Three Tips for Better Dabbing

Our menu is full of tasty dabs - wax, shatter, rosin, diamonds, live resin - we love it all! These concentrates are designed for dabbing: vaporizing on a hot nail with a dab rig. Dabbing is initially intimidating, but once you get the process down it is among the tastiest and most potent means of consuming cannabis.

Today I'm a seasoned dabber, but I made ever mistake along the way. My first dab rig was a massive two-foot bong that doubled as a flower piece - don't do this. Keep flower and dabs separate. The bong was paired with a cheap glass banger that I heated way too hot with a camping torch. Dabs were tasteless, and always followed by coughing fits.

Concentrates taste much better when vaporized at the appropriate temperature and your lungs will feel much better as well. Here are three ways to improve your dabbing experience:

1. Start with a decent nail (also called a banger). Investing in a quality banger is a game changer. Quality, American-made pieces offer better heat retention, clean more easily, and provide a better seal with your cab cap. If you can't spend $100+ + in a banger, invest in the best piece you can afford and keep It spotless with Glob Mops and ISO when needed.

2. Time warm up and cool down times. Use a stopwatch to time the heat up (about 30 seconds) and cool down time for your perfect hit. Some dabbers like them hot and may let it cool down for a few seconds. These savages are punished with crippling coughing fits and sub-optimal effects. Civil dabbers will let the nail cool 45-60 seconds depending on the concentrate. Kinder concentrates deserve a lower temp and longer cool-down period. Once you find your times, it's easy to get a perfect dab every time.

3. Use a smaller rig. Over the years, I've owned several dab rigs and each one has been smaller than the last. Today I use a relatively simple 6" glass shower-head bubbler from a local artist. I find the smaller rigs lead to smoother, more flavorful dabs.

Dabbing itself is an art that takes time to perfect. Hopefully these three tips to accelerate your learning and improve your dabbing experience.