While smoking weed is already fun, another cool aspect of cannabis culture is the creative ways you can smoke your stash – case in point: the apple pipe method.
If you’re ever stuck without your gear – paper, pipe, etc. – or if you want a cool party trick, you can create a pipe with an apple!
Today, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about apple pipes and how to make them. By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to smoke your marijuana no matter where you are or what gear you have on you.
An apple pipe, often called an apple bong, is a homemade smoking device crafted from an apple. In this setup, the apple replaces the typical manufactured pipe, taking on the roles of both the shank and bowl. You only need an apple, a boring tool like a pen, and your best marijuana.
The apple pipe has been around for a very long time. It’s become a bit of a right of passage for smokers, harking back to the days of secret smoking without proper gear.
It’s also the go-to emergency pipe for any smoker traveling without their usual gear. A quick run to the local grocer or your fruit basket is all it takes to build your organic pipe.
There is no solid evidence on when the first apple pipe was made, but rough estimates take it back 2,000 years ago. Societies worldwide have been using marijuana for millennia and have always been very creative about how to consume cannabis.
There are many options for DIY pipes and bongs. Common alternatives include soda cans, tin foil, and pens.
However, apples make a better option for a couple of reasons.
Now that you know what an apple pipe is and the benefits of using one, let’s cover how to make your apple pipe at home.
First, you’ll need to gather all your apple pipe supplies. If you don’t have any of the items below at home, you can purchase them quickly at a corner store near you. There’s no need to go to a specialty store.
Find an apple for your apple pipe. The apple should be firm and fresh. A soft apple risks bruising and falling apart. Other than that, you can choose any apple of your choosing. You can even tailor your pipe by selecting an apple flavor you like.
Collect a boring tool. This can be a pen, screwdriver, or chopstick. You’ll need this to hollow out the smoke holes in the apple. Wash whatever you’re going to use and remove the ink cartridge from the pen if you use one.
Lastly, gather your usual marijuana necessities, like weed, a grinder, and a lighter. You can cut the weed with scissors if you don’t have a grinder.
After gathering your supplies, remove the stem from the apple. Make sure you remove all of the stem down to the base. This concave area at the top of the apple will be where you pack and smoke the bowl of weed.
After removing the stem, carve out the bowl. You can use your boring tool or a hollow pen to carve out a shallow bowl shape at the stem divot. Make it big enough to hold your product.
Once the bowl is carved out, take your boring tool and push it through the bowl into the apple. It should go about halfway into the apple. Remove the boring tool.
Next, create the mouthpiece and the carb hole with your boring tool.
Poke a hole straight across the apple. Make sure it meets the first hole you made from the bowl and comes out the other end of the apple. It should form an upside-down T shape, leaving three open holes in your apple.
One of the side openings will be the mouthpiece, where you inhale the weed. The other is the carb hole, which works similarly to the carb on a bong. The middle hole should lead to your bowl.
Your apple pipe is ready! Pack the bowl at the top of the apple with your product. Put in as much as you want.
Cover the carb hole to regulate the airflow before bringing the mouthpiece to your mouth and lighting the bowl. Smoke it like you would your bong or pipe, and enjoy your apple-flavored marijuana.
Apple pipes are pretty foolproof. However, a common issue people face is getting enough of a seal for a powerful inhale. There are two main reasons for this.
First, the holes in the apple are blocked or don’t connect. The apple pipe holes need to connect for the pipe to circulate the smoke. Re-punch the holes in the apple and ensure they are all connected.
Sometimes, debris in the holes can also make inhaling hard. Blow hard through the mouthpiece and clear the inside to ensure no apple bits block the airflow. Second, the apple is too soft. To inhale smoke through the apple, the apple must be dense enough to block any outside airflow. If it’s too soft or falling apart, the apple pipe won’t form a seal and won’t work well. You might only get a weak supply when you inhale.
If that’s the case, replace it with a fresher apple or use one of the apple pipe alternatives listed below.
Unfortunately, you can’t hold onto your apple pipe for long because apples are perishable. While you might get a day or two of use out of the apple pipe, you’ll have to throw it away when it gets soft.
If you use an apple pipe as a quick alternative or just for fun, you can throw it out once you’re done.
However, if you’re relying on apple pipes or other fruits and vegetables for all your smoking, it’ll be much easier and cheaper to buy a pipe. There are many excellent but affordable options to choose from. You can then keep the fruit pipe as a fun party trick.
An apple pipe will last for a maximum of a day. If you have a super fresh and robust apple, it might last two days. But then, it’ll become soft and a struggle to smoke from. You’d be better off buying a new apple and creating another apple pipe.
If you’re not a big fan of apple flavors or don’t have an apple on you when creating your DIY pipe, you can use other fruits and vegetables to create a pipe.
Common alternatives include:
Dense, hard vegetables and fruits make the best pipes. So, even if you don’t have one of the above options at home, you can use it as long as it has a similar consistency.
From there, follow the same steps as the guide above.
Remove any stems, and carve a divot to act as the bowl and “top” of the pipe. Bore a T shape into the pipe, ensuring it connects the bowl and the mouthpiece. If the fruit or vegetable is weirdly shaped or you feel lazy, skip the carb hole. The pipe will still work.
If you want a pipe alternative, use this guide to DIY your first apple pipe. All you need is a fresh apple, a boring tool, and your weed and lighter. Remove the stem, create a bowl, and drill holes between the bowl, the mouthpiece, and the carb.
Not only is it super fast, easy, and cheap to make, but it’s a great DIY option in a pinch.
Complete your apple pipe with high-quality weed. Visit your nearest Embarc location for cannabis, culture, and community today!
