉, while humidity should range from 40% to 50%.
Light: Cannabis plants need more than the right brightness of light for the appropriate amount of hours each day — they also need the right spectrum of light. In the vegetative stage, cannabis plants require a minimum of 13 hours of light each day, though many cultivators opt for as many as 18 hours of light. During the flowering stage, plants need up to 12 hours of light per day. Additionally, the ideal light spectrum for cannabis plants in their vegetative stage is blue light at a wavelength between 400 and 500 nm, while during flowering they do best with red light between 620 and 740 nm.
Stress: Some stress is good for cannabis plants, but too much will overwhelm them. Think of it like working out: lifting weights is good to a point, but overtraining will result in injury. In nature, cannabis plants deal with strong winds and animals passing by, so simulating this with techniques like low-stress training, supercropping, and topping can be helpful to encourage strong growth. Just be careful not to over-stress your plants.

Drying and curing

The way in which cannabis is dried and cured after harvest is critical to both its quality and its shelf life. Drying and curing cannabis reduces moisture content to optimal levels to prevent contamination by mold and mildew. It also improves smokability and preserves the maximum amount of cannabinoids and terpenes. Newer technologies like Cryo Cure streamline the drying and curing process and shorten timelines before.

Traditionally, mature cannabis plants are chopped down and hung from a string or wire in a drying room. The conditions in the drying room are important; temperature should range from 60℉ to 70℉ and humidity should be 50 percent. Ideally, the drying room should be kept dark as well, because light can cause cannabinoid and terpene degradation. Finally, airflow is needed to ensure the buds are evenly dried. Most cultivators will use cold air flowing from the ceiling to the floor. With Cryo Cure machines, though, drying occurs rapidly in a sealed subzero environment.

Once the drying process is complete, the dried flower must be cured to equalize the moisture content throughout all the buds. For traditional curing, the dried flower is placed in an airtight container, such as plastic bags. During this process, the remaining moisture in the larger buds will be absorbed by the smaller ones, resulting in a balance. Cryo Cure machines simultaneously dry and cure cannabis in as little as 10 hours, much longer than the weeks-long period associated with traditional processes.

The weeks involved in the traditional process do ultimately get the flower to an ideal place: moisture content from 8% to 12%, water activity no more than 0.6 aW. These are the ideal conditions to preserve flower for the long haul and reduce the risk of contamination. Cryo Cure machines achieve these conditions perfectly every time in much less time, and they can also take your flower’s moisture content down to 1% or even 0% for use in concentrates.

Drawbacks of conventional drying and curing

While taking great care to ensure conditions in the drying room are ideal, conventional approaches to drying and curing leave a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, even the most meticulous cultivators will inevitably see a decline in their flower’s quality during this process. Cryo Cure solves this problem by avoiding:

Cannabinoid and terpene degradation

Even favorable environmental conditions will cause the degradation of cannabinoids and terpenes. These compounds naturally degrade over time when exposed to oxygen, light, heat, and humidity. And while cultivators can control these conditions in their dry room, degradation is natural and will inevitably occur over the weeks it takes to dry and cure the flower. Subzero simultaneous drying and curing in sealed environments circumvent this challenge.

Dulled and shrunken buds

As cannabis flower is dried and cured, its buds tend to shrink. As moisture is evaporated from the buds to preserve them, the fluffy, bountiful appearance diminishes, and some of the vibrant colors that can be viewed at harvest fade. This results in reduced bag appeal, which can directly impact sales.

What about freeze-drying?

To try and get around these drawbacks, some cultivators have tried freeze-dryers for the drying and curing process. And while freeze dryers indeed significantly reduce the time the process takes, freeze dryers aren’t built for cannabis, and they create additional problems that ruin the integrity of the flower.

Zapping the moisture out of freshly harvested buds leaves them too dry. While the purpose of drying and curing is to reduce moisture content, it is important that roughly 8% to 12% moisture content remains for the flower to retain its freshness. Overly dry flower results in a harsh smoke and lose all its terpenes, eviscerating its aroma and flavor.

