MiniVAP Vaporizer

[mixchu69]

mixchu,
just to make sure you have it correct as its critical:
For direct hits :

Wire basket, herbs inside, flat round screen included in kit = wire basket module of flexicone module.
No herb falls into miniVAP screen, no herb gets sucked up into mouthpiece (or whip tubing if you want longer vape path . Also results in almost never needing cleaning!!!

You can take straight hits, for example, on blue and pink lower heats. Then you can unscrew cover and
place module into bubbler (14 mm needed), invert miniVAP and hit it.

Ratchett makes an inexpensive Song (silicone adapter) that snaps onto the cover. You load a module and insert into cover, screw on the cover, snap on the Song. Then you could use this as a mouthpiece but main focus is then it is ready to invert into bubbler. He makes them in a 14 mm or 18 mm size.
See pic. Ratchett'a is black silicone. Other device is similar but made from stainless steel and white Delrin (it is not a production piece/ only a few were crafted).

It takes some initial trial and error to find what works best for you but the miniVAP is a superb piece
and so so versatile.
I keep finding new combinations.
For example, Ratchett's Song ---the mouth-feel for me for direct hits is not fantastic so....I find that a tube/ whip will fit into it. I'm still not a lover of tubing mouthpieces so.... the top half of the stock hard mouthpiece will snap into the tubing.... voila, now it is perfect.

Let us know if you have other questions as somebody here will most likely have the answer

Exactly what I needed. Thanks Minnbobber. I never understood convection until I tried this device. I am very happy I purchased it, and I will keep trying different configurations. Since I bought this at the same time as the mighty, I compare the two. For pure vapor, I don't think anything can touch the mv. Mighty is more user friendly. I am glad I have both.

 

[OnCloud8]

I'm starting to understand. I completely misused the silicone. I need to add a screen with the basket coming next. Do you use the mouthpiece or draw from the tubing

I like to attach the plastic mouthpiece to the top of the silicone tube to lengthen the vapor path a little, cools the vapor a bit more that way. With this setup I find I can have a nice long session on pink without the mouthpiece getting too hot (and the vapor doesn't gets too dry either).

However, on green, after a few draws even with this setup, the vapor gets a bit dry for my liking, and I have to sip water in-between draws. So I ordered a herbie whip (which is considerably longer) to see if that might make green more enjoyable dry.

Also still researching water tools, as I have some MV WPA's on the way.

 

[stickstones]

So I ordered a herbie whip (which is considerably longer) to see if that might make green more enjoyable dry.

I expect you will really like this. It worked great for me and was my preferred method before I got my adapters for glass.

 

[OnCloud8]

I expect you will really like this. It worked great for me and was my preferred method before I got my adapters for glass.

Cool! Now I'm getting excited for it to arrive

 

[THE KISS FREAK]

Hello my fellow Vapers. I completely agree with @Roger D & also wish that everyone's experience was as GREAT as mine. I've had mine from V.N. since 9-10-2014 & use it EVERY DAY 3-4X A DAY And have yet to experience any problems
I wish you all could enjoy the same! My batterys charge indicator is Blue from fresh charge then goes to Green, etc. I find I get better results when using the smaller basket versus the larger. And I mostly use it dry with flexi+ , sometimes using half the hard mouthpiece in end if it. Then sometimes I just use regular flexi & hard mouthpiece. Only occasionally will I use with water, which is awesome also, I NEVER use the hard cone, I could never get good results with it. Mine's Gold btw. I mostly start at pink & go up each till finishing on Red
It can get dry/ warm but I just keep my water bottle close by to sip during my session.

 

[mixchu69]

Still reading through the forum. On page 66... General consensus on draw technique is start off slow, then increase the draw strength and flow once the heat has hit the load. Is that the most effective method?

 

[MinnBobber]

Being it is convection, the hot air has to bring the herb up to temp so slow at first. So it takes a little priming.
Then you can increase somewhat but don't ever draw like you're trying to suck a football thru a garden
hose.
The basket and herb actually get hotter/up to proper temp better with long steady, not to overpowering draws.

I often test by drawing and then quickly unscrew cover and feel the flexicone wire basket.
A hard as you can pull intake actually results in a cooler basket.

Look at the two air intakes at the base of the control unit. They are small by design, for a reason.

 

[dubmaster]

Update on the PSU: now i'm quite sure i have a faulty PSU as it doesn't work with the direct connection anymore. It still charges the battery, even if the led is blinking red/green, but if you connect it directly to the minivap, its led cycles indefinitely between the four colours and the PSU led flickers in green. I'm afraid i'll have to contact Hermes soon....

