Weird, burnt-popcorn taste from bud?

DrömmenOmFrihet

Permanently shut down
I've been fiddling with the temp setting on my XQ2 and at 350° it tastes burnt popcorn-esque. I'm now running it at 375° and the taste is gone. What would be causing this? Do I need to change my bowl?
 

TheDankness

Extremely Moist
I've been fiddling with the temp setting on my XQ2 and at 350° it tastes burnt popcorn-esque. I'm now running it at 375° and the taste is gone. What would be causing this? Do I need to change my bowl?
maybe? That burnt popcorn smell / taste is overcooked bud. Well toasted AVB smells like that. You might have some loose bits kicking around in there smellin' things up.

I'll have extra butter.
 

Curious Gorilla

Sounds like something smells purple.
Possibility herb is/was trapped in the heater core.
The popcorn taste is usualy too high temperature and conduction but with the eq,
dont use too much herb at a time. Clean your bowl every day, (or 2, and stick the reclaim in your coffee...)
To completely avoid the burnt popcorn taste and get high temp full spectrum medicinal compounds.....
Get a convection Baller vape, they can be gotten at fairly low cost now, there are more optoins. Needs a PID Controller, heater coil(hot runner)and a bubbler or dab rig. mORE efficient with herb, tastier, harder hitting, more capable microdosing and macrodosing.
Or build one DIY, I m planning on a how to post soon, there is lots of other diy info on site, check out pinky and the brain.
I had an arizer eq as my first desktop. Gave up on my first vape, a portable, after 2 weeks, partly because of popcorn.
The Arizer EQ stopped me going back to smoking.
But, get a Baller Injector Head Vape. (Qaroma, taroma, flowerpot,freight train, TKO , DIY ECT.) It payed for itself in months with how much herb i saved, its that much more efficient.
 

GoldenBud

Well-Known Member
I've been fiddling with the temp setting on my XQ2 and at 350° it tastes burnt popcorn-esque. I'm now running it at 375° and the taste is gone. What would be causing this? Do I need to change my bowl?
please show us your weed, wet than usual weed or weed which is lacks of trichomes can bring less vapor and worse taste other than good weed.. for example, when I've had weed that is a bit wet than usual, I couldn't vape it on 420F+ because of it gave hotspot, but when I've had very good weed, "by the book", I could even vape it on 460F....

when you squeeze your buds, they do return back to their original form?

350F is a low temp so it means your vape is not calibrated at all (low chance) or your weed is far from mid/top shelf
 

Madri-Gal

Child Of The Revolution
please show us your weed, wet than usual weed or weed which is lacks of trichomes can bring less vapor and worse taste other than good weed.. for example, when I've had weed that is a bit wet than usual, I couldn't vape it on 420F+ because of it gave hotspot, but when I've had very good weed, "by the book", I could even vape it on 460F....

when you squeeze your buds, they do return back to their original form?

350F is a low temp so it means your vape is not calibrated at all (low chance) or your weed is far from mid/top shelf
I don't think 350°F is low on the eq or XQ2, and you can get a burnt popcorn taste from good bud.
I've got both the EQ and XQ2. The EQ was my first vape, and my introduction to the burnt popcorn flavor. It is not unique to these vapes, and I encounter the flavor much less these days, as with experience I think you learn when to give up on a bowl.
You might want to stir if you get hot spots.
I wouldn't recommend squeezing your bud, if you can avoid it. If you enjoy squeezing by all means continue, but there isn't much good reason to do it, and it can crush trichomes and transfer them to your hands.
 

GoldenBud

Well-Known Member
I don't think 350°F is low on the eq or XQ2, and you can get a burnt popcorn taste from good bud.
I've got both the EQ and XQ2. The EQ was my first vape, and my introduction to the burnt popcorn flavor. It is not unique to these vapes, and I encounter the flavor much less these days, as with experience I think you learn when to give up on a bowl.
You might want to stir if you get hot spots.
I wouldn't recommend squeezing your bud, if you can avoid it. If you enjoy squeezing by all means continue, but there isn't much good reason to do it, and it can crush trichomes and transfer them to your hands.
people in the USA or CA get a monthly salary of like 5000$+ or so, and paying for 1gr something like 10$ or less, right?
In my country, somebody who's just finished Chemical Engineering can get a maximum of 2300$ (NET) monthly salary and paying for a good gram something like 15$ or more. Rent is always 850$+ if you're living alone, and thats doesn't include bills. and food ofc..

