What should I do with kief?

What should I do with kief?

Once your cannabis plant is ready for harvesting, trichomes will form on the leaves and buds. The term trichome is derived from the Greek word "trichomes," which means hair.

If you view these epidermal appendages under a magnifying glass, you will see they resemble miniature mushrooms that are cloudy in color. These trichomes are rich in terpenes and cannabinoids, especially THC.

As trichomes dry, they form a powdery resin called kief. Because of its potency, kief is highly coveted. On average, kief contains about 50% THC, but sometimes it can reach more than 70%. It's not as potent as extracts but is much easier to get from your cannabis plant. In addition, you only need a bit of kief to get high, so it can save you a fortune if used correctly. 

The quality of kief is determined by the quality of the cannabis plant from which it is removed. If kief is dark green, it is less potent because it contains a lot of plant material. If it is gold or light tan and has a gorgeous aroma, you have some high-grade kief in your hands.

In this article, we offer you seven great ways to enjoy kief. But first, let's give you a quick guide on how to collect kief it from your herb.

Grind and collect your kief

While you can make do with a two-chamber grinder, we recommend that you purchase one with three chambers, the third being for collecting kief. A three-chamber grinder has a screen that separates the small kief crystals that fall off the herb during grinding. These are collected behind a fine screen in a separate compartment from the ground herb. 

If you use only the two-chamber version, the crystal may fall off and stick to the inside of the grinder.

Another way to collect the kief is to use a sieve box and two coins. First, make sure your hands and coins are clean. Avoid touching the coins and weed as much as possible. Place two quarters on a tray with the dried herbs and shake the sieve box for up to 60 seconds. Once this is done, open the box to see how much kief has been collected. If it's not enough, keep shaking until you're satisfied. 

Kief usually measures between 75 and 125 microns. Therefore, the removal of 100% of the resin from plant material is an extremely difficult process.

To collect good quality kief, use at least three layers of mesh screen (four layers are better). The finest mesh should be at the bottom layer. This method allows you to collect high-quality kief without any extra plant matter. 

Once you have collected enough, you can store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. If you do not use it immediately, stir and mix it every two days to prevent it from sticking.

Seven Uses for Kief

1 -- Making Moon Rocks

If you've never tried Moon rocks, you're missing out! 

They are highly potent and a low-cost alternative to concentrates. 

To make moonrocks, gently heat some cannabis oil and evenly coat your buds with it. 

Then sprinkle kief on the buds while the oil is still warm.

Alternatively, you can use a pair of tongs and roll the bud in the kief. 

Once they've cool and hardened, you can break them up with your hands and scatter them in a bowl. Enjoy.

Do not use a grinder when breaking up moonrocks, as it will grind your moonrock too finely.

2 -- Use it to make vape juice

You may not have considered turning kief into an e-juice, but it is straightforward. 

You will need the following:

Kief 

A vape

Vegetable glycerin 

Propylene glycol 

Coffee filter 

A few syringes 

Double boiler 

E-juice flavors optional

We recommend adding a 1:1 ratio of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin to a double boiler and then adding your kief. Allow the mixture to heat until it melts and has a smooth consistency. 

Now is when you should add flavor if you wish to do so. Pour the mixture into a coffee filter. Place a container underneath to filter out any remaining plant matter. Wait until the mixture cools, fill the syringe, and use it to add the liquid to your vape cart, or store it in an airtight container for use later.

3 -- Cannabutter

Kief works well with cooking because it is more flavorful than other parts of the plant. Making cannabutter is similar to making cannabis oil which we have a step-by-step guide to here:- how to make canna oil at home.

Make sure you decarboxylate it before you use it in recipes. To do that, place in a heatproof dish and bake at about 220-240 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Then mix it with butter to make hemp butter.

4 -- Pressed rosin

Rosin is an extraction technique that does not involve the use of solvents. It uses pressure and heat to extrude resin from your kief or hash. All you need is parchment paper, some hair straighteners, and a collection pot. When you make rosin with kief, you will benefit from a highly potent concentrate that's great for dabbing. 

5 -- Create a hash

The first step in making a hash is to extract kief. Hash is essentially kief that has been slightly heated and pressed to form soft spheres or bricks. When you apply heat and pressure to kief, the resin glands are damaged, causing a change in composition. In addition, applying pressure to kief causes it to darken in color. 

You can use your kief to make hash at home. To do this, place the kief inside folded parchment paper. Next, run the hot iron over the parchment paper. By doing this, you are applying pressure and heat to the kief, changing its composition. The key here is to do this long enough until the kief is compressed, but the parchment does not burn. 

6 -- Add it to joints or bowls

When sprinkling kief into joints, we recommend mixing it with the ground herb before rolling. Combining it with the bud will ensure that the kief does not fall out.

Alternatively, you can try making a wax joint. To do this:

• Wet the outside of your joint a little or put a little wax on the joint.
• Roll the joint in kief which will stick to its outside.
• Light up and enjoy the extra kief kick.

You can add kief to the herb in your bowl. 

this is known as "crowning" a bowl. It significantly increases the potency of the bowl. Experienced tokers advise "cornering your bowl." This method involves burning one quadrant of the bowl at a time. This way, you can enjoy multiple hits from your kief bowl, and each will taste just as fresh without that burnt taste. 

7 -- Add it to coffee or tea

Many kief lovers add a little to their coffee. It decarboxylates when added to boiling water. Therefore, there is no need to put it in the oven first. You can also add it to your tea. One milligram per six ounces of liquid is sufficient. However, it's up to you how you enjoy it!

Final thoughts on what you can do with kief

If you haven't tried kief yet, you're missing out! It's a low-cost way to experience the same effects as concentrates. All you have to do is collect the trichomes from your weed using a three-chamber grinder. There are many ways to enjoy the powerful highs it provides. Add it to your coffee, marijuana butter, joints, bowls, moonrocks, or turn it into e-liquid. You'll be glad you did!