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Material Guidelines

Material Type Temperature Range Press Time
Flowers 190°F-220°F 15-60 Seconds
High-Quality Sift/Bubble 150°F-190°F 20-60 Seconds
Avg-Low Quality Sift/Bubble 180°F-220°F 20-60 Seconds

General Rosin Tips

These are by no means the rules to rosin—just rough starting points. Adjust as necessary, play with variables, and use our free Lowtemp Labs app to dial in the variables! :)

  • Without a high-pressure system, higher temperatures are needed.

  • Optimal pressure (~1000 psi) balances yield and quality. Sift rosin requires less pressure.

  • Apply pressure slowly to avoid blowouts.

  • Fresher material yields lighter rosin.

  • At lower temperatures, hold the press longer. Directional flow ensures clean extractions.

Flowers

  • Stitchless pouches minimize oil loss and contamination.

  • Use Boveda packs to improve moisture and consistency.

  • Pre-pressing prevents expansion and increases efficiency.

  • 160-micron pouches and higher are best for flowers.

  • Collect large amounts quickly and filter rosin through 25 or 37 microns at 160°F for purity.

Sifts

  • Use filter bags (25-90 microns) for sifts.

  • Sifts press best at lower temperatures; higher-quality sift requires less heat.

  • Apply pressure slowly to avoid blowouts.

Pouches

  • Pouches for sift/bubble: 25 micron-90 micron

  •  

    Pouches for flowers: 160 micron and higher

Equipment Recommendations

Hydraulics are the way to go with Rosin. They are easy to pump, puts out much more pressure than can be achieved with pneumatics, and are generally very reliable. I can’t stress enough how important it is to NOT use the hydraulics full capacity!! Skim the manual included with your press to see what the sustainable pressure capacity is with your particular equipment. The industry standard is no more than 80% of the hydraulics max capacity. Maxing your press and holding it for extended periods of time will blow out seals, causing leaks, etc. Without a gauge, you just have to guesstimate how much pressure you’re applying via the resistance the press is giving you. 

By and large the best system for personal to medium grows we have are the Lowtemp All in One presses with the BVA hydraulics. There is the option to use a 12 ton stubby bottle jack if you want to save a few bucks. The BVA hydraulics come assembled ready to go out of the box. They are like a Rolls Royce compared to the HF presses. They have a pressure gauge, external pump, lifetime warranty, made in America, and more travel/pressure per stroke. The presses can be turned horizontally for "Drip Tech" pressing style.

Hands down, the most affordable and popular press among our customers is the 12 ton Harbor freight H frame press. It’s usually around $120. Always get the warranty!!!! This is a great press, but it’s still Harbor Freight. It takes quite a few pumps to get a full press. It’s easy to build, and doesn’t take up too much space. Takes me 20 minutes and two adjustable wrenches.

They are a bit wobbly, so we recommend going with the cage units for even and square presses every single time. The cage kits really transform them into a much better experience.

Watch for their 20% off coupons as well. The 20 ton is a bit nicer due to the pressing area being at a more natural and comfortable height. It also has the extra capacity to prevent blowing out the hydraulics. 

The 2nd most popular press among our DIY customers is the Dake 10 ton press: https://bit.ly/2KzVxPT This press has a pressure gauge, can rest on a table, and has an external hand pump. The cylinder/piston is adjustable left and right on the press, allowing you to go back and forth from a pre press to the cage/plates.

If you are looking to go hands free or pneumatic, you can swap the hydraulic jack on these presses out with an air jack (https://bit.ly/2M5honZ). Or you can order this 20 ton from HF that can only be ordered online(https://bit.ly/2KIiobY). It comes ready to plug into an air compressor!  They still have the option to be manually cranked as well. I actually prefer the manual hydraulic presses because there are less moving parts and you can control and feel how much pressure you’re applying. To each his own! If you have questions regarding which press you should go with in your situation, feel free to reach out!

For hands-free operation, consider pneumatic upgrades or air jacks.