Dry Sift

Dry Sift, literally “dry sifting”, is a mechanical extraction method involving the separation of trichomes from hemp or cannabis flowers without using solvents. Trichomes, which naturally contain cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids and other plant compounds, are collected using a system of screens with different mesh sizes. This technique is one of the oldest and most widespread solventless extraction methods.

The product obtained after sifting is generally called Dry Sift or Kief, depending on the context and level of purification. It can be used directly or serve as a raw material for producing various resins, including certain traditional hashes.

The principle of dry sifting

Dry Sift relies on purely mechanical separation. Dried hemp flowers are handled gently to detach the trichomes, which then pass through screens of different sizes, while leaves and other plant fragments remain trapped.

Several successive passes may be carried out to improve the purity of the product. The more precise the sifting, the higher the proportion of trichomes compared with the remaining plant material.

A trichome-rich composition

Dry Sift consists mainly of trichomes. These naturally contain cannabinoids such as CBD, CBG, CBC and CBN, as well as terpenes, flavonoids and many other compounds produced by hemp.

The final composition depends on many factors, including the cultivated variety, growing conditions, harvest stage, flower quality and the fineness of the sifting process.

Dry Sift, Kief and Hash

Dry Sift primarily refers to the production method using dry sifting and to the product obtained at the end of this process. Kief generally refers to the trichome powder collected after sifting. Hash, meanwhile, is often made by compressing or working this Dry Sift to form a more compact resin.

These three terms are closely related, but they refer to slightly different stages or concepts in the processing of trichomes.

Solventless extraction

Dry Sift belongs to the family of solventless mechanical extraction methods. Unlike other methods that use solvents or chemical processes, this technique relies solely on the physical properties of trichomes.

This simplicity makes it one of the most widely used traditional methods for naturally concentrating the constituents of hemp.

A traditional hemp concentrate

Dry Sift now occupies an important place in the world of hemp concentrates. It is used both as a finished product and as a raw material for producing numerous resins and concentrates. Its quality depends mainly on the purity of the collected trichomes, the precision of the sifting and the producer’s expertise.