Gravity Bong: How the Bucket Method Works, Setup & Effect
Weed Wissen
The gravity bong, also known as the bucket bong, is a real classic among smoking devices, at least the classic of student flat-shares. :-) Most people into cannabis will have heard of the bucket method at some point, even if not everyone has actually tried it. Either way, it counts as an intense, full-on experience.
What is a gravity bong (the bucket method)?
Smoking a bucket means you fill a bucket with water, grab a plastic bottle, cut off the bottom, unscrew the cap, place aluminium foil over the opening and then sink this whole construction into the water-filled bucket.
The bottle, with the foil on top, should still poke just above the water. You perforate the foil with a pen or pencil.
The bucket should now be set up as follows:
1. Bucket filled with water
2. Bottle with no bottom stands in the bucket and sticks out of the water a little
3. Over the bottle neck, cap removed, you lay the aluminium foil, wrapping it around the top of the neck
4. On the foil, which we have pierced with a pencil or pen (small holes!!!), you place the weed or hash
Now you hold a flame to the weed or hash and light it. As you do, you slowly pull the bottle upwards. The smoke is drawn through the small holes into the bottle. Once the bottle has been pulled almost all the way out (never pull it completely out of the bucket!!!), you take off the foil, put your mouth to the bottle and push it down into the water.
This way, 1 to 1.5 litres of smoke reach deep into the lungs within seconds.
And that is how you smoke a bucket.
The principle behind the gravity bong
The smoke is drawn into the bucket by negative pressure. As soon as you push the bottle down, positive pressure builds up and the smoke is forced into the lungs under high pressure. That is exactly why the effect is so strong.For inexperienced smokers, affordable beginner bongs, made of acrylic for example, are the better place to start.
Please note: a gravity bong sends a very large amount of smoke deep into the lungs all at once, which puts a heavy strain on the airways and can quickly become too much. This article is purely informational and is not a call to consume. Whether and how cannabis may be used differs from country to country, so always check the rules where you live. Intended for adults (18+) only.
