Vaporizing has forever changed the way people enjoy cannabis. Offering a powerful and reliable way to use cannabis both recreationally and medicinally, without the health risks of smoking, vaporizers are slowly becoming a household item for most regular users. And, thanks to the advancement of vape technology, vaporizers are becoming more portable and affordable than ever before. Whether you’re an experienced “vaper” or new to the game, here we share 8 simple tips to vaping dry herb. Remember to follow these tips for the ultimate vaping experience and follow our blog for more articles like this.
8 TIPS FOR VAPING WITH A DRY HERB VAPORIZER
1. USE FRESH HERB
Fresh is best. We don't mean freshly harvested, but well cured, high quality bud - not bud that is old, stale and dried out.
Remember, your vaping experience is only going to be as good as the herb you’re vaping.
The process of vaporizing relies on moisture; it involves heating a substance to the point where the compounds within it reach their boiling point and form a vapor, which can be inhaled much like smoke.
Hence, it’s always best to use a fresh herb that is more likely to have higher moisture concentrations.
The herbs you load into your chamber shouldn’t be too wet nor too dry. A good way to test the moisture content of your bud is to touch it. Your weed shouldn't be wet or moist to the touch, yet it shouldn’t be so dry that you’re able to crush it into a fine powder with your fingers.
2. GET THE GRIND RIGHT
Once you’ve inspected your weed and determined it’s fit for vaping, it’s time to get your grind on.
Grinding your herb helps increase its surface area. In turn, this allows the heat from the vaporizer to better penetrate the plant matter and produce a nice, thick, tasty vapor.
When vaping dry herbs, you’ll want to make sure you get a nice, even, medium grind. The best way to do this is to use a manual or electric herb grinder.
If you don’t have one of these tools, grind up your weed as you would do so usually. Just remember that you want an even grind, which might be harder to achieve without a proper weed grinder.
Pro tip: Never grind more weed than you need to fill a single chamber. Any leftover ground weed will dry out much faster.
3. CHECK YOUR TEMPERATURE
Temperature is the most important aspect of vaping. Hence, it’s vital you get your temperature setting right every session, regardless of whether you’re vaping dry herb or concentrates.
Unfortunately, working out the right temperature isn’t as simple as it seems. The general rule of thumb is that you should vape somewhere between 180-210°C (356-410°F). However, you’ll want to experiment to find your ideal setting.
Different cannabinoids vaporize at different temperatures, and slight variations in the moisture content of your bud or the texture of your grind can also affect how well your weed vaporizes.
Plus, many users find that vaping at different temperatures produces different effects; lower temperatures tend to leave users more clear-headed and functional, while higher temperatures tend to produce strong euphoria and relaxation.
Here are some of the different boiling points of the compounds of cannabis to help you figure out the best temperature for you:
| CANNABIS COMPOUNDS | CELSIUS (ºC) | FAHRENHEIT (ºF) |
|---|
| CBG |
57 ºC |
126 Fº |
| PINENE |
155 ºC |
311 Fº |
| THC |
157 ºC |
315 ºF |
| CARYOPHYLLENE |
160 ºC |
320 ºF |
| MYRCENE |
168 ºC |
334 ºF |
| CBD |
180 ºC |
356 ºF |
| CBN |
185 ºC |
365 ºF |
| CBC |
220 ºC |
428 ºF |
|
CANNABIS COMPOUNDS |
|
CBG |
PINENE |
THC |
CARYOPHYLLENE |
MYRCENE |
CBD |
CBN |
CBC |
| CELSIUS (Cº) |
57 ºC |
155 ºC |
157 ºC |
160 ºC |
168 ºC |
180 ºC |
185 ºC |
220 ºC |
| FAHRENHEIT (ºF) |
126 ºF |
311 ºF |
315 ºF |
320 ºF |
334 ºF |
356 ºF |
365 ºF |
428 ºF |
|
4. PACK TIGHT, BUT NOT TOO TIGHT
Just like smoking from a bong or pipe, the way you pack your vape chamber has a huge effect on the overall experience.
Once again, you’ll want to find the sweet spot of packing your chamber with enough herb so as to generate a good amount of vapor, without going overboard.
At the same time, you’ll want to avoid over-packing the chamber, as this may affect the flow of vapor from the chamber to the mouthpiece. Sometimes, over-packing can also damage the inside of your vape.
5. PREHEAT YOUR VAPE
Vaporizers are like ovens; they need some time to get up to temperature.
Just like you wouldn’t stick a roast chicken in a cold oven, you shouldn’t be sticking your weed into a vape that hasn’t been given time to heat up.
Luckily, most modern, portable vaporizers are able to preheat in just a few seconds, meaning your vape is usually ready to use by the time you’ve ground up your weed.
However, some older models or desktop vaporizers may take a bit longer to get up to temperature.
Regardless of what kind of vape you use, make sure you read through the instructions and learn how to preheat it. This will ensure your weed vaporizes properly and consistently, making for an enjoyable vaping experience every time.
