How to Use a Bong as a Beginner: A Detailed Guide to Cleaning a Bong.

– How to Use a Bong –

Using a bong is not as complicated as you may think. the process is super easy to navigate and get along with your smoke. If perhaps you are seeking to know how to use a bong for the first time or you want to know how to keep it clean properly for the next time it will be put to use, then this article is for you. Read all to the end to get every idea you might be needing. 

How to Use a Bong as a Beginner, and a Detailed Guide to Clean it.

Bongs, which you may also know by slang terms like bubbler, binger, or billy, are water pipes used to smoke cannabis.

They’ve been around for centuries. The word bong is said to have come from the Thai word “baung” for a bamboo tube used for smoking weed.

Today’s bongs look a lot more complicated than a simple bamboo tube, but they all come down to the same basic process.

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What is a Bong?

Bongs are simply filtration devices for smoking *cough* herbal material. In its most basic form, the bong is a cylinder tube with water at the bottom. A hole above the water level accommodates a stem (sometimes called a down stem) and bowl.

As the cannabis in the bowl is burned, the smoke produced is sucked down the stem, under the water where it is cooled, and then bubbles up the chamber and into your waiting lungs.

Because the smoke is whipped up during the filtration through water, bongs produce a thicker, creamier smoke that is quite pleasant to inhale.

Bongs have been around for literally centuries, throughout Asian cultures and across the African continent. Our current use of the term bong comes from the Thai word “bong” referring to a bamboo water pipe used for smoking cannabis.

They are usually made from glass, but ceramic bongs are also popular and known for their rich color and beauty. There are also plastic bongs, a very inexpensive option.

The classic glass bong is the easiest to find and worth the extra dollars to avoid smoking out of plastic. You can also find wood bongs, traditionally made with bamboo.

Parts of a Bong

The Bong has some parts various parts, we would go through these parts, we have the Mouthpiece, the Chamber, and the Downstem.

Parts of a Bong

The mouthpiece: The mouthpiece is the opening of the bong. It’s at the end of the tube where you’re going to put your mouth.

The chamber: The chamber is where the smoke will gather and then be inhaled. Your bowlis what holds the herb you’re going to smoke. Some people call it a slide because you slide it in and out of the downstem.

The downstream:  The downstream is a small tube that connects the bottom of the bowl to the water in the bong. The smoke travels to the water by way of the downstem.

These are the basic parts of the majority of bongs. Some are more complex and intricate. Like a bong made out of wood or a Dab Rig.

How to Use a Bong as a Beginner.

As a beginner, you need to definitely take your time to learn how to properly use a bong to avoid doing the wrong thing. Here are steps to help you through your first time.

Step 1: Prep your Bong

Before doing anything else, be sure your bong is ready to go. Insert the downstem while checking that your bowl slides smoothly in and is cleared of any ash.

How to Use a Bong as a Beginner.

Next, pour water into the water chamber. Typically, the water goes through the mouthpiece, which is the large opening at the top of the bong.

Put enough water into the water chamber so that the bottom of the downstem is fully submerged—you don’t need any more than that. Finally, if you are using any additional components such as an ice catch, be sure everything is in its proper place inside the bong.

Step2: Grind your Marijuana

The best way to do this is with a grinder, as the device will give you the most uniform grind. Place a medium-sized nug into the part of the grinder that contains the grinding teeth. Replace the cap and twist it back and forth until your weed is fully ground.

If you do not have a grinder, you can use a sharp pair of scissors or even your fingers. Whatever method you use, the goal is to break the nug down into small chunks of more or less the same size.

Step3: Pack the Bowl

When your weed is ground, use your fingertips to pick up a pinch of marijuana. Carefully place the pinch of weed into the bowl. Then use your finger, the flat end of a lighter, or a tamping tool to gently tamp the marijuana down into the bowl.

Don’t pack the bowl too tightly, though, otherwise, you could have problems pulling smoke through the bowl. Add enough marijuana to fill the bowl to the top, then slide the bowl into the downstem.

Step4: Ignite the Marijuana

At this point, you’re ready to start smoking your bong. Use a lighter or hemp wick to ignite a corner of the bowl. As you do this, put your mouth to the mouthpiece and start pulling in with your lungs.

There is no need to be too aggressive with your pull; give it a smooth and steady drag. You will see the smoke travel from the bowl through the downstem, and start bubbling up through the water.

Step5: Clear the Chamber

When the chamber has filled with smoke and you’re ready to take a hit, you need to clear the chamber. To clear the chamber, slide the bowl out of the dowstem. Be sure to continue pulling in with your lungs. By removing the bowl, you open the flow of air moving through the bong, which pushes the smoke up the mouthpiece and into your lungs.

Step6: Clean your Bong

Bongs can quickly become dirty, smelly, and gunked up with resin. To keep your bong in pristine working condition, clean it after each session.

Begin by emptying out all the ash from the bowl. Then, remove the bowl and place it in a zipper-top plastic bag with some coarse salt and rubbing alcohol (or simply use a cleaning solution designed for bongs and other glass smoking pieces).

Gently shake the bag and use your hands to scrub the bowl. The idea is to let the alcohol break apart the sticky resin while the salt acts as an exfoliator. Work the bowl around inside the bag until it is clean. Then remove the bowl from the bag and rinse it in clean water.

Next, repeat this step with the downsteam. If the salt/alcohol solution isn’t too dirty, you can simply drop the downstem into the exact same zipper-top bag.

Is Bong Harmful to the Lungs?

If you’re looking for a smoother toke, a bong will give you just that compared to smoking weed rolled in paper.

As expected, the water in a bong eliminates the dry heat you get from a joint. The effect is often described as being cooler, creamy, and smooth rather than harsh.

Is Bong Harmful to the Lungs?

This effect can be deceiving, though. While the smoother smoke might feelbetter on your lungs, you’re still smoking. And that smoke is still filling up your lungs (we’ll spare the lecture on why this is all-around bad news for your health).

Sure, a small amount of the bad stuff might get filtered out. But it’s not enough to make much of a difference.

Yes, this means all those stories about bongs being the “safer” way to smoke are largely based on junk science. According to the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionTrusted Source and other health organizations, smoke is harmful to lung health regardless of what you’re smoking because of the carcinogens released from the combustion of materials.

Smoking marijuana, whether via doobie or bong, can harm lung tissues and cause scarring and damage to your small blood vessels.

If you love smoking, or you just want to have a detailed understanding of a bong, then I think this article is informative enough on this topic and is able to answer your question on what a bong is, how it works, how to use it as a beginner and its effect compared to a normal smoke. Hopefully, this information is helpful and useful to you.

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