How to get the best hits from your vaporizer

[MGG]

Okay so this is a pretty bold claim but i believe i've come up with a the best method for vaporizing (to be honest i don't know if someone has done this before me) but this method should (as it has for me) get you the best possible hits out of any vaporizer.

- Firstly take a nice nug of your medicine (a little bit more than the usual amount you'd put in your vaporizer)
- Then put it into your vaporizers chamber (DO NOT GRIND IT)
- Take 1 hit, this first hit will be incredibly flavourful
- now take the ungrounded slightly cooked medicine out of the vaporizer
- and grind it
- now pack it fairly tightly back into your chamber
- now hit it, this hit should be incredibly thick.

The reason I like to vape like this is because you get the perfect flavour from the fresh ungrounded bud then you get the nice fat cloudy 2nd hit afterwards, essentially giving you the best of both worlds imo.

I don't know if people have done this before or something similar.

 

[stickstones]

I do it just a little differently, but pretty much the same thing.

I like to take two to three pulls to savor the flavor and get it crispy all the way through. The wetter, stickier stuff I hit more than the dry stuff. Then I finger grind it in my palm instead of using a grinder. Then I load it loosely, depending on the vape.

I've gone back and forth with this method over the years and this current cycle of nugget vaping has lasted a long time. I may be converted, but it took me a long time to get here. I think it is the best way to vape if you prefer flavor (and I find the effect a little stronger), but you have to be willing to sacrifice that first hit that smashes you to a little later down the line.

 

[Herb-nerd]

If i'm lazy i'll throw a nug in un-ground or broke in two and hit it a few times, then just use a stir tool to break it and press it to a finer consistency.

I'll try and not use my hands to break up the bud as i get pretty OCD about active laden trichomes sticking to my hands.

The first terpene rich hit is always worth savouring , i tend to hold the first two or so hits as long as possible to absorb a maximal amount of β-myrcene - which facilitates the cannabinoids traversal of the blood-brain barrier and effects potentiation.

"It [β-myrcene] also has some very special properties, including lowering the resistance across the blood to brain barrier, allowing itself and many other chemicals to cross the barrier easier and more quickly. In the case of cannabinoids, like THC, it allows it to take effect more quickly. More uniquely still, β-Myrcene has been shown to increase the maximum saturation level of the CB1 receptor, allowing for a greater maximum psychoactive effect"

 

[Hippie Dickie]

i tend to hold the first two or so hits as long as possible to absorb a maximal amount of β-myrcene

however, from another thread, the lungs can only absorb when air is moving, so absorption stops when holding your breath ... i'm trying to change my technique to exhale slightly and rebreathe several times per toke.

 

[Herb-nerd]

however, from another thread, the lungs can only absorb when air is moving, so absorption stops when holding your breath ... i'm trying to change my technique to exhale slightly and rebreathe several times per toke.

Generally I use my diaphragm but I often don't need to as I take huge hits and then suppress coughs which does a pretty good job
I have tried re-breathing vapour when using bags but something just feels wrong about exhaling into a nice clean bag over and over.

 

[flotntoke]

All good stuff!! Occasionally do variations of what others mention above. Seems to work very well with pure convention vapes. Also like to dump the toasted nug into a little dish and grind with handle of small screwdriver (or whatever is handy) mortar & pestal style. Then suck it back up into whatever I'm loading. Find grinder gets really messy if put this in there, and sometimes hard to get it all out.

If trying to get the most from it - especially on those first unground hits - use the rebreathing technique. Take your hit, hold for a few seconds, exhale about 1/3 your lungs, inhale, repeat a few times.

Only problem I've found is that the post grinding hits don't seem to have as much flavor (or for as many hits) as simple grind fresh and go from there. To me seems like a similar case of the 4 piece grinder. Nice to have all that goodness separately, but I usually prefer to have as much goodness as I can in every hit. Different strokes....

 

[zor]

however, from another thread, the lungs can only absorb when air is moving, so absorption stops when holding your breath

Huh? That doesn't make any sense to me....O2, CO2, and other molecules are transported in/out from the lung space through the alveoli into the bloodstream via diffusion, following concentration gradients. Absorption does not stop when holding your breath! Breathing is just as critically important to eliminate CO2 from our bodies as it is to absorb O2.

