While the world of cannabis concentrates is a large and somewhat confusing area with a lot of different types of concentrates such as shatter, wax, rosin and live resin each having its own specific equipment and techniques to use them, there are times when we look down at our grinders and see that lovely powder, or rather golden dust at the bottom of our grinder, which we know as kief.
Kief is a special type of concentrate that has its own unique potency, and while it may be a little messy, it is a very different experience from dabbing other concentrates, and as someone who has done extensive research and experimentation with kief, I am going to show you the how, and the why, and the "should you".
My First Time: A Humbling Experience
My first attempt to dab kief was memorable to say the least. I had just purchased a fresh supply of kief, I had a brand new quartz banger ready to go, and I felt confident that I had found a new secret trick. I loaded a nice size piece of kief onto my dab tool, heated my nail, and went for it.
What came next, instead of the smooth and flavorful vapor I was expecting with good quality shatter, was a big, strong, and dense cloud with a deep earth and hash taste. It was certainly potent, but it also left a big black burn stain all over my beautiful quartz banger. While I did get high, I also created a mess and lost flavor. This first failure led me to continue experimenting until I developed a method to properly dab kief.
What Kief Actually Is
To effectively dab kief, you must understand what kief is. Kief is not a refined extract like BHO, or CO2 oil. It is a collection of trichome heads, the small, crystal covered mushroom shaped structures on the cannabis flower that have been removed.
Because kief is a raw unprocessed material, it has all of the desirable elements of the plant (cannabinoids and terpenes locked within the trichome heads), but it does contain small amounts of plant material and contaminants. These small particles of plant material are what cause the charring and the less refined flavors when comparing to a full melt extract.
How to Dab Kief Correctly: The "Better Way"
With trial and error, I have found a method to maximize efficiency and minimize the mess.
Materials Needed:
- Dab Rig and Nail (Quartz banger recommended due to the ease of controlling the temperature)
- Carb Cap
- Dab Tool (Titanium or Ceramic recommended for this application)
- Kief
- Secret to Success: A Terp Pearl or Two
The Step-by-Step Process:
- The "Cold Start" Method is Your Friend: I will never do anything else again. Instead of preheating your banger, place the kief into a cold banger. Apply heat with your torch.
- Heat the Banger Evenly: Use your torch to evenly apply heat to the entire bottom and sides of the banger. You will see the kief start to melt and create bubbles and vapor.
- Look for Vapor: Stop applying heat when you see a continuous flow of vapor coming from the banger.
- Add the Terp Pearls and Carb Cap: Drop your terp pearls into the banger, and immediately put the carb cap on top of the banger. The terp pearls will help to circulate the melted kief and ensure even vaporization, and prevent it from burning to one spot.
- Take Your Hit: Take your hit, just as you would take a normal dab.
- Clean-Up: There will be residue. Deal with it. Once the banger has cooled enough to touch, you will need to clean the banger with a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol. You will need to spend more time cleaning this banger than a clean extract.
My Verdict & Personal Alternatives
Should you dab kief?
Dabbing kief is a great experiment, and a great way to utilize your collected trichomes. When I have a large quantity of kief, and I want to get extremely high, I will dab kief, and I will use my "designated" quartz banger, the one I do not care about.
But, for everyday use, I prefer the following two methods to dab kief:
- The Kief-Topped Dab: My absolute favorite method. Take a small, low-temperature dab of your favorite live resin or rosin. While the live resin or rosin is melting in the banger, sprinkle a thin layer of kief on top of the liquid. The live resin or rosin acts as a base to melt the kief, and produces a super-potent and flavored "super-dab", with minimal mess.
- Rosin Production: If you have a sufficient amount of kief, making rosin from the kief is the best way to improve the quality of the kief. By using a hair straightener or a rosin press, you can apply heat and pressure to the kief, and squeeze out a pure, solventless, full melt hash oil. This rosin is specifically designed for dabbing, and will provide a cleaner, higher quality experience than raw kief.
In summary, dabbing kief is a true example of cannabis culture's DIY spirit. It is a raw, unrefined, and very potent way to experience cannabis. It may not be the most elegant of dances, but it is something every enthusiast should try at least once. Just be prepared to clean-up after.