As cannabis legalization sweeps the nation, there are plenty of ways to get high these days. While trying out the latest and greatest stoner inventions is always fun, one of the most tried and true ways to amplify a high is by smoking the kief from your buds. Whether you are a cannabis connoisseur or a weed novice, collecting kief is a fun and easy way to maximize your high and let nothing go to waste. The best way to do this is with a kief box and a kief scraper.
So, if you’re wondering how to use a kief box, or what to look for when buying one, this post is for you. But first, let’s start at the beginning: what is kief?
What Is Kief?
Have you ever looked at those shiny, shimmering, itty bitty crystals all over your nugs? These sticky little miniature orbs are called trichomes, or resin glands. Trichomes are made up of glandular hairs and papillae, and they grow on the appendages of plants. Many plants have these appendages or “hairs” that serve a specific function. While some plants might use their sticky trichomes to trap their prey, cannabis trichomes deter pests from nibbling on the flowers.
It’s inside of these trichomes that terpenes and cannabinoids develop, working together to create each strain’s unique profile. Over 100 cannabinoids and 150 terpenes are found in varying combinations in cannabis resin glands, making up thousands of strain profiles that provide a cacophony of physiological and psychological effects.
So, what is kief? Kief is a term used to describe the accumulation of these trichomes. Kief is also known as dry sift, pollen, dust, and chief. When cannabis is harvested and dried, the trichomes also dry up during the curing process. This is when the flavor and aroma of the strain truly set it and become fully mature. However, these fragile trichomes are also susceptible to falling off the bud. While marijuana still contains terpenes and cannabinoids even without its trichomes, the highest concentrations exist in those resin glands.
As the trichomes fall off the bud, kief accumulates. So, if you have one handy, grab your closest baggie or jar of weed. Is the inside covered in a sticky powder? That’s kief! It’s essentially the super good stuff that gets you high, relaxes the mind, soothes the mood, and lulls you off to dreamland. But, you have to be able to harness its power, which usually requires the use of stoner tools and some type of kief sifter.
Keefer Scraper Mini Scoop Multi-tool
Top Ways to Use Kief or Weed Pollen
One of the most incredible things about kief is its versatility. It’s the precursor to a great hash, the cherry on top of a bowl, and the easiest way to class up a joint. Here are a handful of excellent ways to put that kief to good use:
- Smoke it! If you want to know how to smoke kief, simply sprinkle a pinch on top of your bowl or inside of your joints and blunts. This is an easy way to increase the potency of your buds and add extra flavor.
- Press it! Making hash with kief is super easy to do at home. Several years ago, it seemed like everyone was using a hair straightener to press rosin. While this method certainly works, you can also get a kief press for home use. By pressing the kief together and applying heat and pressure, you can make an even stickier substance that is perfect for dabbing. You’ll definitely need a rig and a dab tool for this!
- Eat it! Okay, don’t just eat it right out of the jar, but use it to make edibles or tinctures. Kief on its own won’t get you high because it needs to be decarboxylated first. This is the process of heating the cannabinoids until they become activated. Fortunately, you can easily decarboxylate weed at home in your oven. Once it’s decarbed, you can use the kief to make butter, infuse cooking oil, or make an alcohol or glycerin kief tincture.
Don’t let this list of ways to use kief limit you. Get creative! Make some homemade topicals or lip balm, or make a cannabis-infused beverage bar and invite your friends.
What Is a Kief Box?
Now that you understand how awesome kief is, it’s time to collect it. Sure, you can maneuver it out of the bottom of your mason jar or try to scrape the remnants out of that baggie…but why bother? We live in a world full of helpful stoner accessories to elevate your smoking experience.
One of the most common ways to collect kief is with a multi-chambered grinder. Simply place your nugs in the top chamber and repeatedly turn the lid left and right. At the same time, the metal teeth chew up your weed into a nicely ground consistency. The ground flower is underneath the top chamber, and underneath that chamber is another one, separated by a metal mesh sieve. Inside this small bottom chamber is all of the kief that falls from the nugs during the grinding process.
