Concentrates for Noobs - Q&A

[florduh]

Fun fact: This is actually why many dry herb vaporizer enthusiasts aren't as impressed with dabs as smokers - because we are already used to that extremely high THC rich vapor in our dry herb devices.

That absolutely checks out for me. After years of daily dabbing in concentrate rich Cali, I've switched to mostly vaping flower. Vaping everything out of flower in one or 2 hits compares very nicely to dabbing.

As far as tolerance or overconsuming cannabinoids goes, I never found it a problem with concentrates. Yes, the THC percentages are higher than flower, but you're consuming way less material.

 

[CrazyDiamond]

@cybrguy I've heard things from Ti lasts longer to it has better flavor. I can't say since all I've ever used is Ti and quartz, now, exclusively quartz (of course the pearls, pillars, and marbles are of different materials like ruby, SiC, etc).

EDIT: If you are strictly speaking dab tools, I use ss, Ti, glass...whatever works, lol.

 

[cybrguy]

I WAS talking about dab tools, and I ended up buying the SS ones cause they were cheap. I don't intend to move to concentrates, but I will likely play with them more than I have.

 

[cybrguy]

So, as a noob I have been watching videos on dabbing as I wait for tools to arrive and I noticed in one of the Vids from Elev8 the guy is talking about cold dabbing allowing the "fats and lipids" to be left in the banger. The implication is that they are waste products not necessary to the dab and maybe even undesirable. Presumably in a hot dab they are evaporated along with everything else and consumed. I haven't seen this discussed elsewhere (yet) and I wondered if this is something that makes much difference, and if so why others don't mention it.

 

[CrazyDiamond]

Awesome question that I can't really speak to...I too would like to know.

 

[ataxian]

Nice. That's one more thing that is now on my bucket list!

I was very luck 2-B born in the USA? (BS sang about it?)
Loaded, Dazed & very Confused but blissful in my mind of BIPEDAL before the dot was blue (B-4 ice)
CANNABIS & b-product’s = CIVILIZATION achieved 2-da max!

 

[cybrguy]

So, a progress report. I was kinda disappointed in the banger and cap I got from Dabbing Warehouse as a starter kit for cold dabs. The ball cap seemed too large for the 20mm banger and the pearl didn't spin so was kinda useless, or so it seemed to this noob.

So much for trying to save a little. Bigger 25mm banger kit with a mega cyclone spinner ordered...

 

[FlyingLow]

Spinning pearls round and round is an instagram thang... don't blow a lung trying to fling them around fast, just try to get the moving enough to spread your oil.... there is some trial and error, I am still hunting for favorite caps. I have a OneTrickPony spinner that should arrive today... his are a little different.

 

[cybrguy]

I have noticed that "dedicated" dab rigs tend to be quite small compared to regular vape or smoking glass. Why is that? Is it a concern about leaving more goodness in the water? I use water for vaping mostly to reduce temperature. I would imagine that is even more important for dabbing so this tendency seems kinda odd to me.

 

[Bad Dog]

high temp dabbing is not as irritating as high temp flower vaping

 

[ataxian]

I have noticed that "dedicated" dab rigs tend to be quite small compared to regular vape or smoking glass. Why is that? Is it a concern about leaving more goodness in the water? I use water for vaping mostly to reduce temperature. I would imagine that is even more important for dabbing so this tendency seems kinda odd to me.

I like the fC186 4-dading?
The small WP’s I have but a bigger rip is LUXURIOUS 2-me?
Maybe the cooler rip is easier?

 

[CrazyDiamond]

That heady rig I got here I barely use. I don't like small pieces for some reason...probably cuz I get water in my mouth sometimes with those. I use medium sized recycler and my crystal v2 for vaping concentrate and my larger sheldon black dub-bub for flower (it's comparable to the HD3 in size).