6. INHALE SLOWLY AND LIGHTLY
When vaporizing, remember to take gentle, short drags. When vapes first hit the market, there was this trend of taking big, long, and deep drags from the mouthpiece as if you were trying to suck a piece of fruit through a straw from the bottom of your smoothie. There are two main downsides to vaping like this:
Firstly, taking long, hard puffs from your vape can cause some of your weed to be sucked up from the chamber, through the mouthpiece, and into your mouth. Secondly, drawing hard and regularly from your vape introduces cold air into the chamber. This ultimately brings down the temperature inside your vape, making the machine work harder and thus, affecting the quality of your vapor.
7. AVOID COMBUSTION
Combustion is the number one thing you want to avoid when vaping. Combustion is what happens when you light the end of a joint, blunt, or bong. By combusting your weed, you essentially break down chemical bonds within it, creating what are called “free radicals.” These compounds can then combine together to create hundreds of new compounds, most of which are highly toxic and carcinogenic.
Remember, the most likely reason you’re vaping is to avoid the negative side effects of smoking. Hence, take the time to experiment with different temperatures to find the sweet spot that allows for the best vapor production, without actually burning your herb. Following the temperature guides we mentioned above are a good place to start, but remember to take the time to play around with these settings every session to account for the differences in moisture content and physical consistency of your weed.
8. MAINTAIN YOUR VAPE
Last but not least, the best way to ensure a great vape experience is to properly maintain your vaporizer. Vaporizers, like other pieces of machinery, need to be well kept in order to function at their best. When you get your vape, make sure you read over the care instructions outlined in the manufacturer's user guide. Follow these instructions and make a habit of cleaning out your vape regularly, as well as replacing parts as necessary.
Vaporizers can be expensive. To make sure yours lasts as long as it should, remember to care for/maintain it like you would other pieces of expensive equipment.
If you’re struggling with vaping issues, don’t worry—we’re here to help.
Check out some of the most common issues that arise when vaping, and how to troubleshoot them.
Questions & Answers: Troubleshooting dry herb vaporizers
- 🔋 Battery issues
- If you’re facing battery issues, always make sure your battery is fully connected. Pop open the battery compartment (if removable) and make sure the ends of the battery are sitting flush with the device.
- ❌ My vaporizer battery isn't working or won't turn on
- If you’re still facing battery issues after following the previous step, ensure your battery is fully charged. Plug it in and allow it to charge for a couple of hours. Make sure the cable is attached correctly and your device is receiving power (usually displayed via LED).
Turning on vapes often poses a challenge, especially with devices that don’t feature an LED display. Most vapes require the user to press the power button between 3–5 times in quick succession. If that doesn’t work, try tapping it six times in a row. If you’re still not having any luck, consult the user manual. - ❄️ My vaporizer isn’t heating
- Dry herb vaporizers depend on convection, conduction, or hybrid heating systems to evaporate the cannabinoids and terpenes from flowers. When this system fails, users receive either very light hits or nothing at all.
Issues with heating stem from several sources. Vaporizers use a piece of kit called an atomiser to convert energy from the battery to power the heating system. After prolonged use, atomisers become worn out and need replacing.
Before ordering a new atomiser, make sure your battery is fully charged and fitted correctly—it could simply be a connection issue. - 🔥 I’m getting a burnt or unpleasant flavour
- Your favourite strain offers boatloads of tasty terpenes, so unpleasant tastes always come as a disappointment. However, this unsavoury situation usually has an easy fix.
Chances are you’re setting the temperature a bit too high. Terpenes are volatile molecules that evaporate at lower temperatures. Setting things too hot will burn the flower tissue and result in harsh hits and unpleasant tastes.
An aged atomiser can also be at the root of this problem. If dialling down the temperature doesn’t improve your vapor, consider replacing your atomiser. - 💨 I’m not getting big enough clouds of vapor
- A big, thick cloud of vapor makes vaporization that much more fun. If you’re pulling hard from your vape and barely getting anything, there are a couple of things you can do to improve the volume of each hit.
If your clouds seem small, give your battery a thorough charge. Low battery means less power moving through your device, which will impact the size of your clouds.
You may also need to nudge up the heat settings. The higher the temp, the more vapor you’ll produce. Try and find that sweet spot between optimal taste and cloud size.
Finally, you should check the integrity of your atomiser and coil. If these parts are failing to transmit heat from the battery, your clouds will remain small. You’ll need to replace them.
If you’ve tried everything and you’re still exhaling measly clouds, consider upgrading your battery. The more power you have at your disposal, the bigger your clouds will be. - 🌬 I’m not getting any draw from my vape
- To eradicate this tease, first, check your mouthpiece. Sometimes, pieces of debris work their way into the airway and obstruct the flow of vapor.
If you find nothing there, proceed—once again—to examine the state of your atomiser. If it’s old and underperforming, you’ll need to replace it.
Finally, if your draws seem weaker than usual, give your device a full charge and see if that improves things. - 👄 The mouthpiece is too hot
- Is your dry herb vape burning your lips? You might need to hold your horses for a second. A piping hot mouthpiece usually stems from a prolonged and intense vaping session. If your lips are feeling the heat every time you take a hit, let it cool down for a couple of minutes—those cannabinoids aren’t going anywhere!
If you insist on continuously toking, consider purchasing a heat-resistant silicone connection for your mouthpiece.
