Kief vs. Hash - What's the Difference?

Cannabis concentrates can be complicated, and if you’re packing up your own infused pre-rolls at home, it’s easy to get lost in the sauce with the options and choices available.

Two of the simplest concentrates that can be used to boost flavor and potency in a pre-roll are kief and hash, which despite being essentially the same basic thing prepared in different ways, provide different tastes and experiences. They also get used in different ways when packing a pre-roll or rolling a blunt.

So what’s the difference between kief and hash? And how can these two simple cannabis concentrates enhance your smoking experience? The DaySavers got you. Let’s go.

What is Kief?

“Kief” is the official term for the golden powder you find in the bottom screen of your grinder. Kief is actually made up of the heads of trichomes that are knocked off the flower, making it easy to collect and use to add a little punch to a pre-roll or bowl before lighting.

Trichomes are the part of a cannabis flower where the terpenes and cannabinoids are produced, so the dust is actually highly-concentrated and flavorful. Though naturally more potent than flower, kief is unpressed and unrefined and because of that, it is usually lower in potency than hash.

What is Hash?

So what is hash, then? Hash, or hashish, is basically processed kief.

Hash is made by gathering kief (using either traditional dry sift, ice water or other methods) and then pressing it into bricks using heat and pressure. This is often done with a mechanical press, a pressing block or even bottles of hot water.

By pressing the kief into a brick, the trichome heads – the kief itself – releases more of its oils, helping bind it all together in a dark brown, slightly gooey block. It has a stronger flavor and higher potency than kief, and is much easier to transport because it is smaller, less stinky and more shelf-stable than flower.

How to Make an Infused Pre-Roll with Kief

So let’s get down to brass tacks: how to use kief to make an infused pre-roll.

Believe it or not, it’s quite simple. Simply grind up your flower and then add in any additional kief found in your grinder or purchased at your local dispensary. Mix it well and then pack it into your pre-rolled cones or pre-rolled tubes as you normally would.

However, be aware that the additional kief will make your flower stickier so if you are using a Perfect Pack, you are going to want to give it a good cleaning afterward. And watch how tight you pack or roll your kief-infused joints and blunts, because the natural oils and stickiness in the kief melt together when hot and can make it difficult – or even impossible – to pull.

Kief can also be used as an external infusion for pre-rolls. For this, you will also need a distillate or oil that you can paint on the outside of your packed pre-roll. Once you’ve laid down an even layer of distillate or oil, just roll your pre-roll through your kief and it will stick to the outside; but beware – this will create some additional side smoke than a standard pre-roll.

How to Make an Infused Pre-Roll with Hash

Infusing a pre-roll with hashish is slightly more complicated, but offers a little more variety.

To infuse with hash, just cut or break off a small chunk from your larger brick or ball. You can hit your hash with a little heat to soften it some, but be sure not to let it begin to smoke; avoid direct flame contact if possible. Warming it makes it crumble a little easier.

Once you have your hash off the brick, you can either sprinkle the chunks into your flower to pack or spread across it before you begin to roll. You can also form it into either a single long snake that can be placed in the middle, or several smaller snakes placed strategically throughout.

Personally, I love to infuse my blunts with hash. It provides a heavier, mellower high that I can feel more in my body than in my head or behind my eyes, like a typical blunt. Plus, the added flavor of the hash pairs perfectly with the earthy flavor of most blunt wraps, whether they’re hemp wraps or traditional tobacco wraps.

Kief vs Hash: Final Thoughts

So that’s it, the difference between kief and hash is that kief is the dust collected directly off the flower, and hash is the processed and pressed version of that dust.

Both will boost potency and flavor, in their own ways, and can be easily used to infuse a pre-roll or blunt.

And we all have some kief in the bottom of our grinders, so why not give it a try? Who knows; it might just be a whole new way to Enjoy Your Day.