How to Use Your New Bong

You've got a new bong and a jar of dried bud, and you're ready to go. You're just not quite sure how to get started.

Loading and hitting a bong is something that every marijuana user learns eventually. Whether your first bong is a gift from a friend or a gift to yourself, there is no arguing the benefits of that beautifully crafted glassware. A bong water-filters and cools the smoke so that the burn from a dry herb hit is reduced. Bongs also help you to take bigger hits and can allow you to get more stoned with less coughing.

Of course, you must know how to get started. Let's assume you've got your brand new bong in-hand and ready to use - you're just not sure how to prepare the gadget for the ultimate big-clouds weed smoking experience. Don't worry, bud; we've got you covered. As experienced bong users let us walk you through the process as if we were right there like an excellent friend in your living room.

What You'll Need

Dry Bud
Ice Cold Drink
Water for bong
Weed Grinder
Lighter or Hempwick

Rinse & Dry a New Bong Before Use

Okay, so you just bought a new bong. It's gorgeous and looks perfectly ready for smoking. Maybe it's a big beaker, or maybe a straight tube with percolation. Fortunately, the process for caring for your new water pipe is the same for all bongs, from the most expensive ROOR to the most affordable Plain Beaker.

The first step is to rinse out your bong. Think of it like buying new dishes from the store. It's got shop dust and fingerprints and who-knows-what-else on it right now, and you're about to put your mouth on that. So please give it a good rinse and even shake around a bit of drop of dish soap to be sure it's spotless. Rinse thoroughly (especially after the soap) and dry the outside.

Optional: Chill the Bong

If you want especially frosty hits then you can stick your bong in the freezer for a little while. Set a timer. Never put your bong in the freezer with water in it (for longer than 10 minutes), or the water will freeze, then expand, then explode the bong. Just a friendly warning from a team who has been there, you don't want your bong to shatter from ice freezing. However, if you're not experienced with the bong yet, dealing with frozen glass may not be ideal, so you can skip this part at first. Just know the trick is there when you're ready.

Fill the Chamber with a Small Amount of Water

Take a look at the stem, the bit that sticks from the small lower tube down into the chamber. The branch will likely stop just before the floor of the bong. It will also have tiny slots in the bottom. Keep an eye on where those slots line up with the side of the chamber.

Now take the bong to your sink and fill it up to just above those slots. Don't fill it anymore, or you'll be pulling bong water with every hit. Cold water will help create a better and cooler bong rip.

Stack the Neck with Ice Cubes

If your bong has an ice-catch or a restriction in the neck it can hold ice. Grab your tray of ice cubes and load up the tall neck on the top. There should be some dents in the bottom of the neck that are the 'ice catch' to prevent ice from falling into the chamber or onto the stem. Place as many ice cubes as will fit without poking out of the neck. If you need to shrink your ice cubes, run them under cool water for a few seconds.

Grind Up a Bowl of Dry Cannabis Flower

Get your weed ready for the bong by grinding it up finely in an herb grinder. Place a few buds between the grinding plate, close the lid, and twist until it twists freely. Tap the cover firmly a few times around the edge to shake the dust into the grinder chamber, and then open your grinder. Some people shake their weed onto the table, some pinch it out of the grinder chamber instead, so the choice is a stylistic one for you.

Fill Your Bong Bowl with Ground Herb

Now take the herb bowl and ash catcher of your bong. Sometimes, this is united with the stem, but usually, it's conveniently separate. Hold the bowl over your pile of weed (to catch spills) and deliver a few pinches of weed into the bowl. Fill the bowl carefully to the brim with ground-up marijuana. Let the bits fall from the bowl, or your fingers fall back into the central pile, so no weed is lost or wasted. Then scoop any remainder back into the grinder chamber for safekeeping.

Lightly Pack the Bowl

Press down on the bowl of weed gently with your thumb until you feel it pack down and then spring back up when you lift your thumb. The idea is to flatten the top and help prevent loose weed granules from jumping away.

Place the bowl into the top of the stem and prepare to take your first excellent bong hit.

New Bong

How to Hit a Bong

Taking a bong hit is a work of art, so we've saved the best for last. Now that your bong is prepared, you're ready to take that first chilled smokey hit. We highly recommend you grab that icy soda right now and crack it open just in case. You may need it in a second.

Hold the bong neck with your off-hand, stem pointing away from you and slightly toward your dominant hand.
Hold the lighter in your dominant hand, flame hole pointing up. The direction matters to avoid scorched fingertips.
Place your lips in a seal around the top of the bong neck. This will be chilly.
Flick the lighter and lower it to the surface of the bowl while inhaling just enough to make the water bubble.
Release the lighter when you feel the hit begin and the cherry (ember) forms in the bowl.
When you feel your lungs hitting capacity, quickly pull the bowl out of the stem and inhale cool air (and the rest of the smoke) intensely, really fast. The water will bubble a lot.
Try to 'pull it clear' by inhaling all the smoke created inside the bong before you stop.
Hold your hit for as long as you can (5 to 30 seconds) and exhale slowly to avoid coughing.

Congratulations! Even if you're dying and reaching for your soda right now, you have just taken your first solo bong hit with your new bong. Celebrate by becoming incredibly stoned, as you are inevitably already doing.

Clean Your Bong Between Uses

Last but not least, remember to clean your bong between uses, or at least every few bowls. That black and brown stuff that builds up inside is resin, just like you would scrape from the inside of a pipe. The best way to clean a bong is with borax powder and isopropyl alcohol. The alcohol breaks up the resin. Fill your bong chamber about 1/3 to halfway with iso and add a generous scoop of borax. Cover both holes and shake thoroughly. Change the direction of your shakes to get tough resin residue spots.

Clean your stem and bowl with the same mixture along with a poker to help scrape the sides. We have many pipe cleaning products that work great as when you decide to get serious about keeping your collection sparkling. You can also use a resin preventative to reduce resin buildup inside your bong.

This way, you'll have a sparkling clean bong (and less coughing) each time you start a new bowl on a new day.

A New Bong is Just the Beginning

If this is your first bong, then you're only getting started. Bongs are a great introduction to the enjoyment of cannabis and water pipes and other fun rigs. If you don't have your grinder, weed tray, or custom lighters yet, now is the time to start your session collection. If you're inspired by this bong and want to try other designs, now is the time to explore your glassware style, from simple beaker bongs to elaborate glass sea creatures. For more bong accessories and great tips on how to rock out with your cannabis, visit our online headshop today!