What is Dabbing? What is a Dab? | What is a Weed Dab?

What is Dabbing?

Dabbing is the act of vaporizing cannabis concentrates for inhalation, to get psychoactive effects that are stronger and more potent than smoking flower. Concentrates have a much higher THC content when compared to standard dry materials. As its name suggests, concentrates are a more “concentrated” form of cannabis. When concentrates are made, you are essentially harvesting the more sought after parts of the plant and removing the leftover plant material!

Now the THC breakdown between flower and concentrates can be drastically different, flower will have around 15-20%. Whereas concentrates will have around 60-80%, because of this concentrates tend to be a lot more expensive than flower. Just something to keep in mind!

On the other hand, as I mentioned previously, concentrates are a lot more potent. So they are faster acting and a little definitely goes a long way. There is a bit of a give and take on this one!

What is a Dab?

A dab is a small piece of concentrates that is vaporized to give you your desired effects. Dab sizing can vary depending on the person's tolerance, potency, device being used and more. Usually a dab is around the size of a grain of rice. 

“Dabs” is also the umbrella term for all different types of concentrates, such as rosin, shatter, budder, crumble, and live resin. Each type of concentrate is classified by its extraction process giving it a certain texture, consistency, and look!

What are the Different Types of Concentrates? Chart?

• Shatter - Glass-Like, Very Brittle - Butane
• Wax - Soft, Semi-Clear, Easy To Manipulate - Butane or Propane
• Budder - Whipped and Creamy - Butane or Propane
• Crumble - Dry, Dough-Like or Honeycomb-Like - Butane
• Live Resin - Wet Sugary Texture - Butane or Propane
• Sauce - Runny Terp Rich Liquid - Butane and Propane Blend 
• Diamonds - Crystal-Like Structures in Sauce - Butane and Propane
• Distillate - Clear Thick Liquid - Ethanol or CO2
• CO2 Oil - Clear Thick Runny Liquid, Used in Carts - Supercritical CO2
• Rosin - Vary in Color Thick - Heat and Pressure
• RSO - Thick and Dark Medicinal Oil - Ethanol
• Crystalline - Clear or Yellow Rocky Texture - Butane or Ethanol

What are Different Ways To Consume Cannabis Concentrates?

There are an endless amount of ways to consume cannabis concentrates. You can dab them which includes vaporizing and inhaling. You can eat them with edibles or capsules. You can consume them through tinctures and even infuse your own flower.

We're just going to focus on the dabbing portion for the sake of making this blog somewhat short. So there are two ways you are able to dab concentrates, with either an electronic device or a dab torch. 

Both methods provide high enough temperatures to vaporize your concentrates so that you get their full effects. Attempting to take a dab at a temperature that is lower than 400 degrees will only waste your concentrate, dabbing temperatures need to be above 400!

Torching:

Quartz Banger and Rig - This is the most common and traditional dabbing set up there is. A quartz banger paired with a torch and a dab rig. You just need to heat the quartz banger with your torch, drop your dab into the banger, and inhale through the rig. A perfect beginner friendly setup, and the way most dabbers start out with.

However, there are many variables to consider when dabbing. One of them is your dabbing temperature. Using a torch to heat up your banger leaves you with a bit of a guessing game when it comes to your banger temp. You might end up dabbing at a temp that isn't hot enough to fully vaporize your dab or a temp that is entirely too hot burning your materials completely.

Dab Nail and Rig - A dab nail paired with a rig and a torch is the same concept of using a quartz banger, but a dab nail is usually made out of titanium. People tend to prefer quartz for its cleaner flavors, titanium is favored for its extreme durability. Since titanium is a metal, it's a little harder to gauge its temperature when using a torch especially after back to back dabs. 

Metal will retain heat for a longer period of time than quartz. So if you heated your dab nail for a full 30 seconds the first time and then 30 seconds a second time without a cool down period. Your dab nail is likely to be much hotter the second time around. This can lead to burning instead of vaporizing!

Nectar Collector - Nectar collectors come in all shapes and sizes, some with water filtration mimicking an all in one dab rig experience and some without. Some will have glycerin on the inside of it to cool off your dabs instead of using water!

Nectar collectors are a more portable version of a dab rig with a nail connected to the bottom 

All in One Devices - Portable Dab Rig - 

Electronic Devices:

Electric Dab Rigs - Electric dab rigs are an all in one option for dabbing, they usually include a battery located inside of the base, with a water bubbler, and an atomizer. The atomizer or coil has a heating element inside of it that heats up your dabbing surface to your desired temperature. Smaller electric dab rigs are more portable than larger options however all of them can be used when on the go, having an all in one option removes the need of multiple pieces like a torch and a dab rig in order to dab.

Electric Dab Nails - Called an E-Nail for short, is more of an at home setup. It comes with a control box where you can set your specific temperature and a power cord that plugs into a wall outlet. There is a heating coil that is connected to the controller box that heats your banger or dab nail to temperature. Your dab nail or quartz banger is connected to a rig which you would inhale from. 

There are multiple components needed to use an enail, a dab rig is one of them and you also need to be close to a power source to be able to plug this device in for use. An enail removes an open flame out of your dabbing equation, however it isn't the most portable option.

Electric Nectar Collectors - This is the most straightforward and most portable dabbing device there is. It includes a coil on one end, a battery in the middle, and a mouthpiece on the other end. The coil is heated through a heating element much like an electric dab rig atomizer. Your dab vapor is pulled in through the coil into the airpath and into the mouthpiece!

Some electric nectar collectors will come with a water bubbler, some will just have a metal or glass airpath. The options that come with a water bubbler will offer smoother dabs than the ones without. However, since your coil is on the opposite end of your mouthpiece you'll avoid super hot dabs that might burn your mouth, which is sometimes a problem with traditional dab pens.

Portable Enails - Portable enails are used just like a banger or dab nail would be used, but instead of using a torch, this device is battery powered and will heat up to temperatures without an open flame. This type of device is connected to a dab rig, it usually has a coil either at the top or the bottom and a battery. As you inhale through your rig, your dab vapors are pulled into your glass piece and are filtered through water before inhaling.

Since portable enails require a rig to use them, most people tend to go with an electric nectar collector or an electric dab rig instead if they're looking for a more travel friendly option! However, since a portable enail operates with a battery instead of a power cord, they are more travel friendly than a standard electric nail is!

Dab Pens - Dab Pens fit directly into your pocket, almost all of them are designed to be discreet and to be used on the go. They usually include a battery, a coil, and a mouthpiece of sorts. These devices typically do not come with water bubblers. The coil has a heating element which heats up your dabbing surface so that you can take a few dabs throughout your day. Dab pen coils are typically preloaded, meaning you stock up the coil with your favorite type of concentrate and puff on it periodically throughout the day.

Dab pens are not a horrible option if you're always on the go, however they are pretty limited when it comes to temperature settings and battery life since their batteries are usually smaller in size to keep them portable. Keep in mind that a dab pen will last you around 5-10 dabs depending on which temperature setting you are using.

Carts - Cartridges are disposable wax tanks that are filled with concentrate. These little tanks are sold separately without a battery or connected to a battery already. They are commonly seen at dispensaries. Think of a cart as an all in one solution of a dab pen. There is no preloading, and they are usually rechargeable!