If you're new to vaping cannabis, there's a bit of a learning curve. But once you get the hang of it, hitting a vape is just as simple as smoking weed in a joint or pipe.
Sometimes it's tough to tell if your vaporizer is doing anything, or if you're feeling any effects. When you exhale you might see visible vapor clouds, but sometimes there might not be any. You might worry you're vaping too much, or too little, if you're not used to dry herb vapes.
So how many pulls should you take from a dry herb vaporizer? Usually when vaping, the THC and CBD should hit you right away, because they're absorbed instantly through your lungs. If that's not happening, you might not be inhaling correctly, or something could be going wrong with your vape's airflow.
How many hits to take will be different for everyone, and the answer depends on the strength of your cannabis, and the temperature setting you're vaping at. But don't be fooled by the lack of vapor clouds: you can definitely get high without being able to see vapor.
In this article, we'll help you figure out if anything is going wrong with your vape, the best way to inhale vapor, and what number of hits is right for you. After reading these tips, you'll know how to hit a dry herb vaporizer.
How Many Hits: Dry Herb Vape Session Tips
Inhaling slowly and steadily from the mouthpiece will give you the best vaping experience. Every vape is different though, and some units will benefit from a stronger, more forceful inhale. You'll learn what works best for your device. But with most vapes, a slow steady inhale for about ten seconds, until your lungs are completely full, will produce the best vapor.
If you're using a convection vaporizer, you might need to draw a little longer, because it's your draw that heats the herb oven. If it's a balloon-style desktop, then you can just breathe in vapor from the bag once it's been filled.
And remember, there's no need to hold your breath: the cannabinoids will be absorbed into your system almost instantly. So just exhale until your lungs are empty.
Using a dry herb vaporizer properly
As you keep vaping, you'll notice the flavor decreasing as the session goes on. You can gradually turn up the temperature to make sure to vaporize every last bit of the herb. But at a certain point it can burn and the aroma could get quite unpleasant.
Another good way to tell if the weed in your vape is done is by looking at the color. If it's still greenish in places, give it a stir and it'll be good for a couple more pulls. If it's brown, it'll be tough to squeeze anything more out of it.
How Dry Herb Vaporizers Work
Dry herb vaporizers work by heating up cannabis in a chamber to a hot temperature. Once it's hot enough, the herb releases cannabinoids like THC, CBD, and terpenes into vapor. Then you breathe in the vapor by hitting the mouthpiece, and enjoy the fun or relaxing effects.
Your device needs good airflow to make all this happen, otherwise the herb won't be heated evenly. If you're not getting enough vapor, usually the problem is bad airflow.
Maybe your vape has gotten clogged with use. All you need to clean dry herb vaporizers is isopropyl alcohol and the cleaning accessories included with your vape. Read your vape's instructions to learn the exact process for your device. Cleaning your vape regularly is crucial to getting quality hits.
Packing the vape chamber properly
To get good draws from your vaporizer, you have to grind your cannabis flower before vaping. Grinding your bud using a proper weed grinder lets your vape heat more of the surface area of the plant material.
It also helps with airflow, because there's less chance air will be blocked by a denser pocket of herb. Better airflow means the cannabis will be heated evenly. And even heating means stronger vapor, and less wasting of weed.
For conduction vapes, which are more common, go with a fine grind. If you have a convection vaporizer, your grind should be a little looser. With convection heating you want the hot air to be able to easily flow around the oven.
Load the cannabis and set the temperature
Fill the heating chamber with ground herbs, then use a tamper to pack it somewhat tightly. You want it to be well-packed but not too densely: you need air to be able to flow. Don't overpack the chamber or you'll ruin your airflow.
Finally, choose your temperature. Some devices have precise settings, letting the user choose an exact heat, while others just have low, medium, and high settings.
At lower temperatures, you'll taste more of the flavor of the bud, while at higher heat you might see more of a visible cloud when you exhale. Keep in mind that clouds don't really matter: flavor is a much better sign of whether you're getting a good amount of vapor from a hit.
How Many Hits From a Vape?
Dry herb vaporizers are a way to consume cannabis that's easier on the lungs than combustion methods like smoking a pipe or joint. But vape sessions are also more efficient with your herb, giving you more effects from the same amount of bud.
When you smoke, you're burning some of the active ingredients before they get the chance to reach your lips. Vapes heat your weed, but don't burn it. You'll end up saving money with a dry herb vaporizer because you'll go through your cannabis more slowly.
Also, after you're done vaping a bowl, you can save the leftovers! Already vaped bud (AVB or ABV) can be used for all kinds of things. The most popular ABV uses include making edibles, cannabutter, and special herbal tea.
Between the stronger effect, and the ability to re-use AVB, over the long-term a dry herb vaporizer will pay for itself. Dry herb vapes are also more discreet, produce less of a smell than smoking, and allow users to more clearly experience the flavor of the strain they're vaping.
The best portable vaporizers
Most people go with a portable conduction vaporizer for their first vape: they're cheaper than desktop and convection vapes, and you can easily pack them in a pocket. Desktop vapes might have more power, but since they have no battery, they're not very versatile.
Vape pens also exist, but many pens are oil vapes and not dry herb vaporizers, so watch out. The average vape pen will be low quality, have poor battery life, and won't give you the full benefits of dry herb vaporizers. You won't experience the better efficiency of vaping, and you'll quickly want to upgrade your device.
Check out our portable dry herb vaporizer comparison for a breakdown of the difference between some of the top vaporizers. If you like to vape cannabis concentrates, then the Furna is absolutely worth looking at.
What about weed concentrates?
Most dry herb vaporizers can't handle cannabis concentrate, or at least not without loading them through awkward inserts. Furna is a multi-oven vape, and has specialized ovens for dry herb, concentrates, and 510 oil cartridges.
With Furna, you can instantly swap a used oven for a fresh one, instead of having to wait for it to cool down, clean it out, and reload. You can also pre-pack ovens before leaving the house, and avoid having to reload in a public location when you're out and about.
Check out Furna's dry herb vape to learn more.
