How to Do Clear Tech Rosin Pressing

Clear rosin is visually attractive and easy to make once you know the steps. The main difference between clear rosin and "regular" rosin is that clear rosin is made by removing the air pockets from the hash prior to pressing using a vacuum seal bag and a vacuum sealer.

Removing the air via vacuum sealing prior to pressing (known as vacuum bag tek or vacuum bag tech) comes with numerous benefits for the extractor. These benefits include quicker curing times, lower risk for blowouts, and more visual appeal. We demonstrate the process in our video How to Clear Tech Rosin Press and provide detailed instructions below.

Materials for Making Clear Tech Rosin

You will need:

• Well dried top quality ice water hash. It's essential to use hash that is properly dried to prevent mold forming in your rosin. We recommend drying your hash with a freeze dryer prior to pressing as freeze drying reduces the total moisture content of your raw materials to less than 4% (depending on what you freeze dry).
• Rosin press. The Lowtemp V2 Rosin Press is perfect for making clear tech rosin because you can achieve a high level of precision with your temperatures and pressure, especially if you pair the press with the LT3 Rosin Press Heat and Pressure Controller.
• Rosin bags. You will need 2 x 25µm rosin bags and a 220µm rosin bag (if desired) for each "hash pillow."
• Parchment paper. You will need food-grade parchment paper for wrapping the rosin bags and also for pressing hash rosin.
• Funnel. The Lowtemp fill funnel is designed especially for the purpose of filling rosin bags.
• Metal collection card or metal strainer. This is for breaking up the dried hash on the freeze dryer trays prior to pressing. A metal collection card is preferred because grating your bubble hash on a metal strainer leads to resin becoming stuck in the holes.
• Glass collection jar. This is for collecting the rosin that flows out of the press. Make sure to choose a jar with an airtight lid. Mason jars are ideal.
• Vacuum sealer. 
• Food-grade vacuum seal bags. 

How to Make Clear Tech Rosin

Follow these steps to make clear tech rosin:

Step 1: Break Up the Bubble Hash

Use the metal collection card to break up the dried bubble hash directly in the freeze dryer tray. You want to ensure the hash breaks up completely and that no ice is present.

Step 2: Fill the Rosin Bags

Fill the rosin bags by tipping your loose bubble hash into the 25µm bags through the funnel. You should ideally fill each bag to around 3/4 full so there is room for folding over the end.

If you will be pressing several bags of hash, measure out the hash so that each bag has the same amount. 40-50 grams of hash per bag is perfect for clear tech if you use the 4”x7” Lowtemp V2 Rosin Press.

Step 3: Complete Your Hash Pillows

Fold over the end and sleeve each rosin bag into a second 25µm rosin bag. Fold over the end of the second bag. Some folks like to slip the double-bagged hash into a 220µm rosin bag for structural support.

Once the hash pillow or packet is complete, wrap parchment paper around it. The parchment paper is necessary to prevent melted hash from seeping through the rosin pouches and sticking to the inside of the vacuum seal bags.

Step 4: Vacuum Seal the Hash Pillows

Pack all of your hash pillows into the vacuum seal bag and run them through the vacuum sealing process to remove the air. You can do several at one time for greater efficiency.

Remember to label your vacuum bags so you know which strain is in the bag and the date and time the hash pillows were vacuum sealed.

Step 5: Wait for the Hash to Grease Up

This is where the magic happens. Allow the bags to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to grease up. Some people wait for 30-45 minutes and others put their vacuum-sealed bags in the refrigerator overnight.

The beauty of this step is that you can store vacuum-sealed hash pillows in the refrigerator for up to several weeks and press them whenever you're ready. Just be sure to label everything clearly to avoid confusion.

Step 6: Fold Parchment Paper for Pressing

Now you'll want to fold your parchment paper to encourage directional flow. The boat fold is ideal for clear tech because it directs the rosin away from the rosin heat plates and directly into the mason jar.

A good rule of thumb is to use parchment paper three times the length of the bag or three times the length of all the bags if pressing multiple bags. You can easily press two rosin bags at a time with clear tech (placed side by side).

Step 7: Press the Hash

Place the parchment-covered rosin bag between your press plates, pre-heat the bags for 30-45 seconds, and then apply steadily increasing pressure until the rosin stops flowing out. The greasier your hash is, the lower your rosin press temperature should be. Lower temperatures preserve more terpenes and flavor for potential increases in price and revenue. We recommend pressing at 180°F for about 2-3 minutes.

Step 8: Cold Cure (Optional)

Your clear tech rosin is ready to dab fresh off the press. However, professional rosin makers might want to cold cure their rosin at this point to allow the flavors to mature and a buddery texture to form (this is great for shelf appeal!).

To cold cure rosin, seal the jar and keep the rosin in a dark, dry, and cool place. Check it every 24 hours. When it nucleates, whip it with a dab tool or rosin collection tool to homogenize it. Store the rosin in the refrigerator once it has reached the desired consistency.

Clear Tech Is Easy and Effective

Clear tech rosin may initially seem like something mysterious or complex. But it's really just a matter of removing the air from your bubble hash pouches and letting it grease up prior to pressing.

Remember that it's essential to use high-quality bubble hash for the best results with clear tech. What you put in is what you get out. Happy pressing!