Quick Guide To Using Your Dry Herb Vaporizer

So you’ve just got your first dry herb vaporizer. How exciting! But are you really sure how to get the most out of it?

Every dry herb vaporizer is a little bit different. However, there are a few principles which apply to all of them. With a bit of help from this guide, you can use your vaporizer just like the pros, whether it’s a desktop or portable vaporizer.

Let’s take a look at how to really put your dry herb vaporizer to work!

Step 1: Loading Your Bowl

In order to get an effective vaporization, you need good airflow. This means you need to be careful with how you pack your bowls!

You should always prepare your dry herb in a loose, fluffy, airy bundle which allows air to freely pass through the bundle.

This means two things. First, you need to prepare your dry herb, either by cutting it up finely with scissors -- or ideally, using a purpose made dry herb grinder.

Secondly, you need to make sure you don’t pack it too densely. Less is more! It might seem like you will get a more powerful hit by packing in as much as you can, but in fact it is likely to be just the opposite. The denser the bowl, the more likely it is to clog and restrict the airflow, preventing you from getting a good hit.

Step 2: Setting Temperature

Some vaporizers offer precise digital temperature controls which let you set a very specific heat setting. Others are a bit simpler, but usually offer at least some kind of preset temperature settings you can choose from.

One of the biggest benefits of vaporizers is their ability to operate at low heat.

The first number to keep in mind is the vaporization point of THC. This is the minimum temperature required to release THC from the plant matter. This magic temperature is about 392° F.

You might be tempted to set your vape at precisely this temperature, but that’s probably not the most effective way to go about things. You need at least that much heat, so it’s a good idea to go above a bit. You’ll also find more powerful results as the temperature ramps up -- up to a point.

Probably the highest you want to go is around 400-415° F. This is the “sweet spot” where you release the maximum amount of cannabinoids and terpenes, giving you that delicious and potent vapor you’re craving.

Going much higher than this won’t do a lot for your experience. In fact, it can be a detriment. The hotter the vapor, the more harsh and irritating it will be for your lungs and airways. Too hot and you can actually begin to burn your dry herb, something that will prove quite nasty on your tastebuds -- and gunk up your vaporizer!

And don’t forget to pre-heat, either! Think of your vaporizer like a miniature oven. If you try to inhale before it has warmed up, you’ll get nothing -- or next to nothing. Give things a minute or two to get up to their operating temperature before plugging your bowl in.

Step 3: Inhale Gently and Steadily

Unless you have a forced air vaporizer which blows the vapor out for you, you are actually an essential part of the vaporizing process. When you inhale, you’re drawing the warm air over the bowl you loaded, encouraging the dry herb to heat up and release its vapor.

To optimize this vaporizing, you need to inhale slowly and steadily. Don’t try to take a huge lung full like you might with a bong. Start gently. You can ramp it up as the bowl really gets going. At first, it will only produce small amounts of vapor as the temperature rises.

Once the entire bowl has reached vaporizing temperature, you can take some big gulps of vapor. But at first, you want to take it slow. You might even let out some vapor during your hit, just to be sure things are heated up properly before going for a big puff.

Step 4: Enjoy!

With these basic tips, you should have a good primer on how to optimize your dry herb vaporizing experience.

Though things can vary substantially from model to model, the general principles of vaporizing apply to any device.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to experiment. There isn’t much that can go wrong, other than maybe getting a less than fantastic hit and wasting a small amount of herb. It will be worth it for the knowledge you gain in using your vaporizer!

Happy vaping!