Rosin making has come a long way from the good old days of hair straighteners, and as a result, there are now more types of solventless rosin than ever before. While some may differentiate between rosin types based on common names, like shatter, wax, or oil, consistency isn’t the real determining factor when it comes to defining rosin types. 

Flower rosin being pressed by the Rosin Tech Smash.

As experienced rosin makers will attest, different starting materials and strains can react differently to the same method, producing varying consistencies. Therefore, it’s better to define rosin by the extraction method that was used to make it, rather than how hard or soft the end results are. So, here’s our definitive guide to the different types of rosin based on extraction method.

Flower Rosin

Squishing nugs between hot plates to release a beautiful oil is where it all began, and the solventless game wouldn’t be what it is without flower rosin. It may be the OG of solventless concentrates, but flower rosin remains as popular as ever. That’s because it’s the simplest and most practical way for dab heads to make their own solventless rosin in their very own homes.

Hash Rosin

Hash rosin is an evolution of the flower rosin method. It’s only addition is it employs an extra step to separate trichomes away from the plant material before pressing. Using either dry-sift or ice water extraction methods, trichomes are collected into a high grade hash, and when pressed, produce rosin of an exceptional quality. It’s no wonder then, that hash rosin is the preferred method of professional rosin makers.

Ice Water Hash before it’s turned into rosin.

Live Rosin

Extracted from fresh cannabis flower that has been frozen immediately after cropping, live rosin takes terpenes to the next level. Live rosin utilizes cold temperatures throughout the extraction process, which preserves more volatile oils than any other method, and produces some of the most flavorful and aromatic rosin on the planet.

Solventless Sauce

Thanks to a new wave of curing techniques like jar tech, aged solventless rosin has arrived. Solventless sauce, or jam as it is sometimes known, is rosin that has been treated with hot or cold temperatures, and then left to cure for a period of time, ultimately maturing like a fine wine.

Rosin Distillates

Molecular distillation is one of the newest techniques in the world of cannabis concentrates, and much like the process that turns whisky into beer, distillation condenses rosin into an even more concentrated version of itself. The method may employ some of the most complicated and expensive equipment in rosin extraction, but the super strength results speak for themselves.

Whipped Buddha Rosin

Whipping is actually a technique that can be applied to all types of rosin, and involves beating air into your concentrate to produce a butter-like consistency known as Bhudda. This results in an extract that is room temperature stable, easy to handle, and can remove the need for heat mats and precision tools that are often required for dabbing.

That concludes our guide to the different types of rosin available today. Yet, as always, the solventless game is constantly evolving, so be sure to keep up to date with all the newest developments here at Rosin Tech!