Kief and Dry Sift: The Purest Form of Cannabis Concentrates?

If you are regularly grinding up cannabis flowers, but have never collected all the goodies that get trapped in the base of the grinder, you are in for a delightful surprise if it has a kief catcher — which it most likely does. Today, we are exploring kief, dry sift, how they’re traditionally created, and how to process them at home. And, of course, we’ll cover all the ways you can partake in them. 

What is Kief?

Kief is just the trichomes that break off from cannabis flower, which often happens when grinding it up to smoke, vape, or make edibles with. This is why most grinders come with a trap at the base called a kief catcher — they usually come with a little spoon to handle it as well. 

Kief tends to be on the powdery side as drier trichomes are more likely to break off when grinding the flower — it’s also easier for them to pass through the screen that sits over the tap. Like with cannabis flower, you can create a range of concentrates and other products with kief. Many simply mix some back in with their flower, which essentially makes the flower more potent, as if it naturally produces more cannabinoids than normal.  

The Process of Dry Sifting Kief

Dry sifting is a pretty simple concept if you’re familiar with grinding up cannabis flowers and your grinder has a kief catcher. To dry sift, cannabis flowers you just need to place it on/over a screen and gently agitate to promote the trichomes to break off from the flower. The kief is collected below and is rather potent since there is much less non-therapeutic plant material to dial it down. 

But for our kief to get the dry sift label, we need to increase the potency even more, so we need to purify it by running it through the screen a few more times. Screens with smaller hole sizes are often employed, allowing us to do things like separating large trichomes with stalks from small ones without. After dry sifting our kief several times and gently pressing it together we have dry sift. 

Understanding Dry Sift and Its Extraction

Dry sifting on an industrial level involves specialized equipment like machines that vibrate the material and have sieve screens of varying micron grades. Just like when dry sifting at home, cannabis flower is first placed on screens with larger openings, allowing all the trichomes to fall through as it's gently agitated. After the initial sifting, collected kief undergoes further refinement to create dry sift with producers running it through finer screens multiple times. Screens range from 150 microns for catching all the trichomes down to 70 microns when we want to separate large and small trichomes. 

Some processors may use static electricity to further separate and purify the trichomes to improve potency. This is a simple process on an industrial level as it just applies electricity to the screens when sifting. This process will yield a more potent cannabis concentrate that’s richer in cannabinoids and terpenes.

Utilizing Kief and Dry Sift

• Enhancing Your Flower: The easiest way to use kief is by sprinkling it on top of a cannabis flower. This can greatly enhance potency so make sure to start out with just a little bit to gauge the potency of the kief/dry sift. 
• Make Hash: By pressing kief into hash, you can create a concentrated form that is easier to store and handle, allowing it to retain its high potency for longer. 
• To The Moon: Making moon rocks involves coating cannabis buds in a mixture of kief and hash oil, resulting in a highly potent and flavorful product that is very fun to partake in. Though I can’t say they personally look appealing because they look like…well animal dung.
• Stronger Edibles: Try adding some kief or dry sift to infused products like cannabutter to boost cannabinoid content. Just make sure to activate the kief if adding after the edible decarbing stage.

When smoked/vaped alone, kief or dry sift can be too harsh or rapidly burned, so most combine it with other forms like flower to provide a better experience.

Can You Find CBD Kief or From Other Cannabinoids?

While many of us consume the entire flower when consuming cannabis, there are few advantages to doing so. To get high or to feel the therapeutic effects of cannabinoids like CBD, we just need those sticky trichomes that allow cannabis plants to glitter in the sunlight. With over 100 cannabinoids that appear in various ratios depending on how the plants are bred and raised, you can find and collect knives that, while potent in CBD, won’t intoxicate you. 

While it will be higher in THC due to it being more concentrated than straight flowers, cannabinoids like CBD, which will be in greater amounts too, can directly combat their ability to trigger an intoxicating high.When comparing kief/dry sift produced on an industrial level vs. the kief that accumulates in your grinder, it’s important to understand that the industrial-created product is likely more potent due to the use of advanced equipment. As always, please read the dosage instructions and reach out to a medical professional or the brand you’re using if you have concerns.

See also: Articles, Cannabis, CBD, Cultivation, Flowers, Hash

Nicholas McEnzie

Cannabis Expert EditorExpertise : Cannabis and Hemp Cultivation

Over the past decade, Nicholas McEnzie has dedicated himself to educating gardeners, enterprises, and enthusiasts on thriving in the dynamic cannabis industry. Whether he's actively involved in cultivation or conducting research on cannabinoids in the laboratory, Nicholas is committed to providing thoroughly researched, accurate, and clear information to a sector that greatly benefits from it.