(and after 3-4 years of experience, the salary is still around 3100$ and not more.. sad)

that's why I am out of vaporizing btw, BUT, I think because the weed is so cheap for you guys, sometimes you get wetter than usual buds or not top shelf because even it's not high quality, it won't hurt your pocket like it did to me.

350F is very low temp, I vaped my Tetra P80 with 460F slow steady draw. I doubt the EQ is much different. I mean, yes, the Supreme needed temps of like 350F MAX, but, its heater is HUGE. (Huge heater needs lower temp, smaller heater will need higher temps)

it's possible that the heater of XQ2 is HUGE? I am not sure.. much bigger than Tetra's for example?
 
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Madri-Gal

Child Of The Revolution
people in the USA or CA get a monthly salary of like 5000$+ or so, and paying for 1gr something like 10$ or less, right?
In my country, somebody who's just finished Chemical Engineering can get a maximum of 2300$ (NET) monthly salary and paying for a good gram something like 15$ or more. Rent is always 850$+ if you're living alone, and thats doesn't include bills. and food ofc..

that's why I am out of vaporizing btw, BUT, I think because the weed is so cheap for you guys, sometimes you get wetter than usual buds or not top shelf because even it's not high quality, it won't hurt your pocket like it did to me.

350F is very low temp, I vaped my Tetra P80 with 460F slow steady draw. I doubt the EQ is much different. I mean, yes, the Supreme needed temps of like 350F MAX, but, its heater is HUGE. (Huge heater needs lower temp, smaller heater will need higher temps)

it's possible that the heater of XQ2 is HUGE? I am not sure.. much bigger than Tetra's for example?
There are some interesting assumptions here. It would be nice if everyone in the USA or CA had a salary of $5000+, but it not so. Cannabis is not legal and easily available in every state, and prices vary. Our cannabis isn't all soggy and low quality, and it can indeed hurt the pocketbook.
None of that has anything to do with the burnt popcorn taste.
The EQ is indeed quite different from the Tetra P80. It is a desktop vape, and I regularly vape as low as 326°F. I can't even imagine vaping at 460°F, unless I was dabbing. That's too hot for most of my vapes. I don't doubt you at all, I'm just saying vapes are different, and the temperature that works with one, doesn't mean much on a different vape.
It doesn't sound as if you've used an EQ or XQ2, so I can assure you, as someone who has both, that you can get burnt popcorn taste with good weed, and at low temps. That's just the ABV letting you know it's time to pull the bowl.
 

GoldenBud

Well-Known Member
It doesn't sound as if you've used an EQ
used it years ago, around 400F. it's very nice vape imho. but huge bowl If I recall.
can't remember how I took the draw, tho.

it seems like these discussions of which temp to use, will always require the user to squeeze at least one of his bud. not all of them hehe ;)
because the difference between bud that contains 7% of h2o vs bud that contains 14% of h2o is cruical, IMHO.

when I've had a bud that gave a hotspot around 430F instead of my top shelf weed which could go up to 460F in the Tetra, I was angry about it and prefered not to buy these buds anymore. I hated it when I've got buds that gave hotspot earlier. waste of money IMHO and my money is scarce lol.

I am not saying 460F is fine to use with the EQ or XQ2, but at least 400F-410F must work with a medium draw, isn't it? without a popcorn taste
 

Madri-Gal

Child Of The Revolution
used it years ago, around 400F. it's very nice vape imho. but huge bowl If I recall.
can't remember how I took the draw, tho.

it seems like these discussions of which temp to use, will always require the user to squeeze at least one of his bud. not all of them hehe ;)
because the difference between bud that contains 7% of h2o vs bud that contains 14% of h2o is cruical, IMHO.

when I've had a bud that gave a hotspot around 430F instead of my top shelf weed which could go up to 460F in the Tetra, I was angry about it and prefered not to buy these buds anymore. I hated it when I've got buds that gave hotspot earlier. waste of money IMHO and my money is scarce lol.

