Frost Bags and Dry Ice Extraction

Written by Web Hydroponics on October 13, 2015. Posted in Blog.

Cold Water Extraction has long been considered the most popular and reliable method for extracting valuable plant resin and essential oils from harvested plant material. It has always been chosen as the fast and easy way for resin extraction because it requires only a bucket, some filtration bags, some ice water and something to stir. Growers can use as many bags as desired for multiple levels of extract quality. For those of you who have never tried it, it as easy as stirring your residual plant material in icy cold water. As the trichomes fall off the leaves and buds, they are captured by the fine mesh nets on the bottom of the bags. Each bag allows for different size microns of filtration; different levels of quality.

Dry Ice Extraction and Frost Bags are taking over as the new preferred method of Trichome Extraction

Despite the popularity, ease of use and reliability, Cold Water Extraction may soon be extinct. This is because there is a new method of resin extraction that is rapidly gaining in popularity across North America. This new method is cleaner, faster and more effective. This method promises less waste, less work, and easier clean-ups. This method is known as Dry Ice Extraction and the new Frost Bags from Canada are the best way to get it done! Dry ice is solidified carbon dioxide (CO2 – the same things plants love) and is not classified as toxic or harmful in accordance with G. H. S. of Classification and Labeling of Chemical Standards. The Frost Bags Dry ice extraction process eliminates the use of water extraction, which is a major source of contaminants during the process of extracting essential oils. It’s a super cold substance that “evaporates” (sublimates) away into the air as it transforms from a solid to a gas. The fact that it’s super cold and converts directly to gas are the clear advantages in the extraction process. Frost Bags will give you a far superior product in a fraction of the time!

How does Dry Ice Extraction Work?

In its most basic practice, Dry Ice Extraction can easily be performed by using one 5 gallon bucket, one bubble bag (between 220 and 120 microns) or xtractor bag and a ¼ block of dry ice. The idea is to let the plant material and dry ice sits together inside the bucket for a few minutes, and then pour the contents into the bag. Then hold the top end closed and shake the bag while moving across a glass table for about 3 minutes. In the end, your table will be covered in golden trichomes.

How does Dry Ice Extraction with Frost Bags work?

The Frost Bags method works pretty much the same way except you don’t need a table and the bucket remains right-side up until you are ready to pour out the trichs. You have your choice of two sizes: 5 gallon kit or 20 gallon kit. Each kit includes a Black Frost bag of 220 microns, a Blue Frost bag of 160 microns and a sleeve for the bucket. For you pros, a 60x microscope is included. You would need to supply your own bucket, gloves, and dry ice. The formula calls for combining the plant material with the dry ice inside the bag and letting it sit for a few minutes (Mesh side up). After a minute of gentle shaking, turn the bag over into the bucket, place the sleeve over the top-side of the bucket and firmly hold the bucket handle and bag handle together. The final step calls for a vigorous, but not exaggerated, 3 minutes of shaking the bag inside the bucket. When the sleeve comes off and the bag is removed, the bottom of the bucket should be full of resin.

The results speak for themselves. Most growers will never go back to cold water extraction or even tumblers after working with dry ice. If you haven’t used Frost Bags yet, you’re not doing it right!