Additionally, the trichomes of freeze-dried flower will be extremely brittle and liable to break off, reducing the potency of the bud. In other words, freeze-drying top shelf flower with equipment not made specifically for cannabis is a sure way to diminish quality. Cryo Cure’s machines, which are not freeze dryers, are made specifically for cannabis, ensuring top quality cannabis and a drastically shortened, yet more effective, drying and curing process.

While top shelf flower remains high quality after the conventional drying and curing process, it’s not the very best it can be after this process. Cryo Cure is a superior way to preserve top shelf weed at its very best and help cultivators realize a return on their investment much more quickly.

Beyond top shelf: Producing Live Cured Flower with Cryo Cure

Cryo Cure’s globally patented method of drying and curing cannabis flower expedites the process to as few as 10 hours. It also ensures that cannabinoids and terpenes are preserved at their freshly harvested levels and that moisture content remains in that ideal 8% to 12% range. There’s no shrinkage or dulling of the buds; cannabinoid and terpene content remains at its maximum; and your top shelf flower remains just that — top shelf.

That’s why we call freshly harvested flower dried and cured using Cryo Cure “Live Cured Flower.” It’s as close as you can get to cannabis flower on a live plant, only in a smokable form that provides a smooth, flavorful experience. The consistency of the bud speaks for itself as well; there’s no need for a grinder with Live Cured Flower, which easily breaks apart in your hand thanks to its ideal moisture content.

Take top shelf to the next level with Live Cured Flower

When you’ve put all your time, energy, and care into growing top shelf flower, make sure it stays that way when it reaches your customers. From bag appeal to aroma and flavor, potency to consumption experience, Cryo Cure ensures that the quality of your top shelf weed shines through even after the long trip to market.

Rosin vs. Live Rosin: What’s The Difference?

by Greg Baughman | Mar 30, 2023 | Cannabis Shelf Life

Sometimes, cannabis product names are enough to make your head spin. And as more product types are developed, the laundry list of names grows longer, stranger, and more confusing.

There’s a good reason for this similarity, though. Take rosin and live rosin as an example. These two are closely related, but quite distinct for a key reason, despite nearly identical names. Here, learn the rosin vs. live rosin distinction, and learn how one word can make a world of difference.

What’s the difference between rosin and live rosin?

Rosin and live rosin are effectively the same type of solventless extract made using heat and pressure, but the main difference separating them is the starting plant material. Rosin is made from ice water hash (also known as “bubble hash”) that is produced from dried and cured cannabis, while live rosin is made from bubble hash produced from fresh frozen cannabis flower.

Unlike dried and cured flower, fresh frozen cannabis flower remains in its “live” state, with all the cannabinoids, terpenes, and moisture it contained during harvest still present. This is where “live rosin” gets its name. The result of using fresh frozen flower is elevated cannabinoid and terpene content that makes for a more potent and flavorful experience. Terpenes may also offer additional psychoactive and therapeutic benefits above and beyond cannabinoids. For example, live rosin products may produce more myrcene than rosin products, which researchers believe may be linked to anti-anxiety and pain-relieving properties.

Is live rosin better than rosin?

Live rosin generally contains more terpenes that are often lost in the drying and curing process, than rosin. This results in a superior taste, making live rosin the generally preferred variety by a lot of canna-lovers. However, rosin produced from dried flower, kief, or hash can also be high quality, even though this process retains fewer terpenes.

The high terpene content of live rosin can be credited to the fact that it’s extracted from fresh frozen flower rather than traditionally dried and cured cannabis. Fresh-frozen flower is known to preserve essential terpenes and keep flower as close to fresh as close-to-fresh as possible.

Why do customers love live rosin?

Why might you try live rosin instead of rosin or another type of extract? Live rosin stands out from other extracts for a few reasons, including:

High terpene content: Unlike some other extracts, live rosin retains significant amounts of terpenes. While traditionally dried and cured flower has already lost terpenes, fresh frozen flower offers better preservation of terpenes. This, coupled with the solventless ice water extraction process that preserves more terpenes than other manufacturing methods, makes live rosin one of the most flavorful and aromatic extracts on today’s market. Even when making rosin from dried flower, there is no need for purging solvent, a step in other extraction processes where terpenes are often lost.

Natural compound profile: Because live rosin is produced from fresh frozen flower, its compound profile will closely mimic that of the source plant. Cannabinoids and terpenes will be present in similar proportions as they are in the flower of the strain from which the live rosin was produced, making for a true-to-strain experience that cannabis connoisseurs especially love.

Solventless extract: Both live rosin and rosin are produced using a solventless extraction process, beginning with ice water extraction and ending with a rosin press. This means there is no risk of residual solvents making their way into the final product and no need to add a solvent purging step to the process.

How is live rosin made?

The solventless extraction process used to produce live rosin involves ice water extraction to create bubble hash, which is then placed in a rosin press to produce rosin. It’s a relatively simple process that doesn’t require hydrocarbons, ethanol, or carbon dioxide like other extraction methods.

Each manufacturer may have their own personal twist on the process, but here’s an overview of how live rosin is generally made.

1. Perform ice water extraction on fresh or fresh frozen cannabis

Processors typically begin the process of creating live rosin by performing ice-water extraction on fresh frozen cannabis. The biomass is then agitated in near-freezing water, which makes the trichomes brittle and begins to break them off of the plant material without damaging cannabinoids and terpenes.

This agitation can be done by hand, stirring water in buckets, but is more efficiently achieved by using a commercial wash machine to create a vortex that strips the trichomes from the plant material. Using fresh frozen cannabis during this process ensures you start with the greatest possible amount of desirable compounds, but you could also opt to use dried flower.

After agitation is complete, processors use a series of fine mesh bags to collect the trichomes. This is done by layering micron bags in descending order so that they become increasingly fine, typically descending from 160 microns to 25 microns in size. The water/trichome mixture is poured through these bags, which collect the trichomes and allow the water to pass through.

2. Collect trichomes and press into bricks of bubble hash

After the trichomes have been collected, processors remove each micron bag in order of least fine to most fine. As each bag is removed, the trichomes are scraped together and collected to be pressed into bricks of bubble hash. The purest material is generally found in the last, finest micron bag. This bag has collected only the trichomes as the other bags have already filtered out virtually all of the plant material that came through in the wash.

Once the trichomes have been collected, the still-wet hash left behind is allowed to dry or is frozen into bricks of bubble hash. Because these bricks typically retain a lot of moisture, they must then be dried out using freeze dryers to expedite the drying process.

3. Place bubble hash in rosin press for live rosin production

Once the bubble hash has frozen into bricks, it is then placed into a machine called a rosin press to be pressed into its final form. A rosin press features two plates arranged in a vice grip-like configuration. These plates are then heated to temperatures between 82°C and 105°C (180°F and 220°F) and used to press the bubble hash at pressures between 1,000 psi and 1,300 psi for between 1 to 3 minutes. This will be warm enough to squeeze live rosin from the hash while still protecting valuable terpenes.

The Cryo Cure process and ice water extraction

Ice water extraction is an effective solventless technique, but it carries a major drawback: the cannabis flower subjected to ice water extraction sometimes still contains cannabinoids and terpenes that could’ve been used in the manufacturing process. Unfortunately, once a wash cycle is completed, all that soaking wet biomass is highly susceptible to microbial contamination by molds or mildews, so most processors throw it away.