I am not saying 460F is fine to use with the EQ or XQ2, but at least 400F-410F must work with a medium draw, isn't it? without a popcorn
I don't find it necessary to squeeze bud to use it. My cannabis isn't soggy, and it doesn't need to be wrung out. I know how it's grown, dried, cured and stored. I use the entire plant, and I use all the bud, top to bottom. You can get the popcorn taste from the cola buds as well as the bottom buds. You can get the popcorn taste at 400F-410F, if you let it go long enough. You can get it at 350°. It's nothing more than a sign that bowl is done. Again, I've had the EQ for 5 years, and the XQ2 since it came out. They are both at my station with my other vapes, and I do use them, as well as my others. I'm not unfamiliar with this situation.
It sounds as if you've had some bad experiences, and that is unfortunate. Some vapes have more hot spot issues than others, and I have a few that need to be stirred, but hot spots are a separate issue. When your weed is cooked, the ABV can have a popcorn taste. You don't seem to have had this happen, and that's great! It still happens, and it's wrong information to say it's from wet or cheap bud. It's not.
 

GoldenBud

Well-Known Member
You can get it at 350°. It's nothing more than a sign that bowl is done
ok maybe with super slow draw or so, the best buds i ever had never had a popcorn taste at 350f, not even Solo II or so... but who knows? and who can tell if your bud contains X % of h2o or not? we don't have a HPLC or so to check, and we can't know for sure how a bud is "rich" of terpenes and THCA
 
GoldenBud,
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Grass Yes

Yes
Staff member
Where I am from in the USA people are making closer to $500 per month than $5000.
Yeah, the US is tricky to determine even a reasonable median income number. Metropolitan areas have higher salaries, though not equally. There are many folks at the high and low end of the income scale, so a finding a mean is useless.

$500 a month is shocking because that is below the (far too low) national minimum wage in the US, assuming a 40 hour work week. According to the 2020 census, fewer than 4% fall at this level.

Comparing across borders is also challenging as the cost of living in the US is high and there are not many socially provided services, such as healthcare.

On topic....

I would agree that there are a variety factors that can cause this to happen, but my first guess would be that cleaning is needed somewhere.
 

Madri-Gal

Child Of The Revolution
ok maybe with super slow draw or so, the best buds i ever had never had a popcorn taste at 350f, not even Solo II or so... but who knows? and who can tell if your bud contains X % of h2o or not? we don't have a HPLC or so to check, and we can't know for sure how a bud is "rich" of terpenes and
The water content wouldn't change the taste. If there is too much moisture, it just takes longer to vaporize. That's what vapes do. You get hot air on your cannabis, and it dries it as the heat releases vapors from the trichomes. ABV is really dry bud with high terpine loss. You can get popcorn taste from bud high in terpenes. You don't need a fancy test to know if you have a lot of terpenes or not. You can see if bud is frosty. You can look at bud and see if it's too dry, and if it's too wet it smells bad and might have mold. There is a range in between where people have preferences about dankness, dryness, and so on. That's personal preference, and some like more moisture, some less. If you feel like your weed is too wet, just let it sit in your grinder until it's dry to your preference.
ABV does not taste the same as unvaped bud. Sometimes it tastes like burnt popcorn, and it's a good sign your bowl is done. Sometimes it tastes worse than burnt popcorn. It can happen at various temperatures, over various lengths of time (i.e. low heat, longer time, or higher heat shorter time). The bowl gets done. You generally know because the flavor changes and becomes unpleasant and vapor production slows. Sometimes the flavor is described as tasting like burnt popcorn. That's it. It has nothing to do with moisture. If your weed will always be dry when it you finish a bowl. ABV isn't wet. The moisture of your weed before you vape doesn't matter, because it's going to be dry before you taste the burnt popcorn taste. It could be sopping wet at the start, and it doesn't matter. It dries, and if it doesn't dry, it doesn't matter because you won't taste the burnt popcorn taste of the ABV.
You don't have an XQ2, and it doesn't sound like you've used one. It might be that this is something you aren't familiar with. As a long time, regular user of the EQ and XQ2, and as someone who has read the entire threads on both, I can tell you, it's just the ABV, and people are aware of this. It's been known, and discussed, for years on FC. Sometimes in the bowl, sometimes bits of weed get where they don't belong.
This might be distressing to you if you intend to aquire either, or both, machines, but it isn't that big of a deal. Both the EQ and XQ2 are fine vapes, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.
Do you have a desktop vape? I wasn't sure if you had a number of vapes yet. I don't list mine. They might be different than what you are used to.
 
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GoldenBud

Well-Known Member
The water content wouldn't change the taste. If there is too much moisture, it
it will, because it means there are less terpenes / thc in the buds, hence the "oils" will get done soon than possible. and these kind of buds also leave more grinded herb in the upper/mid plate of the BCG, the grinding of very good well dried weed is better. "Stones" form of buds.