 

[Roger D]

I have been through a couple of them dubmaster, don't worry they should give you another one. That would suck to be MV less.

 

[sdrsh]

Haven't been active in here for a while but wanted to quickly post about my experience with the MV.
It was my 2nd vape after the pax and I was blown away with what I got back then. Soon after getting it, I noticed (and posted) about the unstable temp. lights and frequent black outs after switching temps up and down, requiring a hard reboot.
Then I got some concentrate and got familiar with some other vapes. The MV didn't vaporize the concentrate, it was just liquified and then condensed on the inside of the chamber. no vapor. being more experienced and having access to some other vapes, i realized that my MV wasn't vaporizing at full potential.
Finally i decided that I had to send it in and did so. Vapornation first decided that it was functional but I insisted that it wasn't and really asked them to test it in depth. not sure how that works but I explained the problems with the lights and instructed them how to recreate it ( go up and down temp scale a couple of times, it WILL get hung up).
Anyway, they decided to send it back to Hermes and I just got word that I will be receiving a new unit, since my old unit was deemed defective. Apparently this unit will be from a new batch, which should fix these issues. Can't wait to test it out in a couple of weeks!

 

[sweetherb]

I cannot think of another high end vape that has had this many returns.

The fact that Hermes generally honors warranty claims means nothing to me, as I live in a fairly remote location and the turnaround time for sending a unit in is likely to be over a month.

I think I will rather wait until we are confident that all of the bad units are out of circulation. I hate spending loads of cash and then being without my new purchase! Surely I am not the only one that feels this way?

 

[sdrsh]

That's why I was sort of reluctant to post my case until I got confirmation from VN that Hermes will replace my unit. Didn't want to add unnecessary negative feedback and act like a hypochondriac because the ABV wasn't brown enough. Clearly my unit didn't reach the 210º-225ºC range, otherwise I would have gotten something out of it from concentrates. Never mind the frequent hang-ups and inconsistencies.

I also think that I've waited too long with my return. The lights issue and hang-ups should have been reason enough the send it back the week after I received it, but I didn't want to send that precious powerhouse in because of that. I chalk that up to wishful thinking and lack of experience with being a consumer of a new wave of electronic gadgets.
That's why I'm posting this here, and definitely not to bash on Hermes.

Although I do wish that Hermes gets a quicker response time on customer inquiries and maybe starts taking a piece of other manufactures that constantly try to improve on their vapes.
Decarb kit and flexicone aside, there hasn't been much customer-oriented effort to improve the vape to its full potential in my opinion. There have been many examples of home-style whips but Hermes hasn't caught on to actually implement a proper whip style attachment themselves. They could probably sell it to us for another 100$!! (inner cynic came out)

again, not trying to spread negative gossip about the MV or Hermes. Innovation is based on trial and error and we early adopters help shaping the future for many folks down the line. (i know vaporizing has been around the block, but I still regard the current enthusiasts as early adopters due to our numbers.)

Peace

 

[mixchu69]

That's why I was sort of reluctant to post my case until I got confirmation from VN that Hermes will replace my unit. Didn't want to add unnecessary negative feedback and act like a hypochondriac because the ABV wasn't brown enough. Clearly my unit didn't reach the 210º-225ºC range, otherwise I would have gotten something out of it from concentrates. Never mind the frequent hang-ups and inconsistencies.

I also think that I've waited too long with my return. The lights issue and hang-ups should have been reason enough the send it back the week after I received it, but I didn't want to send that precious powerhouse in because of that. I chalk that up to wishful thinking and lack of experience with being a consumer of a new wave of electronic gadgets.
That's why I'm posting this here, and definitely not to bash on Hermes.

Although I do wish that Hermes gets a quicker response time on customer inquiries and maybe starts taking a piece of other manufactures that constantly try to improve on their vapes.
Decarb kit and flexicone aside, there hasn't been much customer-oriented effort to improve the vape to its full potential in my opinion. There have been many examples of home-style whips but Hermes hasn't caught on to actually implement a proper whip style attachment themselves. They could probably sell it to us for another 100$!! (inner cynic came out)

again, not trying to spread negative gossip about the MV or Hermes. Innovation is based on trial and error and we early adopters help shaping the future for many folks down the line. (i know vaporizing has been around the block, but I still regard the current enthusiasts as early adopters due to our numbers.)