 

[Ramahs]

I have noticed that "dedicated" dab rigs tend to be quite small compared to regular vape or smoking glass. Why is that? Is it a concern about leaving more goodness in the water? I use water for vaping mostly to reduce temperature. I would imagine that is even more important for dabbing so this tendency seems kinda odd to me.

Both the water and the surface area of the glass suck some of the goodness away. So, the idea is to minimize both to the lowest that is comfortable to you...which is different for everyone.

I will say that I use significantly smaller glass pieces for concentrate vaporizing than I do for vaporizing flower, for sure.

 

[Polarbearboy]

Both the water and the surface area of the glass suck some of the goodness away. So, the idea is to minimize both to the lowest that is comfortable to you...which is different for everyone.

I will say that I use significantly smaller glass pieces for concentrate vaporizing than I do for vaporizing flower, for sure.

I'm the opposite! I have sensitive lungs after 50 years of smoking cigs and 50 years! of smoking weed--quit cigs and been vaping the weed and its derivatives exclusively for 5-6 years now. One smoke toke on a j or pipe and I'm coughing and can feel it the next day. I can tolerate(enjoy!) vaped flower from my ogCrafty with its longer cooling path but have had to stop using all my Vapecaps and my other vapes except through water. I can't tolerate even one hit of concentrates that isn't cooled/toned through water. I use a big double tree perc bubbler, sometimes with more cooling from an ashcatcher, for 99% of my concentrate use and most of my evening flower use. I don't care if I lose a certain percentage to the water or the glass--I'll just take another hit if I'm not raging near out of control as I like. I live in a legal-but-no-retail state with excellent legal weed just a few miles away, and right now I'm at my second home in legal Canada. Both the weed and the concentrates are extraordinary these days and I don't want to further irritate my lungs, so through water and over glass the vapor goes.

 

[Bad Dog]

for concentrate I like a bigger rig but dry

 

[cybrguy]

I'm the opposite! I have sensitive lungs after 50 years of smoking cigs and 50 years! of smoking weed--quit cigs and been vaping the weed and its derivatives exclusively for 5-6 years now. One smoke toke on a j or pipe and I'm coughing and can feel it the next day. I can tolerate(enjoy!) vaped flower from my ogCrafty with its longer cooling path but have had to stop using all my Vapecaps and my other vapes except through water. I can't tolerate even one hit of concentrates that isn't cooled/toned through water.

I'm more like you in consumption behavior tho I'm a little less sensitive. The smallest glass piece I have (other than ash catchers) is probably my D020. What I have been using mostly on this voyage into dabbing at this point has been my Rattlecan. That is probably not the best choice cause the vapor spends a lot of time in narrow channels so I am potentially losing goodness to condensation. Maybe I'll try something else like the D020 or the D022 tonight.

 

[CANtalk]

I've been doing cold start low temp dabs for a few years now and only rock that . ~365 F. Full glass air path and setup, top notch flavors and potent. Too potent dry 4 me so I go with a light water conditioning piece . Always clean glass too.

high temp dabbing is not as irritating as high temp flower vaping

I agree when compared to one hitter full extraction flower draws, but I also find temp stepping and the later higher temp flower draws quite a bit less irritating than any dabbing.

 

[cybrguy]

I'm enjoying these cold start dabs, tho I don't think my Rattlecan is the best choice for them. The tube leading from the bowl gets dirty pretty quick and doesn't clean very easily. I have it corked up with PBW and hot water at the moment and that should take care of it. Gonna try some different glass next time. I also find dropping the banger and pearls into a jar of ISO cleans them well. Thanks for that idea, @CrazyDiamond.

The PTS badder I am using is OK, but I will try something else next time. It's consistency is more like crumble than I expected and not pasty as reviews suggested it would be. And a decent torch made a big difference over the lesser torch lighters I was using. Otherwise this has been an interesting journey into concentrates and dabbing. Still don't intend to switch to it, but I do find it to be an interesting and enjoyable alternative to flower vaping.