 

[Hippie Dickie]

Huh? That doesn't make any sense to me....O2, CO2, and other molecules are transported in/out from the lung space through the alveoli into the bloodstream via diffusion, following concentration gradients. Absorption does not stop when holding your breath! Breathing is just as critically important to eliminate CO2 from our bodies as it is to absorb O2.

okay, from Wikipedia article on gas exchange:

Inhaled oxygen is able to diffuse into the capillaries from the alveoli, while CO
2 from the blood diffuses in the opposite direction into the alveoli. The waste CO
2 can then be exhaled out of the body. Continuous blood flow in the capillaries and constant breathing maintain a steep concentration gradient.

it's somewhat better to breathe, but not mandatory - a gradient is a gradient, steep or not.

 

[zor]

oh, haha, true! Hold your breath long enough and you'll reach an equilibrium, theoretically, so yeah, you do need to breathe In terms of our normal, at-rest respiration and breathing rate, however, gas exchange will continue to occur even when breath is held. I remember learning that the pain we get from holding our lungs isn't from lack of oxygen, it's from the overabundance of CO2 building up in the blood. Our brains are very, very sensitive to CO2 levels....something about that ties into how hyperventilating helps us hold our breath for longer periods of time if done directly in advance, but I forget all of that now in my old age

 

[Herb-nerd]

If i hold the vapour and exhale nothing -- where did it go?!

 

[Rab]

Okay so this is a pretty bold claim but i believe i've come up with a the best method for vaporizing (to be honest i don't know if someone has done this before me) but this method should (as it has for me) get you the best possible hits out of any vaporizer.

- Firstly take a nice nug of your medicine (a little bit more than the usual amount you'd put in your vaporizer)
- Then put it into your vaporizers chamber (DO NOT GRIND IT)
- Take 1 hit, this first hit will be incredibly flavourful
- now take the ungrounded slightly cooked medicine out of the vaporizer
- and grind it
- now pack it fairly tightly back into your chamber
- now hit it, this hit should be incredibly thick.

The reason I like to vape like this is because you get the perfect flavour from the fresh ungrounded bud then you get the nice fat cloudy 2nd hit afterwards, essentially giving you the best of both worlds imo.

I don't know if people have done this before or something similar.

There ain't a best method. The best thing about vaporizing is that the possibilities are endless. As long as they mainly stick to the category of vaporizing .

undamaged nugs are definitely nice to vape with sometimes,. But they lack surface area and wont hit as heavily as ground.
Besides, grinding it still tastes amazing and feels as you'd expect
Not to mention all the lovely kief you are missing out on!!

 

[luchiano]

oh, haha, true! Hold your breath long enough and you'll reach an equilibrium, theoretically, so yeah, you do need to breathe In terms of our normal, at-rest respiration and breathing rate, however, gas exchange will continue to occur even when breath is held. I remember learning that the pain we get from holding our lungs isn't from lack of oxygen, it's from the overabundance of CO2 building up in the blood. Our brains are very, very sensitive to CO2 levels....something about that ties into how hyperventilating helps us hold our breath for longer periods of time if done directly in advance, but I forget all of that now in my old age

Gas exchange will continue, but you have to take into account we are using herb, and that changes some things in the equation. Cannbinoids, and terpenes, are oils that condense quickly once cooled down from their boiling points. If you stop breathing, more of the oils would condense from the cooler respiratory tract, and then just turn viscous. Only to be be spit out as phlegm.

Moving the vapor around with fresh air, allows the vapor to break apart, or thin out, and that allows better absorption into the bloodstream because large particles won't go through the alveoli, while small ones will. The thing is some people like the rush big clouds give, so its all about the effect you want, at the end of the day.

