Dabbing

What Does Dabbing Mean?

Dabbing is a popular method of cannabis consumption wherein cannabis extracts or concentrates are vaporized at high temperature and immediately inhaled though a dab rig or a dab straw.

Maximum Yield Explains Dabbing

A dab rig consists of a specially-designed concentrates water pipe with a fitted quartz glass banger and a carb cap which fits onto this banger. A dab straw (or nectar collector) is a glass tube with a quartz, titanium, or ceramic tip.

Dabs themselves are small, singly-inhaled portions of a smokeable extract or concentrate. Dabs are carefully placed into a heated banger with a dab tool before inhaling the resulting vapor through the water pipe. Alternatively, a heated dab straw can be inserted into a container of concentrate or extract to create the potent vapor.

Dabbing has its roots in hot knifing, a long-established method for consuming individual portions of hash. The evolution of cannabis extraction and concentration has resulted in stronger, purer products available to the consumer; products with a resinous or semi-solid consistency that make them difficult to smoke in a traditional method. Dabbing has emerged as a convenient and efficient method for consuming these potent new cannabis products.

How Dabbing Works

The quartz glass banger of a dab rig is first heated with a propane or butane torch to between 250F and 400F. Then a small portion of extract is inserted into the bowl of the banger using a “dab tool” (small metal or glass tool). A “carb cap” (strategically vented lid) is placed over the bowl and the thick vapor formed is immediately inhaled. Often a dab bead (or terp pearl) is placed within the bowl of the banger for better vaporization.

Carb caps come in many designs and can be used to concentrate and direct the airflow over the hot dab. This allows the dabber much more control of the vaporization of the dab. Carb cap choice, like dab temperature and the concentrate or extract used, is a personal preference and technology in this area is quite divergent.

A dab straw is used in a similar manner. The tip is heated to temperature and then inserted into a small container of concentrate or extract. Like a dab rig, the resulting vapor is immediately inhaled.