Already vaped bud (AVB) - also known as already been vaped (ABV) bud - is what's left of cannabis after you're done vaping with a dry herb vaporizer.
It's always worth saving AVB, because there's still cannabinoids like THC and CBD left in the weed. And there are tons of ways to use already vaped bud.
But all AVB isn't the same: some will have stronger effects. And some ABV will have a more bitter flavor than others. One of the best ways to predict the strength and taste of your AVB is by examining its color.
If your AVB is yellow or light brown, there's plenty of potency left in it. Most commonly, ABV will be brown, and it will be of average strength. Dark brown and black AVB will not have much THC or CBD left, and will have a more bitter flavor.
Why do different vaping sessions create AVB of different colors? Let's look at how ABV is created when you're vaporizing cannabis.
Guide to Already Vaped Bud (AVB)
When you vape using a dry herb vaporizer, you're heating cannabis up to a temperature where it releases cannabinoids into vapor, but doesn't burn. The process is better for lung health compared with smoking, and vapor also has a clearer taste than smoke.
As you heat the herb, the terpenes vaporize first. Terpenes are the compounds in marijuana that give it its flavor. This is why the first few hits from a vape will be the most flavorful, and then it will become flavorless after a while. But you'll still get effects as the cannabinoids (THC and CBD) are vaporized.
The longer you vape the same amount of cannabis, the more cannabinoids you'll get, but the hits will get weaker and weaker. And they'll taste worse too. At higher temperatures part of the herb can burn as well, making it less healthy for the respiratory system. (But still nothing like smoking.)
Save ABV to make edibles, butter, coconut oil
After each session, you can save your AVB and store it in an airtight jar. Mason jars work great. Depending on how long you vaped your weed for, and at what temperature, it will probably have 10-25% of the THC and CBD still left in it.
AVB can be used in a number of different ways. The most popular ones are turning it into butter (aka cannabutter) or coconut oil that you can later use to make edibles. But you can also just fill gelatin capsules with ABV and swallow them.
You can even just eat AVB straight or on a sandwich. Peanut butter works well for masking the taste. But remember, you can't do this with fresh cannabis flower. The THC in fresh weed needs to be properly activated for ingestion.
When you heat up your bud in a vaporizer, the cannabis goes through a decarboxylation process that activates the THC. As long as it’s decarboxylated, when you eat AVB, you'll actually get the proper effects.
What Color AVB? (Already Vaped Bud)
There's no hard and fast rule about what color AVB you can expect after vaping. The color of ABV will vary according to the vaporizer and the cannabis strain. But there's still a general pattern you can watch out for.
If you vape at a low heat, and not for very long, then your AVB will likely be yellow, or even green. If it's green, then you probably should have vaped it for a little longer. It's even possible that some parts of the ABV aren't decarboxylated, meaning it will have very little effect if you use it for butter in a recipe. If ABV is yellow, you can probably expect 25% THC and CBD or more still left inside the weed.
Light brown and brown AVB is the most common color, and is probably the best amount to cook the herb, if you want to enjoy strong vaping sessions, but still have decent-quality AVB for edibles. Brown AVB has around 10-20% of the cannabinoids left, the darker it is, the weaker it will probably be.
Dark brown and black ABV is probably too cooked for most people. The vaping session probably squeezed almost all the active ingredients out of the cannabis. This herb will taste more bitter, and have few effects - maybe 5% of the original strain.
The best color ABV for eating
There's also no one correct color AVB should be. Ultimately, you want to balance two different things: the strength of your vaping sessions, and the strength and taste of your AVB.
Many people prefer to vape at lower temperatures. The flavor is tastier and clearer, and the effects less intense. You can still experience all the cannabinoids later as AVB, after all.
If you want to go all-out when you're vaping, that's understandable. The ABV will still work, it'll just be weaker. To improve the taste, you can put AVB through a water curing process.
It takes a while, but once AVB has gone through water curing, it'll be basically flavorless and won't mess with the taste of your ABV butter, coconut oil, or brownies.
AVB capsules are also a great option if you dislike the taste of already vaped bud.
How Strong is Already Vaped Bud?
AVB strength usually corresponds with the color of vaped bud. And its strength can be unpredictable, so go low and slow with your dosage until you know what works best for you.
The darker the AVB is, the weaker it will be. But every vaporizer produces different color and strength ABV, so test your experience with a small amount when you first try eating or cooking with AVB.
You can sprinkle just a little bit in your coffee, or a bowl of yogurt or ice cream. If you're having it in coffee or tea, make sure you eat it with a food that has some fat, butter, or oil. Cannabinoids like THC and CBD bind to fats, so you'll get more potent effects.
AVB can sometimes take hours to kick in, so be cautious and patient, especially if you’re consuming larger amounts of it.
Choosing a Dry Herb Vaporizer
AVB is a wonderful bonus round you can get out of your cannabis - but it's only possible if you're using a dry herb vape. Vaporizers have many benefits besides AVB: they're healthier for your lungs compared with smoking, taste and smell better, and get you more effects out of the same amount of cannabis.
Most people decide to get portable dry herb vaporizers. Desktop vaporizers can produce great results, but they're expensive and usually need to be plugged into a wall.
In terms of portable vapes, Furna has an innovative oven-swapping system that makes it the most versatile and convenient portable vaporizer. Furna lets you load up several ovens of herb in advance, before you leave the house. Instead of awkwardly cleaning out and reloading your vape, you can just swap in a fresh oven.
Furna also has cannabis concentrate ovens and 510 oil cartridge ovens that are just as simple to swap out, and avoid the messy makeshift solutions of other dry herb vapes. Learn more about the Furna vape.
