Well I got my Lotus last night, and I have been getting accustomed to it... or trying
Here are my initial findings:
First 2-3 bowls took a hit or two to get the plate hot, but as the Lotus has broken in over the last 15-20 bowls, the top plate glows in about 2 seconds. After the first few bowls, I got some great big rips and started to get confident...
The next 15 or so bowls, I have been riding the hard waves of a learning curve. I am getting big rips, but I am over-toasting many of the bowls too quickly. Twice lead to nearly black AVB (combustion?) and a poor taste. In spite of constantly circling the flame and keeping some distance, the AVB is being pretty unevenly vaped.
I do feel I am starting to get the hang of it though, and for evenly vapid buds I must stir every hit or two. It is a balancing act between seeking a large rip, and trying not to burn. The problem is that I can't really tell until it is too late and I taste it.
The Good: This provides big, great tasting rips. AND does it all without any batteries! This really is everything I am looking for in an off the grid solution, and I know it is only going to get better and better as I get more familiar with the piece and how to get the most out of it.
It will never replace my Plenty or a Volcano, but I can see myself using it more at home after I get a WPA.
Where it does completely outshine the Plenty/Volcano is in efficiency. Those units require a good deal of buds to even operate properly, but the Lotus hits like a heavyweight with just a pinch! I measured a freshly ground scoop and it did not even weigh in at 0.1
I have learned after the first 10-15 bowls, that my grinds were far finer than the screen. The finer ground material (consistency of sand) might have also contributed to the over-roasting mentioned earlier. I am now doing a light grind and liking the results in spite of slightly smaller hits.
Thanks for yalls guidance in helping me get here,
Keep up FC!
