How to hit a bong?

[vorrange]

Hello fellow FC'ers!

I got my new Ehle 250ml about a week ago (thanks to all of you who helped see what i was looking for!), and im very pleased with it.

But, i quickly realized that i couldn't get that white wall that i see in videos from boobs, FredMG or others here and also, i noticed that i would much more easily have an uneven roast and sometimes combust with my DBV or my gn0me, something that stopped happening a long time ago.

So, apart from the obvious advice of, keep trying cause youll get the hang of it, i would like to ask for some tips and techniques you guys use because i have never owned a bong. All i used was the typical water bottle macgyver bong and a hammer bubbler of a friend.

 

[TwztedVaper]

Try using a lower temperature so you can milk your tube longer without burning any herbs. Make sure you're not overpacking your bowls

 

[vorrange]

Thanks man, will gonna try that. I had the impression that people would use a little higher temp to get milkier hits.

 

[PB88123]

Thanks man, will gonna try that. I had the impression that people would use a little higher temp to get milkier hits.

I do use a high temp and get milkier hits but when I first tried a high temp with my log vape I would blacken the herb and it tasted bad. So I had to start at a lower temp to get my technique down and now I can crank it all the way up and get milky hits and have the ABV look brown. Practice makes perfect.

 

[vorrange]

That technique you mention is precisely what i was looking for with this thread.

Any insights to help increase my learning curve?

 

[PB88123]

That technique you mention is precisely what i was looking for with this thread.

Any insights to help increase my learning curve?

Duh!

When I first got my glass I didn't feel any vapor and I had an inconsistent inhale so the hot air would stall and burn and it didn't help that I also packed too much.

I just drop a little bit in and not pack it down. I turn the temp down at first and make sure I have a consistent inhale speed and I don't slow down till I am done. I also hold a flash light next to the glass so I can see the vapor better. Then I can turn it up and white wall the tube without burning anything. Even with a little bit say .05g.

 

[vorrange]

Thanks PB88123,

So i should maintain a steady inhale until i "white wall" the bong, or stop earlier if out of air, and then clear it.

Do you find you have to change the draw speed when using the same vaporizer without a bong? Is there a general rule?

 

[Frederick McGuire]

I generally try to pull to whatever feels like the natural resistance combo of the vape and bong.
don't pull hard, don't pull soft, just pull comfortably.

From there, you've got a base-line, drawing slower will cook your herbs more, drawing faster will cook em less (for the most part, depending on the vape etc.)
Pulling too hard will tend to lead to whispy vapor, pulling too soft can overcook your load really quick.

You may need to raise or lower from your normal temp, depending on your non-bong techniques, I would say you will probably tend to be pulling for longer than without the bong, so that can cause a more uneven roasting if you stir between every hit.

For the most comfort for my lungs, I tend to try to fill whatever piece I'm using with vapor, and clear it pretty soon after that, rarely do I try to keep inhaling vapor once the piece is filled.

I don't really use my lungs as a guide, as I get most of my irritation on the exhale, so I can go way, way overboard before I realize it if I'm just using my lungs to tell me when to stop.

Sometimes perspective is a big factor too, from top down, it may not look as thick as side on.

 

[vorrange]

FrederickMcG, thanks for that. It was exactly the kind of input i was looking for.

I will try and apply your tips. I have thought that i was most likely inhaling too slow, too long .. it is much different without the "throat hit" that dry vapor gives.

I thought it would be easier to use glass but in fact, it takes a little more attention on your part because the signs you generally look for are not there.

Does water volume influences anything in the hit else than to provide cooling? Cause i have a straight tube, dunno if that plays a part.

 

[OhTheAgony]

I was gonna jump in to, but I'm afraid I don't have anything to ad to Fred's post. He pretty much said it all.

The one thing I remember when I started using a tube, or rather after using one a month or so, is how slow you could actually go on your inhales.

Did you get yourself a diffused downstem as well?

 

[vorrange]

I was gonna jump in to, but I'm afraid I don't have anything to ad to Fred's post. He pretty much said it all.

The one thing I remember when I started using a tube, or rather after using one a month or so, is how slow you could actually go on your inhales.

Did you get yourself a diffused downstem as well?

