Kief is the name for the crystal-like formations on top of a cannabis plant’s resinous trichomes, which give it its frosted appearance. The highest concentration of psychoactive phytocannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is found at the tip of the trichome.
Trichomes protect the plant against herbivores by producing an unpleasant psychoactive effect that acts as a strong deterrent. When a herbivore consumes any portion of the plant coated in this resinous substance, it becomes disoriented and hallucinates, which serves as a powerful deterrent and keeps the entire plant from being eaten.
How to Extract Kief from the Cannabis Plant
The simplest method to remove the THC-rich kief from the remainder of the plant is with a three-chamber herb grinder. You run the danger of losing precious kief crystals if you use a two-chamber herb grinder since they fall off and cling to the inside of the grinder.
If you’re extracting a lot of kief, it’s worth investing in some simple sifting techniques. Many individuals create their own improvised sifters to save money. Sifting and collecting kief from the rest of the cannabis plant material is easy with layered screens stacked on top of one another.
Kief has a range of 75-125 microns, which is one millionth of a meter, so the amount of wires or lines per inch (LPI) on your sifter is crucial in obtaining optimal results. A general guideline is that the higher the screen resolution, the smaller the LPI number should be. A sifter with an 80-270 LPI mesh is ideal.
The color of the kief, on the other hand, will indicate its quality if you don’t want to sift your own. The paler the color of the kief, the greater its purity. If the kief is greenish in hue, it contains a lot of plant material and isn’t as pure. Kief that has an off-white appearance will be considerably more pure and is by far the superior choice.
How to Consume Kief
The goal of this step is to separate the kief from your cannabis bud so you can decide what you want to do with it now that all that kief is gone. When it comes to determining which way to take, there are a number of choices: smoke it, add it into edibles and cannabis loaded dishes, or make moonrocks; the options are practically endless. Continue reading below to learn about each approach.
“Crowning Your Bowl”
Pack your bowl as usual into your pipe, chillum, bong, or other smoking device. Scatter a pinch of fresh kief over the packed bowl. It’s a good idea to “corner your hits,” which means burning a quadrant of the kief-crowned bowl at a time so you get more out of it.
Sprinkle it in a Joint or Roll a Twax Joint
You may increase the strength of your joints by sprinkling some kief into them. Because the amount of kief you use will obviously determine its potency, pick a quantity that you can manage. If this is your first time using kief in your joint, keep it simple.
Before adding kief to the top third of the joint, more advanced cannabis smokers may dampen the outside of the marijuana cigarette with their tongue or apply cannabis wax. A “twaxed” joint is one that has been coated in kief.
If You Want to Cook With Kief
Kief can also be cooked right into your dish using a saucepan on the stovetop over low to medium heat. This technique is fantastic for making THC-rich sauces. Add in the correct amount of kief straight to a batch of your selected oil. Stir the Kief in with a spoon as the oil heats up and gets hotter. After 20-40 minutes, add in any remaining sauce components and continue cooking until done. Serve the sauce over whatever food you’re eating (this is amazing when preparing cannabis Kief pasta!).
Add Kief to your Cannabutter
Why not try adding some kief to your cannabutter for a potency boost? Mixing your kief with flower to get the best outcomes is crucial whether you decarboxylate your cannabis in an oven or crockpot.
Coffee and Tea From Kief:
The process of producing tea and coffee beverages that feature the powerful morning or afternoon punch of THC-potent kief is straightforward, requiring little additional effort with significant medical and recreational advantages.
Simply add a dash of this pollen to your cup of coffee and stir thoroughly using a teaspoon or stirring stick for an extra touch. Yes, it’s that simple, since the heat from your coffee will activate the substances in kief that get you high, allowing you to enjoy the benefits quickly with very little effort on your part. A pinch is more than enough for a single cup of coffee or one cappuccino/latte.
The preparation of tea with kief is not overly complicated. Simply insert 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 intend to make a full pot, double the quantity.
Another option, which is even easier — just drop the pinch straight into your already-steeped tea cup, stir thoroughly, and swallow. The hot water in the tea activates the components (THC, etc.) within the Kief in a similar manner to coffee.
Make Moonrocks from Kief
Moonrocks are easy to explain once you know what they are made of. A moonrock is a high-quality/top shelf nugget of herb (cannabis), which is then dipped in oil and covered with a layer of fluffy Kief, similar to a vanilla ice cream popsicle that has been dipped in chocolate and topped with sprinkles.
