Author: Atalie Hamilton
What is kief?
Kief provides a powerful high. While most flowers contain 12-25% THC, kief typically tests at around 50%. Some purer forms of kief can even reach upwards of 80% THC. Kief is made from the trichomes of the plant. Trichomes contain the highest concentrations of cannabinoids.
Pure kief is typically a light blonde or tan color and looks like a collection of shimmery, powder-like crystals. If you come across “kief” that has a greenish color, this is caused by the kief crystals being mixed with other plant material.
How do you collect kief?
The easiest method of kief collection is to simply use a three-chamber grinder. As you grind your cannabis, the kief will accumulate in the bottom chamber.
What can you do with kief?
There are many different ways to benefit from kief. Most common way is to sprinkle some kief on top of your bowl, this is something called crowning. But when kief is heated it burns very quickly. To avoid unnecessary waste, space your kief over the outside lining of the bowl and light the edges of your bowl. This will keep the kief burning longer in between hits. It is also common to sprinkle throughout joints/blunts when rolling.
Tea and coffee can be infused using kief. Decarbing your kief is the first step, your coffee/tea typically only reaches 160 degrees F (71.1 degrees C) and 185 degrees F (85 degrees C). Decarbing will start at 230 degrees. This process takes 20-25 minutes. Once decarbed you can add directly into your drink or place in a tea bag. Seep for about 15 minutes. Another way to utilize your kief is to make cannabutter. Just like you can make infused butter with cannabis flower or hash oil, you can also use kief to produce a stronger end-product.
You are able to press kief into rosin, a extraction technique that doesn’t involve the use of solvents. It utilizes pressure and heat to squeeze the resin from your kief or hash. This creates a dabbale product. You can also make hash by pressing the kief together into puks.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.
Can kief go bad?
Just like the cannabis plant, kief is a natural substance that does oxidize, dry out, and looses potency after a period of time. Storing your kief properly will extend its freshness. We recommend storing your kief in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight.