Pressing Tips
Published by BOB LEE
This is a compilation of general pressing tips that should help you when first starting pressing with Dulytek heat press machines.
Plant Material
For the optimal yield and quality, select plant material that has been harvested within 2 to 6 weeks of pressing.
Maintain your plant relative humidity at around 62%. Store your herbs in an airtight containers with two-way humidity packs in a dark place. Allow at least 48 hours for the material to reach the optimal humidity level. Open the jars one or two times per day to air them for a few minutes before re-sealing.
Grind or break up your starting material and compact it into a puck using a pre-press mold.
Place the puck inside a folded parchment paper sheet. Leave some space between the fold and the puck to avoid tearing the parchment paper during pressing.
Filter Bags
Use nylon mesh bags instead of stainless steel or polyester ones. Stainless steel screens scratch press plates and cut yields. Polyester bags shrink with heat and cause blowouts. Nylon screens are durable and expand up to 40% without breaking making it a better choice for solventless extraction.
Filter bags are one-time use only unless you double or triple press the same material.
Fine mesh filter bags are intended for finer materials such as kief, bubble hash, or dry sift.
|
Mesh Size, microns
|
Intended For |
|---|---|
| 25, 36 | For kief, bubble hash, or dry sift - results in good yield and excellent quality For high quality flower - results in good yield and quality |
| 72, 90, 100 | For kief, bubble hash, and dry sift - results in excellent yield and fairly good quality For flower and trim - results in pretty good balance between yield and quality |
| 120, 160 | For flower and trim - results in excellent yield and fairly good quality |
Temperature and Time
Cold pressing (pressed at 160 °F - 190 °F / 70 °C - 87 °C for 1 - 5 minutes) results in a malleable, batter consistency terpene-rich rosin but comes with a sacrifice in yield.
Hot pressing (pressed at 190 °F - 225 °F / 87 °C - 105 °C for 40 seconds to 3 minutes) produces a sappy or shatter-like rosin. The hotter you press, the higher yield you get. Anything over 225°F generally has a notable drop in quality and terpenes.
For better terpene preservation, press at 210 °F or below. For flower, start pressing at 200 °F / 93 °C for 85 - 125 seconds and evaluate from there.
|
Plant Material
|
Temperature | Time, seconds |
|---|---|---|
| Kief, hash, dry sift, trim | 165 °F - 195 °F / 74 °C - 90 °C | 60 - 130 |
| Flower | 190 °F - 225 °F / 87 °C - 105 °C | 30 - 220 |
Collection Method
Use a glass stamp to collect gooey rosin. Push the stamp down on the extracted concentrate; it will pick up the material. Scrape rosin from the stamp with a clean stainless steel tool.
Making Budder
Constantly stir freshly pressed rosin with a warm dabbing tool until a creamy texture is achieved. Whipped rosin, also known as “budder”, is more malleable and easier to manage.