I'm the same way. I looked up what was in those things to make a cheap alternative, but never waisted my time. I get smooth on the throat hits, no crackling when burnt, and light gray ash from just using water.
I've had to not flush with one because I needed space and the results were good. thought I just got lucky. I also set them in a dark room for 36 hours before cutting them down. I hear they store nutrients in the roots at night.