Did you know that one specific part of a cannabis flower contains most of its psychoactive power? This structure, called “kief,” is fairly simple to harvest from your own dispensary-bought buds. Once you have some stored up, there are several wonderful ways to consume it. In this guide to kief, we’re going to explore what is keif, how to get it out of a grinder, how to smoke it, and how to decarb it.
Kief: What is It?
Kief—which can also go by the name “dry sift”—consists mainly of trichomes. These crystalline structures develop on mature cannabis buds, forming a shiny sheath that gives the premium flower its lustre.
You can collect kief in specialized grinders as it falls off of your ground buds. These small compartments, known as a “kief catch,” are a core component of any high-quality herb grinder.
One main difference between kief and a normal flower is its THC concentration. For example, while cannabis flower (even premium flower such as Do Si Dos) usually maxes out around 30% THC, kief can double that. That’s because trichomes contain the highest concentration of THCa—the precursor to THC converted to THC with the application of heat—available in any part of a cannabis plant.
How Can I Use Kief?
After discovering kief’s high THCa concentration, one naturally asks themselves one question: “How can I harness the power of kief for myself?” It’s actually pretty simple. You can do it in one of three ways.
How to Get Kief Out of a Grinder
One thing you’ll notice after collecting kief remnants in a kief catch is its consistency. Kief is a fine powder, and it sticks to anything oily (such as your skin). As a result, you won’t want to use your fingers to remove it from your grinder.
Don’t worry though; you have options. One classic way to get kief out of a grinder is to scoop it up with a coin. Dimes work well. You can even leave a dime in the bottom of your kief catch for fast access. The corner of an ID or credit card will work, as well.
How to Smoke Kief
Aside from its potent THCa concentration, kief has one other big advantage: it’s versatile. You can consume kief in several different ways. One of the fastest and easiest is to simply spark it up.
You can smoke kief by itself or in combination with cannabis flower by sprinkling it over the bud you’ve loaded into your pipe or bong bowl. Some enterprising joint rollers add kief to their creations, resulting in “dipped joints.”
How to Decarb Kief
Did you know that you can use kief to make edibles? It’s true! Since kief has such a high THC a content when compared to flower, you can use it to make super-potent, kief-infused delicacies. But before you can do that, you’ll need to decarb it.
Decarboxylation, or “decarbing,” is a chemical process that converts THCA into THC. THCA is a non-psychoactive acid in cannabis flower that doesn’t possess any psychoactive properties. When you smoke cannabis, the act of igniting it usually performs this process. Since you’re not sparking kief up when you make edibles, you’ll need to decarboxylate it to make it effective.
To do this, simply bake your kief in the oven. Set your temperature between 200 and 210 degrees, and bake your kief until it’s golden brown (between 20 and 30 minutes). At that point, you’ll be ready to use it to create THC-infused edibles. Check out our guide on the edible experience for tips on edible consumption.
Now that you have the foundation you need to start enjoying kief, you’re ready to try it out for yourself. One way you can do that is to buy kief directly from a dispensary. Or, you can gather your own by harvesting it from some high-grade flower!