However, Cryo Cure machines can help processors recover that biomass and claim any cannabinoids and terpenes still inside, making the money spent on flower go even further. Using Cryo Cure machines, processors can remove excess moisture in a matter of hours and return to biomass to safe levels of moisture content and water activity, eliminating the risk of microbial contamination. Manufacturers can then capture the remaining terpenes and cannabinoids from the biomass via hydrocarbon, ethanol, or CO₂ extraction, resulting in less waste and better profits for manufacturers, who can now use every bit of material they may have been throwing away previously.

How to consume live rosin

Live rosin is favored by consumers looking for a flavorful experience or those seeking extra potency in their session. The most common methods of consuming live rosin include dab rigs, vaporizers, or infusing it into edibles.

Dab rig: Consuming live rosin by dabbing generally requires a glass pipe that includes a nail or “banger.” Consumers simply heat the nail or banger with a blow torch and place a small amount of live rosin on it. The rosin will instantly vaporize it for inhalation.

Vaporizers: Vaping is one of the most common ways to consume live rosin, as many vaporizers are built for use with concentrates. These devices generally feature a battery, mouthpiece, and chamber designed to hold concentrates. Live rosin is placed into the chamber and then heated to produce vapor for inhalation through the mouthpiece. Not all vaporizers are compatible with live rosin, though, so make sure to read the owner’s manual for your device first.

Add to bowl or joint: Those who prefer flower-based sessions may try adding live rosin to a joint or a bowl pack. Simply sprinkle the rosin into dried flower before rolling or brush it around the outside for enhanced potency.

Infused into edibles: If you’d like to consume your live rosin in edibles, you’ll need to decarboxylate it first. In other words, it must be heated up to activate the compounds within it. Once decarbing is complete, live rosin can be infused into conventional recipes or added directly to foods with higher fat or oil content for consumption.

Produce live rosin — start with Cryo Cure machines

Processors need to start with the best plant material possible to meet these consumers’ expectations for quality concentrates. Quality flower goes even further with Cryo Cure machines. Our patented technology, which improves upon the traditional freeze drying process, stabilizes THC and terpene content in less than a day. By skipping the hanging phase of drying where so many terpenes are lost, the flower retains significantly more compounds. This makes Cryo Cured flower, called Live Cured Flower, the perfect choice for high quality extraction operations.

The Processor’s Guide to Live Rosin

by Greg Baughman | Mar 29, 2023 | Cannabis Extraction

Live rosin has taken the cannabis world by storm, appealing to enthusiasts who appreciate its purity and the high levels of terpenes it retains. This solventless extract can be produced through a relatively straightforward process that results in a potent, flavorful, and high quality product that doesn’t need any further remediation.

For processors, live rosin represents a premium product that can complement their other offerings, showcasing their artisanal capabilities when it comes to producing top notch extracts. This guide explains how processors can make live rosin, why it’s becoming so popular among consumers, and what’s needed (like Cryo Cured flower!) to create a live rosin that truly stands out from the crowd.

What is live rosin?

Live rosin is a solventless extract that is made by subjecting bubble hash sourced from fresh frozen cannabis to heat and pressure. This is typically done using a rosin press, which features two plates that can be heated and pressed together to squeeze resin from the bubble hash, resulting in live rosin.

Live rosin is typically highly potent and retains a significant amount of the plant’s terpenes, making it a top choice for connoisseurs who want an extract as close to the natural strain’s compound profile as possible.

Live resin vs. rosin vs. live rosin

Live rosin is commonly confused with live resin or rosin, but those are distinct types of cannabis products. Rosin is extracted from hash made from dried cannabis flower, kief, or trim. Live rosin is extracted from hash made from fresh frozen cannabis flower. Like live rosin, live resin is also extracted from fresh frozen cannabis flower, but live resin is made using solvent-based extraction methods, usually employing light hydrocarbons like propane or butane as the solvents.

