ok heres what i do, assuming the bowl isn't giant, (my homemade ones about the size of a penny around and almost an inch deep.) put little chunks of the bud, removing stems and seeds, into the bowl, and using the flat head of a nail, pack it in reaaal tight and fit as much bud into the tiny space as possible. i've found that by doing this, it always gets a nice dark red cherry deep within the bowl. and when the bowl stops giving hits, i blow on the top, and pack again leaving the burnt chunks in.