Using a grinder is perfect to prep your weed for rolling an epic joint. However, the process not only leaves behind kief, as tiny bits of bud and stems can make their way into the bottom chamber as well. Still, the chambered grinder is a tried and true way to collect kief, and it’s suitable for slowly collecting kief over time. However, a kief box is the way to go for the smoker with a bit more herb on hand and wants to collect only the trichomes.
What is a kief box, you ask? Also known as a pollen sifter box or kief collector, a kief box is a specially crafted container designed to collect larger amounts of kief from fully formed buds. No need to grind up your weed to catch this kief. You can shake it right off and scoop it up with the help of a kief box and a kief scraper. Typically composed of just two chambers—one for the buds and one to collect the kief. Unlike a grinder, a kief box catches only the pollen with no stem particles making their way into the kief collector tray.
How to Use a Kief Box
While there are some variances when selecting a dry sifter box, most of them generally work the same. Learning how to use a kief box is pretty simple once you see what it looks like. If you are only working with a gram or two at a time, a kief box might not be your best choice. This stoner tool is best for someone who has at least an eighth or more on hand.
Start by placing your trimmed buds onto the mesh screen, with the bottom securely in place. You don’t need to grind your weed, but breaking up larger buds into smaller pieces will allow more surface area to shake off the trichomes. Next, place the lid on top, shake gently from side to side, and up and down. Check the bottom chamber after several shakes to ensure you are using enough force to shake off the trichomes into the kief collector tray. If not, shake a bit more vigorously.
Once you have collected the desired amount of kief, you’ll need to scrape it all out of the box. What’s the point of collecting all that pollen if you can’t get it out of the box? This is where a kief scraper comes in handy.
Why You Need a Keefer Scraper
Have you ever used your car keys to scrape a bowl? Or maybe you’ve used up all the pens in your house to pack joints, a credit card to collect kief, or grabbed a random item to manage a sticky extract onto a dab rig. This just slowly ruins your household items and leaves a sticky mess everywhere you smoke. All of this can be avoided by adding a super-efficient device like the Keefer Scraper to your stoner accessories kit.
Keefer Scraper Scoop Multi-tool
This dedicated tool is crafted to meticulously collect every last bit of kief in your pollen sifter box or grinder. So you’ll never waste any kief! The Keefer Scraper is easy to clean and will last for years. Simply soak in alcohol to remove any residue and store it right inside your kief box. The Keefer Scraper is a simple solution to solve a stoner dilemma.
Use the pointed end to scrape the kief from the corners and compile it into one mound of tasty terps. Then, use the shovel to scoop it up and transfer it to a bowl, joint, or another type of storage container for use later. Available in two sizes, the mini is perfect for smaller grinders, while the original is ideal for use with a kief box.
Choosing the Best Kief Box
When shopping for a kief sifter or weed pollen box, there are a few things to consider to help you get the most bang for your buck.
- Construction Material: The box itself may be made out of plastic, acrylic, metal, wood, or a mix of materials. Some of the highest quality kief boxes are made with treated woods, like walnut or bamboo, and some even have a glass window on the top lid to see the buds. While they are functionally the same, you will also find boxes with enhanced features. For example, the top cover might be magnetized and double as a rolling tray, with small compartments to stash things like a kief scraper, papers, or a lighter.
- Mesh Filter: The mesh screen that filters the kief from the bud comes in multiple sizes or microns. Microns describe the size of the holes in the screen and determine how much material will sift through the filter. A fine mesh screen designed for catching kief will be somewhere between 100-125 microns. Larger holes mean more particles will get through, and you’ll be able to collect more kief in a shorter amount of time. However, the finer the sieve, the higher quality the kief will be. With a bit of practice, you’ll strike the right balance.
- Price Range: As with anything, you get what you pay for when buying a kief box. On average, you are likely to spend somewhere between $30-$50 for a good quality box. For a luxury pollen box, you might see a price tag hovering around $80. Something in this range will have a locking lid and multiple storage chambers.
Suppose you want to try your hand at making your own kief box. In that case, there are plenty of online tutorials to help you get started or provide inspiration for new creative ideas. Now that you know how to use a kief box, all you need is some top-shelf weed and a Keefer Scraper and you’ll soon be enjoying super tasty terps. Check out the video below to watch the Keefer Scraper in action!
