Concentrates for Noobs - Q&A

[Stiggy]

Another completely noob question:

I just ordered my first nail, a dome less quartz castle from Chief Cottonmouth.
I have read previously that nails need to be seasoned- like a good skillet in the kitchen.

Could someone please explain this process and what I need to do once I receive my nail?

Good choice. I have a couple wide mouth quartz castles made by Chris Schuler, also some of his champagne cup quartz nails.

Seasoning a quartz nail is easy. I've read that quarts shouldn't be blasted with a MAPP gas torch at full blast, I've done it with no issues but generally don't. Get the nail nice and hot using gradual heat, I typically use a bernzomatic TS8000 propane torch turned down to the lowest flame possible(still is a 5-6 inch flame). Fresh quartz is very misleading trying to judge how hot it is by how red it is. You will find that it won't really get red very easily except for the rim of the bowl at the cut slits. Some areas will just not really ever get red, like the actual dish itself especially for the first time heating it. Try to aim the point of the flame into the dish of the castle and roll it around, don't heat it from the side like a Ti nail. Once the rim and cut slits begin to glow just a little you have it hot enough. Wait for all redness to quickly dissipate and then apply a BIG glob of reclaim oil right to the dish without hitting the piece and let it vape off for a couple minutes. Once it stops producing vapors heat the nail back up with the torch to burn off excess residue and you're pretty much good to go.

There are other much longer methods to season your quartz, such as your oven. There are youtube videos of this. Obviously that takes way longer.

Once your nail is seasoned and you get some good use into it, it will becomes easier to use. You will get some residue build up on the dish, this residue is how you will easily judge whether or not your nail is ready to dab off of. Areas of the nail where the residue is will glow red when hot enough and when you remove the flame the residue goes white, if it all doesn't go white and some stays dark the nail could have been heated a little more. Small learning curve to it, but the taste is so much better that Ti.

I prefer my wider mouth castles to the standard ones, just because it gives a bigger target for hand dunking my touchable concentrates.

 

[FlyingLow]

Does this process need to be repeated after each time you clean your nail?

How often do you all clean you nails?

 

[GR]

Does this process need to be repeated after each time you clean your nail?

How often do you all clean you nails?

TI I clean with a high heat burn off and never have to season after initial seasoning. Honestly my oldest nails are my favorites.

 

[farscaper]

Does this process need to be repeated after each time you clean your nail?

How often do you all clean you nails?

Once its broke in its broke in for life.

 

[clouded vision]

Yup for cleaning all you have to do is torch the nail clean. The only time you would have to reseason a nailwould be if your ti nail has a lot of oxidation and you use a wire brush to clean it and remove the alpha case in the process

 

[horst]

I want to make my first QWET extraction with 3 grams of ABV. My concern is the ABV-consistency, the herb was ground with the finishing grinder for MFLB usage so it is fairly fine with a lot of dark dust.
Does it make sense to lightly shake the ABV on a metal tea-sieve to seperate the powdered ABV from the more flaked ABV? Which half would be more powerful? Would only use the flakes for extraction to enhance the taste and quality.
I could continue to use the dusty ABV for edibles to avoid trashing goodies.

 

[Bouldorado]

It's probably not the worth effort to sift abv pre-extraction. Just make sure your filter is fine enough to catch the smaller particles and you'll be good.

 

[goldstepper]

The sputtering / spitting / splattering doesn't always mean its butane or c02. It could be and most likely is moisture.

some strains won't shatter, so even if there were low temps you might still not get shatter.

 

[063_XOBX]

What's the consensus on dab size?

Follow up: I've got approximately 75gs of (light brown) avb, would that even be worth running or should I just stick with ISO or Cannaoil?

 

[slvelocity]

Lol great thread for my question:

I bought this set of dabbers on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000SVRSRY/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1398538682&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40

I'm noticing that the "head" of the dabber is withering away with every dab... It's noticeably smaller than the other heads of the new dabbers I haven't used yet. I fear I'm inhaling steel here...

Is this normal?

 

[JoeKickass]

My ti nail technique:

Dab like half the size of a pea
Get nail to just glowing (more glow if smaller nail)
Count 14 seconds (or 10s for small nail)

Adjust the glow of the nail and count and you should be able to have it hit perfect every time

You know you did it right when, after your hit, a faint vapor is still coming off the bowl but there is no liquid left. Also it should taste amazing

(For titanium only, glass/quartz has never worked for me lol)

 

[Bouldorado]

Lol great thread for my question:

I bought this set of dabbers on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000SVRSRY/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1398538682&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40

I'm noticing that the "head" of the dabber is withering away with every dab... It's noticeably smaller than the other heads of the new dabbers I haven't used yet. I fear I'm inhaling steel here...

Is this normal?

