WHAT IS KIEF?
Kief is a fine powder composed of resinous cannabis trichomes. The kief contains a high concentration of THC and can be smoked in a joint or bong, but can even be pressed into hash. And best of all, collecting the kief and making the hash is both simple and efficient.
WHEN SHOULD THE KIEF BE COLLECTED?
The harvested buds should be well stored for drying, so after the requisite two weeks, they are dry on the outside but not yet completely dry on the inside.
Larger buds will of course take a little longer, so allowing them to dry slowly in a dark space - large enough (or equipped with a fan) to release the moisture from the buds is the ideal setup. As soon as the tiny twigs of the buds become brittle, they can be collected for curing. There is no need to worry if the weed still smells a little “green” for the first few weeks; some varieties may take a little longer to develop that characteristic smell of cannabis.
SELECTION
The secret to gathering a nice amount of kief for the hash is to save the leaves of the plant. Leave the leaves and allow them to dry, just like the buds.
Depending on the variety, one can harvest as many dry leaves as picked buds. So, if the plant yields 500g of dry buds, it is entirely possible that there will be about 500g of leaves as well. These numbers can obviously vary, but it's a good approximate comparison. Although the leaves do not contain as much active ingredient as the buds themselves, their effectiveness, when concentrated, is greatly increased.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR AMONGST THE LEAVES
Check for trichomes
First and foremost is to collect all the tiny sugar leaves. As the name suggests, the sugar leaves are covered with powdery “trichomes” and after the buds, it is they that contain the most cannabinoids. That's why a large dose of sugar leaf can give you quite a bit of hash. If you are interested and want to know more about trichomes, use a magnifying glass and take a closer look at the sugar leaves. You will see tiny, mushroom-shaped glands with sparkling crystal “bubbles”. These are your trichomes.
SEPARATE THE LEAVES
You also need to keep the larger fan leaves. Although they contain far less trichomes than buds and sugar leaves, they do contain cannabinoids and, if not for the production of hash, can be used for other purposes. So now we separate them from the pile of sugar leaves.
It makes no sense to mix the two types of leaves, as this only increases the amount of material to be processed to extract hash. THC-rich sugar leaves still contain slightly less THC than buds; as such, it’s prudent not to cut the hash even further.
ALLOW THE LEAF MATERIAL TO DRY WELL
It is always important to allow all the parts to dry completely before making hash. You should know that the leaves can take longer to dry than the buds. The material of the leaf should be so dry that it dusts when rubbed between your thumb and finger.
The drier, the better and higher the yield of hash from the leaf material. This is because THC crystals precipitate much more easily when the surface is dry. The golden-yellow powder has a slightly different effect if you smoke it as is, and some smokers prefer the effects of sweet high and hash to the somewhat dampening effect of smoking buds.
COLLECT THE KIEF WITH A 3-PIECE GRINDER
The easiest way to collect the kief is with a three-piece grinder. These types of grinders have a special lower compartment with a filter at the top to collect the kief. That way, when grinding it, you don't waste the part that many consider to be the best.
It is also very common to sprinkle some of the kief onto the weed to get some extra oomph, or simply mix it in with regular tobacco for a lighter effect.
There are innumerable good things to do with it: You can use it for THC infusions, to make cannabis butter, or in vaporisers. Just add a little to the evaporator chamber and you can enjoy vaporisation on a whole new level. Please note that the kief is very strong, so you will probably only need a very small amount to achieve a crazy high.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING KIEF
Whichever method you use to make your hash, you can, theoretically, enjoy the finished product right away. However, real hash connoisseurs will let their stocks mature for at least a year, if not longer.
BEYOND CANNABIS
Juicy cannabis buds and THC-rich sugar leaves are just the beginning. Even the stems can be utilised to make tea or marijuana liqueur, for instance. The possibilities are almost endless.
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