Kief is a term used to describe the crystal-like formations on the bulbous end of the resinous trichomes, which give cannabis its frosted look. The trichome’s tip contains the greatest amount of psychoactive phytocannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Trichomes act as a protective mechanism against herbivores. The disorienting psychotropic effet seen by a herbivore who has consumed any portion of the plant coated in this resinous substance is an effective deterrent, saving the entire plant from being eaten.
How to Extract Kief from the Cannabis Plant
The simplest way to obtain THC-rich kief from the rest of the plant is to sift and collect it with a three-chamber herb grinder. If you use a two-chamber grinder, precious kief crystals may fall off and stick to the inside of the machine.
If you want to get a lot of kief, it’s probably a good idea to use simple sifting materials. Many people create their own homemade sifters to save money. Sifting and extracting kief from the rest of the cannabis plant material is easy with layered screens placed on top of one another.
It’s also crucial to remember that kief ranges in size from 75-125 microns, so the number of wires or lines per inch (LPI) on your sifter will determine the best results. A rule of thumb is that the larger the screen, the smaller the LPI number. It is suggested that you use a sifter with a mesh count of 80 to 270 LPI.
If you don’t want to sift your kief and would rather buy it at a dispensary, the color of the kief will provide you a hint as to its quality. The brighter the color of the kief, the purer it is. If the kief is greenish in hue, it contains a lot of plant material, suggesting that it is less pure. Kief with an off-white tint will be much more pure and superior choice than any other kind.
How to Consume Kief
All of this kief was previously attached to your cannabis bud, so it’s now up to you what you want to do with it. When deciding on the best method of ingestion, there are several alternatives: smoke it, use it in edibles and cannabis-laced meals, or create moonrocks and hash; the choice is yours. Continue reading below to learn more about each approach.
“Crowning Your Bowl”
Fill your bowl as usual into your pipe, chillum, bong, or other smoking device. Take a pinch of fresh kief and sprinkle it over the packed bowl. This significantly increases the strength of each hit. It’s a good idea to “corner” your hits by burning a tiny portion of the kief-crowned bowl at once so you can get many doses from it.
Sprinkle it in a Joint or Roll a Twax Joint
You may improve the strength of your joint by sprinkling some kief into it. The quantity of kief you add will obviously determine its strength, so pick a manageable amount. If this is your first time using kief in a joint, start small.
When the outside of a joint is dampened by the user or cannabis wax, as well as kief being applied to the top third, it is known as a “moistened” joint. A “twaxed” joint is one that has been coated in kief.
If You Want to Cook With Kief
The easiest approach to cook Kief into your meal is to combine it in a saucepan on the stovetop with low to medium heat. This method works well when creating THC-rich sauces. Add the required quantity of kief directly to a batch of your preferred oil, stirring slowly with a spoon as the oil heats up. After 20-40 minutes, add in other ingredients for your final sauce and continue cooking. Pour the sauce over whatever you’re eating (it’s amazing with cannabis Kief pasta!).
Add Kief to your Cannabutter
Why not experiment with adding kief to your cannabutter to improve its potency? Whether you decarboxylate your cannabis in an oven or a crockpot, keep in mind that you’ll need to mix your kief with flower to get the best outcomes.
Coffee and Tea From Kief:
Preparing tea and coffee beverages with the strong morning or afternoon punch of THC-potent kief is a simple procedure that requires little additional work with numerous medical and recreational advantages.
If you want a little more substance in your morning cup of Joe, simply add a pinch of this pollen to it and stir thoroughly using a teaspoon or stirring stick. Yes, it really is that easy, because the heat from your coffee will activate the chemicals in kief that make you haut, allowing you to experience the advantages quickly with minimal effort on your part. A pinch is enough for a single cup of coffee or one cappuccino/latte.
Kief is also quite simple to use. Simply add a pinch of kief into your sifter or disposable tea bag if you’re steeping a loose-leaf tea. A pinch is the correct amount for a 6-8 fluid ounce cup of tea, but if you want to brew a whole pot, double it.
The third technique is to just stir the pinch into your already steeped tea cup. The hot water in tea, like coffee, activates the components (THC, etc.) within the Kief.
