Many people don’t understand why decarbing cannabis is so important, especially when it comes to kief. If you aren’t familiar with the process or the reasoning behind it, preparing kief for edibles can seem daunting. However, it’s actually a relatively simple process that anyone can do at home with some basic supplies and knowledge.
Decarboxylating your kief is practically the same process as decarbing cannabis flower, except it’s a shorter amount of time. And don’t worry, the reasoning behind it is identical too. In other words, learning how to decarb kief is very easy and you’ll be able to cook with it in no time flat.
How to Decarb Kief
If you’ve decarbed weed before, the process for kief will be familiar enough, but remember that timing and temperature are key. For this process, in addition to your oven-safe dish and kief, all you’ll need is some parchment paper. Time needed: 30 minutes.
Collect Your Kief
If you’re using kief from a grinder, this process will have already completed. If not, then gently rub the cannabis onto a silk screen with something to catch it underneath; Choose a screen that has holes measuring between 75 and 125 microns.
Prepare Oven and Lay the Kief Out
Follow these instructions to preheat your oven and ensure success with this recipe. First, set the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit or 121 degrees Celsius. Note that oven temperatures can vary significantly, so it’s important to keep an eye on whatever you’re baking. Additionally, remember that hot air rises; thus, the top of the oven will be hotter than the bottom. For this reason, it’s best to place your dish in the middle rack of the oven. Finally, put a baking sheet or piece of parchment paper on top of whicheveroven-safe dish you’ve chosen for easy cleanup later.
Here’s a tip: Before you lay your sheet out, crumple it up to keep as much of it off the hot oven dish surface. Try to evenly spread out the kief as much as possible so all of it is exposed to heat equally, without any large piles or lumps. You can also lay another piece of parchment on top to trap in any vapors and maximize potency.
Put the Dish in the Oven and Decarb
You know your kief is ready and spread out when your oven has reached the set temperature. Then, place the dish in the center of the oven for approximately 25 minutes. The actual time needed depends on other conditions such as how thick the layer of kief is and how accurate your oven temp settings are.
Generally, you should check your kief after 20 minutes have passed. The color will darken a little, but if it looks too brown, then remove it from the oven. It can be tricky to tell when it’s ready, so our best suggestion for first-timers is to leave the kief in for 25 minutes unless you have a small amount or placed it haut up in the oven. This way, you’ll gain an understanding of what cooked kief looks like and can base future judgments on this experience.
Remove the Dish and Let it Cool
Decarboxylate the kief, and then take the dish out of the oven. You don’t want to overcook it by leaving it in too long. Parchment paper can also make things more difficult when you’re trying to remove it from a hot dish, so be careful! It’s still cooling down at this point, but feel free to use it in your recipe once it’s cooled completely.
Different Temperatures and Data on the Decarboxylation of Kief
If you’re trying to figure out how to decarboxylate kief online, you may have noticed some conflicting advice. Some sources suggest a lower temperature for extended periods of time, and that’s just as viable an option. The chart below shows this issue in more detail.
le THC percentage sharply and quickly rises at high temperatures, but starts to decline rapidly as well. Lowering the temperature levels out the curve somewhat, though it takes a bit longer.
If you choose to go the lower and slower route, that’s perfectly understandable. Our approach of 250 °F for 25 minutes is a good balance between being easy to overshoot but not taking an unreasonable amount of time. Some sites even suggest going as low as 220 °F (104 °C) for 45-50 minutes.
We did some testing at Marijuana Growers HQ and found that after decarbing kief for 30 minutes at 240°F, the THC percentage rose from 3.8% to 25.4%, with only a fractional increase after an extra 30 minutes. In short, this means that you’re unlikely to need longer than 30 minutes with kief. However, for plant material there was a significant increase in THC levels for up to one hour.
How to Decarb Hash
The process of decarbing hash is virtually the same asdecarbing kief, with the only exception being that you need to breakthe hash into tiny pieces first. If this proves to be too difficult astrain, fear not! You can always follow suit by completing the stepsabove. For high CDB strains however, we recommend a longer decarbtimeline- around 40 minutes. This gives CBDA an opportunity to properly convert without issue.
What is Kief?
Kief is a powder made of the trichomes, which are glands on the cannabis plant containing THC, CBD and other cannabinoids. Many grinders have “kief catchers” to catch kief because breaking apart cannabis also breaks off trichomes. In “kief” form they’re dry and have generally been sifted through a fine mesh screen.
Kief that is darker in color usually contains more golden to brown hues, or even hints of green because some plant matter remains. However, if you want purer kief, go for the lighter colors. Even though it may not be perfect, using different shades of kief will give good results.
Why You Should Decarb Before Cooking with Kief
Decarboxylation is vital to making edibles because it activates the THC, CBD and other cannabinoids. Without this step, these compounds will not work therapeutically when ingested. In cannabis plants – as well as in kief that breaks off from them – THC exists as THCA while CBD exists as CBDA. Carboxylic acids are a type of molecule that contains an extra carboxyl group; “decarbing” removes this additional piece. Doing so produces the forms of chemicals that show desired effects upon ingestion.
When you vaporize or smoke cannabis, the process of decarbing also happens as you inhale. So, if you’re only smoking or vaping weed, there’s no need to worry about decarbing it first. But, if you want to make edibles or cannabutter, you have to make sure the weed is alreadydecarbed before adding it into a recipe.
Although the process always starts the same – heat kief or cannabis flower to decarboxylate it – things can get more complicated if you want maximum efficiency. Kief or cannabis will reach its potential faster at high temperatures, but if you go past the optimal point, potency will actually decrease from being in the heat too long. Because of this risk, be sure to follow directions for how to decarboxylate kief closely.
How to Make Kief Coffee
When THC-lovers think of edibles, they might first consider Weed Brownies or Cookies. But there is more to canna-baking than just ground weed! Kief, a pollen that comes from the shiny trichomes on cannabis flowers, can also be used as an additive in cooking favorite recipes. If you’re looking to mix things up and want to try kief with coffee, we have some good news for you – it’s a great combination! Not only do the two flavors go well together, but the stimulating effects of caffeine can help enhance the stoning effects of cannabis. With kief and coffee, not only will your taste buds be satisfied, but you’ll also get a nice little boost from the caffeine. So next time you’re in the mood for something different, why not give this unique combo a try?
If you’re after the step-by-step guide to make kief coffee, look no further! Here is an easy recipe for you. Just make sure you have enough pollen collected in your grinder before getting started. Once you taste this mix, we are confident that you will not want your coffee any other way.
How to Make Kief Coffee
You’ve now decarboxylated your kief, making it THC-activated and ready to use. You’re only minutes away from trying a real cannabis treat! Just make some hot coffee and add the decarboxylated kief. Stir it up, and you’ll have a potent cup of stimulating, delicious kief coffee.
For the best results, we recommend adding a splash of milk or creamer to your coffee. The fat molecules in dairy bind with and blend cannabinoids leeching from kief much better than without it–plus, it keeps your coffee hot.
Another factor to consider is that, if your kief originates from a high THC souche, it will likely display the habitual psychoactive effects associated with marijuana. However, if your kief consists only of CBD strains, you’re in the clear and won’t have to worry about being bogged down mentally. Ultimately, it’s your choice as to how you want to begin your day.
Conclusion
You can use kief however you want once you’ve decarboxylated it. Many people prefer to cook with kief because it is more compact and concentrated than flower, and also imparts less flavor into your dishes. The powdery consistency allows for other cooking options as well, like incorporating kief into seasoning mixes. No matter what your intention is for using the kief, as long as it’s decarbed, you’re all set.