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Dry Herb Vapes: Just getting started...

Figured with the last few threads inspiring me to try out a dry herb vape. And I realized I knew nothing about it. But reading the manual and getting it going was easy. And I just experimented a bit and with temps. And apparently I landed in a pretty good sweet spot.

I will share some more of my experience, but I would like to hear some others more experienced takes on their usages, tips, tricks, favorite temps and getting the most out of it. Thanks!

25 comments

  • Around 15 years ago, I learned about dry vaporizing, but I never gave it a try. A year later, I bought a cheap knockoff vaporizer from a local smoke shop, and it turned out to be terrible. Funny enough, I recently dug it out and found it still sucks (laughs).

    Then, about a decade ago, a friend introduced me to the Pax1 vaporizer, and I was blown away. It was a game changer—a portable, handheld device for dry herb vaporization. From that point on, I was hooked. I started with a Davinci Ascent, created aftermarket accessories for it, and eventually founded Delta3DStudios. Now I get to play around with various dry herb vaporizers and come up with ways to improve them or make them more user-friendly.

    Transitioning from smoking to dry vaporizing can be challenging for some. Many heavy smokers claim that dry herb vaporizing doesn't give them the same "hit." The truth is, their bodies are used to the effects of a toxic mix of carcinogens and carbon monoxide. Fortunately, I had an easier transition. My partner didn't allow smoking indoors, but they let me vaporize indoors during one cold winter. I quickly adapted to the vaporizer, and it had a positive impact on my health, which I hadn't anticipated. First, my sense of smell returned with a vengeance. I didn't realize how much smoking had affected it. Additionally, as someone who frequents the gym, I noticed an increase in endurance and lung capacity. My lungs felt lighter. This is just my personal experience, but the difference between smoking and vaporizing was incredible.

    At this point, I've handled countless vaporizers, and I've lost count of how many devices (working, dead, broken, etc.) I have in my collection (which I use to test new accessories for the market, haha).

    Here are some tips from one enthusiast to another:

    • Different temperatures extract different active compounds from the herb. Low temperatures work best for sativa strains, while higher temperatures are better for indica and CBD strains. You can vape a hybrid strain at low temperatures to extract the sativa side and at high temperatures to extract both sides. You can also start at a low temperature for one session and then increase the temperature for the next session.
    • Every device performs differently. Some are stealthier, some heat up faster, some produce larger clouds, some provide tastier vapor, and some are easier to clean, among other differences. There is no such thing as a "perfect" device for everyone in every situation. I use different devices depending on my mood, location, and whether I have guests. Some of my favorite butane-powered devices are not meant for sharing because they're prone to combustion, which affects the flavor of subsequent sessions.
    • It's not recommended to reheat the herb at the same temperature, but you can have one session at a lower temperature and then increase the temperature by 20 degrees Fahrenheit or more for each subsequent session.
    • Don't jump straight to the maximum temperature, especially with portable vaporizers. Enjoy the journey. Start at a low temperature, around 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and gradually increase it by 10-20 degrees every few minutes.
    • Temperature sensors usually monitor the heater's temperature, not the core temperature of your herb. If you take hard or fast draws with many devices, you might cool down the heater faster than it can recover the temperature. Depending on the device, try slowing down your draw. I recommend a draw speed of 15-20 seconds to slowly fill your lungs. Of course, high-powered desktop devices may allow for harder draws, but I'm speaking generally.
    • Many portable vaporizers have underpowered heaters due to size constraints and power limitations imposed by lithium power cells. It takes some time for a portable device to reach optimal extraction temperatures. Therefore, it's especially important to start at a low temperature, like 300 degrees Fahrenheit, for the first 1-2 minutes before increasing it to your desired level. This helps the device "preheat," allowing it to adjust the temperature faster when you start taking longer draws at higher temperatures.
    • With regular use, people often build up a tolerance to their usual device. Load sizes, temperature settings, draw patterns, and more become habitual. By switching devices once or twice a year, you can "reset" these tolerances. It doesn't have to be an upgrade to a more powerful device. Sometimes, switching to a weaker, budget-friendly device can help reset your body's tolerance. I do it often to avoid overmedicating. So, don't throw away your old devices—cycle through them from time to time!
    • Vaporbonging is another fun way to enjoy vaporizers when pairing them with glass. However, keep two things in mind: Firstly, you don't need excessive filtration. Conditioning the vapor with moisture is enough; massive percolators and multiple water chambers can strip the vapor of its flavor (which can be useful when vaping unpleasant-tasting hash, for example). Secondly, while cold glass and ice may be enjoyable for smoking, they cause vapor particles to condense into larger particles, resulting in more throat irritation. Therefore, when vaporbonging, use warm or hot water in the glass pipe instead of cold water and ice.