Make Moon Rocks from Kief
What are moonrocks, and what do they look like? Moon rocks are high-quality/top shelf nuggets of herb that have been oiled and covered with a layer of powdery Kief, similar to a vanilla ice cream popsicle dipped in chocolate and coated with sprinkles.
The purpose of going through this DIY process is to end up with a really powerful, highly medicated bud that may be broken up with your hands and used in a bowl for smoking. Avoid using a grinder on your moonrock since it will break it down too finely and you’ll waste all of your time.
In addition, have fun with your friends and family by making these moonrocks from the comfort of your own home, which the 420 community has dubbed “a fast DIY concentrate.” Simply follow these easy steps to create a quick DIY concentrate:
- Choose your personal choice of cannabis buds from the batch you have on hand.
- On low heat, cook an oil of your choice (adding Cannabis Oil or CannaButter for extra ganja potency, but sunflower, coconut, or canola oil will also do).
- Hold your bud by a corner and dip it into the hot oil, liberally coating the nugget in this sticky substance.
- Allow the oil to cool before adding additional Kief. When the oil is still warm, brush Kief over your bud and wait for it to firmly attach itself. If you have a lot of pollen on hand, roll your greasy buds in a dusting of Kief powder to give each little nugulette a coat of this therapeutic and healing substance. Allow the coating to set before removing it.
- Break up the (now) moonrock using your fingers, throw it into your favorite bowl, light up and enjoy!
With these easy guidelines, you can get the most out of your yummy, fresh herb.
How to Store Kief
Kief, like other cannabis products, should be kept in an airtight glass container to preserve its freshness and minimize loss. While there are a variety of opinions on the best way to store Kief so that you lose as little as possible while maintaining its vitality, it appears that most people believe pollen is best stored in an airtight glass container. These containers come in various sizes and forms, but just pick one that best fits your needs. Consider these two questions: How much Kief do you intend to keep? For how long?
If you’re using a glass jar, simply insert a tiny metal, wooden or plastic spatula into the container in order to remove the kief with it. This will aid in scraping any extra powder off of the jar’s walls and keeping the contents fresh and clean. If it appears that a significant amount of kief is sticking to the walls, put your glass storage jar in the freezer for a few hours. This should assist to loosen up any kief from the jar’s walls, allowing you to use your tiny spatula to reach inside and access any of the powder you previously thought would go to waste.
Make Hash from Your Kief
When kief is heated and pressured, it creates hash. The resin glands break as a result of the heat and pressure. This influences not just the chemical composition of kief, but also its form and flavor. Hash has a soft, green ball-shaped structure. The more pressure you apply, the darker the hash becomes. Kief and hash have a different flavor and impact than each other.
Press Rosin with Your Kief
Rosin, which is made from cannabis flower, is becoming increasingly trendy among marijuana enthusiasts. You get all of the advantages of keeping those wonderful cannabinoids while avoiding the potentially harmful side effects of consuming a cannabis concentrate that still contains a hazardous solvent residue.
You can even create a more powerful and potent rosin by pressing kief, which is why it’s important to differentiate between the terms. You may make your own rosin at home using basic household equipment, but you must use high-pressure presses to make professional rosin. The link below will show you how to make rosin at home:
Which Strains are good choices for extracting Kief?
White Widow Strain
The name is the clue. This souche is heavily coated with milky-white trichomes, which implies its potency. The White Widow strain comes from a Brazilian sativa landrace and South Indian indica cross. Because of its high THC content (between 20 and 25 percent), the White Widow strain is popular among kief users.
Hash Plant Strain
The Hash Plant strain is a combination of two indica strains, Northern Lights and Afghani. The Hash Plant strain, like the White Widow strain, is covered with resinous trichomes in abundance.
Chemdog Strain
The hashish from this powerful and pungent strain is highly respected by the cannabis community for a variety of reasons. It has produced some legendary strains such as Sour Diesel and OG Kush, and it’s almost guaranteed a spot in the cannabis hall of fame. Chemdog has a THC concentration of between 15 and 20 percent.
Final Thoughts About Kief
As you may see throughout this article, extracting kief from your marijuana plant is straightforward. Once you’ve done so, there are several methods to utilize it. Hopefully, this essay has resolved any concerns you had regarding kief and provided you some new ideas on how to employ it in the future.