By:
Judd Wolff GutenbergsDankPressing.com
What is Stainless Steel Micron Mesh?
For years and years (and years) hash makers have been using nylon mesh rosin bags to press their rosin. Nylon mesh rosin bags are definitely the industry standard for their effectiveness, low cost, and availability. But nylon mesh is not the only material you can use to press hash rosin. In the past year or so, stainless steel micron mesh has gained popularity for pressing hash rosin. You may be surprised to hear that stainless steel micron mesh is not rigid or inflexible like most metal products. In fact, it is quite easy to maneuver and could even be described as “soft”. It is a very thin strand of stainless steel weaved into a sheet with specific micron spaces. You will often find 6×6 inch, 12×12 inch, and 18×18 inch sheets ranging in micron size from 5 micron up to 25 micron.
Benefits of Using Stainless Steel Micron Mesh to Press Rosin
True Micron Sizing
A major concern of those who press rosin is how true the micron sizing of their mesh is. The filtration of unwanted plant material out of the rosin is dependent on the micron mesh. If the pores are too large, your rosin will have a lesser quality. So when you buy a 25 micron mesh bag or screen, you really need it to be 25 micron. This means it should stay true to its size during the press.
Pressing rosin requires a lot of heat and pressure which can stretch micron mesh. Stainless steel mesh is known to be stronger than the nylon mesh alternative which leads many to find that the micron sizing remains true more often than not.
No Blowouts
As we just mentioned, stainless steel mesh can handle the high pressure of a rosin press maybe better than nylon mesh. When pressure is applied unevenly or too quickly, this can lead to a catastrophe known as a “blowout”. A blowout is when the rosin bag or mesh splits and the hash flows out unfiltered. It can be quite difficult to recover from a blowout and could result in lost product. This happens more with beginner rosin pressers who have not fully developed the skills to successfully build up pressure during a rosin pressing session. Stainless steel mesh shows a lot of promise in decreasing the frequency of blowouts.
Less Movement on the Press
Relating to the blowouts we just discussed is movement of the mesh on the rosin press plates. As more and more pressure is applied, rosin bags can slide on the press plate leading to uneven pressure application which can cause blowouts. Experienced rosin pressers do not run into this issue very often, but it is not uncommon for novices to ruin a press run by having a rosin bag slide out of place. Stainless steel mesh has been shown to slide around less than its nylon mesh counterpart. This means experts and novices alike have more safety from blowouts when pressing with stainless steel micron mesh.
No Risk of Loose Nylon in Your Hash
One main critique of pressing rosin with nylon mesh is the possibility of loose nylon making its way into the final rosin product. This is not so much a concern with high-quality nylon mesh rosin bags, but not all nylon rosin bags are made to the highest quality. If you are concerned, you can avoid nylon entirely by using stainless steel micron mesh to press your rosin.
Customized Wrapping Technique & No Seams
One of the biggest advantages we have found when using stainless steel micron mesh to press rosin is the customability of how the hash is wrapped in the mesh. Many choose to wrap their hash bricks 3+ times to increase filtration and strength, but you can do it however you want! Not only that, but micron mesh sheets wrapped around a brick of hash have no seams. Nylon mesh rosin bags are held together with stitching and therefore have a seam or two. Rosin can get stuck in these seams and lower your overall yield. Not much rosin tends to get stuck in nylon mesh rosin bags, but even small amounts lost can add up to large amounts lost over hundreds or thousands of presses.
Downside: High Cost, Low Availability
The biggest downsides to using stainless steel mesh as opposed to nylon mesh is the relatively higher cost and low availability. Some might consider the higher cost to be necessary for what they consider to be a higher quality pressing experience, but it is definitely a higher price than nylon mesh. Low availability is also something to consider. If you need micron mesh ASAP, you are more likely to be able to acquire nylon mesh than stainless steel. Fortunately, this is changing rapidly as stainless steel mesh becomes more and more popular. Companies are stocking more of it on hand to meet demand.
How to Use Stainless Steel Micron Mesh to Press Hash Rosin
It is actually quite simple to press hash using stainless steel micron mesh. First things first, wear some damn gloves so you lessen the contamination rate! Now that you are gloved up, start to form your hash into a brick shape. The heat from your hands will begin to “grease” the hash so it sticks together more easily. Your brick should be around ½ inch thick. The length should be no more than ¾ the length of the stainless steel mesh sheet you are using. This is so you can fold in the side to completely cover the hash. Lay the brick of hash at the bottom of your sheet of stainless steel mesh, then begin to flip it over and over to roll the sheet of mesh around the brick of hash. After a single roll or two, fold in the sides of the mesh sheet so that the brick of hash is completely covered. Many find success with about 2-4 rollovers. Now you can place your mesh covered hash brick on the rosin press plates and proceed with the press. Remember to ramp up pressure slowly, but steadily. Et voila, hash rosin!
H/T: GutenbergsDankPressing.com
