If you have been smoking marijuana for a long time, you most likely know the right way to ash your joint, pipe, joint, bong, or bowl. However, if you are just getting started, then you may not have as much experience with using weed and ashing it afterward.
Many cannabis users have found out the hard way that there is a right way and a wrong way to ash the joint. If you do not do it properly, you may end up getting ash all over the place. The good news is that even if you are pretty new at using these tools, you can easily learn how to do it properly. It’s nice to follow some simple smoking etiquette. If you’re sharing the joint, then it is a good idea to avoid ruining it when you ash it.
Part of avoiding breaking the joint when ashing it has to do with the right rolling technique. But even if you are still getting the hang of rolling the joints, there are ways of preventing your experience from being ruined.
Ashing a Blunt
Because a cigar wrap is flimsy and a blunt does not have a filter, ashing a joint is not the same as ashing a cigarette. There are a few methods you can use to successfully ash a blunt. First, you can try to graze it gently against a surface. This might be the corner of a table or the inside of your ashtray. If you like, you can even use the ground. This knocks the ash right off and prevents damage to the blunt.
You can also tap the blunt gently against an edge to get the ash to fall off. If the blunt is more on the delicate side, you can hold it with one hand, tapping it against the other. The holding hand can offer some extra support. However, if the blunt was rolled extremely poorly, then this method can still cause it to break.
If you do not mind a bit of a mess, you can try gently blowing on the end of your blunt. This will cause the ash to fly away, so it is probably best left to outdoor areas. If you have an ashtray, a better method might be gently knocking the blunt on the edge. However, this can ruin fragile blunts.
Ashing Your Joint
If you have rolled your joint to be like a cigarette, then you can most likely ash it like one, as well. However, some joints are not quite as sturdy as cigarettes, so you will need to put forth a little more effort.
A popular method of removing the ash is by flicking it. This is the way people ash cigarettes. You should flick it from the filtered end, using your thumb. This allows the ash to fall right off. If there is no filter on your joint, then you may damage it using this method.
You might also try blowing on the end of your joint to cause the ash to fall off. You can also gently move the joint over a surface, such as an ashtray. This allows it to fall neatly into the tray. Or you could try knocking the corner of your joint on an ashtray. However, if the joint is fragile, you might accidentally damage it.
Proper Joint Rolling
Ashing your joint properly is only part of the process. You should also roll it correctly, so it is easier to ash. That way, it will not be delicate and fall apart the first time someone tries to remove the ash.
If you are just getting started, you should probably start with about half a gram of weed and use 1¼ size rolling papers. That way, a couple of people can enjoy the joint and the smaller amounts can make it easier to roll. If you buy a pre-rolled joint, it will be 1 gram.
Once you have improved your rolling skills, you can go to king-size papers and 1 gram of marijuana. This allows you to smoke with more people. First, you should gather up your supplies for rolling. This includes:
- Cannabis
- Grinder
- Crutch
- Rolling papers
- Pen or Pencil to Pack the Joint
The first step involves breaking the cannabis down. This should not be a difficult process if the product is properly dried. You can use your hands, but a weed grinder helps prevent stickiness from the product. That also prevents it from sticking to the joint paper. Scissors or a knife can also work.
Then, you can make the filter or tip. The crutch can be made from anything, but cardboard is a good option. You can also get crutch material in certain types of joint papers. You will want to start by making some accordion folds in your cardboard. Then you can roll it to the right thickness.
This is not a vital step, but it can prevent the cannabis from falling out one end or the other. That way, you are less likely to accidentally dump it out when you ash it. It also helps make the entire joint more stable, which is important for some of the ashing methods and prevents burns on your fingers.
The next step is to fill the rolling paper with your crutch and cannabis. Finally, you can begin to create the joint using your fingers. Remember that there are many different flavors and types of papers around. However, many people enjoy using hemp papers because even though they are thin, they are also strong.
Now, you can roll the joint. Pinching the paper between your fingers, roll it back and forth to pack in the cannabis to its final shape. When you are done, you should take the unglued portion of the paper and tuck it into your roll. Then, you can roll it up and use the glued portion to tack down one end of the paper. Using a bit of moisture can help ensure that it will stay in place, no matter which ashing method you use. One tip is to use the crutch side. This can help guide your paper when you roll it around.
