Innovations in cannabis processing continue to evolve, with connoisseurs discovering more techniques to improve the output of cannabis buds. One of the more recent innovations is the integration of liquid CO2 in the bud trimming process. The integration of CO2 in trimmers was realized when Travis Arnovick and James Watts created the Original Resinator. This innovation of the two took was the talk of the town, as trade show goers talked about this new idea in trimming. Since gaining prominence, Arnovick and Watts have since then put out the Resinator OG, and Resinator XL to cater to different sizes of operations.
The idea of trimming with CO2 is to preserve the natural look of the bud without the sugar leaves, by using CO2 to flash freeze the buds, so leaves fall off easily. But what sets CO2 trimming apart from other trimming techniques is the total time you spend in preparing your buds for the dispensaries. Because, for a little over 24 hours, your wet buds will be ready for smoking or extracts. What takes a few weeks, CO2 trims compresses into a small time frame without sacrificing flavor.
Before you jump into the bandwagon, there is more to just plugging in a CO2 tank into a trimmer. Your buds and trimmers must meet particular needs so you can proceed with this technique. Although the whole process may seem complicated or tedious for some, the results are remarkable, and can potentially get your investment faster.
How Does Trimming With CO2 Work?
Trimming with CO2 involves injecting a certain amount of liquid CO2 into the tumbler of a compatible bladeless bud trimmer. The CO2 flash freezes and preserves the bud, and proceed to rotate the tumblers to shed off the excess leaves. Lowering the temperatures inside make the sugar leaves brittle and break away easily, without having to use blades, and minimal bruises from trimming. After the trimming process, your buds normalize temperature and retains terpene profiles and flavors.
What Do You Need for Good CO2 Trims?
The key to good CO2 trims depends on how you buck the buds. The neater the bucking, the less time you need to get the ideal results. So, having a reliable bucker on hand helps in the trimming later on.
If you are trimming wet material, you need to freeze dry or wet cure your buds before infusing the CO2
If you are trimming wet material, you need to freeze dry or wet cure your buds before infusing the CO2. You need to preserve the biomass first and remove oxygen inside, as flash freezing can oxidize your buds and ruin the taste. For dry buds, you can trim them as is, just before they go into the curing stage.
Also note that not all bladeless trimmers work with CO2 infusion. Aside from having a CO2 tank and infusion kit, your bladeless trimmer must have a compatible intake to accept the nozzle from the Kit. The trimmer you use should also be sealable, so that temperatures are maintained inside the tumbler.
There are a select few standalone bladeless trimmers that work with CO2 infusion kits, one of which is the Tom’s Tumble Trimmers. Most of their trimmers have the option for an integration of a CO2 Kit for less than 400 dollars. In relation, you must have a temperature probe so you can track the existing temperature inside. Note that you only need a blast enough to reach the ideal temperature. Continuously running the CO2 may lower the temperatures beyond thresholds and damage your strain.
How Do You Trim With CO2?
Trimming with CO2 is a straightforward method. The preparations are pretty standard: if your buds are wet, you need to freeze dry them. If they still have stems, you better de-buck before trimming.
- To begin trimming with CO2, place your buds inside the mesh tumbler. Set the temperature probes inside, where you can have get the best readings.
- Then, you connect your CO2, and make sure it’s attached firmly.
- Look at the temperature reading inside, and release CO2 until you get the ideal temperature for the strain. You do not want to go lower than the desired temperature range, as this may damage the bud.
- Once you get the ideal temperature, turn off the CO2 valve, and let the trimmer do its job.
- The ideal trimming time depends on the machine and bud you use. Each strain has different reactions when flash-frozen at a fixed temperature, so you need to check what works best for your buds.
- Once you finish trimming, let the buds settle before taking them out. This settling will allow the buds to return to room temperature.
- You can take out your buds after a few minutes, and prepare them for the dispensaries.
Why Should You Use CO2 When Trimming Your Buds?
You can summarize the benefits of CO2 trimming this way: you get the same amount of flavor, if not better, while getting your investment faster. As it is, you can quickly move from harvest to dispensary in a little over 24 hours, whereas the traditional methods take you weeks to get your inventory moving.
The added costs of having a full CO2 setup, including freeze dryers, might be a lot. But, it still does not beat the fact you get your buds out faster, so your investment returns at the soonest time. So, if you are willing to spend extra, given the possible returns, by all means, consider integrating a CO2 trimmer into your production.
You also want to bring the best cannabis buds to the dispensaries.You do not want something that looks like a crushed prune associated with your farm, so you ought to walk the extra mile to give your customers the best-looking buds, with the fullest flavors possible. And that is possible when you opt to use CO2 in bud trimming.