    I could talk endlessly about this topic—I spend way too much time experimenting with and studying these devices and the wonders of this plant. Feel free to ask anything you'd like. I no longer contribute to Reddit, so I'm happy to share my knowledge here!

    • Gold mine of a post, thank you for sharing. I will be referencing this in the future.

      • Lol, happy to drop some knowledge for novice users by all means don't hesitate to reach out - I'm a fountain of knowledge and love to share what I do know or have experienced thanks to my position in the industry :-)

    • @delta3dstudios Hello, I saw you were quite the dry herb enthusiast hope you could help a newbie out with some questions

      I have the airizer max BTW

      1, how do I know when my bowl is done for? Should I try to squeeze every bit of smoke out of it or can I be satisfied when there's very low quantities of smoke per pull at high temps?

      1. What does ABV mean? I gather that its short for the used updecarbolized flower that vapes produce as a byproduct.
      2. How do I best clean the brown reclaim flouid that builds in the glass? I heard simmering the pieces in milk work good but I'm not a milk drinker. Can I throw the pieces in butter with my flower when I make cannabutter?
      3. Do you think its worth buying the longest stem for the airizer max? The stem it comes with is okay but I saw the solo 2 stem is longer and comptable.
      4. I saw you make custom accessories on your site, anything for airizer specific? Can I order stuff for my vape? I would really like a base to hold it firmly up and a skin if possible.

      • Howdy!

        Lol for sure you could say I've made a living studying these devices and how to make life easier with them.

        I have the airizer max BTW

        Awesome portable, especially for flavor chasers like myself :-)

        1, how do I know when my bowl is done for? Should I try to squeeze every bit of smoke out of it or can I be satisfied when there’s very low quantities of smoke per pull at high temps?

        This is a topic that comes up often! Don't be embarrassed to asked, especially on a new platform like this one. Few things to consider

        • As mentioned previously, different temps release different medical benefits. Not all of us vaporize to max temp. Depending on time of day, I may prefer a low temp session, and stop vaping at a max temp of 385F. Other times in the evening I may want to max out at 425F or hotter. Don't be afraid to temp step up to a certain point and then call it quits when you feel you've reached your desired "butter zone" for extraction.
        • The color of your cooked herb is a representation of the chlorophyll content in the herb. The specific shade of brown will vary depending on device and temperature used. So taking a photo and posting it to the group asking "iS iT fUlLy CoOkEd" is useless. Instead the key thing to know is that 100% complete extraction (at one set temperature!) results in 100% uniform color across every flake of herb in the oven. Now of course you could obtain 100% extraction at 325F... and everything is the same shade of brown.... then cook the herb again later at 400F and cook out everything between 325F and 400F (which may be a lot or a little depending on the strain you're cooking)
        • Not everyone obtains a 100% complete extraction - some people toss it when the flavor tapers over to burnt popcorn, or when the vapor production peters out. The choice is really up to you personally and your desired effects

        What does ABV mean? I gather that its short for the used updecarbolized flower that vapes produce as a byproduct

        Yep "ABV" stands for "already been vaped" or others call it "AVB" - already vaped bud - either term is acceptable for cooked/vaporized herb which hasn't been burnt to ash.

        How do I best clean the brown reclaim flouid that builds in the glass? I heard simmering the pieces in milk work good but I’m not a milk drinker. Can I throw the pieces in butter with my flower when I make cannabutter?

        There are indeed many different ways to clean the "vape honey" out of the glass stems.

        Some people indeed make a chocolate milk simmering in a pot of milk and then throw in chocolate chips. Others like myself wash the pieces in a high % ISO alcohol to clean them (and grinders with ISO and a fresh toothbrush) - then pour the green/brownish mixture into a clean glass pie plate (or deep glass plate) and then let evaporate in sunlight (or I put mine on a 5.1 surround sound system which evaporated faster thanks to the added heat from the stereo system lol) - then use a fresh clean razor blade to scrape up the "film" left behind on the pie plate - this stuff can be dabbed or added to your dry herb to "turbocharge" a vaping session. Be sure to let it fully dry out before scraping up however! Otherwise the taste isn't the best lol.

