CBD ice-o-lator: 45u, 120u and Caramelo compared
Three resins, one method and three separate batches: the 45u tests at 14.8% measured CBD (batch PG-26-1E4E), the 120u at 15.9% (batch PG-26-A7E3) and Caramelo 120u at 15.5% (batch PG-26-DA1E). The number on the label names the mesh of the sieve, in microns, never the content. That is read on the batch HPLC certificate, with Δ⁹-THC measured at 0.2% against a legal ceiling of 0.30%.
Contents
Three neighbouring listings, one family and figures that do not run the way you would expect: the finest fraction is not the richest. This comparison sets side by side the data published on the three Phytogrammes catalogue listings, with their batch numbers and their price tiers, then explains what each certificate allows you to conclude. The values come from the product pages as recorded on 16 September 2026; none is taken from a nominal headline figure.
> Key points > > - The same process for all three: ice-water separation of the trichomes, no solvent. > - The micron names the mesh that held the fraction, not the cannabinoid level. > - Finer does not mean richer: 45u at 14.8%, 120u at 15.9%. > - The 45u costs more per gram because it is harder to obtain, not because it tests higher. > - Three batches, three certificates: PG-26-1E4E, PG-26-A7E3, PG-26-DA1E.
1. Three water separations, one method
The ice-o-lator, also known as bubble hash, separates the trichomes from the flower using water and ice: the cold stiffens them, the agitation detaches them, and bags of decreasing mesh sort them by size. No solvent is involved and the water performs no chemical transformation, so quality comes down to the starting material and the rigour of the sorting. The full definition is on the lexicon's ice-o-lator page.
The three references below come out of that same gesture. Two variables set them apart: the mesh that held the fraction, and the hemp variety of the batch, which governs the terpene profile.
| Criterion | Ice-o-lator 45u | 120u | Caramelo 120u |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stated mesh | 45 microns | 120 microns | 120 microns |
| Dominant cannabinoid (HPLC) | CBD 14.8% | CBD 15.9% | CBD 15.5% |
| Unrounded value on the listing | 14.83% | 15.86% | 15.53% |
| CBG | 0.9% | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| CBC | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| CBN | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Δ⁹-THC measured | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Aromatic profile on the listing | floral and herbaceous, linalool and α-pinene | floral and herbaceous, linalool and α-pinene | peppery and dry, α-pinene and β-caryophyllene |
| Price for 2 g | 8.45 €/g | 7.95 €/g | 7.95 €/g |
| Price for 10 g | 5.99 €/g | 4.99 €/g | 4.99 €/g |
| Price for 100 g | 2.02 €/g | 1.90 €/g | 1.90 €/g |
| Batch number | PG-26-1E4E | PG-26-A7E3 | PG-26-DA1E |
Those three rows, mesh, measured level and price, cannot be deduced from one another.
2. 45u: the fine fraction
The 45u is what the wash leaves on the narrowest mesh in the set. Whole trichome heads stayed on the earlier sieves; what reaches 45 microns is finer and denser, and the ice-o-lator 45u listing explains that this difficulty of collection is what sets its price per gram, not its content.
The figures bear that out. Batch PG-26-1E4E shows 14.83% CBD, the lowest of the three, for the highest price per gram: 8.45 € on the 2 g tier and 2.02 € on the 100 g tier, against 7.95 € and 1.90 € for the two 120u. The gap comes from the yield of the fraction, not from concentration.
The rest of the profile follows the same logic: CBG at 0.9%, CBC at 0.3%, CBN at 0.2%, the lowest values of the trio. The Δ⁹-THC is measured at 0.2%, as on the other two batches.
On the scale of grades, a narrow mesh is often associated with full melt, the hash that melts completely under heat without leaving plant residue. The lexicon points out that this grade is a verdict from observation, not a laboratory measurement: it describes the mechanical cleanliness of the separation, never the chemical composition.
3. 120u: the window for whole heads
The 120 micron mesh holds back whole trichome heads. The 120u listing is the purchase page for that reference: it carries the batch on sale, its HPLC analysis and its six price tiers. For the definition of the mesh itself, of the sieve scale and of what a micron announces, the reference page is the 120u lexicon entry. The two pages do not say the same thing and do not replace one another.
Batch PG-26-A7E3 measures 15.86% CBD, rounded to 15.9% on the listing's headline. It is the highest value of the three. The secondary profile is the fullest as well: CBG at 1.3%, CBC at 0.5%, CBN at 0.4%. The nose is described as floral and herbaceous, opening on linalool and α-pinene.
The tiers come down from 7.95 €/g for 2 g to 1.90 €/g for 100 g, by way of 6.18 €, 4.99 €, 3.80 € and 2.80 €. Discounts are calculated from the 2 g price.
No standard governs micron notation, though: the lexicon notes that a jar sold as 120u may correspond to one mesh or to a blend of two neighbouring meshes. The number remains an indication of seriousness, not a guarantee that can be verified in itself.