 

[BabyFacedFinster]

I am also finding it more and irritating to vape without some water cooling. I switched to concentrates a few years ago because you need to vape less. Now that I've gotten a taste for the terpy goodness of rosins and sauces I doubt I'll ever go back to flower.
But even then, my preferred method for vaping concentrates was in my dynavaps. I really enjoyed the joint like experience of just using a nice stem and an IH. Now that seems too dry and harsh for me. Same goes for 510 mod units.

I really need the cooling of water to make the experience comfortable. So now I use a basic erig unit with a Ti bucket. I get great flavor and the built in bubbler for ease of use. For my situation, pulling out a separate bubbler to then hook up some weird bottomless banger thing is a pain. Same goes for dynavaping through water. Now I need a DV vong or some adapter, a bubbler and then the IH. Forget about pulling out my e nail setup each time, I have kids around here. My little Core erig hides easily in a closet. When it goes, I'll get something similar.

I've also been getting more in edibles.

 

[florduh]

Now that I've gotten a taste for the terpy goodness of rosins and sauces I doubt I'll ever go back to flower.

I don't think there's a better tasting cannabis inhalation product than hash or "live" rosin. Probably has my favorite effects as well. I still do flower quite a bit, mostly because I really like the taste of vaped flower. It's like an IPA you inhale. And it's arguably more affordable than hash rosin in my current market

Now that seems too dry and harsh for me. Same goes for 510 mod units.

Part of the problem there could be the lack of cooling stems for wax pens. Though, a lot of times it's not the heat that gets you. It's the terps.

 

[Chicken No Name]

Can't beat live rosin. The taste is incredible. Just such a pita to make.

@BabyFacedFinster have you considered the AVS M22 with their bubbler.

Whilst I've had issues (not helped being EU based) but if you are USA based I'd give it some thought.
Excellent concentrate vape and the bubbler is v good. And easy to hide and carry.....

I just finished making a load of bubble hash (not live but only dried for 2 weeks and then washed) and will press it once dried. But like @florduh I still love me flower also....

 

[cybrguy]

I rarely see Rosin available in the dispensaries I have visited, while there is always Resin available. Is that because rosin is harder to make? It seems to be more of a craft product made be users and less commonly available. I would like to try some, especially as it is solventless, but I have little interest in buying a press and making my own.

 

[invertedisdead]

I rarely see Rosin available in the dispensaries I have visited, while there is always Resin available. Is that because rosin is harder to make? It seems to be more of a craft product made be users and less commonly available. I would like to try some, especially as it is solventless, but I have little interest in buying a press and making my own.

Rosin is much more of a small-batch craft process. First you have to have great flower that washes well to make bubble hash. Solvents aren't preferential and work pretty much the same on everything, but not everything washes well into bubble hash. Then you have to make the hash and dry it - an art in itself. Then you have to press that into rosin and collect it. But all these are reasons why rosin tends to be better (IMO) as more care goes into the whole process.

Big corporate cannabis companies like selling solvent extracts cause its way easier to do massive volumes and they rarely care about anything.

 

[LesPlenty]

I don't think my Rattlecan is the best choice for them.

My favorite piece for dabs is my rattle can, it diffuses the least due to the internal stem/bubble system. I will recommend dissolving a little powdered citric acid (or a couple of lemon concentrate drops as a cheap alternative to Cranberry extract) in your bong water to help keep things clean.
I clean it every 2nd day this way with a simple hot water rinse with a hose stuck in the mouthpiece.
I only use rosin pressed from flower...no bubble wash.

 

[cybrguy]

After I try some others I may well come back to the Rattlecan, but the part right after the joint is what gets a little nasty, and that part of course never gets any CE on it's own, tho I suppose I could blow a little into that section before taking a hit. It cleans up fine with a PBW wash, but hot water rinsing isn't really enough and I have become used to that low maintenance.