Peace

I totally understand that you are not trying to bash Hermes, but their lack of innovation in external components does not mean that they are not making internal adjustments. Personally, I think internal innovation is more important, but that is only my opinion.

If you can be patient, wait for vape dr. usage video of the minivap. He currently has an unboxing video but will post a usage video once he talks to minivap for optimal usage. I understand someone's hesitancy after reading some posts but once you use the minivap, you will understand why people are willing to be patient.

Alfredo at minivap provides great customer service. I always get an answer for an email within a day. Highly recommend the purchase. Out of all my herb vaporizers, it medicated me the quickest and tastes the best. Hope that helps

 

[sdrsh]

You're right, I don't know if there have been improvements made on the inside of the MV, and of course functionality on the inside is paramount to external gimmicks. Nevertheless, I would like to know if the minivap has been internally upgraded. Upon consulting the website I can't find any mentioning of such development however. (apart from the slogan, "new technology" with no date)

I also take back the response time allegation since my last inquiry was back in July and got addressed immediately. Had a sour taste from trying to get infos last spring, which never got addressed and perhaps i got biased from complaints about the lack of response form other members. Glad if they improved on this.

All in all the MV and Hermes still has me as a supporter due to their superb product when functioning correctly and legitimate efforts to provide a high-end vaporizer for connoisseurs. I also feel the price is adequate for the versatility and power one gets, contrary to my cynic remarks about a fictitious 100$ whip attachment. Otherwise I wouldn't come back here to the MV community and provide feedback.

 

[mixchu69]

You're right, I don't know if there have been improvements made on the inside of the MV, and of course functionality on the inside is paramount to external gimmicks. Nevertheless, I would like to know if the minivap has been internally upgraded. Upon consulting the website I can't find any mentioning of such development however. (apart from the slogan, "new technology" with no date)

I also take back the response time allegation since my last inquiry was back in July and got addressed immediately. Had a sour taste from trying to get infos last spring, which never got addressed and perhaps i got biased from complaints about the lack of response form other members. Glad if they improved on this.

All in all the MV and Hermes still has me as a supporter due to their superb product when functioning correctly and legitimate efforts to provide a high-end vaporizer for connoisseurs. I also feel the price is adequate for the versatility and power one gets, contrary to my cynic remarks about a fictitious 100$ whip attachment. Otherwise I wouldn't come back here to the MV community and provide feedback.

I totally understand. I don't know about the internal improvements either, but just take their word. I will keep experimenting to find the ultimate configuration. But while I was rereading this thread (so much good stuff), I felt I learned draw technique, setups for dry hitting or attaching to water, keeping the unit clean, etc.

Alfredo from minivap said they are working on an English manual, but This thread is where I learn from the seasoned vaporists. I really like the community in this thread, more family feeling, and has made my minivap experience that more enjoyable.

 

[vaporlee]

Ok, so I have been contacting Hermes numerous times and I used contact section on support of the Minivap website and I still haven't got single response since November?
Instead I have been talking with Vapefiend, and it looks like he's more informative!
According to Vapefiend, the new 2015 Minivap batches has brand new heater and glass internals which provides more power with efficiency and delivers better flavor.
However maybe their were slight change in Hermes's policy, but most of the units are now repaired rather than replaced, which is kind of off-putting.
Therefor I am considering to get Mighty or another Crafty(Double-Crafty) or to get the recent Minivap!
Anyone has both units? Please give me some tips, I would really appreciate!

 

[mixchu69]

I believe I have the new minivap (when purchasing in dec 2014, they told me to wait a few weeks since they were no longer available in silver but black was available). I have never tried the older model so I have no point of reference. But I am a strong supporter of the minivap. If I had to choose one portable vaporizer for herbs (not talking about concentrates), it would be the minivap.

How can I determine if I have the 2015?

 

[stickstones]

You don't. They are not out yet. I have one of the glass cores for testing and so far I prefer the original.

 

[lazylathe]

You don't. They are not out yet. I have one of the glass cores for testing and so far I prefer the original.

That is good to read!!
Can you share any info on what changes have been made and which ones are good and which ones are not so good? Where is the glass used?

Thanks Sticks!

 

[OnCloud8]

Hey all. I wanted to talk taste and temps related to length of draw with the MV.

I've been noticing that if I use the low temps and take long, strong draws, I sometimes get a sour taste at the finish of the exhale. The unit is absolutely clean and has no flavor with similar draws when empty (I checked several times). Essentially I think it has to do with temp and technique.

