Throughout the growth cycle of a cannabis plant, there are tiny resinous glands that develop all over the buds. These shiny crystal-like glands, called trichomes, contain all of the psychoactive and healing properties of the plant, such as THC, CBD, CBG, terpenes, and additional cannabinoids.

When these trichomes dry and break off from the bud, they lose their translucence and turn a light gold/brown color. This is known as kief. Kief is highly potent and can be used in a multitude of ways for a plethora of products. 

Read on to learn all about kief and it’s current trend in cannabis processing and manufacturing operations.

How to Use Kief in Cannabis Processing 

Enhancing Vapes, Bowls, and Joints

For those who partake in smoking cannabis, if your buds are lacking in potency, a sprinkle of kief can greatly enhance the flavor profile and the intensity of the experience.

Edibles and Cooking

Cannabis chefs can boost the strength of the culinary experience by infusing their cooking oils (olive, avocado, coconut) and fats (Butter, Ghee, vegan butter, nut butters) with kief.

Hash

When kief is formed (using heat and pressure) and its impurities are removed, it helps to preserve the potency for a longer period. This new form of the cannabis concentrate, called hash, burns much slower than kief and is often pressed into bricks, which are much easier for large-scale cannabis operators to handle in mass quantities.

Topical Products

The massive amount of cannabinoids found in kief make it a perfect addition to skin care products, such as lotions or balms. It is widely believed that these compounds can provide localized relief for various skin conditions such as acne, burns, wounds, psoriasis, etc.

Cannabis Tinctures

By dissolving kief in 190-200 Proof alcohol (ie. Food grade ethanol, Everclear), highly potent cannabis tinctures can be made for medicinal purposes.Based upon the cannabinoid profile found in the kief and the cultivar from which it was derived, cannabis tinctures with kief can offer a full-spectrum of effects.

Moonrocks

For experienced cannabis consumers with a higher tolerance, buds are coated in hash oil and then rolled in kief, which creates an incredibly potent super-bud called Moonrocks. These can be smoked in a bowl, joint, blunt or pipe. 

Concentrates

To further increase potency and flavor, kief can also be added to other cannabis extracts such as wax and shatter.

Rosin

When refined kief (hash) gets pressed with additional pressure and heat, it transforms the kief into a liquid solvent-free concentrate called Rosin. Rosin is characterized by its high potency, rich flavor, and aroma profile. This is commonly known as the most popular use of kief. 

Live Rosin

Live Rosin utilizes the same exact process as Rosin, however it uses flash frozen cannabis as opposed to dry, cured cannabis. By using flash frozen cannabis instead of cured cannabis, bud terpenes, and cannabinoids are preserved and protected at a much higher rate. This makes Live Rosin the creme de la creme of the cannabis world! No other concentrate creates a more potent, delicious, and luxurious product.

How to Obtain High-Quality Kief in Cannabis Processing 

With so many incredible and effective uses for kief, it's increasingly become a prized commodity in the cannabis industry.

The big question is...how can you, the grower, obtain as much high-quality kief from your buds as possible?

At Python Industries, we work tirelessly to create efficient cannabis processing equipment that drastically cuts down on labor and costs! 

About Our Grasshopper Series 

To celebrate the start of 2024, we are offering our latest set of innovations in the procurement of kief; Introducing the Grasshopper Series!

The Grasshopper Series is comprised of 3 differently sized Cryogenic kief sifters (Mini, Standard, Giant) based upon the operational needs of the customer.

• Each of these kief machines uses high-frequency vibration and liquid CO2 to separate kief from dried trim or flowers in just minutes.
• No matter which size you use, our Grasshoppers process kief 20x faster and by using much less liquid CO2 than other traditional cryogenic kief tumblers.
• The standard Grasshopper and the mini both come with 2 kief screens (151 Micron and 110 Micron) for processing, and the Giant Grasshopper also includes a 70 Micron for even more refined processing.

Additionally, our bladeless cannabis trim machines can also be used for fast and efficient kief processing as well.

• All of our automated cannabis trimmers include a 151 Micron Net for kief processing (other size micron screens available per custom request).

Whether you choose a bladeless cannabis trimming machine or a Grasshopper, you can rest assured that you have a product that will increase your yields of high-quality kief.

Optimize Your Cannabis Production with Python Industries 

Learn more about Python Industries’ Cryogenic Kief Sifter or contact our team for more information on cannabis processing equipment.

Stay tuned and keep your eyes and ears open as we will reveal even more kief processing equipment in 2024, including a Live Rosin extractor for the cannabis connoisseur!