Short answer
To use a four piece grinder with keef catcher, load 0.5 g to 1 g of flower into the grinding chamber, replace the lid, and turn it 3 to 6 times. Ground flower drops into the storage chamber. Trichomes fall through the mesh screen into the bottom chamber. Unscrew the base and scrape the keef with a plastic scraper. Clean the screen every 4 to 8 weeks.
Best Way to Use a Grinder for Kief Collection: Comparison Review
Parts and what each one does
- Lid: teeth that push flower into the grinding chamber.
- Grinding chamber: teeth on both faces. The flower breaks apart here.
- Storage chamber: holds ground flower. Most models hold 1 g to 3 g.
- Keef chamber: sits at the base. A mesh screen separates it from the storage chamber. Screen sizes run from 60 microns to 120 microns.
Steps
- Break buds by hand into pieces the size of a pea. Remove stems and seeds. Stems tear the screen and add no resin.
- Fill the grinding chamber no more than three quarters full. A full chamber jams the teeth and leaves large chunks.
- Place the lid on and turn it 3 to 6 times. Stop when the flower falls free. Extra turns grind the material to powder and push plant matter through the screen.
- Unscrew the storage chamber. Tap the ground flower into a paper, cone, or vaporizer chamber.
- Leave the ground flower in the storage chamber for a few minutes if you want more keef. Dry, cold flower sheds trichomes.
- Unscrew the bottom chamber. Scrape the keef with the plastic scraper that came with the grinder. A metal tool scratches the aluminum.
How keef collects
Keef is a mix of trichome heads, plant wax, and fine plant matter. Trichomes sit on the surface of the flower. When teeth cut the flower, a share of the trichomes breaks loose. Gravity pulls them down. The screen blocks pieces larger than its mesh size. A 100 micron screen passes most trichome heads. A 60 micron screen passes less material and holds more plant matter back.
how to clean and use a grinder
Yield depends on the flower. Resin heavy flower gives more. Expect about 1 part keef to 20 parts flower by weight. One gram of flower leaves about 0.05 g. Five grams leave 0.2 g to 0.3 g across several sessions.
Common mistakes
- Overfilling the chamber. Ground flower backs up into the lid and the teeth stop cutting.
- Grinding to powder. Fine dust clogs the screen and cuts keef yield.
- Using wet flower. Moisture binds plant matter to the screen.
- Skipping the screen brush. Resin builds on the mesh and blocks the holes.
Cleaning
Keef and plant oils clog the screen. Take the grinder apart. Soak the metal parts in isopropyl alcohol of 91 percent or higher for 20 minutes. Brush the screen with a stiff brush. Rinse with water and dry the parts before you reassemble. Do this every 4 to 8 weeks with regular use. Do not soak grinders with painted or coated surfaces in alcohol for long periods.