I used to start at blue and pink, and try to cache a small basket at those temps, but as the session went on, the sourness on the finish would increase. It kind of concerned me until I cleaned the unit and took similar draws on a totally clean unit and there was no taste at all. So I figured a change of routine was in order.

Now I've adjusted for this by going to pink right away and then going up to green after 3 or 4 draws and I finish on green. This way I can always pull light and short draws which produce nice little clouds that are completely tasty from inhale to exhale. This is also much less drying to the mouth and throat. Now I don't use the plastic mouthpiece on top of the flexicone+ because the shorter draws don't get the tubing nearly as hot.

So why does this happen? I think it's that at the lowest temps, to get the volume of vapor I want in a single draw, I have to pull so much air over the material for so long and it goes a bit over temp, releasing some slight combustion flavors. But if I use pink to warm up and then mostly green, it takes much less air going over the material to generate nice clouds of vapor with each light, soft draw.

I've also become super sensitive to getting any stem material into my loads, that also gives a less than ideal taste to the finish of the exhale, particularly if the hit is too long / cloud too large. It's the only downside to a vape that reveals so much of the flavor profile of what you put in it.

 

[mixchu69]

Hey all. I wanted to talk taste and temps related to length of draw with the MV.

I've been noticing that if I use the low temps and take long strong draws, I sometimes get a sour taste at the finish of the exhale. The unit is absolutely clean and has no flavor with similar draws when empty (I checked several times). Essentially I think it has to do with temp and technique.

I used to start at blue and pink, and try to cache using those temps, but as the session went on, the sourness on the finish would increase. It kind of concerned me until I cleaned the unit and took similar draws on a totally clean unit and there was no taste at all. So I figured a change of routine was in order.

Now I've adjusted for this by going to pink right away and then going up to green after 3 or 4 draws and I finish on green. This way I can always pull light and short draws which produce nice little clouds which are completely tasty from inhale to exhale. This is also much less drying to the mouth and throat.

So why does this happen? I think it's that at the lowest temps, to get the volume of vapor I want in a single draw, I have to pull so much air over the material for so long and it goes a bit over temp, releasing some slight combustion flavors. But if I use pink a bit and them mostly green, it takes much less air going over material to generate a nice cloud of vapor with each light, soft draw.

I've also become super sensitive to getting any stem material into my loads, that also gives a less than ideal taste to the finish of the exhale, particularly so if the hit is too long / cloud too large. It's the only downside to a vape that reveals so much of the flavor profile of what you put in it.

On vape critics review of the mflb finishing grinder, he stated that it will trap stems. Watch his video on grinders. I need to get one too.

 

[OnCloud8]

On vape critics review of the mflb finishing grinder, he stated that it will trap stems. Watch his video on grinders. I need to get one too.

Cool! I'll check it out. Thanks

 

[stickstones]

Any of you guys try a whole nugget in the large basket yet? I'm gonna do this later for super flavor bliss!

Can you share any info on what changes have been made and which ones are good and which ones are not so good? Where is the glass used?

I can't speak to any final changes, if there are any at all. They are looking at going from a teflon core to a glass core due to public concerns over teflon. Personally, I don't have any concerns about teflon. I remember when we did years ago on this board mostly with the HerbalAire. That is a great tasting unit that uses whole nugs and teflon. It wasn't until Herbie came into my life that I started easing up on the whole 'glass is best' thing. Herbie tastes great with a ton of materials in the air path, and not much glass.

I also have never seen a MV taken apart, so I don't know what the innards look like to be able to tell you what would be changing. What I do know is that my glass core can be seen from the top. When you look at the original heating chamber it has white walls (teflon). The glass core has glass walls that I think extend all the way to the bottom of the unit.

Now the thinking is that the glass would taste more pure, but my unit doesn't. It gets a slight spent taste almost immediately. The difference was so noticeable that I asked Jorge if my temps were wrong...almost like it were calibrated too high and I was cooking at higher temps. But he said it is set correctly and that the thermal characteristics of the glass are doing something. So when I try both units side by side at the same temp I get a much better taste from the original. I suggested he get more opinions about it since I was so surprised at the results.

I would love to take one of these apart, but one thing I'm good at in life is being able to take shit apart and not put it back together. So I will not risk it with my precious!

 

[mixchu69]

I know this may sound selfish, but I am glad that it didn't blow your socks off, because I bought this a month ago. It never is a good feeling buying a new product and something new pops up right away that is superior

 

[stickstones]

I hear you, @mixchu69 ! I got my my first MV a few months ago as well.