After you have secured one end of your paper, you can then move down the rest of the seam. You should seal and tuck the joint to the end. To finish up the joint, you can pack the end of it. This will help to ensure that it burns evenly. A pen or a pencil is a great object to use to pack it right.
If you are on the go, you can use a drawstring on a hoodie, your shoelace, or even a little stick. If you will not be using the joint right away, you will most likely want to twist the tip to close it and prevent cannabis from falling out.
Ashing a Pipe or a Bong
Because pipes and bongs both have bowls, the process for ashing them is similar. If you do not care about a mess, then you can blow the bowl. This causes the ash to fly everywhere.
Instead, you might try removing the bowl from the bong and turning it upside down. Then, you can tap on the bottom with the lighter or another object. This allows the ash to fall out in a neater pile. If you are using a pipe, you can turn that upside down and do the same thing to it.
If you want to get the bowl of the bong even cleaner, then you can give it a good slap when it is out of the bong. This will put ash on your hand, but it is considered to be very effective when it comes to getting everything out of it.
If you do not want to remove the bowl from the bong, then you can just use your finger or another object to remove the ash. For pipes, you can use the mouthpiece to blow air into the bong. The ash will fly out and potentially make a mess. This method is called the French blow.
For bongs, you can use the vacuum method. Just remove the bowl and turn it upside down on your stem. Then, inhale through the mouthpiece of your bong. This flow of air will remove the ash from the mouthpiece and dump it in the water. It will stay there until you clean it.
Ash Catchers for Bongs
You might be wondering how the vacuum method works without contaminating your smoke with too much ash. This is where an ash catcher comes in. This device simply catches debris and ash before it can end up in the water in your bong. The smoke will go through the catcher and there will be less debris dirtying up your pipe. Many types of catchers can also make the bong taste better and easier to inhale. You can think of it as a filter for the water pipe.
Why Use an Ash Catcher?
You may have noticed that after just a little bit of smoking, the water pipe gets filthy. This can make the glass look unattractive and smell bad. If you have spilled old water from a bong, you have most likely noticed this odor. Often, using a dirty pipe can create drag and make the percolator get clogged. This results in an overall unpleasant smoking experience.
Even with regular water pipe cleaning, the pipe may still get dirty. No one has time to properly clean the bong every single time. It is much easier to maintain and clean the bong if you have an ash catcher. That way, you can spend less time cleaning and more time smoking.
If your bong is smaller or very easy to clean, you may not even need an ash catcher. However, if it is larger or has several percolators, you might just find that this accessory is a lifesaver. Of course, this accessory is optional, and you can purchase it separately from the pipe.
Choosing an Ash Catcher
To get the right type for your pipe, you will want to figure out the joint size of the pipe. That way, you can get the right size ash catcher. Many of these accessories are considered to be male joints. You should combine them with female pipes. But if you have a male jointed water pipe, you can still get an adapter to fit it. There are many different price ranges for ash catchers, depending on the size and design.
You will attach the catcher to the pipe with the same method you use to take the bowl in and out of it. Once you have an ash catcher, the bowl will go in there instead of right into your pipe. When you use it, the ash will be trapped in your catcher instead of the main chamber.
When using this type of accessory, you should be sure to avoid adding too much water. Otherwise, the dirty water will end up in your bong. You can get special clips than can secure the catcher to the pipe. A plastic clip can lock the ash catcher in place, which prevents it from coming out with the bowl.
Closing Thoughts
There are many different methods you can use to ash your blunt, bong, bowl, or other tool you use for smoking marijuana. No matter which method you choose, you can make the most of your experience by helping your tool stay intact. The right method will depend on where you are and what tool you are using to smoke.
Once you know how to ash your joint, you will be better prepared to smoke a blunt with some friends. When you are all taking turns on the same one, it is a good idea to ash the joint before you pass it to the next person. That way, they will not accidentally spill anything on their clothing or furniture.
