The Best Way to Grind Your Weed
Did you know that there is a right way and a wrong way to grind your weed? Don't get me wrong, if you find yourself ready to roll but are without a grinder there is no "real wrong" way to grind; Break out the nail scissors, the mortar and pestle or get ready to pull apart the flower with your fingers, whatever you need to do. However, if you are not in a dire situation and have all of your tools available there are a few tips you should be aware of so you can get the best grind possible.
Best Practices
You want to use a proper grinder rather than your fingers because you'll get the most out your weed that way. All that sticky stuff left behind on your fingers playing havoc with your manicure? That's THC you're not smoking and that's a sacrifice that you just don't need to be making.
When it comes to choosing a grinder you have several options: They are typically made of metal, wood or acrylic. They come with 1, 2, 3 or 4 chambers and may or may not have magnets to help keep the lid on.
I like a metal 3 chamber grinder personally but there's one for every style and price point so you do you. This article is about how to use your grinder for optimal results but if you want some suggestions on where to purchase one, check out some of our favourites here and here.
Don't Overfill
Grinders work best when you don't overfill them. Start with a couple of small chunks of dried flower, add more as needed. You want the finished product to be ground finely enough that hot air (if you're vaping) or flames (if you're smoking) pass through freely and to prevent clogs in pipes. When you find there is no more resistance while twisting the separate parts of the grinder, that's when you know you've ground your herb finely enough.
Don't Put Bud in the Centre of the Grinder
It prevents the magnets from connecting and holding the lid down. You can definitely cry over spilt bud, especially if it's been ground up already!
Collect the Kief
The very fine, powdery stuff that collects at the bottom of the chamber? That's called kief and is comprised of 30-60 % THC. If you use a grinder with a thin screen and a separate chamber for collecting it you can add it to joints and sprinkle it on bowls for an extra kick. It can be also be smoked on its own if you wish.
Pro tip: leave a small coin on the screen in your grinder, as the coin moves around while you're grinding, it will push the fine powdery kief down into the storage chamber.
Turn It Upside Down
Seems weird but chronic connoisseurs swear by this trick for getting the most out of their efforts. If you're looking for a very fine grind (for cooking with or vaping for example) flip your grinder upside down. Doing so prevents the bud from falling through to the storage chamber, keeping it in contact with the teeth for a longer period of time.
If you're collecting kief, first remove the bottom chamber from your grinder, after you've finished grinding your weed, reattach the bottom chamber, give the piece a couple of extra turns and a tap or two right side up and voila! Extra fine ground bud and you still get to keep your kief!
Keep It Clean
Keeping your grinder nice and clean is actually much easier than my lazy-ass expected it to be, I'm a fan of the freezing method because it requires almost zero effort on my end. I simply take apart my grinder, put it in a large freezer bag and pop it in the freezer for about an hour. When all the plant matter is frozen it comes off easily by tapping the part onto some paper towel or your rolling tray. Keeping your grinder clean will keep the teeth sharp and extend its lifespan overall plus, your weed will taste better.