thick vapor... what's it from

[mig]

hi folks..

i am trying to figure out some logic here, related to the thickness of vapor.

some assumptions:
> more mature trichs means better mj
> the heating of the vape machine vaporizes the trichs

therefore, the better the mj, the thicker the vapor should be..??

there also seems to be some correlation between heating temp and vapor... is this because as we increase the heat, we begin to vaporize more than the trichs from the plant...???


general question..

> when we re-heat our product at a higher temp (say going to 210c from an initial session at 185), have we likely vaped all the active trichs, and are now vaping other elements of the plant that are non-active, and therefore of less value to us..???

thanks for any insight...!!!!

mig

 

[pakalolo]

Vapor thickness is more related to temperature than quality of the material. Higher temperatures simply drive off the vapors more quickly. Think of boiling water: if you get it to just simmer, not much steam, but if you heat it up to a rolling boil, lots of steam.

For information about temperature-related effects, see this thread:

http://www.fuckcombustion.com/viewtopic.php?id=2197

 

[steiner666]

better herb will give you more vapor in total, but its the temperature that mainly controls how fast/thick its released.

 

[max]

better herb will give you more vapor in total, but its the temperature that mainly controls how fast/thick its released.

True statement, and I'm sure you're not advising this method, but going for a high temp right away, in order to get thick vapor, is a little wasteful and locks you into the 'near smoke high'. I'm a big fan of the low to mid temp range and often just save my ABV before even getting into the high temps. OTOH if you need the analgesic and/or sedative effects of the higher temp range, I can certainly understand going there right away.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

i agree that better herb -- where that is defined as more trichomes with larger heads, hence more thc goo -- will produce a thicker vapor, given the same temperature, in my experience.

 

[nicelytoasted]

The higher temperature(s) also chars more of the plant materials and hence, releases more particulates. This gives more condensation nuclei (and surface area) for more condensation to take place, and hence a thicker vapour, imo.

 

[Pappy]

I find purples, and white and gold hairs -- generally sativa -- less desirable to vape regardless of their smoke-ablity. Less hits, thinner vapor, orange ABV, are all byproducts of these strains. Since vaping I've learned to avoid them. Though not foolproof I generally stick with OGs these days.

 

[CombustionJunction]

I can't believe no one else has mentioned this, but in my experience, dryer herb = thicker vapor.

If you're not getting thick vapor from a new strain, try drying out the buds a bit.

Also, the amount of herb you put in your bowl.

 

[rabblerouser]

I think it depends on the terpenoids. I swear a lot of the lemony / sour tasting stuff is some of the thickest vapor. I've got some stuff right now which is easily not my favorite, but give thicker vapor than anything else I've tried.

my guess is just that different terpenoids make thicker / thinner vapor, certainly just MORE would also help with thicker vapor too.

 

[Alpha]

IMO certain vaporizers have a better/more dynamic extraction (even at lower temps) because they retain heat well PLUS agitate and focus the out-coming blast of hot air. The Supreme, Herborizer and Vrip heat wand are good examples (Supreme is now my fav).

 

[max]

Retaining heat (heat exchanger) is mostly important for maintaining vaping temp for good back to back hits. An exhanger shouldn't come into play during a hit when using a decent vape design. I have the Supreme and PD, with mass for retaining heat, as well as vapes that have little to nothing for helping the element maintain a vaping temp. I've found no real difference in their ability to provide thick vapor during a hit.

 

[charliedontsurf]

Size of the bowl is a factor people seem to be neglecting, both width and depth.

Increase the size of the mflb trench by three times and it'd hit like a beast.

 

[pakalolo]

Size of the bowl is a factor people seem to be neglecting, both width and depth.

Increase the size of the mflb trench by three times and it'd hit like a beast.

This is a good point, but I think it's the airpath that makes a difference, in that small constricted openings concentrate the vapor. This is why certain vaporizers give thicker hits than others at the same temperature. For example, I think this is why the elbow pack technique for the Extreme is popular with the thick cloud crowd.

If you increased the trench size of the LB then more vapor would be given off during a heat cycle and since there is only one small draw hole then the hits would be thicker. This principle applies to any device where you increase the area of the material exposed to the heat source but do not change the air path.