Dabbing for beginners

Smoke wax and oil with a bong

Maybe you know the situation: you got some wax, shatter, raisin or concentrate, known as dabs, from a friend. Maybe you are also a grower and have processed some flowers or harvest residues to concentrate. Now you ask yourself only one question: "How do I consume this rare treat?"

Of course you have the option to apply the concentrate on a cigarette. If you want to quote the casual stoner dad: "Well, just put some on a cigarette!" Of course you can do that, but you can also mix a good red wine with the cheapest discount cola you can find.

What we are getting at: there is actually only one true form of consumption for concentrates: Dabbing!

What exactly is Dabbing?

The word "dabbing" itself already describes precisely how this form of consumption works. Instead of lighting a herb-filled bowl, dabbing involves heating a special kind of bowl, called a nail or banger. A small amount of concentrate is then dabbed on the bowl while inhaling.

But how does it all work in reality and what do you need? These questions are to be answered today.

The smoking device for dabbing

The bongs for dabbing are particularly small and known as "rigs". If you don't want to afford a new pipe yet, you can simply upgrade your good old bong. The reason why this is not quite optimal is because of the size.

With "normal" bong smoking you want a large part of the toxic substances like tar, that are produced during smoking, to stick to the inside of your pipe. So a larger surface area means more space on which the pollutants can condense.

With dabbing, it's all different. Because dabbing is a form of vaporization and therefore does not produce toxic combustion products, you want to keep the surface as small as possible. It is a waste if your good and usually not cheap concentrate condenses on the large surface of a standard bong.

That's why we advise to use small pipes if you want your dabs in your lungs and not in your bong.

The oil nail

Nails are now available in all possible shapes, colours and materials. Here we explain the most common three:

Domeless titanium nail for oil

The Domeless Nail made of titanium is THE beginner classic. Titanium is unbreakable, has an excellent heat accumulator and is practically without any taste of its own. Mostly you get it as a universal nail, so that it is suitable for every ground joint. The only disadvantage is that titanium nails are not always cheap to buy.

Quartz glass banger for dabbing

The second very popular type of concentrate bowls are bangers made of quartz glass, which are usually less expensive than titanium nails. Unlike the glass of your bong, quartz glass is suitable for continuous heating and cooling. The material has no taste of its own, but is not shatterproof and stores less heat than titanium. However, this only poses a problem if you want to treat yourself to a bigger hit.

Sets of glass nail and dome

Most rig sets include a glass nail with glass dome by default. However, these nails are actually always made of borosilicate glass and therefore not suitable for heating. They can last you several weeks, but they can also shatter after the first use.

The torch for heating the dabbing nail

The Bunsen burner you need for dabbing is a very large jet lighter. It is needed to heat up the nail. The size of the burner determines the time to bring your nail to vaporization temperature - the larger the burner, the faster the nail is ready. Ideally it should be bigger, especially if you are sitting with friends and you want the banger to get hot again quickly.

We recommend a jet flame from G-Spot, Newport or even a cult device from Blazer. But a normal jet lighter with 1-3 flames or a cartridge burner from the hardware store will also get you there.

The dabber - the tool for dabbing

A Dabber is a pen-shaped tool made of metal, ceramic or glass, with which you apply the concentrate to your hot nail. Some models also have a carb-cap directly integrated - we explain what this is later-on.

It is best to have a pointy or round tip at one end of the dabber and a spoon at the other. With the tip you dab the concentrate on the nail, with the spoon you can decant larger quantities of oil or pour crumbly concentrate (crumble) into the hot nail.

Additional dabbing gear made of silicone

Last but not least, it is advisable to get equipment made of silicone. Essential are e.g. silicone containers for your wax. They keep your dabs fresh and well protected. The biggest advantage of a silicone dish is that you get all the sticky resin out without leaving any residue and nothing remains in the container.

You can complete your dab station with a silicone mat. It should be big enough to hold the rig, dabber and dish. This has 2 advantages: Your rig has a secure footing and will not fall over even if someone bumps against the table. Furthermore, the silicone mat offers space to put down the sticking resin dabber without everything else getting stuck on your table. Because we guarantee: once you have the sticky resin on your table, it will suddenly be everywhere!

Dabbing: that's how it works!

You could of course start on your own - or you could take a look at the following guide! That way you don't have to waste any of your concentrate on experiments.

The preparation:

Fill your rig or bong with lukewarm water and put on your nail or banger. You can also put on some good music and provide snacks and drinks so you don't have to get up later!

The two ways of dabbing

Now you can choose between two types of dabbing: low-temp dabbing or high-temp dabbing. Of course both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Low-temp dabbing:

This method is especially popular with taste enthusiasts because the lower nail temperature does not burn any terpenes. This gives you a much more flavorful Dab. The high is more like that of a vaporizer, slowly rising and fading away comfortably.

For this method you need a carb cap to dab. This is a small cap, which is often already attached to the dabber. At the end of the smoking process it is placed on the nail to vaporize the entire oil by the additional heat from above.

If you want to do without a carb cap or if you prefer a high with more " boom", then high-temp dabbing is the better option for you.

High-Temp Dabbing:

With a hotter nail you don't need a carb cap, because the higher temperature evaporates all oil without residue anyway. With this method, the high has more power, but you have to make some losses in taste, because many terpenes burn rather than evaporate.

Let's go! Time to try your dabs.

1. Turn on your burner and heat your nail evenly with the tip of the flame. With a titanium nail you burn until the edges of the pan start to glow slightly. With a quartz banger you burn until the burner flame changes to a yellow colour when you pass the glass.
2. Add a small amount of concentrate to your dabber.
3. If you have decided to use the low-temp method, the nail now needs to cool down a little: just wait a few moments before you start.
4. If you prefer the hot method, you can begin to dab right after the heating process!
5. Next you apply your wax to the nail or banger with the Dabber. As soon as the concentrate touches the hot surface, it starts to evaporate. For you it is now time to inhale deeply!
6. Then you can just sit back and enjoy the high.

We hope we have helped you a little bit. If you have any questions or if you are having trouble choosing your new dab rig, just come and visit our headshop in person! We are looking forward to seeing you!