A water temperature of just above zero centigrade is crucial.

The amount and quality of the end product directly translates to the amount and quality of the product you use.

It is best to use small cuttings; the big leaves do not have many crystals on them. Make sure there are no hard branches inside, they might damage the screen or block the mixer.

If you use buds, pull them apart so the crystals can get free.

 


 

In addition to the Ice-O-Lator the following items are required:

  •   One 100/120 litre bucket with lid (20 gallon) Diameter Ø 50-55 cm
  •   A kitchen mixer
  •   Kitchen paper (absorbing)
  •   ± 20 pounds of ice cubes, enough to keep the temperature down to 4º C. (41ºF.)


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1  Fill the bucket with ice-cold water, up to 15 cm under the edge. Put the bags in, first the fine screen, then the big screen, and make sure there is no air in between the bags and the bucket.

   

The bags should hang straight down to create optimal space inside. Pull the bags over the rim of the bucket and pull the cord to tighten. Deep freeze the plant matter for an hour before you start.

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2   Put the plant material in the ICE-O-LATOR (max. 500 grams).

The crystals need enough space in the bag to be able to fall. If the bag is too full, they will be stuck in the plant mass.

Put the ice on top of the leaves to make sure the leaves will stay below the surface.

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3   Fill the bucket with water up to 5 cm under the rim and leave the mass to soak for 15 min. The ideal temperature for the process is 3º to 5º C. (= 41º F.)

      


Make two holes in the lid of the bucket to allow the mixer through. After soaking, move the ice under the leaves, place the lid with the mixer on the bucket and turn it on at the low speed. Turn for 15 min. stop the mixer and open the lid. Move all the plant material from the sides towards the middle. Leave the Ice-O-Lator off for 5 minutes to give the crystals some time to sink. Then turn on the mixer again.

  

Repeat this process until all leaves have been stirred, and are floating around in the bucket. Usually this will take about 1 hour.


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4  When the process is finished, take out the big bag with the leaves, and let the water drip out. Close the bag on top with one hand, just allowing some air to go through, and push the bag back under water. Push up and down to wash the crystals well. Make sure you work in a clean environment. Everything that falls in the second (fine screen) bag will remain in your end product. Make sure that the crystals that have fallen through the first bag don't stick to the outside of the bag. Rinse them off carefully with some water and make sure they fall in the fine screen bag.

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5  Take out the fine screen bag and let the water drip out. It's a good sign if the screen is blocked.

   

Take the bag in two hands and move up and down in opposite direction to move the crystal mass from left to right and back. The water will find more space to fall through.

   

When the water is gone, the crystals remain in the screen. If it is visibly polluted (green colour), rinse carefully with cold water. The tiny pieces of leaf material will fall through the screen. Fold the screen so the crystals are caught in between. Put a thick layer of kitchen paper around it, and make a dance of joy on top of it ! Your weight will press the water into the paper. Now you can put the next load of leaves in, and use the same (cold) water (you can use it up to 5 times). Put the big screen bag back into the bucket and repeat from Step 2. The remaining water in the bucket contains all water soluble nutrients of the plant, and makes a good fertilizer.

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6  Take the crystals out of the screen, crumble it on a smooth surface to dry. The ICE-O-LATOR can be rinsed with cold water immediately after use. If the crystal remains have dried in the screen, use alcohol (96%) to clean the screen.

The rest of the moisture must be taken out of the crystals immediately, or it will start to mould. The easiest way is to crumble it and let it dry. Or you can hand-press until you have a solid ball. Keep squeezing and pressing; water will become visible on your hands. If it is too sticky to work on, freezing the crystals quickly prevents this.

To get the last bit of moisture out, make the ball as flat as possible, and place it in the freezer. Freezing water will expand in volume, and appear on the surface of the crystal mass. Just wipe it off…

When you press the crystals, they will break and the oil will be released. The mixture will get dark. Only crystals of very fresh leaf waste, will always stay blonde ( `white` plants). This indicates a very special quality.

That's it.. all done!
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