 

[Herb-nerd]

"One difference between aerosols and vapors/gases is the mechanism of an inhalation
exposure. Compared to aerosols, vapors and gases are negligibly small and their entrance into the
blood stream through the lungs is by the mechanism of diffusion. Aerosols are much larger
and vary
widely
in size. Their arrival into the lungs is dependent on size. Speaking generally, the
only particles that are deposited in the alveoli are between 1 and 5 micrometers in diameter.
Smaller particles don’t actually deposit by impaction, if they are present in the air in the alveolus,
they diffuse from the air into the cells of the alveolus, but may also be flushed out when the air
changes (not necessarily each breath). Particles that are larger than 5 micrometers are more likely
to be deposited in the ever-narrowing passages that lead from the nostrils or mouth to the alveoli.
In many cases, upper respiratory deposition of aerosols results in an ingestion or mucous
membrane exposure to the aerosol."

This should help clarify things

Also this

 

[MGG]

There ain't a best method. The best thing about vaporizing is that the possibilities are endless. As long as they mainly stick to the category of vaporizing .

undamaged nugs are definitely nice to vape with sometimes,. But they lack surface area and wont hit as heavily as ground.
Besides, grinding it still tastes amazing and feels as you'd expect
Not to mention all the lovely kief you are missing out on!!

but you still grind it after, what's happening is it's drying the herb to give you one flavourful hit, then when you grind it and hit it again you get a super large hit because the herb is now really dry and like a dust that the vaporizer has an easier time with.

 

[uhranium]

Could we put this into some simple sentences for people who are
a) STAF* by the mighty
b) don't have english as 1st language
?

Thx a pot.

*stoned as fuck

 

[HomeFree]

put whole bud in stem
take a puff
break it up or grind it
put back
and repeat

I think that is the general idea?

I tried in my solo last night and it seemed like it reduced draw restriction and made the stem only last 20 minutes instead of 30 minutes.

 

[dubbydoo]

put whole bud in stem
take a puff
break it up or grind it
put back
and repeat

I think that is the general idea?

I tried in my solo last night and it seemed like it reduced draw restriction and made the stem only last 20 minutes instead of 30 minutes.

So your saying out your whole bud in .. vape it.. and then thak it out and grind it .. put back in and vape.. Is that like sucking your food before chewing it .. i'll try it ;-)

 

[TeeJay1952]

So your saying out your whole bud in .. vape it.. and then thak it out and grind it .. put back in and vape.. Is that like sucking your food before chewing it .. i'll try it ;-)

It is more like a wine enthusiast swirling the wine about and sucking in air to note the various significant connotations of the blend.

 

[dubbydoo]

It is more like a wine enthusiast swirling the wine about and sucking in air to note the various significant connotations of the blend.

So thats how the herb connoisseur do it..

 

[MGG]

Method might not be for everyone, especially if your herb is already really dry but I find this method especially helps if your product is a bit moist to begin with.

 

[Hashtag46&2]

For me, this is contingent upon the outer Trichome coverage in relation to the surface area of the nug, and moisture content within the inner structure.

If my flower(s) are caked with Glandular Heads on the outer surface..

I am extremely gentle with the nug, using chopsticks to remove from my jar, or by grabbing it by the stem, then gently break off a nuglet.

If it's caked I'll put it in my wand whole, take 2 draws and use my stir tool to break it up as the session progresses.

For normal, resin coated genetics, I like a coarse grind with no tamp, 2-3 draws, then stir and use just the weight of the pic to tamp just one time.

Regarding the breathing technique, I personally found that blowing out a bit of vapor and immediately sucking it back into my lungs 3-4 times works the best.

These types of threads are what make this Forum what it is.

I learn something new everyday.

 

[KimDracula]

Skeptical. Guess I'm gonna have to try it but it's hard for me to believe there is a significant difference. Does anyone have a theory as to why undamaged trichomes deliver more flavor?

 

[DDave]

Skeptical. Guess I'm gonna have to try it but it's hard for me to believe there is a significant difference. Does anyone have a theory as to why undamaged trichomes deliver more flavor?

Am going to guess that terps and flavonoids as consisting partly of oils, your grinder may be "keeping" a good amount off what you grind to itself.

 

[KimDracula]

I haven't noticed any positive difference from using un-ground herb in the EVO. It was less efficient in every regard including taste, imo. It was worth a shot, though. Thanks for the idea. It's always interesting to read everyone's various methods.

 

[TeeJay1952]

Different strains and cures require different heat settings, draw and placement. This is what make vaping so much fun. Always different and by the time you figure this ones needs, it is on to the next!