        I suppose you could absolutely use butter for the same purpose - the vape honey will melt with the heat and bind to the fats in the butter. Just keep things at a low temp to avoid burning the butter, and to avoid overheating the honey (the lower the temps you use, the less you burn off and the more "full spectrum" your honey effects remain.

        Do you think its worth buying the longest stem for the airizer max? The stem it comes with is okay but I saw the solo 2 stem is longer and comptable.

        The Arizer Air Max uses the same size stems as the Air1, Air2, Solo1, and Solo2 (NOT the ArGo) - this means there is over a decade's worth of stems and aftermarket stems on the market compatible with your device. I even have a cheap chinese "bubbler straw" stem which is a 10-inch long mini vertical inline bubbler stem for my Air1/Air2 (and no doubt Air Max, but I don't have a max in my personal collection yet)

        Absolutely different stems will alter your experience - don't forget to consider a waterpipe adapter stem. EdsTNT used to make wood stems (with steel metal ovens) which would be yet another vaping experience. One day in the future I may consider making my own stems for the Arizer portables (using my industrial stainless steel metal 3D printers)

        I saw you make custom accessories on your site, anything for airizer specific? Can I order stuff for my vape? I would really like a base to hold it firmly up and a skin if possible.

        I've made some stem cases and funnels in the past for the Arizer stems which are available on my website ( Delta3DStudios.com ) - I've tried to organize every category by device and what I confirm is compatible. But I've tried to focus more on generic accessories like scoops and debowlers (both mason jar desktop options, and portable air-tight containers), universal waterpipe adapters, etc to work with a wider variety of devices. That said, I do have an Arizer Air1 in my desk (and an Air2 floating around somewhere) I could totally try and make some custom accessories for the Air Max - especially if you have a ruler or calipers to help measure key dimensions to confirm they match my existing devices which I could use for test-fitting.

        Right now is actually my slower season so I have time to work on side projects. Shoot me a private message and we can always talk about custom widgets if you don't see something specific on the website.

  • Everyone posting about theirs is definitely convincing me to get a nice one. I love flower, and absolutely prefer the high I get from it, but living in an apartment makes flower hard to smoke.

    What does everyone recommend for a good one? Price doesn’t really matter, as I’d like to have a buy once, cry once moment instead of shitty ones breaking on me (like e-nails).

  • Congrats! Which device did you get?

    • I got the Rogue based on others recommendations of the older smaller version. Seems to be pretty bullet proof, easy to use. I opted for a curved mouthpiece addon for the hell of it.

      So I take it long slow drags are fine, and just because you're not blowing clouds, it's still fine? As in ai'm not able to handle big fat rips like that, so in my comfort zone, I'm barely blowing out anything visible. But it's way less than oil or smoke.

      I do have a few mouthpeace minis laying around somewhere so I could try filtering it. Is that necessary? Or even detrimental?

  • I've been exclusively using dry herb vape for a few years now. My favorite devices are my TinyMight 2 and various configurations of Dynavaps, but I also own or have owned lots of others, butane and desktop vapes, you name it. Welcome to the club! What device are you using?

    My top tips:

    • keep your herb hydrated with a Boveda pack. Dry weed vapes worse.
    • Temp can change the high. Different chemicals vaporize at different temperatures.
    • Save your vape poo. You can eat it for sleepytime fun.

  • As far as sessions. I filled the bowl 3 times and just maxed out the timer (8min I think) and landed around 370 going from as low as 300 and as high as 450. Seems to jive with a few articles I skimmed. And that seemed to taper off flavor and effectiveness and the material seemed like a good used up brown. I've been collecting spent in another jar to see if I can use it for something later and inspection to see if I'm really getting the most of it.

  • I've had poor luck with most portables. The original Pax was decent but stopped working shortly after its warranty ended. I had various cheap ones from local shops. I also had a launchbox which was ok but also broke pretty quickly.
    Now as for "desktop" vapes. I have had an original (non digital) Volcano for years with just a few problems. I did have to send it back once to get fixed as it would just heat up to top level regardless of the knob settings. I also had some issues with the switches for the fan, but they are cheap toggle switches that I was able to buy on amazon for a couple $ and replace myself (twice in 5 or so years).
    I hope to get a portable of some kind when the volcano eventually dies. Might go with a Crafty or a Mighty from the same company that makes the volcano (STORZ & BICKEL)

25 comments