Yes OTA, you were one of my helpers to break the glass investing in some glass, hehehe.

Got the ehle diffused downstem with a 250ml no-carbhole straight tube from head-nature. Got nothing but good things to say so far.

 

[Frederick McGuire]

It (a high water level) will affect the drag, and overall feel of the hit, but it shouldn't have a massive impact.

You can feel the weight of the water under your hit if you've seriously overfilled it, but with a straight tube it's less noticeable.

For some pieces, a high water level can also lead to a bit of a "blow back" when you stop pulling, but IMO it's hardly noticeable in straight tubes.

 

[vorrange]

Thanks Frederick, i think that covers most of my doubts until further experiments.

I think the blow back is much worse when combusting but i always try to keep it from doing that.

Have you hit the ehle without water? What is the main difference?

 

[OhTheAgony]

Cool, we have the exact same one then

Glad I could help btw

I use mine without water as well sometimes. It just acts like a big mouthpiece that way, which means no cooling or moisturizing, thus giving you more flavor but hotter vapor.

I never really mind the blowback when using a bit more water btw. I've never actually drank my bongwater, but I don't mind liking a few drops of splash back of my lips. I just look at it as extra moisture, lol.

 

[Frederick McGuire]

Well, With some vapes, blowback is bad (gn0me, SSV w/ GonG HC, DBV) and can cause some unwanted combustion.
On others, it's not an issue.
I've never really hit any of my glass dry, but as OTA said, it basically turns it into a big mouthpiece then

 

[OhTheAgony]

Oh wait, in that case I misunderstood what you guys meant with 'blowback'. I assumed it was just a synonym for the splashback of the water in your mouth. But in that case I never had any blowbacks with the diffused downstem myself. But I always remove the vape from the downstem to clear the tube with all the vapes I use now, so that probably makes it impossible anyhoe.

 

[vorrange]

Yep, it is a beautiful piece.

Hehehe, extra moisture. I will try it dry then. Have you ever put ice in it? I am guessing that without the ice pinches it is not as pratical but it can be done with minimal differences in effect.

I think i did the same interpretation error as OTA. So what do you mean by blowback? Effectively blowing back air to the air path?

 

[Frederick McGuire]

Yeah, I meant some air rushing back out the opposite way that you inhale. I never get it with 45 degree downstems, but stemless pieces, or bubblers with a vertical downstem are a bit more prone to it (depending on the water level).

I try to clear after every hit too, but sometimes that doesn't happen, for whatever reason...
The first time I saw it, I had pulled my ssv wand out of the HC to clear my bubbler, and when I stopped inhaling, all my weed jumped out of the wand

 

[OhTheAgony]

Oh yeah, I use mine with ice too. I actually prefer it without notches for easy of cleaning btw.

I often add an ice cube when I use the Vapocane because it produces really hot vapor the way I use mine. I just poor out some water so the level is about the same as normal with the ice cube in it, the cube rests on the downstem itself. Just don't drop it in there to hard, it never actually happened to me but I think it's possible to break a downstem that way

 

[vorrange]

Thanks for the thorough explanation, had no idea that happened. So, the air goes the wrong way when you finish the hit and since you didn't remove the bong adapter, the air in the tube forced the weed out.
Maybe the mix of water and air around the diffusers of the downstem create an upward motion, forcing air the wrong way..

I problably read a lot of posts mentioning blowback thinking it was the same as splashback. hehehe.

That sure is annoying and definitly something to consider when analysing your technique regarding the piece you are using.


OTA: Exactly what i was thinking! Have you used it with just ice also? That way you get the flavour and the cool vapour. ahah!

 

[ilovebOObs]

just remember to clear the bong then release tube from mouth then put bowl back on that should solve the blow back problem.

 

[vorrange]

Thanks b00bs!

 

[Elluzion]

just remember to clear the bong then release tube from mouth then put bowl back on that should solve the blow back problem.

straight from a pro. good advice

 

[ilovebOObs]

straight from a pro. good advice

hahah, i'm only pro because i don't post my failed attempt videos

 

[kertong]

hahah, i'm only pro because i don't post my failed attempt videos

also, practice makes perfect! don't just quit if you're not good at it right away, make sure to practice and practice, every day!!