the stem contains the white powdery substance that is the cut , the meth that is in the stem will be reddish, take a paper clip or other wire and just push that into the bowl, the white shit aint what you want anyway, so why trip, its just the reddish build up that is good, and that reddish stuff gets in the stem from drawing it up while sucking on the pipe. the white shit builds up from the fumes