Dabbers shouldn't change shape or or text just from touching a nail. If you want to test them though, hit one with your dab torch until it glows red. If there's any degradation (a sign of a low-grade alloy), than I would stop using them.

 

[slvelocity]

Dabbers shouldn't change shape or or text just from touching a nail. If you want to test them though, hit one with your dab torch until it glows red. If there's any degradation (a sign of a low-grade alloy), than I would stop using them.

Sigh ok I guess they were cheap for a reason. Do you have a place where you recommend I buy a good dabber?

 

[farscaper]

Sigh ok I guess they were cheap for a reason. Do you have a place where you recommend I buy a good dabber?

I have been eyeballing skillet tools for some time. You can find their stuff even on ebay. A lil more expensive though.

 

[slvelocity]

I have been eyeballing skillet tools for some time. You can find their stuff even on ebay. A lil more expensive though.

I'm on their direct site and 10 bucks seems pretty reasonable. My dispensary is charging 25.

 

[herbivore21]

For anyone making QWISO/QWET or cooking with their AVB. I thought I would add this friendly tip.

Please do not allow any of your herb to get to the popcorn taste when vaping. Learn to control heat so that you do not char or scorch the top of the load. I have found that even AVB QWISO tastes fantastic when your herb has been vaped to an even mid-brown, with absolutely no combustion of any part of the load.

As I have learned, oils aint oils! Take care to make your concentrates with material that has been treated carefully and you will reap the stoney benefits!!

 

[farscaper]

For anyone making QWISO/QWET or cooking with their AVB. I thought I would add this friendly tip.

Please do not allow any of your herb to get to the popcorn taste when vaping. Learn to control heat so that you do not char or scorch the top of the load. I have found that even AVB QWISO tastes fantastic when your herb has been vaped to an even mid-brown, with absolutely no combustion of any part of the load.

As I have learned, oils aint oils! Take care to make your concentrates with material that has been treated carefully and you will reap the stoney benefits!!

Or skip the abv and go strait for the top colas!

Fuck yea!

 

[Polyrhythm]

The foil test is a good one to test your oils. Put a small amount on tin foil heat, it should turn liquid then evaporate off leaving little residue behind. The more residue the more contaminates it has.

I started with skillets but soon as I got a nail I never went back to the skillet. Buy american TI from reputable companies, yes you pay more but you get what you pay for. I prefer small nails since my dabs are small and why spend all that time heating so much material to do a small dab, but that is me and many love the dome less setups.

IMO the nail is still my favorite method for doing oil. I have different pen vapes and the Cera oil portable vape as well as some plug in units for oil and I always come back to the nail rig for simplicity, beautiful custom glass, and the best flavor. I am sitting here with my Cera hitting oil while away from my home and will take less flavor and some PIA for the portability and stealth for on the go oil hitting.

Good stuff from HE on things TI http://www.highlyeducatedti.com/blog/

Here is just good stuff on all things oil http://skunkpharmresearch.com

Thanks for this thread!

Regarding the foil test, the concentrates I have all turn to liquid and vape away, but at the very end they leave a little dark mark as the last bit burns.. I am talking about just small dark marks. The source for all of these are good, so I wonder if some faint black marks on the foil is normal, or should it leave absolutely nothing behind?

Thanks

 

[farscaper]

Thanks for this thread!

Regarding the foil test, the concentrates I have all turn to liquid and vape away, but at the very end they leave a little dark mark as the last bit burns.. I am talking about just small dark marks. The source for all of these are good, so I wonder if some faint black marks on the foil is normal, or should it leave absolutely nothing behind?

Thanks

Plant wax residue. Dont fret about it. I just try to follow the same ideal as @JoeKickass stated. Then that little wax residue wont be inhaled

 

[FlyingLow]

I just saw this video, and thought it looks convenient to dab without a torch. What do you experts think?
Is this a good alternative, or should I stick to the tried and true method of torching?

 

[2clicker]

when i watch these youtube channels of guys taking the largest dab they can and blow out giant clouds i cant help but think of the money and medicine wasted. that guy could get just as medicated on half that dab if he wanted.

 

[farscaper]

Shit if thats the case imma gonna order a hakko iron for dabbing.

 

[Bouldorado]

I just saw this video, and thought it looks convenient to dab without a torch. What do you experts think?
Is this a good alternative, or should I stick to the tried and true method of torching?

I think it's better to just heat the nail. I've tried that with a LSV element before and wasn't impressed.

However, I haven't done it in a while so tonight I'll trying dabbing with the element to see if my perspective changes.

 

[farscaper]

I think it's better to just heat the nail. I've tried that with a LSV element before and wasn't impressed.

However, I haven't done it in a while so tonight I'll trying dabbing with the element to see if my perspective changes.

Please do let us know. If it works my wife can stop complaining im interrupting the movie with my torch.

 

[Enchantre]

"Dab" with the E-Nano. It's quiet, and it works well.