How to Use a Dab Rig like a Pro?
Before dabbing came to be a way of taking cannabis, one had to grind the joint, roll it on a makeshift pipe, and smoke it, all the way through. When one needs to get high, he only needs to take that spot that got the hits. Good thing dabs exist so one can get high as desired.
Dabbing delivers the fastest high and full hard hits with a flavored-pack dose of cannabis. Today, it has been the most popular way to consume cannabis. Because why not? It only takes a little dab to get high.
What Is a Dab and How Does It Work?
No unnecessary burning. Dabs contain only concentrated cannabinoids and terpenes. Dabs are the dose of cannabis concentrates. And they come in oils or wax. Dab makers use specific processes to extract different concentrates of cannabinoids and terpenes.
What CBD or THC concentrates can you dab?
- THC isolate. Eliminating all other compounds in cannabis results in 99% pure THC. It comes in powder or crystalline form.
- THC extract. The extraction of the cannabis plant aims to get the full spectrum of terpenes and cannabinoids found in it. One must winterize or remove the waxes, fats, and lipids of the extract so one can use it as a dab.
- Terpsolate. It is a dab formed from combining liquid terpenes with THC isolate.
- Shatter. One can use a dab formed from infusing terpenes with weed concentrate slabs.
- Crumble. Cannabis crumbles had oils eliminated during extraction, leaving malleable concentrates.
- Wax. These are sticky and waxy THC concentrates that can either be full-spectrum or THC/CBD isolates.
How a Dab Rig Works
Dab rigs work just as how water pipes do. When one is using a dab rig, the air will pull down on the main chamber. The magic happens when the chamber creates bubbles to work its way to make the water touch the vapor with either a percolator or a recycler system.
It cools down and diffuses vapor and creates bubbles to distribute vapors in the water. These vapors flow through the tubes and into the mouthpiece. The result: cooler smokin’ flavors that flow smoothly when inhaled.
Things to Setup Before Dabbing
No one goes straight to dabbing if he wants to get the right high. It only takes a few things to prepare to dab just right. And if he’s someone doing for the first time, it may take a few tries before he becomes familiar with these accessories.
- A bowl of water. Although it’s not an accessory, it’s one of the most significant elements of the process. It helps all the magic happen with just a bowl of water.
- Oil concentrate. It is the dab, the dose, or the cannabis concentrate.
- Dab rig. A dab rig is a water pipe, similar to a glass water pipe, used to consume oil extracts or concentrates.
- Dabber. Sometimes they call it the wand. It lets one scoop a dab, pour it on the nail, and stir the oil or wax.
- Nail. Sometimes called a banger. It takes the heat from the torch. It must heat up so it can ignite the wax or oil. For one reason, the joint doesn’t have to touch the flame. It only needs the heat applied to the nail to deliver its vapors to the chamber.
- Torch. A torch is a tool used to season the banger or nail. Use only a butane hand torch as propane torches are not advisable for the nail component.
- Carb cap. A carb cap is a cover to trap the heated vapor in the nail, so it has to flow down the rig.
- A cotton swab or a rag. Dabbing will leave tar on the nail. A wipe of cotton swab will remove it.
Steps to High-Temp Dabbing
If the heat goes over 400°F, more flavors can burn. Users have been debating about the perfect temperature for high-temp dabbing. They prefer the rush of huffing high-temp dabs. The method prompts one to catch the smoke at once.
Some would season their nail by 700°F; some would go as high as 1000°F. Whatever it is, high-temp dabbing would require a Titanium nail so it can withstand the heat. It both heats up and cools down quickly. That means that the wax will melt away as soon as it drops on the nail.
This dabbing method needs no carb cap since the vapor will disappear in a rush. This dabbing method can be extremely dangerous. Trying this for the first time may damage the dab rig.
So, how to do it?
- Take a dab with the wand.
- Heat the nail from medium heat to the highest. It only needs a few seconds to get hot.
- Once the nail turned red, drop the concentrate. It will vaporize at once.
Take it all with a quick huff.
Steps to Low-Temp Dabbing
Low-temp dabbing uses temperatures between 250°F and 320°F. CBD extracts’ boiling point is at 350°F. Any temperature that goes higher will potentially burn the dab’s terpenes. To maintain this temperature range, one can use a ceramic or quartz nail. At this temperature, the nail preserves the aroma and flavor of cannabis concentrate.
This dabbing method delivers the distinct flavor of terpenes. Preserving the terpenes even lengthens the hit of the dab. There are no dangers of releasing chemicals like Naphthalene and Benzene because of the absence of combustion. And since the vapor inhaled is not so hot, there’ll be no stress for the throat or lungs.
How to low-temp dab?
Before low-temp dabbing, test the water if it creates bubbles.
- Scoop a dab with the wand.
- Blow torch the nail until it becomes red. Keep the flame away from the dab rig.
- Let the nail cool. Wait for about 10 to 30 seconds.
- Put the dab on the nail and stir. Put on the carb caps.
- Let the chamber create bubbles and make vapors.
- Huff and puff away until satisfied.
- Wipe the residue with a cotton swab while it’s still soft and easy to clean.
Dabbing Tips You Should Know
- Be careful in handling the heat. This tip goes for handling the torch and nails.
- Make sure to know how much the nail can do. Nails can come from different materials like ceramic, titanium, glass, and Quartz.
- Using the dab rig frequently will require regular maintenance and cleaning.
The Bottomline
It takes an amount of patience and some techniques to master the art of dabbing. Heat application with either of the two dabbing methods can be dangerous. One has to be familiar with his dab rig so he can use it smoothly. It also takes some discipline to handle the effects of dabbing. But when finely executed, dabbing can be one’s favorite time of the day. Smoke away!