Method of smoking, mainly (probably exclusively) involving cannabis.
The mechanics of a shottie are similar to that of a bong, with a system involving the smoke passing down a tube, bubbling through water into a smoke chamber and thence into the lungs of the smoker.
A shottie, however, has a number of features which make it unique amongst smoking paraphenalia.
A SIMPLE DIAGRAM OF A SHOTTIE:-
| |
| |
/ \
/ * \
Bottle------- / \
/ \
( * * )// -- Tube
| //
| //
|___*__*__//|--Waterline
| * *// |
| * // |
(______**___)
HOW TO MAKE A SHOTTIE:-
The ideal size for a shottie bottle is around about half a litre, handy as Coke and many other soft drinks come in this size. A larger bottle can be used, although it must be sturdy, due to the suction forces involved in smoking a shottie. A hole is then made in the side of the bottle, about 1-2 inches from the base. This must be done with suitable skill and care, as it must be the perfect size to create a good seal when the tube is inserted.
A shottie tube is a metal tube about 3-4 inches in length. The crucial part of the tube is the internal diameter. This must be very slightly larger then the diameter of a cigarette due to the way in which a shottie is smoked. If one's need for a shottie is desperate (quite possible) then a passable tube can be made from a cut and rolled up section of tin/aluminium etc. from a soft drink or beer can. If you want to make a good job of your whole shottie experience though, the ideal tube comes from a car tyre pressure gauge, the type that are basically comprised of, believe it or not, a metal tube with the diameter of a cigarette.
Once the tube and bottle are ready, the bottle is filled with water just up to the level of the bottom of the hole. It is a bad idea to overfill because then the water will leak, and shottie water is probably the nastiest smell in the world. When the tube is inserted into the hole, it sould be at an approximately 45 degree angle to the bottle. In order to keep the tube in place, and help create an air tight seal, plastic insulation tape should be wrapped around the tube
OK, so you've made the tube, and the bottle, now comes the time to make, or rig your shottie. Both solid and green forms of marijuana can be used, but it is probably best suited to resin. First of all take a cigarette and insert a VERY small length into one end of the tube (I'm talking 1 or 2 millimetres here). Then take the end with the tobacco in it and dab it into your substance (should be finely powdered and preferably in a bowl). Any number of dabs (or stabs) can be made, which alters the strength of the shottie. A good amount is three of four good dabs.
You should then have the tube rigged like this:
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####****
####****
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/\
|| # = cigarette
|| * = pot
Cross section of tube
Put the tube in the bottle through the hole in the side. The end of the tube must be submerged in the water, in order to cool the smoke.
HOW TO SMOKE IT:-
Hold a lighter flame to the pot at the end of the tube, while sucking HARD in the neck of the bottle. Because the tube is sealed, very little air will flow through the bottle, but this means that the tobacco/resin wad gets very hot, while the bottle chamber gets filled with a very think and creamy tobacco/cannabis smoke. Obviously, when something burns, it turns to ash, and once your gear has burnt up, it disintegrates, breaking the plug and the air seal, and causing the burning lump of ash to shoot down the pipe into the water, in turn the sudden pressure release forces the smoke into your lungs at high speed, resulting in a very harsh and nasty tasting hit. This is known as popping the shottie. A very important point to note is to suck it hard. If you fail to pop your shottie it tastes even worse. Its very much an all or nothing situation. What makes this superior to a standard bong is that it is an automated process, ie. as soon as all your stuff has been smoked, it automatically shoots the smoke into your lungs, hence resulting in a perfect hit every time.
WHAT'S THE POINT
If you have any sense, you're probably asking why anyone would bother with such a nasty, dirty and harsh method...actually its obvious - It gets you incredibly stoned incredibly quickly. It's definitely an acquired taste, its so harsh and rank tasting that its an effort to smoke, but once you've mastered the skill of shotties, you'll never look back.