Things You Can Do With Leftover Weed: A Guide To Using Kief and Shake
Even though there are so many ways you can consume weed these days, many cannabis connoisseurs still prefer good old flower.
And anyone who consumes flower frequently typically always has leftover weed. These can be in the form of flower, such as kief or shake. Kief refers to the trichome-rich parts of the plant which fall or break off, and eventually dry up. These potent trichomes contain concentrated amounts of THC, CBD, as well as terpenes and other cannabinoids; buds that have lots of these crystal-like trichomes on top are considered top-shelf and strong pot. However, they do lose their potency once they are separated from the flower.
On the other hand, shake is the name used for the loose pieces of flower that naturally fall off due to packaging or handling. They can accumulate at the bottom of your weed baggie or a container, and they also fall to the bottom when grinding flower. These remnants of weed are thought of as less valuable because they aren’t as potent as the actual flower, but wise cannabis consumers know that shake is not to be thrown away.
But let me tell you now: throwing kief and shake are big mistakes.
So what can you do with kief and shake?
What To Do With Kief
Kief can be saved and in fact, some cannabis users even harvest them on purpose to consume the potent trichomes. You can extract them from weed flower using the following methods:
1. Kief catcher: Several high-end grinders in the market are equipped with a kief catcher. It essentially looks like a chamber in the bottom which safely keeps the kief when you grind cannabis flower. As you continue to grind, the kief will accumulate at the bottom, leaving you with an effortless way to obtain kief to use later on.
2. Dry sifting: This process requires the use of a fine mesh or screen to separate the trichomes from the flower. One has to be extra cautious and gentle to roll the flowers over the screens. As a result, these valuable trichomes will fall off to the bottom. It’s a bit more time consuming though if you are working with a large amount of weed, this is worth the elbow grease.
3. Ice: Icing is a method that involves putting your weed flowers in a container with water and ice cubes. The ice-cold temperatures are meant to agitate the buds, forcing the trichomes to develop a brittle texture that’s much easier to break off. The end result is filtered using mesh or screens for kief collection.
Once you have the kief, there are several ways to maximize its potency:
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Add to smoked flower: Simple, effective, and goes a long way – just by sprinkling some kief on top of flower which you are already smoking through a joint, bong, or pipe will dramatically increase its potency. Some refer to this method as crowning, since you top the flower off with high-value trichomes, making your smoking experience so much more delicious and strong.
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Make hash: If you have tons of kief, you can press it together to make some hash. This is more challenging and requires some experience, since you will need a heat source to pressurize the kief in order for it to stick together and make a solid shape – usually a block or rectangle. The final product is a concentrated form of weed, which can be smoked, dabbed, added to joints and flower, or even vaped.
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Make moon rocks: If you’re looking for a new and exciting way to consume weed, then you should try making moon rocks with kief! Moon rocks are nugs of weed that have been covered in hash then rolled around in kief. The result is an extra-strong nug that will send you to the moon!
What To Do With Shake
Shake, or the loose remnants of flower that fall off, are not to be thrown away or discarded. They are comprised of many parts of the cannabis plant, mostly the flower though usually some stems and broken pieces are usually mixed in as well. Since shake also contains the same cannabinoids and terpenes as the flower, there is value to it so don’t toss it.
You can even buy pre-packaged shake at a dispensary for much lower prices than flower.
Here are the best ways to make use of shake:
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Edibles and tea: If you’re on a budget but want to make some potent edibles and tea, there’s no need to blow serious cash at a dispensary for the amount of weed you need. You can either collect shake yourself or from your friends, or buy them at a really low price in your neighborhood dispensary. Once you have it, just decarboxylate it and then you can use it as you wish in dozens of edible and tea recipes.
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Smoking: Since shake is loose and already finely ground, you can add them into joints, pipes, and bongs. They are so much cheaper than flower, yet, they go a long way. Smoking shake will enable you to enjoy the benefits of weed without spending so much money.
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Tinctures and topicals: You can use shake as a primary ingredient when making tinctures right at home. Just soak the shake in strong, high-proof alcohol and infuse it over a specific period. The end result is a tincture that you’ll be able to add to many different recipes or infuse it into different oils that you can use on your skin.
Conclusion
Knowing how to maximize the different parts of the cannabis plant is a surefire way to maximize the lifespan of your weed, allowing your dollar to go a longer way. Try being more creative and exploring other consumption methods than your usual with these tips!
What are your favorite ways of consuming weed and shake?
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