Ice Water & Dry Ice Extraction Bag Kits
Extraction bag kits bundle a complete set of graduated micron filter bags into a single purchase, providing everything needed to run a full-separation cold water or dry ice extraction from a single kit. A typical kit contains 5-8 bags with micron ratings from 25 to 220 (or 25 to 160 for dry ice application), matching buckets or bags for each collection grade, and a pressing screen for removing excess water from the collected material. Kits eliminate the need to source individual bags at each micron rating and ensure the set covers the full separation range needed for multi-grade collection runs.
Choosing Between Kit Sizes
Kit sizes correspond to both bag count (more bags = more separation grades) and volume (1-gallon, 5-gallon, 20-gallon bucket-size kits for different batch volumes). 5-gallon kits accommodate batches of 50-150 grams per run in most configurations. 20-gallon kits scale to 300-500+ gram commercial batches. More bags in a kit (8 bags vs. 5) provides finer grade separation and more collection grades -- the additional intermediate mesh sizes separate particles that a 5-bag kit would group together. For personal-scale extraction where simplicity matters more than ultra-fine grade separation, a 5-bag set is practical; for commercial extraction where quality grading of output is important, an 8-bag set is standard. See our full cold water extraction equipment collection for complete systems and accessories.
Dry Ice Extraction Kits
Dry ice extraction bags use the same micron mesh filtration principle but are designed for use without water -- frozen plant material is combined with dry ice pellets inside the bag, then agitated over a flat surface to sieve trichomes through the mesh onto a collection surface. Dry ice kits typically use larger mesh bags (73-220 micron range) rather than the full cold water set, since the dry process does not achieve the same fine particle separation as liquid-phase filtration. Dry ice is not included in kits and must be sourced separately. Fast shipping.
Extraction Bag Kits FAQ
How many bags do I need in an extraction kit?
Five-bag kits provide adequate grade separation for most personal and small-scale extraction runs -- covering the key micron ranges (220, 160, 73, 45, 25) that separate plant material from intermediate grades and high-quality output. Eight-bag kits add additional intermediate micron sizes (120, 90) that allow finer separation of quality grades for commercial operations where distinguishing between quality tiers is important for pricing and product differentiation. For a first extraction setup, a 5-bag kit is a practical starting point.
What is the "work bag" in an extraction set?
The work bag is the coarsest-mesh bag in the set (typically 220 micron) and is the only bag that holds the plant material during agitation. All other bags are nested inside the work bag or used for filtration -- they collect material that passes through the work bag mesh. The work bag retains the bulk plant material while allowing trichomes and water to pass through to the smaller-mesh collection bags below. The work bag collects mostly plant material and very little usable extract -- it is the mechanical separator that contains the input material, not a collection bag.
How do I dry the collected material after cold water extraction?
Fresh-collected cold water extract contains significant moisture from the extraction process and must be dried before storage. Methods: freeze drying (fastest, best quality preservation -- a freeze dryer processes wet extract in 24-48 hours without heat damage); air drying on cardboard or freeze-dry screens in a cold, dark environment (slower -- 5-7 days depending on ambient humidity); or microplaning the wet material and freeze-drying the fine particles. Freeze drying preserves quality better than air drying by avoiding the oxidation that occurs during extended ambient drying. See our freeze dryer collection for equipment.
What is the difference between 5-gallon and 20-gallon extraction kits?
The gallon rating refers to the bag volume -- the amount of ice water mixture the bags can contain during extraction. 5-gallon kits process batches of 50-150 grams of material per run. 20-gallon kits process 300-600+ gram batches. Match kit size to your typical batch volume -- using a 20-gallon kit for a 50-gram batch is wasteful (large volumes of ice water for small material quantities reduces concentration and quality); using a 5-gallon kit for 400-gram batches overloads the bags and produces suboptimal separation.
Can I use the same bags for both cold water and dry ice extraction?
Some bags work for both methods, but purpose-made bags differ by application. Cold water extraction bags are designed to be submerged and to handle repeated wet/dry cycles without delaminating at the seams. Dry ice extraction bags need to withstand very low temperatures (dry ice reaches -109 degrees F) without becoming brittle. Many quality extraction bag sets are rated for both methods. Check manufacturer specifications -- bags rated only for cold water extraction may degrade or crack when used with dry ice temperatures.
