Ice-O-Lator Small
Harvest & curing
by Ice-O-Lator
Ice-O-Lator Small — Solventless Hash Extraction Bags for Home Use
The Ice-O-Lator Small is a cold water extraction bag set that separates trichome resin from plant material using nothing but ice, water, and progressively finer mesh screens. Designed for batches of up to 200 grams of plant material per run, these bags fit snugly on a standard 20-litre (5-gallon) bucket with a 30cm diameter opening. Available in 2-bag, 3-bag, 4-bag, 5-bag, 6-bag, 7-bag, and 8-bag configurations, the Ice-O-Lator Small lets you dial in exactly the grade of solventless concentrate you want — from a quick two-bag separation to a full eight-bag spectrum of trichome sizes.
Which Ice-O-Lator Small Set Do You Need?
This is where most people get stuck, so here's the honest breakdown. The number of bags determines how many grades of resin you collect. More bags means more separation — finer grades, cleaner end product, but also more work per run.
| Set | Bags | Mesh Sizes | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor (2 bags) | 2 | 1x 220mc, 1x 70mc | Quick runs with indoor-grown material — fewer leaf contaminants |
| Outdoor (2 bags) | 2 | 1x 185mc, 1x 45mc | Outdoor-grown material with more plant matter to filter out |
| 3 Bag Set | 3 | 1x 220mc, 1x 70mc, 1x 25mc | Good middle ground — catches a finer grade without overcomplicating things |
| 4 Bag Set | 4 | 1x 220mc, 1x 185mc, 1x 70mc, 1x 25mc | Proper multi-grade separation for anyone serious about quality |
| 5 Bag Set | 5 | Multiple graduated meshes | More grades, more control over final product |
| 6 Bag Set | 6 | Multiple graduated meshes | Detailed separation for experienced extractors |
| 7 Bag Set | 7 | Multiple graduated meshes | Near-complete trichome spectrum |
| 8 Bag Set | 8 | Full graduated mesh range | Maximum separation — every trichome size gets its own bag |
Our honest take: if you're doing your first ice water extraction, the 4-bag set hits the sweet spot. You get enough separation to see real differences between grades without spending your entire afternoon scraping eight screens. The 2-bag Indoor set is fine for a fast run when you know your starting material is clean, but you'll be mixing good and mediocre resin together. The 2-bag Outdoor set uses a tighter 45-micron mesh on the collection bag because outdoor material tends to carry more contaminant — that finer screen keeps the rough stuff out.
Why Cold Water Extraction Beats Solvents
Ice water extraction — the method the Ice-O-Lator is built around — produces solventless concentrate with zero chemical residues. No butane, no ethanol, no CO2 tanks. You're using ice and water to make trichome heads brittle enough to snap off the plant, then filtering them through progressively finer mesh screens. The result is pure resin that tastes exactly like the plant it came from, because you haven't blasted it with anything that strips terpenes or leaves behind trace solvents.
We've sold these bags since the early 2000s, and the principle hasn't changed because it doesn't need to. The 220-micron bag is your work bag — it catches the big plant material and lets the trichomes pass through. Everything below that is collection, with finer meshes catching smaller and smaller trichome heads. The 70-micron range is generally considered the sweet spot for potency and flavour. The 25-micron bag catches the tiniest heads — these are often the most concentrated but produce the smallest yield.
One thing to know upfront: ice water extraction is messier than dry sifting. You're working with cold water, your hands will go numb, and drying the collected resin properly takes patience — at least 24 to 48 hours on cardboard or a pressing screen in a cool, dark room. Rush the drying and you'll get mould. That's the trade-off for a cleaner, tastier product.
Ice-O-Lator Small Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Edition | Small |
| Capacity | Up to 200g plant material per run |
| Bag diameter | 30cm |
| Fits bucket size | 20 litres / 5 gallons |
| Available sets | 2-bag (Indoor), 2-bag (Outdoor), 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 bag |
| Indoor 2-bag meshes | 220mc + 70mc |
| Outdoor 2-bag meshes | 185mc + 45mc |
| 3-bag set meshes | 220mc + 70mc + 25mc |
| 4-bag set meshes | 220mc + 185mc + 70mc + 25mc |
| Extraction method | Ice water (solventless) |
| Category | Harvest and curing equipment |
Complete your extraction setup: you'll need a sturdy 20-litre bucket (any hardware shop will do), plenty of ice, and a way to agitate the mix — a large wooden spoon or a purpose-built stirring attachment for a drill both work. For drying the collected resin, a pressing screen or pollen press helps you get a clean, compact final product. If you're processing larger batches, the Ice-O-Lator Large handles up to 500g per run on a bigger bucket.
How the Ice-O-Lator Small Actually Works
The process is straightforward, but the details matter. We've walked hundreds of customers through their first run, and the mistakes are almost always the same: not enough ice, agitating too aggressively, or not drying the resin long enough. Here's how to do it properly.
- Stack your Ice-O-Lator bags inside the 20-litre bucket, finest mesh (lowest micron number) at the bottom, coarsest mesh (220mc) on top. Each bag nests inside the one below it.
- Place your plant material — up to 200g — into the top bag (the work bag). The material should be dry or frozen; frozen material releases trichomes more easily because the resin heads are already brittle.
- Add ice generously. You want roughly a 1:1 ratio of ice to plant material by volume, then fill with cold water until the material is fully submerged. The water temperature needs to stay near freezing — below 4°C is the target.
- Stir gently for 15 to 20 minutes. This is where people go wrong. You're not making a smoothie — aggressive blending breaks up plant material and contaminates your resin. Slow, steady circular motions. Let the cold do the work.
- Let the mixture settle for 20 to 30 minutes after stirring. The trichome heads sink through the mesh layers while plant debris stays trapped in the upper bags.
- Lift each bag out one at a time, starting from the top. Let the water drain fully before removing the next bag. You'll see different colours and textures on each screen — the 70mc bag typically holds the golden, sandy material that's your top-grade resin.
- Scrape the collected resin from each bag using a spoon or card. Place each grade separately onto pressing screens, cardboard, or parchment paper.
- Dry in a cool, dark room with decent airflow for 24 to 48 hours minimum. Break up any clumps after 12 hours to expose more surface area. The resin should feel dry and crumbly, not tacky, before you store or press it.
A second run on the same material often yields a decent amount — not as potent as the first, but still worth collecting. Some people do three runs before discarding the plant material.