The rising popularity of live rosin

Live concentrates — a category that includes both live rosin and live resin — are a small yet growing category in the cannabis market. In the U.S., concentrates represent roughly 9.5% of the legal cannabis market. Live concentrates make up a third of that segment, more than 3% of the total U.S. cannabis industry’s value. By that measurement, and given that the U.S. cannabis industry was estimated to be worth $10.8 billion in 2021, live concentrates were worth roughly $338 million in 2021.

But how much of that value can be attributed to live rosin? Rosins, which include live and otherwise, represented just 7% of the concentrates market. Compared to live concentrates as a whole, the sales numbers for rosin are a portion of this growing category. And within that, live rosin is a portion of that portion.

However, looking at sales data doesn’t tell the whole story. Live rosin consumers are loyal customers who prefer solventless extracts for their flavor due to preserved terpenes and high THC levels. They also want an extract that closely mimics that natural state of the cultivar from which it was produced. While live rosin may not be as famous as flower or edibles, cannabis connoisseurs and industry leaders alike appreciate this concentrate for its quality and potency.

Why is live rosin so popular?

Live rosin is a premium product, and as such it tends to fetch a higher price than other concentrates. In fact, rosins are typically the highest priced concentrates on the market, usually priced between $50 and $120 per gram. And while this premium extract doesn’t command the lion’s share of the concentrates market, it does demonstrate the quality a processor offers by creating that platinum level product offering for scrutinizing consumers.

Here’s a look at some of the benefits that drive live rosin’s premium price point and exceptional quality.

Solventless production: The unique factor that sets live rosin apart, even from other live concentrates that come from frozen cannabis flower, is the solventless production method used to make it. Fresh frozen flower is made into bubble hash by way of ice water extraction, a method that requires no solvents and preserves compounds by using near-freezing water to separate trichomes from the plant. Then, dried bubble hash is loaded into a rosin press, which uses heat and pressure to squeeze the viscous live rosin from the bubble hash — no solvents required. No solvents means no remediation to remove residual solvents, and it means no left behind solvents that sneak by under state-mandated testing thresholds. The result is a smoother consumption experience.

Superior terpene content: Live concentrates in general offer superior terpene content because they start with fresh frozen flower. Unlike conventionally dried and cured flower, fresh frozen flower is preserved as close to its just-harvested state as possible, leaving valuable terpenes intact and preventing them from degrading. Starting with fresh frozen flower, coupled with the solventless ice water extraction process, means live rosin is jam-packed with flavorful and aromatic terpenes that enhance the consumption experience and boost the extract’s therapeutic properties.

Potent cannabinoid profile: Similarly, using fresh frozen flower and a solventless extraction process serves to preserve cannabinoids like THC and CBD. The end result is a more potent live extract. For discerning consumers who want the broadest possible spectrum of cannabinoids, live rosin can’t be beat.

Similarity to natural plant: Many other extracts undergo significant winterization and remediation following extraction, but live rosin doesn’t require these steps. As a result, the compound profile found in live rosin is similar in the proportions of cannabinoids and terpenes to the source cultivar in its natural form. This gives consumers an unparalleled experience that keeps them as close to the plant as possible, while still enjoying the benefits of consuming a concentrated extract.
Versatility: Live rosin can be used in a number of ways. While dabbing or vaporizing live rosin is the most common, it can also be used alongside cannabis flower or even in the production of edibles, as you’ll learn more about below.

These benefits are why live rosin fetches such a high price. While not every consumer will pay a premium for it, there are plenty that understand live rosin’s benefits.

How to make live rosin

Live rosin can be made in the following easy (but important) steps, which makes it a great choice for processors who don’t want to add another complex process to their operations. Best of all, the equipment required to make live rosin is relatively simple.

1. Start with fresh frozen cannabis flower

The most essential step in the production of live rosin is to source fresh frozen cannabis flower that’s been properly preserved — otherwise, you’re not making live rosin at all. With a process like Cryo Cure, freshly harvested cannabis flower is dried and cured in an average of 11 to 14 hours, depending on the cultivar. Our technology, which creates Live Resin Flower, preserves flower at the peak of freshness, saving the maximum amount of cannabinoids and terpenes for the whole cannabis processing journey. Using fresh frozen cannabis flower like this ensures you start with the greatest possible amount of desirable compounds that the refined palates of live rosin consumers demand.

