DoseCraft
VapeHeatLabDry Sift
A mechanical separation method using fine mesh screens to collect trichomes from dried cannabis and produce kief or hash.
Dry sift is a solventless mechanical separation method used to collect cannabis trichomes by gently rubbing or tumbling dried cannabis over a series of increasingly fine mesh screens. The collected trichome heads fall through the screens as a powder that can be consumed directly as kief or pressed into hash.
The Process
Quality dry sifting starts with well-dried, frozen cannabis material, as cold temperatures make trichome stalks brittle and easier to separate. The material is gently worked over a screen (typically starting at 150 to 200 microns), and the collected powder is then further refined through progressively finer screens (down to 70 or 45 microns). Each pass produces a cleaner product with fewer plant contaminants. Static charge can be managed by working in a cold, low-humidity environment.
Quality and Uses
The quality of dry sift depends on the purity of the trichome collection. Premium dry sift (often called full melt) contains almost exclusively trichome heads with minimal plant matter and can melt completely when dabbed. Lower grades contain more plant material and are better suited for topping bowls, adding to joints, or pressing into traditional hash. Dry sift is one of the simplest and most accessible extraction methods, requiring only screens and patience. It is prized by solventless purists and hash makers for preserving the complete terpene and cannabinoid profile of the source material.