To Dab Or Not To Dab: What It Is And How It’s Done

Republished By Plato

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Not too long ago, if you wanted to get high, you smoked a joint or ate a brownie. These were the options. Now you can vape it, eat a gummy, drink down an infused beverage, puff it in an inhaler, put it under the tongue as an oil, or dab it. So, what is this new dab thing, and how is it done?

Dabs are a newer way to vape that have grown in popularity over the last few years. Some people prefer to vape in the more standard vape cart fashion, and that’s fine too. Some products, like delta-8 THC, are easier to find as vape carts, though the compound is available as a dab as well. This alternate form of THC provides a slightly less intense high, and less head-cloudiness than delta-9, while not creating the same kind of anxiety. If you like to use vape carts, check out our array of delta-8 THC, delta 10, thcv and thco deals, along with many other compounds, and pick your perfect product.

New: THC-O, THCV & Delta 10 also available

Pre-dab info

Let’s get right into it! First and foremost, dabbing is not done with a fresh or dried plant, it’s done with extracted oil or concentrate. So, in order to dab anything, the first thing that must happen is you must make or obtain a concentrated oil. This can mean BHO (butane hash oil), butter, shatter, or wax, which are technically all almost the same thing with differences in consistency more than anything else. Since these extracts can be made for cannabinoids like delta-8 THC, THCV, THCA, and CBG among others, a person can use their concentrate of choice when dabbing.

These concentrates are almost uniformly made by using a solvent like butane or carbon dioxide to extract cannabinoids like THC. In order for this to happen, the solvent melts the trichomes which house the cannabinoids, and the cannabinoids and terpenes are released into the solvent where they bind directly with it. The solvent is eventually burned off with heat at the end, to leave just the oily extracted cannabinoids and whatever other material can survive the process. Cold extractions, like for live resin, are better at preserving terpenes which can get ruined in heating processes. Though the consistency of butter is smoother like butter, and the consistency of shatter is harder and stiffer like glass, extracted concentrates do tend to generally be thick and sticky, regardless which kind they are.

Making such extractions can certainly be done in home, and are all the time. However, using solvents does come with a need for precaution, and those doing DIY jobs should be careful to follow all necessary safety precautions. In reality, when it comes to home-ops, its sometimes best to stick with safer methods, and leave these extractions to professional labs. For those who would prefer not to play chemist, the advent of legalizations and dispensaries has meant a massive selection of concentrated oils that can be bought in any legalized location, including for medical use where this is legal. Prospective dabbers can try different types of concentrates to find the experience that works best for them.

Dabbing is essentially another form of vaporizing, but done with a very different type of equipment. The concentrate is not burned, but heated to vaporization temperatures, with the vapor is breathed in as if it were bong smoke. This method produces what some see as a cleaner, more intense vapor. While compounds like CBD oil can most certainly be dabbed, the main allure of a dab rig is the ability to use high-THC concentrates in order to get a really strong high. Terpenes can also be extracted and used, but often fair less well when it comes to preserving volatile compounds during extraction.

Because of how quickly dabbing works, and the intensity of it, dabbing is beneficial for many recreational and medical users. Those with chronic pain and nausea issues often report dabbing as the quickest, most effective way of dealing with symptoms.

What is a dab rig?

We already know that this has nothing to do with lighting up a joint, popping down a gummy, or switching on a vape. In fact, even the name of what’s being done, ‘dabbing’, (with verb form, ‘to dab’), implies an entirely different technique, that uses some kind of specific instrument. And it does. In order to dab anything, you’ll need a dab rig. What’s this? A dab rig is simply a specific type of bong-like structure – or water pipe – made explicitly for smoking thick oils/concentrates by using water to filter the vapor, much like with a bong. These bongs are generally made of glass, and involve the use of a nail which is made of titanium, ceramic, glass, or quartz. In this sense, a dab rig truly is just a bong with special attachments.

This piece is what allows the bubbling action which helps filter the smoke/vapor being produced, through the water chamber. There are several different kinds of designs for this, ranging from disk percolators – shaped like discs with holes in them – and stackable within a rig for customization, to honeycomb percs with a honeycomb style collection of smaller holes for more bubble production, to helix percs which have multiple arms that twist around each other under the water. When searching for a dab, you’ll find even more options than this.

If you’re going to dab, how is it done?

So, you have your dab rig and now you need to know how it’s done. A dab can be heated in two ways. The first is with fire, like a torch lighter. The second is with an electric dab nail. Most people using torches prefer butane over propane because propane is less refined and might create a dirtier vapor. There are different opinions on this. You can make your own decisions. Propane can also heat the nail more intensely, which can cause it damage, also making butane a more preferable option. Electronic nails – or e-nails – will generally have a digital display that shows exact temperatures. As per the name, an e-nail uses an electric current instead of a flame, making for a semi-electric bong.

Regardless of which kind, the nail is heated and the concentrate is put on top – with or without the dome depending on the type of dab rig. The nail is heated to the correct temperature depending on the concentrate used, and the vapor is pulled through the bong, through the water, and to the user. Generally speaking ideal temperatures will be between 315 to 450 Fahrenheit. In order to get the concentrate onto the nail (we are talking about getting a sticky oil onto a heated dish), a dab tool called a ‘dabber’ is used to scoop up the concentrate and stick it onto the heated nail. These come in metal and glass.