Extraction Systems

PurePressure proudly offers extraction systems that encompass all aspects of solventless processing, including ice water hash, dry sifting, rosin, post processing, and more. Some of the advantages of solventless extraction systems are that they do not utilize any volatile solvents, meaning that C1D1 rooms, specialized venting, and other stringent building codes are not required to operate them. Additionally, these systems tend to be simple to operate and with training from PureCannalabs, any extraction lab can get up and running with solventless SKUs very quickly.

Ice Water Extraction Systems

Making ice water hash, which is also known as bubble hash, requires a couple pieces of equipment. These include either a standalone vessel or with a trichome separator with multiple vessels, an ice maker, an RO water filtration system, a filtration vessel or vessels, filtration bags, and at least one freeze dryer. Even though it may sound like a lot, once you understand how it all works together the entire process is very straight forward.

The goal of ice water hash extraction systems is to detach and isolate trichomes from the cannabis plant intact using ice, water, and agitation. This is distinctly different than solvent-based extraction methods, which rely on a process of dissolution to capture the cannabinoids, terpenes, and other organic compounds from hemp or marijuana. Dry or ideally fresh frozen cannabis is dunked into cold water, mixed with ice, and then either washed with a paddle by hand or automatically with a trichome separator, such as the Axis. This creates a sort of slurry of trichomes and water, which is then filtered and graded through a variety of assorted different micron sized filter bags. Finally, the wet trichomes are collected freeze dried for 8 – 24+ hours to make them usable for rosin, infusions, adding to pre-rolls, or sold as-is. 

Dry Sift Extraction Systems

Dry sifting cannabis is a very similar process mechanically to ice water hash, but is done after marijuana buds or trim have been dried instead. The equipment required depends on the quality of dry sift that an operator is after. In the most simple case, just a tumbler or sifter (like the GreenBroz Alchemist 420) is necessary, which is frequently paired with a rosin press to make solventless extracts from the dry sift. In more advanced cases, the sifting machine is paired with additional, finer micron screens to further refine the dry sift into increasingly better grades.

Some companies, such as The Original Resinator, offer dry sifting machines that utilize liquid CO2 to flash freeze trichomes from the buds or trim, enabling them to become more brittle and snap off easier.

Rosin Extraction Systems

For most solventless processors, a rosin press and its related extraction equipment is how they mainly produce their finest products. Depending on the types of SKUs an extractor wishes to make, the equipment list can be relatively simple, or in the case of 100% rosin cartridges, a bit longer. In this case that means a rosin press (often a pneumatic one for professionals, which requires an air compressor), filtration bags or mesh, parchment or PTFE, a warming oven, jars, and other small tools for post processing.

To make rosin efficiently, multiple presses can be used to increase throughput, and with the advanced automated presses that PurePressure offers, much of an extractor’s system can be made to work well without needing much technical knowhow. Rosin is made by pressing ice water hash, dry sift, or simply dried cannabis buds between two heated plates at high pressure to extract the resin from within trichomes. The oil that is contained in the trichomes is extracted, filtered, and deposited on a non-stick surface or into a jar for collection.

Have additional questions or want to talk with one of our experts? Contact us today.