As you mature and become a more sophisticated consumer of cannabis you are going to drop some practices and pick up on others. One of the things almost everyone eventually gravitates to is the grinder. The marijuana grinder can make a big difference in the quality of your experience while at the same time cutting prep time dramatically and eliminating the need to wash your hands so much (if you grind with your hands, like a lot of folks do). In this post, the team at the 710 Pipes headshop in Denver answer some of the most common questions our customers have about grinding weed.
Question 1: Does grinding affect the potency of weed?
Yes and no. Yes in the sense that when you grind your weed using a grinder (rather than by hand) the kief will separate from the rest of the weed and collect in the kief catcher. This means that unless you take that kief and add it to your bowl or joint the cannabinoids contained in it will not be available, so you’ll have a less potent smoke.
No, in the sense that, if you want to ensure you get the full measure of buzz contained in the weed you’re grinding just make sure to include that kief in the bowl, joint, spliff, toilet paper bong or whatever your chosen delivery method. You’ve now rejoined all the components of the weed which are perfectly ground to deliver an optimal experience, and nothing is lost.
Question 2: What exactly is kief?
Now that we know that separating kief from the rest of your weed during grinding can affect the potency of your smoke it begs the question: “What exactly is kief?” Kief can be found in the resinous trichomes that cover the surface of cannabis buds. These trichomes contain dense concentrations of cannabinoids, terpenes and other compounds that give your expensive weed its flavor, aroma and kick.
As we mentioned above Kief can be collected during the grinding process if you get a grinder with a kief catcher. Fortunately most (though not all) modern grinders come with a kief catcher. That will be the chamber at the very bottom of the grinder. The kief itself will appear as an unassuming fluffy powder, but don’t let its milquetoast appearance fool you. Thar’s stoner gold in that thar powder.
Once you’ve collected a bit you can sprinkle it on top of your bowls, add it to joints and edibles or smoke it all by itself for a really intense high. The bottom line is that kief is one of the many positive results of using a grinder.
Question 3: Is there a difference between slicing weed and grinding weed?
Yes. Grinding and slicing cannabis are two different processes. They also tend to produce very different results. As the name implies slicing marijuana entails using a sharp knife to cut the dried flowers into pieces. Some people choose to slice their weed into large pieces for use in edibles or whatever. Others, though, will chop the pot until it’s nearly as fine as you would get from a grinder. How big or small you cut the pieces will depend on how you ultimately want to use the weed.
Grinding, on the other hand, almost always results in a very fine product. This can be used to make first-rate joints or to produce high-quality bong hits because the fine grind will result in a more thorough, even burn. Finely ground herb is also good for use in dry herb vaporizers. If you haven’t tried dry herb vaping you can pick up a vaporizer in our online head shop.
Question 4: Do grinders require maintenance?
Not in the sense that a car requires maintenance because a grinder is a manually operated, analog device that is extremely simple in design and execution. There aren’t any fuel injectors to fine-tune, or engine diagnostic systems to troubleshoot. But that’s not to say grinders maintain themselves. Just like the gutters on a house that get clogged with leaves and don’t work as effectively, a grinder can get clogged with the byproducts of the grinding process and not work so well.
There are a few common sense steps you can take to ensure your grinder is always performing up to its capabilities:
Clean it regularly
Don’t let the aforementioned byproducts build up inside and grind things to a halt (so to speak). If you use your grinder regularly, clean it regularly.
Don’t overload the grinder
It can be hard to exercise restraint when there are a bunch of guests all clamoring for a hit off the bong but restrain ourselves we must. If you overload the grinder in the hopes of saving some time over the course of the evening you could damage the filters or screen or even the grinding teeth themselves. So for the long-term health and viability of your grinder only grind a modest amount at any one time. Your friends will wait. Believe us.
Make sure to store your grinder properly
Most grinders have metallic parts. That means they’re susceptible to rust. If you want to prevent your grinder from rusting make sure you store it in a cool, dry place. If it’s hard to find a cool, dry place in your home then clean it before putting it away and store it in one of those airtight containers used for storing food. Or in a vacuum seal storage bag.
Use lubricant
This isn’t a must, but it’s a good idea to apply just a bit of olive oil or vegetable oil to the teeth of your grinder now and then in order to keep them working smoothly.
Order a Grade A Grinder from 710 Pipes Online Smoke Shop
If you have decided to graduate from hand grinding to mechanical grinding you’ll need a quality grinder that’s affordable and will serve you well over the long term. You can get just that at the 710 Pipes online headshop or at our brick-and-mortar pipe shop in Denver. And while you’re at it check out our selection of heady glass, vapes and other accessories.