Weed lovers rely on grinders as a crucial tool in their arsenal. Before indulging in packing a bowl or rolling a joint, the first step involves grinding up the weed. But what if the tool is not readily available?
In such a situation, the options are limited. Utilizing unground weed for packing a bowl is not the best way to go, as it tends to result in burning more weed than actually being smoked. The only recourse is to get started with a homemade or DIY grinder. Despite potentially losing some trichomes and the time-consuming nature of this method, sometimes you have to make do with what you have to get the job done.
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Why do you Need Ground Weed Especially with a Grinder?
A grinder is a compact tool crafted for weed grinding. Typically, it comprises two or three interlocking pieces featuring teeth or ridges on the interior to break buds into smaller pieces.
Ground cannabis is usually collected and smoked from the lower compartment in most tools. Some grinder designs include an additional chamber underneath to capture the kief, aptly named a kief-catcher.
Breaking down or chopping the flowers you get in your monthly weed box sub into smaller pieces ensures a more even burn. Regardless of your preferred smoking method, attempting to smoke a whole bud is impractical. Placing an entire nug in your rolling paper obstructs airflow and leads to uneven burning. While using unground flowers in a bong might be possible, it's likely to impede airflow and result in a less satisfying hit.
Read More: How To Grind Weed?
Read More: How To Use A Weed Grinder?
Let’s Get Started With Grinding Weed!
Break it down with your hands
This approach is the simplest when resources are limited; it's straightforward and doesn't need anything extra. You might not achieve an extremely fine consistency, but it will suffice."
Just wash your hands, then separate the flower from its stems, loading them into your smoking device as you progress. Be as meticulous as you want to create the smallest possible pieces — the finer the flower, the easier it is to roll it into a joint.
If you have scissors available, they can also be used to cut up the flower without making your hands sticky. Some people prefer cutting the flower into a shot glass so it’s easy to clean up.
Utilize a coffee grinder
Your everyday coffee grinder can double up as your (kind of) homemade weed grinder. This is especially true if you have a larger quantity at hand because your monthly weed subscription box just arrived.
Working with a larger quantity of flowers helps prevent the coffee grinder blades from turning into dust rapidly, allowing better control over the size of your ground flower. The coarseness of your ground cannabis isn't one-size-fits-all; it's more of a personal preference. A finer grind allows you to pack more flowers into the same-sized joint or bowl piece, making this method preferable for those looking to smoke more in a single session.
After cleaning your grinder, separate the flower from its stems and load it into the grinding chamber. If your coffee grinder has various coarseness settings, experiment with small amounts of flowers to find your desired consistency. Close the lid and run the grinder until you achieve evenly sized, smokable pieces of cannabis.
A cheese grater
A cheese grater as a makeshift grinder can be quite effective — there are even dedicated cannabis graters available. Maybe you’ll even get one in one of your weed sub boxes. If using a box grater with various options, choose the smallest size blade.
On a clean surface, take each bud and rub it back and forth against the grater's blades to break it up. This technique can be particularly useful for individuals facing dexterity challenges or arthritis, but exercise caution to prevent any accidental cuts.
Mortar & pestle
When other options fall short, go traditional and resort to a mortar and pestle. Consisting of a bowl (mortar) and a blunt, club-like object (pestle), this tool is designed to crush food and herbs into a powder or paste.
As it's not a widely used tool, the mortar and pestle method may not be the most readily available, and it tends to work better with drier flowers. Despite some limitations, a mortar and pestle excels in breaking up the trichomes in cannabis flowers.
Trichomes house cannabinoids and terpenes, responsible for weed's flavor, aroma, and psychoactive effects, often recognized as the powdery kief collecting in the bottom compartment of a standard weed grinder. This method produces a consistency akin to kief, contrasting with the typical small pieces of ground flower. While this might suit some preferences, be aware that some weeds may be lost in the tool's crevices.
If you have a mortar and pestle lying around and are open to these compromises, it's worth a try. As to how to grind weed in it, load your flower into the mortar, applying gentle pressure with the pestle until it achieves a fine consistency.
Transfer as much ground flower as possible onto a clean surface or directly into your smoking device.
A pill bottle with a coin in it
If you prefer not to use your hands, another method for grinding cannabis involves placing the flower in an empty pill bottle along with a coin. As you shake the bottle, the coin rebounds off the walls, effectively separating the buds.
While not as efficient as other techniques, this DIY approach is the only one that separates kief from the flower, similar to a conventional weed grinder. Due to the static charge, the kief will collect around the walls of the bottle.
Before starting, don’t forget to clean the coin to eliminate any build-up or bacteria. Some users have reported that this method may impact the flavor of the weed, giving it a metallic taste or smell. However, pre-cleaning the coin might help alleviate this issue.
Although a dime or penny can be used, nickels or quarters are preferred due to their heavier weight. Begin by unscrewing the lid of an empty pill bottle and placing a coin at the bottom. Add a small amount of unground flower on top of the coin. Screw the lid back on tightly and shake the bottle vigorously to break up your cannabis.
Once ground, use your finger or a small brush to first extract the kief from the walls of the bottle, then transfer the flower into your smoking device.
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Read More: How To Grind Weed Without A Grinder?
Read More: How To Clean Weed Grinder?