4. Caramelo 120u: same mesh, another profile
Caramelo comes out of the same 120 micron window as the previous reference. What changes is the hemp variety of the batch, and so the bouquet. Where the 120u opens on linalool, Caramelo 120u is described as peppery and dry, on an α-pinene and β-caryophyllene profile. The listing states that its name comes from that aromatic register, particular to the genetics of the batch, and that the method remains that of any 120u ice-o-lator.
Batch PG-26-DA1E measures 15.53% CBD, a third of a point below batch PG-26-A7E3 for an identical mesh. It is the clearest demonstration in this comparison: with the process constant and the mesh constant, the level changes with the raw material and the wash, not with the number on the label.
The price tiers are those of the 120u, from 7.95 €/g to 1.90 €/g. The packaging differs: opaque glass for Caramelo, a pouch with a 62% humidity pack for the 120u, with storage stated between 10 and 20 °C in both cases.
5. Reading the three certificates side by side
The three batches are analysed by a third-party laboratory under ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. The method is identical from one listing to the next: cannabinoids by HPLC, terpenes by GC-MS, heavy metals by ICP-MS, pesticides by LC-MS/MS. The our laboratory page sets out how to read those four blocks.
Four lines are enough to compare three certificates.
- The dominant cannabinoid and its unrounded value. 14.83%, 15.86% and 15.53%: the real gap between the three batches is a single percentage point, far less than the rounded headlines suggest.
- The Δ⁹-THC. Measured at 0.2% on all three batches, against a ceiling of 0.30% set by the arrêté du 30 décembre 2021 (French order of 30 December 2021), which applies the same limit to extracts and to the products containing them. On 29 December 2022 the Conseil d'État (France's supreme administrative court, decision no. 444887) annulled the ban on selling raw flowers and leaves; resins fall under the regime for extracts and under the same limit.
- The batch number. It must match the one on the label. A certificate with no number traceable to the pouch proves nothing about the product bought.
- The terpene line. That is what tells apart two batches of the same mesh, as with the 120u and Caramelo 120u here.
Comparison between brands follows the same protocol. The comparison of the catalogue's families, frozen, piatella, 120u and static, applies this grid to the other processes, and the CBD resin and hash page gathers the references available. The ice-o-lator sub-collection brings together the ice-water resins alone.
These products are for adults only and are not foodstuffs.
Frequently asked questions
45u or 120u: which one to choose?
They are two fractions of the same wash. The 120 micron mesh holds back whole trichome heads; the 45 micron one a finer and denser fraction, harder to collect and therefore dearer per gram. On the batches on sale, the 120u tests at 15.9% CBD and the 45u at 14.8%: two figures that are read on the analysis, not on the mesh.
Are Caramelo 120u and the 120u the same product?
No. Both come out of the same 120 micron mesh and the same ice-water separation, but the hemp variety differs. Caramelo 120u is described as peppery and dry, on an α-pinene and β-caryophyllene profile, while the 120u opens on linalool. The batches measure 15.53% and 15.86% CBD respectively.
Does a finer micron give a more concentrated resin?
No, and this comparison shows it: the finest fraction of the three is also the one that tests lowest. The mesh sorts particles by size, it does not concentrate the cannabinoids. The lexicon also points out that below 45 microns the fraction fills up with immature heads and dust.
What should be checked on the certificate before buying?
Four points: the dominant cannabinoid with its unrounded value, the Δ⁹-THC below the 0.30% limit, the batch number matching the one on the pouch, and the date of analysis tied to the batch sold. The laboratory must be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 and independent of the seller.
Sources
- Phytogrammes, ice-o-lator 45u listing, batch PG-26-1E4E (recorded on 16 September 2026)
- Phytogrammes, 120u listing, batch PG-26-A7E3 (recorded on 16 September 2026)
- Phytogrammes, Caramelo 120u listing, batch PG-26-DA1E (recorded on 16 September 2026)
- Phytogrammes, lexicon "Ice-o-lator"
- Phytogrammes, lexicon "120u (microns)"
- Phytogrammes, lexicon "Full melt"
- Légifrance, arrêté du 30 décembre 2021 (French order of 30 December 2021, article 1, I and III)
- Conseil d'État, decision of 29 December 2022, no. 444887
- ISO/IEC 17025, testing and calibration laboratories
- Leaf Magazines, "Cannthropology: Bubble Hash Backstory" (Ice-O-Lator, Cannabis Cup 1998)
- The Press Club, the role of wash bags by mesh
Written by the Phytogrammes team
Every article in this journal draws on primary sources (ANSM, EFSA, EUR-Lex, peer-reviewed publications) and on the lab's own practice: batch-by-batch HPLC analyses, measured cannabinoid profiles. Our approach.
Article published on . CBD is not a medicine.