Am I combusting? Invisible vapor..

I can't really tell the exact temp on my SSV but when I exhale vapor clouds they are not visible in normal lighting. I have a really powerful light on my phone though that I use when I exhale, when I put it close to the vapor then I can see thick clouds. But when I take away the close powerful light and I'm in normal lighting I can't see the vapor at all, its practically invisible to the naked eye.

My question is, am I combusting if I can see only see the vapor with a close powerful beam light?
Or is it still vapor?

If you're combusting you would see smoke, which would be even more visible than vapor! The hits would also be a lot harsher and hotter. Do you hold your hits in for quite a while? If so, the clouds will be a lot smaller, and you might not see anything at all. Take a big hit and blow out immediately to see if you see a cloud then.

If you want bigger clouds, you can add more herb, increase the temperature, inhale deeper, and exhale faster. Personally, I don't get big clouds, nor do I want big clouds. Plus I've never been a smoker, so my lungs can't handle near as much as a lot of people, so I can't really take big hits in the first place!

Thanks for the reply! I'm just looking for a healthy temperature to keep carcinogens to a minimum, but if I turn it too low then it takes me forever to feel it.

For sure! I'm always amazed at videos where people exhale these these humongous clouds...I'd be coughing for days. Are you new to the SSV/vaping? I'm sure if you experiment with it you'll find what works best for you.

IME that's not true. A low temp with no visible vapour does not get me medicated. High temps which produce thick vapour do. I've tried the "more efficient " smaller hits with little visible vapour and I just don't get medicated. I do have a high tolerance though.

yea thanks pakalolo I agree that you can still "get medicated" at such low temps the real issue is how much patience someone like vape4life has. For example It takes me 5-10 minutes of vaping to get on the level as it would turning it way up and only taking a few hits.

My main concern is def not getting thick visible clouds, its finding a healthy temperature. Since you said benzene starts to appear at 392°F I suppose I am below that if my vapor is only visible under the close bright beam light

Sorry, IME not true for me. But I'll try again tonight by being more patient. I'll try 11:00 on cloud with .2. I would love to medicate like this, if its effective for me.

If your goal is to get high as you can off of very little, you want to use as little as you can, while using those high temperatures. This way you absorb most of the vapor instead of exhaling it. For example instead of using .2 in one session divide it 4 times. So for each session you will be using .05 grams. You will get smaller clouds but more absorption. Using noon(12 o'clock) on the cloud should be good enough. Have fun.

Thanks Luch! You've explained this great in recent PM's. I've actually been using that technique and did so last night with great results. But I used cloud on max temp, and just covered the bottom of elb. Only one hit/cloud but I'm able to hold it long and exhale a satisfying cloud (not huge). I'll try tonight with a lower temp and see what happens.

My problem and almost fear with using the small cloud technique for more efficient absorption is that I get a small buzz that is quite unpleasant. Almost like a 1/2 high, and then I get nausea. If I hit it hard and fast this doesn't happen. I'll try the fruit juice like you mentioned in another thread.

It sounds like your a lot of the thc is converting to cbn due to using such a high heat, and causing these effects. When you inhale fast, you are cooling off the herb inside the bowl a little more so less is converted, which is why it doesn't happen when you inhale hard & fast. Also more air is diluting the vapor so you take in less cbn. CBN isn't totally bad, but too much of it may not be what you want. Just lower the temperature, then inhale nice, slow and steady to keep the vapor from being too diluted while also preventing too much thc to convert to cbn. Here's more info on CBN:



The video leaves out the fact that oxygen is the main thing that causes the thc to turn to cbn, not just heat. This is why using such a high temperature in cases such as vaporizing or smoking, a lot of the thc converts to cbn and gives the lethargic, relaxed type high. If that's what you want then cool, but if you want just a "fresher" high lower the temperature and inhale nice, slow, and steady.

A couple of techniques you may like is doing the 12 o'clock technique I mentioned, then when you are almost done, raise the temperature to max, to get the cbn high as this can cause the high to be a little stronger. Have fun

The other is to use more of the herb(.10 grams) at once to get the quick rush type of high, then for the next session right after the first one, use the divide technique(.05 two times), and on the last .05grams raise the temperature up to max to get the cbn high. This is for when you want to have a real good time.

Pakalolo: I think it's totally possible that i'm not waiting for the effects, and looking for instant gratification. This is what I just did...Cloud on 12, loaded an elb just a bit more than what covers the bottom (less than 1/4 full ELB), and hit it at a slow to medium pace. SUPER smooth, and exhaled a decent cloud after holding for 6-8 seconds or so. I finished it with 2 smaller cloud exhales, but my abv is obviously not very dark. I'll put that aside for high temp later on tonight. It's been 5 mins, I definitely feel some effects, but they aren't too strong which I suppose is to be expected off such a small amount? What I WANT to do now is max temp and finish that ELB!

Thanks Luch for the vid! I don't think it matters much how I inhale with the Cloud, slow or fast...it keeps the temp pretty solid.

I'll do more experimenting, but would love to be more efficient and conserve more, but I guess my med needs might need that high temp becuase that's when I feel "floored (somewhat)" and enjoy the buzz.

Vape4life, I edited my post so reread it.

You should keep vaping the rest of your herb. If you normally use .2 grams, you should end your session with .2 grams vaped in total, but instead of using all at once you divide it up into four sessions. From the example you gave, you shouldn't be done. In other words you should have filled your elb 4 times before you were done with vaping.

As far as the cloud keeping temperature, it keeps the temperature of the HEATER stable, but the temperature of the AIR can fluctuate depending on how you inhale, and this will effect the temperature inside the bowl, which will effect extraction. This is true for most vaporizers, as they measure the temperature of the heater not the air. Plus the harder the hit, the more air is filling your lungs as opposed to vapor.

Thanks Luch, i'm going to try that and keep on experimenting.