2. Layer micron bags in ascending order

In the production of bubble hash, the first step in producing live rosin from fresh frozen flower, a series of fine mesh bags are used to sift the trichomes that will be separated from the plant material during the wash. Before you begin the wash, layer your bags in ascending order so that they become increasingly fine. Typically, processors use a range of bags from 25 microns to 220 microns.

3. Wash or agitate cannabis flower

The next step is to wash or agitate your fresh frozen cannabis flower in near-freezing water. This can be done manually in large buckets, though many processors today rely on wash machines. Wash machines can create a vortex that is optimal for separating trichomes from the plant material without damaging them, keeping the resin glands intact with the cannabinoids and terpenes inside.

4. Strain trichomes through micron bags

Once the wash is complete, the mixture is strained through the micron bags layered together in the second step. Let the trichome and water mixture flow through the bags, ensuring you’ve captured every bit of solution from the wash before proceeding to the next step.

5. Remove micron bags and scrape trichomes

Remove each bag one by one, starting with the least fine mesh. As you pull each bag out, the water will flow out of it. In each bag, there may be some trichomes left behind; scrape them out and store them separately.

Note that the finest “full melt bubble hash” has no residual plant material in it at all. This potent bubble hash is typically found between 72 and 120 microns, though this can vary depending on the source cultivar and the size of the trichomes you’re working with. Typically, processors will keep the full melt separate from the other extract, as it’s a particularly high quality extract.

After you’ve collected all the extracted trichomes, freeze them into bricks of bubble hash by placing them in a freeze dryer for up to 24 hours.

6. Press bubble hash into live rosin

Once the bubble hash has finished freeze drying, place it in your rosin press to press it into live rosin. Ideally, you should press your bubble hash at temperatures between 160°F and 210°F. This will be warm enough to squeeze your live rosin from the hash while preserving valuable terpenes. Collect the resulting live rosin and prepare it for storage.

3 live rosin applications

Live rosin is a versatile extract that gives processors the opportunity to sell it for a variety of applications. Whether you’re a manufacturer at a vertically integrated organization with its own retail element or you’re pitching a dispensary on why they should choose you as a live rosin supplier, keep these three use cases in mind.

Dabbing or vaping: The most common use cases for live rosin are dabbing or vaporizing. Unlike live resin, live rosin doesn’t contain any residual solvents. This results in a smoother dabbing or vaping experience for the consumer, with all the terpene-packed flavor that live concentrates offer.

Enhancing flower: Sometimes called “twaxing,” live rosin can be added to smokable flower to enhance the experience and add more potency. Whether you paint a bit of live rosin on the outside of your joint or stick a bit of flower to it before packing a bowl, it’s a great option for taking your next smoke sesh to the next level.

Cooking or baking edibles: Live rosin can be used to create infused butter or oil for the creation of edibles. There is a bit of a learning curve to this method, but it can end up making some unique tasting products. First, live rosin must be properly decarboxylated so the cannabinoids are activated for oral ingestion. Doing so without destroying cannabinoids and terpenes takes some knowledge. Additionally, live rosin is very flavorful, so it won’t mix well with every type of edible product; but if you combine it with the right ingredients, you may find some exciting new flavors.

Can live rosin use any fresh flower?

Fresh frozen flower is required for the production of live rosin, but if you want the best quality not any fresh frozen flower will do. To get the most out of your flower, it’s important that it preserve cannabinoids and terpenes at the peak of freshness, and that’s where Cryo Cure’s Live Resin Flower comes in.

