If this is your first time using cannabis, you may ask plenty of questions about grinders and how to use this piece of equipment.
Grinders can be bought at any head shop or smoke store you come accross, or you can purchase one online from one of retail outlets.
They come in a variety shapes and sizes, from a simple grater for cannabis to more complex units like multi-chamber grinders.
This tutorial sheds light on how to use a weed grinder using the most common type of this device: a 4-piece grinder with a kief collector. Later on, we’ll elaborate on some useful tips to get the most out of your favorite strain with a weed grinder.
But first, let’s talk about the purpose of using marijuana grinders.
What is a Weed Grinder and Why Do You Need One in the First Place?
As the name suggests, a grinder is the tool for breaking your weed up into small bits for a more effective use in a bowl or for wrapping it in blunt wraps and rolling papers.
There are plenty of ways to grind cannabis without using a grinder, but grinders make the whole process quicker and more convenient.
Plus, they offer such perks like kief catchers to make sure you use every single bit of your stash.
A kief catcher is usually located at the bottom chamber below the screen that collects all the potent cannabis resin knocked off the buds when you grind them.
Kief can be scooped out of the grinder and added to the top of your joint or bowl, or used later to make your own hash bricks or cook powerful weed infusions.
The area above the screen is where the grinding chamber with the blades (or “teeth”) is located. The grinding chamber does all the crumbling job and is finished with the lid attached to its top.
Metal grinders are typically equipped with a magnet to make sure your weed doesn’t fall out of the piece during the process.
How to Use a Weed Grinder
With theory behind us, we can finally proceed to grinding your weed. In this section, we show you how to do this in four simple steps.
Off we go!
Step #1
Remove the top lid. Using your fingers, break bigger buds up and place them in between the blades of the grinder. Don’ bother putting any flowers directly in the center of the grinder — this is where magnet rotates, so no buds in the center will get shredded.
Step #2
Place the lid on top of the grinder again and give it about 10 pivots untill all the material has fallen down to the collecting chamber. If any sticky pieces get stuck in the teeth, you can take the top off and tap it against the grinder’s side.
Step #3
Unscrew the bladed chamber to find the so-called basket layer. This is where your freshly ground weed ends up.
Step #4
Remove the kief-collecting chamber from the grinder to see how much of the precious resin has fallen out of the bud. If you want, you can scoop a portion of the kief and sprinkle it onto your joint or bowl to make it more potent. Alternatively, you can save it for later to make hash or make some baked weed-infused goods.
5 Foolproof Tips on Using a Weed Grinder
The first time using a weed grinder can be confusing, to say the least.
To get the best grinder experience, it’s crucial to use the device so that it effectively gets you the finest grind for your herb.
We’ve compiled five tips that will guarantee you get a good grind every time.
1. Pick a Decent Grinder
If you’re looking for a high-quality piece without breaking the bank, here’s the good news — thats totally doable.
The most important thing to remember is the material of your grinder. Buying an acrylic or wooden herb grinder is a short-sighted decision because these tend to be made of cheap ingreadients and have low durability standards.
A high quality grinder will be made of alluminum or zinc. These materials ensure the finest quality of the product and the best grind for your weed.
Another factor to consider is the list of the grinder’s features.
How many teeth are in the top chamber?
How many holes are there to le the ground herb fall into the next chamber?
Does the grinder come equipped with a kief collector?
Always make sure to ask your vendors about the above if they aren’t included in the product description.
2. Don’t Overcrowd the Top Chamber
We suggest that you don’t load as much weed as possible in the top chamber, no matter how strong the temptation.
When you overcrowd the top chamber, your weed won’t be as finely ground as it would’ve been if you had ground up a smaller amount each time.
3. Turn the Grinder Upside Down to Grind the Herb More Finely
This is a nice tip we’ve once seen online before a sesh with our friends. When you turn the grinder upside down, it has a tendency to grind it more finely than when you use it in a regular position. Just remember to secure the top cap to prevent the weed from falling off and flying everywhere around the room.
4. Grind Your Weed Thoroughly
While this might seem like Captain Obvious knocking to your door, there are some indicators that can help you figure out when your herb is ground up to the perfect consistency.
As the weed is being shredded, you may feel slight resistance when you begin to twist the top chamber of the grinder. A good way to tell your herb is thoroughly ground is that the twisting motion becomes easier — to the point it feels as if nothing was left in the chamber.
5. Remember About Kief
Ah, the sweet crystalline resin. Kief is a super fine marijuana powder made from the cannabis trichomes being stripped off the plant during grinding.
Kief can be collected through the metal screen filter in four-piece herb grinders. It boasts much higher THC concentration than regular marijuana. If you’re a regular cannabis user, you’ll probably use the grinder multiple times throughout the day, so your kief will naturally build up in the bottom chamber of the device.
You can keep the precious powder for later to make your own solvent-less extractions or use it in cooking with cannabis. Or, if you can’t resist adding pizzazz to your next session, sprinkle some on top of whatever you’re about to smoke the weed from.
When was the first time you used a weed grinder? Do you have any tips to share with less experienced users?
