There are many ways you can enjoy cannabis. Smoking and vaporising are among the two most popular. Most cannabis lovers are starting to learn that smoking is not the healthiest way and are adopting dry herb vaporising instead.
If you’re among them, the first thing you're going to need is a dry herb vaporiser. In this guide, you will learn everything there is to dry herb vaporisers and how you can make the best out of them.
What is A Dry Herb Vaporizer?
A dry herb vaporizer is a vaporiser device that heats dry cannabis flower at just below the combustion temperature to produce a vapour that contains the active ingredients from the plant material.
The vapour inhaled also contains the flavours and aromas extracted from the dry plant matter. By inhaling the vapour, you can experience cannabis' effects. Dry herb vaporizers only work with dry cannabis flowers that are inserted into the chamber.
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However, there are other types of vaporisers in the market, like oil vape vaporisers. However, these don't work with dry plant matter.
Components of a Dry Herb Vaporizer
All dry herb vaporisers have the same components, regardless of the type you choose. The components can vary slightly in terms of design and style. But, they all serve the same function.
Energy source
This is what supplies the device with power. For plug-in options like the desktop vaporiser, the energy source is a plug that plugs into a wall socket. Portable devices use a rechargeable battery. Depending on the device you choose, the type of battery can vary. Premium portable options will have swappable batteries that allow you to vape for longer.
Chamber
The chamber holds the dry herbs for vaporisation. It's the equivalent of coils for concentrate vaporisers. The chamber is often made from ceramic and housed away from the heating element to prevent combustion.
Depending on the type of dry herb, the device can use conduction or convection heating. Each of the methods has its benefits.
Delivery system
The delivery system is most common among desktop dry herb vapes. It’s what transfers the vapour from the heating chamber to your mouth and eventually your lungs. Portable and pen vaporisers deliver the vapour using a mouthpiece that is attached to the unit.
Charging cable
Portable and pen vaporisers have to come with a charging cable that you can use to recharge the battery. For desktop vaporisers, the charging cable is replaced by an electric cord that draws power from the wall socket into the device.
Whether you choose a conventional or an advanced vaporiser, it's going to have these vital components. The more modern options will have additional features like display screens, among others.
Types of Dry Herb Vaporizers
When buying a dry herb vaporiser, you have a choice between one of three options:
Pen vaporisers offer numerous advantages. They are tiny, portable and easy to use. They have a battery and chamber where you can pack the herbs and heating elements to vaporise the dry herbs. Pen vaporisers are the most common types of dry herb vaporisers because they are discrete and portable. However, they're limited by the battery. You can only use them for as long as the battery can carry the charge.
More experienced cannabis lovers will benefit from the power and convenience of a desktop vaporiser. This type of vaporiser is larger in size. In place of a battery, it has a plug-in power source that allows for longer and more intense dry herb vaping sessions. Desktop vaporisers hold a lot more ground herb and have more advanced technology.
On the downside, you can only use the desktop vaporisers near a power outlet. Because of the vaporiser's size, it's not easily portable. It's only ideal for vapers that spend more time at home or the office and cherish relaxed vaping sessions with effects that will last for a few hours.
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Desktop vaporisers are also perfect for group vaping sessions. Because they have unlimited power and can hold vast amounts of fresh herbs, you can share this type of vaporiser with friends.
Like pen vaporisers, portable vaporisers are compact and easy to carry. You can easily conceal the device in your pocket or purse. Portable devices are perfect when you want to take quick hits when you’re out and about.
Like the pen vaporisers, portable vaporisers only hold a small amount of dry ground herb. Depending on the type of portable vaporisers, you can share them with two people. But most of them are best for single person use.
How Do Dry Herb Vaporizers Work?
Now that you're conversant with dry herb vaporisers, what they are and the different types you can use, it's time to learn how they work.
All vaporisers work using the same principles. However, there are variations depending on the type of vaporiser.
The process begins when you grind the dry herbs and place them in the loading chamber. Once packed, you can fire the device:
Heating
Vaporisers use two different methods for heating the dry herb;
- Conduction heating – This method uses direct contact to heat the dry herb inside the vaporiser. Typically, the heating chamber in these types of vaporisers will have an open flame heating plate that burns the cannabis flower producing a vapour cloud.
- Convection heating – This type of vaporisers relies on a liquid or gas to facilitate the movement of heat. The hot air from the heating elements circulates over the dry herb when you take a hit. With this type of heating, the herb is not combusted.
For the sake of reference, convention heating vaporisers are considered the superior of the two, delivering superior and more consistent results. Advanced options also use a hybrid heating system that uses variations of both conduction and convection heating extending even more benefits to the user.
Drawing
After the heating phase, you still have to take a hit to draw the vapour into your mouth. This is the simplest stage of all. You just take the mouthpiece or the delivery system (in the case of desktop vaporisers) and place it in your mouth, forming a tight seal around your lips, then take a draw.
Final Thoughts
This guide is the ultimate crash course you need to get you started on dry herb vaporisers. You can go from knowing nothing to knowing everything you need to purchase your first dry herb vaporiser and how to use it in just a few minutes.