What is Kief?

You’ve probably heard of “kief.” But exactly what is kief? Kief is the sticky crystal-like resin or pollen that coats cannabis flowers. The name comes from the Arabic word “kayf,” meaning pleasure, because that is what it will bring you. It contains large amounts of THC, the psychoactive chemical in weed. Think about it like this: Weed is like beer and kief is like whiskey. They do the same thing but one gets it done faster and with less effort. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about kief.

What is Kief?

In short, kief is a part of the shiny resin glands that give buds a frosty look. The scientific term for the gland “trichome.” Trichomes consist of a stalk with a bulbous head at the tip. Isolating the trichome heads gives you kief.

The trichome head is special because a high concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes are made there. As a result, smoking kief will get you way higher than smoking the same weight in weed. In fact, researchers are working on methods to isolate trichomes. They have realized most of the medical benefits from weed come from trichomes.

Like hash oil, kief can help patients get more pain relief in less time. So, if you were looking for the cannabis concentrate experience but have no access to dabs you can try collecting kief.

How To Collect Kief

There are a couple of ways to collect Kief. The OG method is to slowly let it build up at the bottom of your grinder. If you’re in more of a rush we recommend the dry sift method to collect kief.

How To Make Dry Sift

1. Start with a 165u screen.
2. Gently shake cannabis until smaller glands, stalks, and plant material fall through the screen.
3. Use a stiff card to gently rub your weed over the screen to push more of it through.
4. Put the material that made it through the first filter on top of a slightly finer, 100u screen.
5. Repeat steps 2 and 3.
6. Put the material that made it through on a 70u screen for a purer product.
7. Repeat steps 2 and 3.

Thirty minutes of sifting should give you close to 90 percent pure kief. Further sifting is required to clear 95 percent purity. The result is a flavorful and potent product that can be dabbed or tossed on top of a bowl of greens. This method is one of the safest ways to make your own cannabis concentrates.

The downside is the weed you use will be left with slim to no potency. We wouldn’t recommend using your best buds to dry sift. You probably want to smoke those. However, there is a way to collect kief from your fire weed without sacrificing any nugs.

Use a Grinder

This is where grinders come in handy. The bottom chamber is made to catch all the kief that would fall off or stick to your fingers when you break it down by hand. So you can have your kief and smoke your weed too.

The downside with a grinder is that you will have to be patient. Unless you’re smoking top shelf seven times a day, it’s going to take some time before you get a visible pile of kief.

Final Hit: What is Kief?

What is kief? Simply put, kief is one of the best things the cannabis plant has to offer us. Why not try the best parts without dealing with all of the unnecessary smoking. If you’re tired of finishing off several bowls before you get the effects you want, try a bowl topped with kief.