Translated with DeepL
Instructions for use:
1. Fill the bucket or washing machine half full with water and put in the ice. When the temperature is between 0.5 and 4°C, remove the vegetable matter from the freezer and put it in the washing machine bag. It is advisable to put a bag of ice inside the washing machine bag together with the vegetable matter.
2. In case of using a washing machine, put the washing machine bag in the washing machine with a 10-minute programme in delicate mode (if you have the option). If you work manually, beat with the help of a paddle or similar for 15-20 minutes.
3. Place the meshes in the bucket (from smallest to largest micronage) and filter the water through them.
4. Remove the screens one by one and remove the excess water with the help of a clean cloth, squeezing very lightly on the outside of the screen. To unify all the extraction in the centre, we will help ourselves with a trickle of water.
5. Remove the meshes one by one and place the resulting extraction in the metal strainer for subsequent drying. Normally the higher micron meshes will not be usable (220,160,140) although it will depend on the type of vegetable matter we are going to process.
6. Place the drying mesh on absorbent paper or similar and proceed to strain the extraction through the metal strainer with the help of a brush. In the case of working with wet gland (un-dried vegetable matter, Fresh Frozen), a stiff-bristled brush should be used.
7. Dry in a cool, dark place for 6 to 10 days.
Practical tips:
- To prevent the trichomes from breaking or sticking together, store the plant material in plastic bags without piling it up in large volumes.
- The most delicate part of the process is the moment when we filter the glands that we have previously collected from the screens, through the metal strainer. It is important not to exert pressure on the filtering mesh (the cloth mesh) before placing it in the metal strainer so that it can then be filtered with a brush. This process is much more laborious when working with fresh plant material than when working with dried material, so patience will be another great tool.
- The drying place should be free from direct drafts and strong ambient odours. In addition, it should be cool and no higher than 15 °C.
- In case of working with fresh plant material, as the glands are partially hydrated, it is not very advisable to press it if we want to avoid that the Fresh Frozen loses aroma due to the humidity retained in the glands or that it starts to rot.
- It is important to store our extractions in the fridge to slow down their rapid degradation as much as possible.
- For the perfect preservation of our extractions, especially if we work with fresh plant material, the ideal would be to freeze-dry the final result. In this way, we would be able to preserve them for much longer, but as it requires specific and very expensive machinery, it is not within the reach of the average grower. There are some homemade ways of freeze-drying on the internet, but they tend to be very cumbersome and, as expected, give very different results.