Yeah, if using the joint without a TopHat, it creates a huge bowl.Another generous member had one he wasn't using and offered to send it to me so I could try it. I remember when you first released them there was an useage option without the tophat, which was what I had been looking for ever since beta testing Zion, something more like the Solo stems with fixed glass screen and no need for mesh, though the bowl here is huge
The tophats didn't interest me as much bc of having the separate parts, but I guess they are pretty necessary after all bc they offer small holes, screen closer to the heater, and narrower as well? But then the tophat doesn't need the internal glass screen in the stem does it? I can lock into one of the stems without internal screen right? That seems like it's be better with less glass mass to rob heat perhaps? I know I still need to try it...
I've only gotten to try the GonG a couple times, couldn't get any mesh basket screen in there to get load closer to heater as I like, so that has made thing trickier. I had tried a whole nug, but it didn't work too well bc it needed to be broken up to further extract more than a taste, and then it was bit city in my mouth lol
There are stems we sell without the screen installed, it has a taper to keep the TopHat from pulling through.
I'm finding the best setup is to not grind with the TopHats or break things up later. The Tubo and my newer Milaana have enough heat power to extract pretty darn goodly to not have to break anything up and not have wasted anything other than yourself. Pardon my english.