Realistically speaking, there’s no “wrong” way to grind weed. You can use a mortar and pestle or some small scissors, or you can even break up the buds with your hands. However, there’s the issue of poor quality when you grind weed using these methods. In addition, you’re more likely to waste the cannabinoids since they’ll stick to your fingers or whatever you’re using to grind the herbs.
To get the most out of your weed, you need to invest in a good herb grinder. Not only will you get a better grind quality, you’ll also save yourself time and effort. You’ll also spend less money on herbs, overall, because you don’t need to use too much to get your desired effects if the herbs are properly ground. You can even accumulate kief if you use a grinder with three chambers.
If you’ve already got an herb grinder, check out these few tips to get the best results and make the grinder last for years.
Keep It Clean
This is the most basic maintenance tip for almost any kind of tool or appliance: keep it clean. When it comes to your weed grinder, the basic tools are a piece of soft cloth and a soft brush. Don’t use scrubbing pads, rough cloths, or brushes with metal bristles, since these can damage the grinder. Make sure to clean every nook and cranny to prevent contamination of the next batch. If there are bits of weed stuck in the chambers and teeth, you can try to place the parts inside the freezer for an hour or so. Afterwards, you can shake or tap the parts into a paper towel or take a soft brush to further loosen the bits of dried herbs.
Another thing to remember is not to soak the grinder itself to remove grime. Instead, soak a piece of soft cloth or cotton into some rubbing alcohol and then use that to clean the grinder. You can also use Q-tips or toothpicks to remove smaller bits of stubborn residue. Then, just give all the parts a quick but thorough rinse with warm water and make sure to dry completely (especially for metal grinders) before storing.
Don’t Overfill the Grinder
It’s tempting to overfill your herb grinder so you can grind more at a time. However, you’ll get the best results if you don’t overfill the grinder. Just place a few chunks at a time and grind those first. The key here is to get the herbs ground evenly and finely enough to prevent clogging and to ensure even heating. Once you can’t feel any resistance when you twist the grinder, that’s your indication that the herbs are ready. If you need more, simply add a few more chunks to the chamber or remove the ground ones and then grind the new batch.
Don’t Forget the Kief!
Using a three-chamber weed grinder with a screen will help you collect kief, which is comprised of about 30 to 60 percent THC, giving you even more out of your weed. Some prefer to smoke kief on its own or turn it into hash, while some add kief to the buds that they’re smoking or vaping. There are also some who like to add kief to their coffee or make a few recipes with it. Either way, when you have the right herb grinder, you’ll be able to get the most kief from your weed. After grinding, give the grinder a little shake to make the kief fall to the bottom. Some users also swear by a small coin placed on a screen of the grinder to help push more kief down into the chamber.
Turn It Upside Down for a Finer Grind
There’s a popular technique used by long-time users to get a finer grind of weed: they turn the grinder upside down. This way, the buds don’t immediately fall into the bottom chamber and you can grind them longer for extra-fine particles. Simply remove the kief chamber, turn the grinder upside down, and then reattach the kief chamber after grinding.
Don’t Use Too Much Force
Another good thing to remember when using your herb grinder is that you don’t need too much force when covering and twisting. If the grinder is well-maintained, the blades will remain sharp and you don’t have to exert too much effort to cut or grind the herbs. Just make sure the cover is firmly locked and turn the grinder about 10 to 12 times to get ground weed that’s perfect for vaping or smoking.
If you don’t already have an herb grinder, then you should definitely consider getting one. With proper use and maintenance, your weed grinder can help you get the best weed experience for years.
