Hitting a constant temperature with the torch

[tgvp]

Hi there,

As I live in a country where rosin is not (yet) the big hit (just my heavy hitter), I have to produce for my own use and don't have a lot of people to ask questions about. Thus I decided to register here, to increase my knowledge about the Holy Dab Ways...

I don't have IR thermometer so I use good ol' method of the timer : heating for a fixed length of time, let's say 45s on my actual slurper, then letting it cool down for another fixed amount of time, saying 30s here. But depending on the pressure in the torch, it gets hot faster/slower or the starting temperature may be higher cause a friend dabbed right before.

Now the question, after heating the nail long enough with the torch the part of the flame that touches the glass turns from blue to a yellowish/redish color. I suppose that means the quartz reached a specific temperature. So can I use that by saying that I evenly heat the whole banger to that specific temperature, then wait let's say 40s, resulting in a consistent dabbing temperature. Or will such a high temperature damage the banger?

 

[FlyingLow]

The banger or slurper should tolerate extremely high temps if it is real quartz. The extreme temps might expedite devitrification over time, but does not cause immediate damage.

If this is your method, you can still maintain quartz for a LONG time IF you step up your maintenance game. Completely cleaning after every dab, and completely avoiding torch-cleaning/burning off.

I'm not sure what torch you are using, but ever consider just torching for say, 15-20 seconds, then waiting x seconds? Start adjusting down your times and you can still find balance, and you will start saving a TON of butane.


Not having any temp indicator, I'd also recommend trying cold starts. It really is the way to go for flavor...


Cheers!

 

[tgvp]

I'm not sure what torch you are using, but ever consider just torching for say, 15-20 seconds, then waiting x seconds? Start adjusting down your times and you can still find balance, and you will start saving a TON of butane.

I use a "cooking" torch, something used for crème brûlée and... probably other stuff. The fact is that torching for let's say 20s with a just refilled torch (which has a very long flame) or when it's getting close to empty (much smaller flame) will not reach the same temperature. Well, I suppose it do not reach the same temp as I can't measure it but with the tank full, the flame get yellowish in ~40s while with the empty it take around 60s. But it's sure that if I could manage to heat less time, I could hit the dab faster too and save butane!

Not having any temp indicator, I'd also recommend trying cold starts. It really is the way to go for flavor...

Right now, I'm not too much into flavor as I lost sense of smell last week due to some trendy disease... But clearly something to try (in a few weeks I hope?) cause one of the big reason I became Dab Evangelist to my friends is the delicious flavor ! Oh, and to get kilometers high too. But with a terp slurper, I wonder how to cold start as the dab on the plate will evaporate and escape as opposed as when done in a banger with a "cover" (the hat with the slits to let air mix in, can't remember the name right now). Isn't it? I should check some youtube videos

 

[FlyingLow]

If you are just getting into concentrates, get rid of your slurper... it is not forgiving and will do you no favors.


I recommend 710quartz 25mm deep dish banger paired with a good cap. Find your feet with a banger, and step up to the Slurper when you start globbing and taking huge hits.

 

[Glorg]

Cheap slurpers usually suck not sure which you’re using I might have missed that, also not a good idea with no temp checking equipment. Very much suggest getting a dabrite or terpometer but if not get a normal banger/bubble cap setup and do cold starts. Some cooking torches are super weak and 45 might not be enough so without actual temp checking you’ll always have a degree of mediocre results which isn’t worth it IMO. Terpometer is also good if you get into divine tribe gear or enails.

 

[tgvp]

I also have an e-nail, so I know what it's supposed to taste when heated at the right temp, but I don't use anymore 'cause I find the taste (at least used to, when I still had smell...) just bettter with the slurper. But yeah, for sure, those terpometers are sure great, but I struggle to find one here. Would some standard IR thermometer be equivalent? I used to have one, but it couldn't focus at such short distance and the temp couldn't get high enough (over 200°C which is, I don't know, a bazillion °F, it just said HOT)

 

[FlyingLow]

IR generally sucks for our purposes... funky reflections off quartz and SiC make it very difficult to get accurate readings.

DabPress and a few others are IR, and I don't know how theirs works so much better than my hardware store variants but it does... in the same breath, I'll tell ya DabPress is NOT perfect and suffers many of the inaccuracies related to IR, but IMO it provides me a consistent enough reading that I can really dial in on the temp range I seek.

I put my tool in at 600*, glob melts off and cap is usually on between 560-580*. Depending on the amount of the drop and my preference for low temp, a brief 1-2 second retorch may be needed to complete the job.