Kief is becoming a coveted substance in the cannabis world; after all, it is immensely potent. However, many people remain unfamiliar with what it is, or the best ways to use it. It’s best to think of kief as a byproduct of cannabis that forms through the trichomes.
When marijuana becomes ready to harvest, trichomes develop on the leaves and buds. Trichomes are small growths with a cloudy color often resembling tiny mushrooms. They appear when the crop reaches maturity, and you can see them yourself if you view the plants with a magnifying glass.
Trichomes are flush with cannabinoids and terpenes, including the THC growers anticipate so highly. When the trichomes dry out, they form a resin: kief.
On average, kief contains around 50% THC, but some samples can reach 70+%. While it isn’t as powerful as other concentrates, you can get it from marijuana. Plus, you only need a little to get the effects that you seek; therefore, kief could save you a small fortune.
Obviously, the quality of kief depends on the quality of the marijuana plant it is extracted from. If the kief is dark green, it is less potent because there is lots of plant matter included. If it’s blonde or light tan and has a gorgeous aroma, you have premium-grade kief in your hands.
In this article, we provide you with seven great ways to enjoy kief. But first, let’s provide you with a quick guide to collecting it from your herb.
Grinding & Collecting Your Kief
Although you will ‘get by’ with a two-chamber grinder, we recommend purchasing a three-chamber version to collect kief. A three-chamber grinder grinds the marijuana more finely. It also ensures that the precious kief crystals fall through a screen and are safely collected in a compartment. If you only use a two-chamber version, crystals can fall off and stick to the inside of the grinder.
You can also use a sifter box and two coins. Make sure your hands and the coins are clean first. It is also best if you handle the coins and weed as little as possible. Put two quarters on the tray along with the dry herb and shake the sifter box for up to 60 seconds. Once you have done this, open the box to see how much kief has been collected. If there isn’t enough, keep shaking until you are satisfied.
Kief measures typically between 75 and 125 microns. Therefore, removing 100% of the resin from the plant materials is an exceedingly difficult process.
To collect premium-quality kief, use at least three layers of mesh screen (four is better) on top of one another. The finest mesh should be the bottom layer. This method will allow you to collect high-quality kief that contains as little plant matter as possible.
Once you have collected enough kief, store it in a cool, dark place in an airtight container. If you’re not using it right away, stir and mix it every two days to prevent it from sticking together.
7 Great Uses for Kief
1 – Make Moonrocks
If you’ve never tried moonrocks, you’re missing out! They are incredibly potent and are a low-cost alternative to concentrates. Heat some marijuana oil gently and coat your buds with it. Then, sprinkle the kief over the buds while they are still warm. Alternatively, use a pair of tongs to roll your buds in the kief. After they harden, break them up by hand and sprinkle them into a bowl to enjoy the high. Don’t use a grinder during the process because it grinds your moonrocks too finely.
2 – Make Your Own Vape Juice with It
Not many people even consider turning kief into an e-juice. You will need the following to do so:
- Kief
- A vaporizer
- Vegetable glycerin
- Propylene glycol
- A coffee filter
- A few syringes
- A double boiler
- An e-juice flavor, such as strawberry, if you desire
We recommend adding a 1:1 mixture of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin to the double boiler and add your kief. Allow the mixture to heat until it has melted with a smooth consistency.
If you want to add flavor, now is the time. Make sure you do thorough research to check that the flavoring agents you use are safe to inhale, and don’t use anything that could harm your lungs.
Pour your mixture into a coffee filter. Place a container beneath to filter out the remaining plant matter. Wait until the mixture has cooled, fill up your syringe, and use it to add the liquid to your vaporizer.
3 – Cannabutter
Kief works well when cooking because it is more flavorful than buds, and preserves the original flavor of any recipe. Make sure you decarboxylate the kief before using it for cooking. Place it in an ovenproof dish, and bake for 20 minutes at approximately 220-240 degrees Fahrenheit. Add it to the ground herb, and mix it with butter to create cannabutter.
4 – Press Rosin
Rosin is an extraction technique that doesn’t involve the use of solvents. It utilizes pressure and heat to squeeze the resin from your kief or hash. All you need is parchment paper, a hair straightener, and a collection tool. Only the most experienced users can distinguish rosin from sap or shatter. When you use kief, you benefit from an extremely potent concentrate.
5 – Create Hash
One of the first steps in making hash involves extracting kief. Hash is essentially kief that has been heated slightly and pressurized to create a soft ball. When you apply pressure and heat to kief, its resin glands are damaged, which results in a change in composition. Also, subjecting kief to pressure causes its color to become darker.
You can make hash at home using kief. To do so, place the kief on a piece of parchment paper and fold the paper over the top. Next, run a clothes iron or a straightening iron over the parchment paper. By doing so, you are applying pressure and heat to the kief, which will change its composition. The key here is to do so for long enough until the kief becomes compressed, but the parchment paper doesn’t burn.
6 – Add It to a Joint or Bowl
When sprinkling kief into your joint, we recommend mixing it with your bud beforehand. Combining it with the bud first will ensure the kief doesn’t fall out. One handy tip is to sandwich the kief between the bud before wrapping it up in the rolling paper. You can also add some kief to the flower that’s already in your bowl. Best of all, you generally only need to light it once, and you can enjoy an entire session without interruption.
Alternatively, you could try rolling a twax joint. First, dampen the outside of the joint, or else you can use wax. Roll the exterior of the joint in kief. The kief will stick to the outside of the joint. Light up, and enjoy that extra kief kick.
Another option is to sprinkle your kief onto a packed bowl of cannabis.
This is known as “crowning” a bowl. It increases the potency of the bowl dramatically. Experienced cannabis consumers recommend ‘cornering your hits.’ This method entails burning a quadrant of the bowl at a time. That way, you can enjoy multiple hits from your kief-crowned bowl.
7 – Add It to Coffee or Brew Tea
A lot of kief lovers sprinkle some into their coffee. It decarboxylates when added to boiling water. Therefore, there is no need to place it in the oven first (although you can do so if you wish). You can also add it to your tea. One milligram is more than enough for every six ounces of liquid. However, it’s up to you to decide how you want to enjoy it!
Final Thoughts on What You Can Do with Kief
If you haven’t tried kief yet, you’re missing out! It is a low-cost way to experience similar effects to concentrates. All you have to do is grind your weed’s trichomes using a three-chamber grinder. There are numerous ways to enjoy the potent psychoactive high it provides. Add it to your coffee, cannabutter, joint, bowl, or moonrocks, or turn it into an e-liquid. You’ll be glad you did!