I mean, there got to be an explanation why some buds of specific pheno that I've had gave a hotspot @ 430F with the Tetra, and really top shelf rich weed, the ABV was bright even at 455F. not because if the X buds had 14%~ h2o and the top shelf had around 7%~ so the "oils" will be sufficient and last more for high temps, for longer period?

and also because h2o boils at 99c and terpenes at 110c+ or so? and THC around 150c~?

About desktop vs portable.... Once the Tetra is hot, it's a desktop device. I am talking after 1 min ++ of soaking... I have only HI/UD Sc3+

this is 470F with slow-medium draw with the Tetra. not every bud can give these clouds and leaving not dark at all ABV

Same pheno, TuboX, not sure it's 430F or ~445Fc, because funky said I can't say if it's 100% calibrated or not (X device, not calibrated by him) , but, same pheno - very rich, and the drying process by the grower is top notch and the ABV after hit wasn't dark at all :

IMHO, not every pheno can give you these results. and this pheno buds will never give you popcorn taste at 350F. even not on 400F.

if some buds contain 14% of h2o instead of like 7%, it means the h2o take some mass of THC/Terpenes. more h2o, less oils. less vapor. hotspot sooner.
 
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DrömmenOmFrihet

Permanently shut down
Possibility herb is/was trapped in the heater core.
The popcorn taste is usualy too high temperature and conduction but with the eq,
dont use too much herb at a time. Clean your bowl every day, (or 2, and stick the reclaim in your coffee...)
To completely avoid the burnt popcorn taste and get high temp full spectrum medicinal compounds.....
Get a convection Baller vape, they can be gotten at fairly low cost now, there are more optoins. Needs a PID Controller, heater coil(hot runner)and a bubbler or dab rig. mORE efficient with herb, tastier, harder hitting, more capable microdosing and macrodosing.
Or build one DIY, I m planning on a how to post soon, there is lots of other diy info on site, check out pinky and the brain.
I had an arizer eq as my first desktop. Gave up on my first vape, a portable, after 2 weeks, partly because of popcorn.
The Arizer EQ stopped me going back to smoking.
But, get a Baller Injector Head Vape. (Qaroma, taroma, flowerpot,freight train, TKO , DIY ECT.) It payed for itself in months with how much herb i saved, its that much more efficient.
I've looked into ball vapes, and they're not something I'm comfortable using. Exposed redhot coils are not something I want to fuck around with while stoned.
 

GoldenBud

Well-Known Member
I've looked into ball vapes, and they're not something I'm comfortable using. Exposed redhot coils are not something I want to fuck around with while stoned.
before your buy vapes, make sure you weed is fine. 350f is a very low temp.. usually people at 350f jump to 400f+ to finish their bowls..you can "finish" the taste at 350f, but not having popcorn taste like 400f+ . something is weird

you don't need to take a photo for us, or squeeze a bud, but make sure you test another strain/pheno buds before jumping into another vape purchase...

and also as been said here in this thread, clean your vape, maybe it has some ABV left somewhere.. good tip..
 

Zipford

Well-Known Member
I get that taste once flower is somewhat vaped already, and in some instances the vape itself will take on that taste and need to be cleaned. That said, the taste going away at higher temps doesn't really make sense to my theory, and I'm not sure how that can be explained.
 

Curious Gorilla

Sounds like something smells purple.
You can get the popcorn taste at 400F-410F, if you let it go long enough. You can get it at 350°. It's nothing more than a sign that bowl is done.
ok maybe with super slow draw or so, the best buds i ever had never had a popcorn taste at 350f, not even Solo II or so... but who knows? and who can tell if your bud contains X % of h2o or not? we don't have a HPLC or so to check, and we can't know for sure how a bud is "rich" of terpenes and THCA
I can get no popcorn taste running a baller injector head at upto 737 farenhiet.
Its the temperature IN the bowl and the temperature OFF the bowl plus a bunch of other variables that make it hard to translate temperature readings to temps at the flower being vaped. Including ambient air temperature, humidity and air pressure on any different day.
Need to make a temperature calibration bowl.

