How Rosin Gets its Color and Consistency

It wasn’t that long ago when wax, shatter, and diamonds were all that anyone wanted to consume in the concentrate world. Over the past few years though, those traditional concentrates have seemingly given way to the most popular solventless extract on the market today: Rosin!

Solventless rosin is the nectar of the cannabis gods, but it is important to know that not all rosin is created equal. Similar to concentrates derived from solvents, the color and consistency of rosin can vary based on multiple factors such as the quality of raw material and the temperature of the extraction process, to name a few. In this article, we will help you understand how rosin gets its color and consistency and what to look for when shopping for your next gram.

Why is color important?

In the world of solventless extracts, light color or clarity is typically a sign of high quality. The purity of a concentrate composed almost entirely of fresh trichome heads is indicated by an off-white color with a slightly golden tint, such as the gram depicted above. A light tint indicates that there are little-to-no plant contaminants, which is always the goal when producing solventless extracts.

What causes color variations in Rosin?

The color of rosin can be influenced by several factors. The two most important variables that affect the color of rosin are (1.) the age and quality of the input material along with (2.) press temperature and settings.

Age of Starting Material:

One of the factors that has the greatest influence on how rosin gets its color and consistency is the age of the raw material used to press the rosin. The THC and terpene content of cannabis alters as it ages due to trichome head oxidation. The natural process of oxidation can be delayed but not stopped. This is why rosin created from fresh frozen flower and freeze-dried bubble hash will almost always be lighter in color than rosin derived from dried flower or air-dried hash. Simply put, the longer you wait to make your rosin, the darker it will be. To produce clean, beautiful rosin, freshly sifted or frozen material is required.

Quality of Starting Material:

The quality of the starting material utilized can be determined using the terpene profile, trichome density and structure, material density, and active cannabinoid concentration. The color of rosin is greatly influenced by the genetics of the cultivar you’re working with. Color can be dictated by the ratio of different resin gland components, many of which are influenced by plant genetics. Overall, higher-quality input leads to higher-quality output. Great rosin comes from great genetics, there is no way around this.

Press Settings:

The settings of your rosin press play a significant role in how rosin gets its color and consistency. Higher temperatures used during the extraction process result in darker rosin than temperatures on the lower end of the spectrum. Dark rosin can be produced by prolonged exposure to high temperatures. When rosin is correctly pressed, the off-white, golden substance should flow quickly from the heated press plates to the cool parchment paper. The rosin gets darker the longer it is heated.

The Terpman & Rosin Process:

At Grant Pharms, we consider all of this information when producing our high-quality live rosin! Our team of extraction specialists (Terpman & Rosin) utilizes fresh, frozen flower buds rather than dried flower, kief, or low-quality trimmings. We want our rosin to be fresh, delicious, and full of medicinal benefits, which is why we follow such a meticulous solventless process.

Before we get the end result of fresh, golden rosin, our extraction specialists begin by collecting loose resin and creating bubble hash, from a procedure known as ice water extraction. This process of “washing hash” separates trichome heads from the cannabis plant on which they grow using ice-cold water. These heads are then isolated and collected using a series of sieve bags. Trichome heads are highly sought after by hash makers who utilize solventless extraction because they have high concentrations of the most desirable medicinal compounds that cannabis produces. These heads are frequently referred to as “resin,” the ultimate prize for hash makers.

Once the bubble hash has dried, our team then follows the process explained above of pressing the hash with low heat and extreme force. Pressing squeezes out the cannabinoids and terpenes until they seep out with an oily consistency.

After the press, our extraction team carefully cures each batch of rosin to perfection, ensuring that we retain as much flavor and medicinal properties as possible. From there, the Terpman & Rosin team packages each batch of solventless goodness to be sold at each of our Grant Pharms locations! When it hits the retail floor, we keep our rosin stored in cool, refrigerated environments so that they stay as pure and potent as possible.

Now that you have learned more about how rosin gets its color and consistency and how we produce it at Grant Pharms, we encourage you to try some for yourself! Whether you are a dabber or like to enjoy infused joints (like “hash holes” or “donuts”), our live rosin is the perfect way to enhance your next session. Order online or visit one of our locations today to see what the hype is about!