Using Cryo Cure’s patented process, freshly harvested flower can be dried and cured in anywhere from 11 to 14 hours, sealing in the perfect water activity levels and balancing out water activity to optimal levels. The result is what we call Live Resin Flower, an unmatched premium cannabis flower that retains the body, appearance, aroma, flavor, and potency of a bud freshly plucked from a mature cannabis plant.

In addition to providing a superior smoking experience, Live Resin Flower is also ideal for making live rosin. Not only is its shelf-life extended beyond that of conventionally dried and cured flower, allowing processors to store it without fear of degradation, it also gets the process started on the right foot, with the most possible cannabinoids and terpenes.

When making live rosin, you’re producing a cannabis product intended for the most experienced, knowledgeable consumers. So, in order to gain a competitive advantage, you need the highest quality live rosin on the market. To produce a superior, premium live rosin means starting with a superior, premium flower — Cryo Cure can ensure you have just that.

Live rosin delivers for the most discerning consumers

Live rosin is a premium cannabis product that’s becoming increasingly popular among consumers who prioritize quality, purity, and authenticity. That’s because live rosin blends its solventless extract process with fresh frozen cannabis, resulting in exceptionally potent terpene and cannabinoid profiles that replicate the natural state of the plant. But to meet these consumers’ expectations and create a top quality product, processors need to start with the best possible fresh frozen flower. For the absolute best live rosin, processors should start with Cryo Cure’s Live Resin Flower.

What Is Solventless Extraction?

by Greg Baughman | Mar 13, 2023 | Cannabis Extraction

Solventless extracts create high quality concentrates without the use of solvents like butane or ethanol. Many consumers flock to solventless extracts for their purity and potency, as some compounds may be affected by the solvent-based extraction process. What makes these so unique? This guide to solventless extraction pulls the curtain back on how these products are made and the kind of flower that makes for optimal solventless extracts.

The basics of solventless extraction

A solventless extract is any type of cannabis concentrate product produced using heat, pressure, ice, or water to mechanically separate trichomes from biomass. The collected trichomes, which are densely packed with cannabinoids and terpenes, can then be used to produce concentrates or extracts.

Solventless extraction methods in the modern sense are relatively new, but the concept behind it dates back to ancient civilizations. The earliest forms of hash can be traced back to Persia and Central Asia, made by simply rubbing cannabis flower to gather trichomes and resin and press it into a brick. Later down the line, the development of sieves allowed manufacturers to more effectively separate trichomes from the plant and produce even purer versions of hash.

Today, manufacturers are able to take these principles of mechanical separation to a new level by using modern extraction technologies and processes. This allows them to not only produce highly potent varieties of hash, but also turn them into solventless extracts like rosin.

What is the difference between solvent-based and solventless extraction?

Solvent-based extraction relies on the use of a solvent like the hydrocarbons butane and propane or the alcohol ethanol to separate cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant material. Solventless processes do not require the use of solvents at all. In most cases, means of mechanical separation, heat, and pressure are used to produce extracts.

The key difference in the final product is that solventless extracts will contain no residual solvents at all. Solvent-based extracts are generally purged and refined to remove lingering solvents, which can result in an unpleasant aftertaste. In the most egregious cases, trace amounts of solvent may be detected on a lab test and make these concentrates ineligible for sale at a dispensary.

During the purging process of solvent-based extracts, the extract is exposed to some level of heat; the precise temperature depends upon which solvent is used. Skipping this process allows solventless extract manufacturers to preserve terpenes during extraction, which degrade when exposed to heat. The end result is a more flavorful and aromatic extract that may offer additional therapeutic benefits thanks to the entourage effect.

Is solventless extraction better?

Solventless extracts are considered a premium product because they typically offer higher terpene content than their solvent-based counterparts, delivering the natural taste and smell of the plant. This makes solventless extracts a top choice among cannabis consumers who like to try different cultivars and compare the overall experiences. You can also be sure solventless extracts contain no residual solvents, which reduce the quality of the extract. At the end of the day, it comes down to your personal preferences. There are plenty of solvent-based extract lovers out there, as well as fans of solventless extraction.