YourMedicationMakesMeHigh

I've looked into ball vapes, and they're not something I'm comfortable using. Exposed redhot coils are not something I want to fuck around with while stoned.
You do need to set a space up for it, and a few things like a silicone matt for peice of mind. And a good stand.
And to learn first aid for burns.
It also teaches awareness while stoned. And i like the added spice of possible self mutilation. You will generaly only do it once. Maybe twice. i could be a masochist. or i could be a sadist. dont take my advice. Also im used to hot stuff, used to do metalwork/jewellery/knifemaking.
But the arizer eq is perfectly capable of burning your fingers when you pick up the glass bowl without test tube tongs(get them on amazon if nowhere else) I know from personal experience.
"Dont fear the reaper. I mean dont fear the Heater. More understanding of Heater Coils and PIDS brings less fear. Fear is the mindkiller, I will controll my fear, fear is the little death that brings the big death. Fear is the mindkiller, I will controll my fear, fear is the little death that brings the big death. The burning in your hand is not the box or GomJabaar, you fell asleep with your hand near the coil stand and branded yourself again......"
I started with the identical set up to you, First a solo 2 then an extreme Q (same as yours pretty much) even with the EQ it cost less flower than smoking joints, they are good ,and if you have any worry over burning yourself or anything else thats sensible. but........Check out the ball vape threads, its worthwhile even if you dont go the baller route, it could give you ideas for different Ways to use your setup.
 
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Curious Gorilla,
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Reactions: GoldenBud

DrömmenOmFrihet

Permanently shut down
Possibility herb is/was trapped in the heater core.
The popcorn taste is usualy too high temperature and conduction but with the eq,
dont use too much herb at a time. Clean your bowl every day, (or 2, and stick the reclaim in your coffee...)
To completely avoid the burnt popcorn taste and get high temp full spectrum medicinal compounds.....
Get a convection Baller vape, they can be gotten at fairly low cost now, there are more optoins. Needs a PID Controller, heater coil(hot runner)and a bubbler or dab rig. mORE efficient with herb, tastier, harder hitting, more capable microdosing and macrodosing.
Or build one DIY, I m planning on a how to post soon, there is lots of other diy info on site, check out pinky and the brain.
I had an arizer eq as my first desktop. Gave up on my first vape, a portable, after 2 weeks, partly because of popcorn.
The Arizer EQ stopped me going back to smoking.
But, get a Baller Injector Head Vape. (Qaroma, taroma, flowerpot,freight train, TKO , DIY ECT.) It payed for itself in months with how much herb i saved, its that much more efficient.
Turns out you were right. I changed my bowl the other day and noticed some bud on the heater. Cleaned it with a q-tip.
 

Curious Gorilla

Sounds like something smells purple.
Turns out you were right. I changed my bowl the other day and noticed some bud on the heater. Cleaned it with a q-tip.
maybe? That burnt popcorn smell / taste is overcooked bud. Well toasted AVB smells like that. You might have some loose bits kicking around in there smellin' things up.

I'll have extra butter.
I just like to talk more...... give the man some extra butter. With extras in.

Couple other tips for the EQ/XQ2 ,
NEVER fill the bowl on the machine always take it off.
Get test tube clamps, your fingers will thank you.
Use the basket screen. then put a normal screen on top. I liked it like that.
Rig it up to a low air low water volume pipe.
You can take it apart and clean inside if you are able, but it will void the warranty and risks death by electrocution. If you are not sure im joking or not , dont take it apart.
They are good desktops, but everybodies going to end up Ballin'......
 
Curious Gorilla,

DrömmenOmFrihet

Permanently shut down
Would you recommend the tuffgrips Arizer sells for the XQ2 bowl? I normally just shut the machine off and let it cool completely before removing the bowl.
 
DrömmenOmFrihet,

Curious Gorilla

Sounds like something smells purple.
I used to leave mine on till it turned itself off at its max run time. Then switch it back on.
More frequent hits, better extraction, less waste more bud saved. More bud to vape.....
get a base to put the glass bowl on. test tube clamps to put it on there while you refill it. No bits of bud in the heater.
61XUgM77yqL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spring-Sta...eywords=test+tube+clamp&qid=1679314898&sr=8-5
20210727_130749_110x110@2x.jpg


there are other sources for both.
 

Cheebsy

Microbe minion
I had some silicone tubing I was able to stretch over the eq bowl. I also had one with some sugru stuck around it. Both greatly help with hot handling. I also used to rarely switch the eq off.
 

hinglemccringleberry

Well-Known Member
Has anyone ever actually tasted burnt popcorn? Like, you microwaved some popcorn for movie night, put some on a hot skillet, let it char for a bit, opened windows to clear the smoke from your kitchen, and take a bite?

I have no idea how anyone in their right mind thinks vaporized cannabis tastes like that..
 
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