The goal of this DIY procedure is to make a strong, highly medicinal bud that may be broken up with your fingers and burned in a pipe. Avoid utilizing a grinder on your moonrock because it will break it down too finely, resulting in little progress.
Moonrocks are incredibly easy to make and you may do it in your own time as a pastime. The best part is that they’re inexpensive to make and can be made out of almost anything – so feel free to have fun with them! Make your very own moonrocks in the comfort of your own home, which the 420 scene refers to as “a fast DIY concentrate.” Simply follow these five simple steps:
- Pick the finest marijuana bud from the batch you have on hand.
- In a small saucepan, warm up an oil of your choosing (adding Cannabis Oil or CannaButter for an extra rich layer of ganja, but sunflower, coconut, or canola oil will also do).
- With one hand, hold your bud by a corner and carefully dip it into the hot oil, allowing the nugget to become completely coated in this adhesive substance.
- While the oil is still hot, sprinkle Kief over the buds and watch as it clings to the nug. If you have a lot of pollen on hand, consider rolling your oily buds in a dusty bath of Kief powder to give each little piece of nug a coating of this therapeutic and healing substance. Allow the covering to cool and harden before removing it.
- Break up the moonrock with your hands, add it to your favorite cup, and enjoy!
With these five easy measures, you’ll be able to make the most of your delectable, green herb.
How to Store Kief
Kief is usually kept in an airtight glass container, but various methods have been proposed for preserving pollen and keeping it fresh. Although there is variation of opinion about the most effective way to store Kief so that you lose as little as possible while maintaining its freshness, most people seem to agree that pollen should be kept in an airtight glass jar. nThese containers are available in a variety of sizes and styles, although just choose one that best meets your needs. Consider these two questions: How much Kief will you be storing? For how long?
A small metal, wooden or plastic spatula can be used to scrape any extra powder off the walls of the jar and keep the contents fresh and clean. If a significant amount of kief is sticking to the walls, chill your glass storage jar for a few hours in the freezer. This should assist you in removing any remaining kief from the walls of the container, allowing you to access all of the powder that you previously thought would go to waste with your tiny spatula.
Make Hash from Your Kief
When cooked and pressurized, kief transforms into hash. The resin glands rupture as a result of the heat and pressure. Hash isn’t only affected by the chemicals in kief; its form, appearance, and flavor are all altered. In structure, hash is similar to a soft green ball. The darker the hash becomes as a result of applying greater pressure. Kief has a distinct flavor and effect, whereas hash does not.
Press Rosin with Your Kief
Rosin is becoming increasingly common among cannabis users. Rosin has all of the advantages of preserving those amazing cannabinoids while preventing the potentially hazardous effects associated with consuming a cannabis concentrate that still contains a harmful solvent residue.
Kief may be extracted from cannabis plants in a similar way to resin, but it’s even more effective and potent. Pressure can also help you create an even better and more powerful concentrate by pressing kief. Professional methods of producing rosin use high-pressure presses, but the good news is that you can make your own rosin at home using basic household equipment. To discover how to produce rosin at home, go to the link below (after finishing reading this article, of course) (you’ll have to jump back here after reading it):
Which Strains are good choices for extracting Kief?
White Widow Strain
The name is self-explanatory. Because of the excessive amount of milky-white trichomes on this plant, it’s highly potent. This cross between a Brazilian sativa landrace and a South Indian indica is characterized by its high THC concentration, which ranges from 20 to 25 percent. The White Widow strain is famous for having a high THC content, ranging from 20 to 25 percent, making it an excellent choice for kief fans
Hash Plant Strain
The Hash Plant strain is a cross between the Northern Lights and Afghani indica strains. Resinous trichomes blanket the Hash Plant strain, just like the White Widow strain.
Chemdog Strain
Chemdog is a powerful and pungent strain that is well-liked among the marijuana community for a variety of reasons. It has produced some legendary strains, such as Sour Diesel and OG Kush, and has almost earned a spot in the cannabis hall of fame. Chemdog’s THC concentration ranges from 15 to 20 percent.
Final Thoughts
Extracting kief from your cannabis plant is really straightforward, and after you’ve done so, there are several ways to utilize it. Hopefully, this feature has answered any questions you have about kief and given you some new ideas for using it in the future.