Choosing Filter Bags for Making Ice Water Concentrates

Choosing Filter Bags for Making Ice Water Concentrates

Using ice water is a popular method for making concentrates. If you have never done it before, you may be confused by all the different sizes of filter bags. These mesh filter bags may be referred to as wash bags or bubble bags.

Mesh Bottom or All Mesh?

Many companies make filter bags that will line a 5 gallon plastic bucket or a small washing machine. Beware, all bags are NOT made the same! Some companies make bags that are only mesh on the bottom, which is fine if you do not do this process very often. For the best results, we recommend all mesh bags for making ice water extracts.

 

All Mesh Bag for making ice water extracts

How are filter bags usually sold?

You can often buy these wash bags in an 8 or 4-bag set that will have different mesh sizes that are measured in microns. Some companies sell different micron bags individually outside of a set.

What do the different micron sizes for wash bags mean?

The larger the micron size, the wider the pores of the mesh. Therefore, a high micron bag like 220 will let larger material pass through and is usually going to be the bag on the top of a series of bags. Smaller number micron bags will go underneath. The user can choose which size micron bags to use and how many for a customized experience. Different cultivars will have different resin properties so a large bag set will let you decide what micron sizes are desired for that specific strain.

The Press Club Wash Bags 4 bag set

What's the role of each filter bag?

220 Micron -  “Work bag”, holds material not for consumption 

190 Micron -  Clean up bag for large debris and green matter

160 Micron -  Food grade but low quality (150-45 is “fresh frozen” zone)

120 Micron - Great quality trichomes

90 Micron - High Quality trichomes

73 Micron -  Prime top tier trichomes often “full melt”

In general 120-90-73 blend well together.

45 Micron - Large yield, can be high quality but usually lower than 90-73

25 Micron - Food grade, Low quality

Under 25 Micron - Dust and immature heads. It is always a good practice to rinse with plenty of ice cold water to flush these through.

Tips for a successful wash: 

Trichome stalk development starts at week 3. Many strains secrete resin at weeks 6 through 7. Often material taken at week 5 is still too immature. 

We sell and recommend using wash bags from The Press Club. Call the shop for availability!

Back to blog