Complete Guide to Making a DIY Rosin Press 2024

Rosin is an up-and-coming extract, and many people feel that it’s the ultimate way to consume highly-concentrated cannabis. This all has to do with the fact that rosin is 100% pure, containing absolutely no residual solvents since it requires no solvents to make.

But that’s not the only explanation behind rosin’s popularity. On top of the solventless makeup, rosin is super popular because it’s super easy to make. With some heat, patience, and a bit of bud, it’s possible to make this cannabis concentrate from home using a rosin press. If making one is beyond the scope of your abilities, this comprehensive list features some of the best rosin presses available in Canada.

What Is Rosin?

When you see rosin for the first time, you might confuse it with the sticky sap on your trees outside. “Saplike” is the usual word to describe rosin, but this sticky substance is a lot more potent than sap.

The thing that characterizes rosin is the method of extraction used to make it. It’s extracted through a combination of heat, time, and pressure, and when these 3 things are applied, the final result is that sticky, saplike substance.

Different Types of Rosin

There are a few different types of rosin, and each type depends on the starting material. Most rosin is made from dried marijuana flower (raw cannabis), but it’s also possible to create rosin starting from hash or kief. There’s also something called live rosin, which is extracted from fresh cannabis flowers that were frozen immediately after harvest.

Other types of rosin on the market today include solventless “sauce”, rosin distillates, and whipped buddha rosin. Here, we’re going to focus on using a rosin press with dried cannabis flower since this is the most popular way to do things.

What Is a Rosin Press?

The name “rosin press” pretty much says it all; it’s a press that utilizes heat and pressure in order to create that sticky golden sap that everyone is talking about these days. This contraption is a tool used to extract the rosin from dried cannabis flowers (or whatever material you’re using).

Rosin presses are usually constructed from 2 metal plates that heat up and press down on each other with the cannabis bud(s) in the center. Some presses create that necessary pressure through hydraulics or pneumatics, but most homemade DIY presses create pressure through basic mechanical energy.

Why Is Rosin Such a Popular Choice?

Before moving on to the pressing process, looking into the popularity behind rosin is a great way to decide if making a rosin press is for you. There are a few reasons for rosin’s newfound glory, like:

• It’s a solventless extraction technique, so it requires no foreign substances (you only need pressure, heat, and time)
• Making rosin is super simple (more on that next)
• It’s possible to make rosin in a matter of minutes
• When made the right way, rosin retains the valuable terpenes that account for aroma and flavor

The main reason for the love behind rosin and the “Rosin Revolution” is the fact that it’s solventless. To make a lot of other concentrates, you can only extract the concentrated cannabinoids and terpenes with the help of solvents like butane, propane, CO2, or ethanol.

With rosin, you don’t need anything like that – just pressure and heat – so that means you never run the risk of residual chemicals in the finished product.

How Rosin Compares to Other Cannabis Concentrates

Rosin isn’t the only popular concentrated form of cannabis out there. There’s also full spectrum “sauce”, shatter, live resin, THCA crystals, distillate… this list could go on for a while.

Compared to each of these concentrates, rosin requires zero chemicals to make and you don’t need too much plant matter to get started. On top of those already massive benefits, rosin is inexpensive to make, so you don’t have to spend thousands to start taking advantage of the cleanest form of concentrated cannabis known to man.

How to Make a Rosin Press

Making a rosin press is actually super simple, and for a basic press, you don’t have to be a science whiz to figure it out. Remember, all it takes to make rosin is a combination of heat, pressure, and a little bit of time.

The first step to making your press is to establish your budget; depending on the type of press and quality of materials you choose, this project could cost anywhere from $50 to thousands.

Making a Rosin Press the Easy Way

You might not even realize it, but there’s a very good chance that you already have a mini rosin press at home. A hair straightener, which is made up of 2 hot plates and a handle that clamps them together, is the perfect example of a mini press.

If this is your very first-time pressing rosin and you just want to give it a whirl, using a hair straightener is a great starting point. You’ll also need a bit of parchment paper, but that’s it (aside from the actual weed).

The main thing you need to focus on when using a straightener as your press is getting the heat within the ideal range. Some straighteners allow you to select a certain temperature, but if not, make sure it’s on the low setting. The plates need to be between 280 and 330 degrees F for this to work.

Start out with a few small buds, and then fold them into your piece of parchment paper. Once the straightener is heated up, place the parchment paper between the hot plates and clamp down. Apply firm pressure for about 7 seconds, and then release. This is where you’ll combine your heat and pressure to start extracting all the cannabinoids.

When you unfold the parchment paper, you’ll notice that the buds have been flattened and that they’ve released a sticky substance. This is your rosin.

As you can see, making a rosin press doesn’t have to be complicated. Of course, if you’re looking for a commercial-grade press for making large quantities of rosin, a hair straightener won’t cut it. But for everyone else, it’s a great starting point before moving on to a more intense rosin press setup.