What about “solvent-free” products?

Note that you may sometimes see labels that read “solvent-free.” Generally, these are not solventless extracts, but instead solvent-based extracts that have been thoroughly purged to remove any residual solvent from the final product. If you want truly solventless products, look for labels that read “solventless” or “non-solvent” instead.

What types of solventless extraction methods are there?

There are many solventless extraction methods out there, and as the cannabis industry innovates new processes are being developed all the time. However, there are a few common solventless extraction methods that stand out, including:

1. Dry sifting

Dry sifting is a method used to produce the solventless concentrate hash. Relying on the original principles used by ancient civilizations, manufacturers agitate dried cannabis flower over fine mesh screens, separating the trichomes from the plant material to produce kief. The kief can then be subjected to heat and pressure to be pressed into potent bricks of hash.

2. Ice water extraction

Ice water extraction involves agitating freshly harvested cannabis flower in near-freezing water to separate the trichomes from the plant. The near-freezing temperatures make the trichomes brittle and snap off when agitated in a wash machine. The separated trichomes are then sifted through a series of fine sieves to separate them from the water. Once collected, the trichomes are scraped from the sieves and allowed to dry (often using a freeze dryer) into bricks of “bubble hash.”

3. Rosin pressing

Rosin is a solventless extract that can be produced from kief or hash (usually bubble hash) by loading it into a device called a rosin press. A rosin press features two metal plates arranged like a vice grip, which are heated and then used to squeeze the bricks of hash. When pressed, a potent, viscous oil is squeezed from the hash; this is rosin.

When using fresh frozen flower, like Cryo Cure’s live resin flower, the result of this process is called “live rosin.” That’s because it contains the optimal amount of cannabinoids and terpenes, captured from flower that is preserved to remain as fresh as the day it was harvested with a superior shelf life.

What contributes to solventless extract quality?

Solventless extract quality is dependent on three major factors: the quality of the cannabis flower used as an input; the equipment used in the manufacturing process; and the techniques applied in the process itself.

Product

The final product of any extraction process is only going to be as good as the quality of the flower that goes into it. Starting with high-quality, well-preserved flower is the only way to get top quality extract. That’s why we recommend working with Cryo Cured Live Resin Flower. The flower that results from our patented process is perfectly preserved following harvest, ensuring maximum cannabinoid and terpene content remains intact before the extraction process begins.

Equipment

The equipment used in any extraction process is also critical, as it should be efficient and well-maintained. Manufacturers have access to equipment like commercial-scale agitators and rosin presses to produce potent, pure extract at scale. Processing large volumes of biomass quickly is now possible thanks to this equipment, so incorporating it into the manufacturing process is key. Additionally, maintaining, sterilizing, and cleaning equipment after each production run ensures that every batch will be the highest possible quality.

Process

Extraction is both an art and a science, and every manufacturer will have their own unique twist on the process. However, once a process is developed, it can also be standardized so it can be easily repeated. This results in reliable quality products that are the same every time, which helps to support customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. So, when a manufacturer develops a process they feel sets them apart from the competition, they can develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) so their team is able to replicate the process time and again.

Solventless extraction results in clean, terpene-rich extracts

Cannabis enthusiasts love solventless extracts for their comparatively high terpene content and the aromas and flavors they produce. Additionally, consumers who prefer a clean product can rest assured that solventless extracts contain absolutely no residual solvents, because none are needed in their production. With these benefits, it’s no surprise that solventless extracts are becoming a hugely popular choice amongst consumers in every legal cannabis market. For manufacturers who want to stand out in this growing space, making the best solventless extracts is a matter of using the best flower, which is where Cryo Cure’s Live Resin Flower comes in. To maximize flavor and potency, you can’t do better than Live Resin Flower.

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