Want to experience the best flavor and smoothness when you smoke your cannabis? We’ve got three words for you: cold start dab. This technique has been around for a long time but it’s just now growing in popularity as cannaenthusiasts everywhere rediscover all the benefits.
What Is Dabbing?
Before we get into the details of how to cold start dab, it’s essential that you first understand dabbing, the different kinds of dabs available, and how a cold start dab differs from a regular dab. We will address these issues in the next two sections.
So, what is dabbing? Dabbing is the process of heating your cannabis and then inhaling the vapor (we’ll discuss the ins and outs later on in this article). In that regard it’s very similar to smoking weed with a bong. But in every other regard, dabbing is its own special animal.
First, not just any bong will do. Dabbing requires that you use a special pipe called a dab rig that is outfitted with a nail instead of a bowl.
Second, not just any bud will do. Dabbing requires that you use a special form of cannabis called a dab — a concentrated product that is almost pure cannabinoids.
After that, though, it’s just like hitting a bong: you heat things up with fire, vaporize the cannabis of your choice, inhale the smoke, and fly away.
That said, dabs, dabbing, and cold start dab are like the sports car of the marijuana world. They contain a lot of power and if you’re not careful you can quickly lose control.
We’ll talk about what to expect when you cold start dab toward the end of this article. Next though we’ll introduce you to the star of the show: dabs.
What Are Dabs?
Dabs are “bite-sized” bits of cannabis concentrate that contain very high levels of THC, CBD, CBN, CBG, THC-O, and other cannabinoids. With a lot of knowledge and a little bit of work, you can cook up a batch of concentrates so they result in a variety of different forms, including:
- Wax
- Honeycomb
- Shatter
- Crumble
- Budder
- Oil
- Rosin
- Live resin
The most common forms, however, are wax and shatter.
Wax and shatter and really all the different forms of concentrate are pretty much the same thing. The only real difference is how they look. People tend to gravitate towards wax for two very important reasons:
- Wax is fairly easy to produce. Shatter on the other hand is finicky and demands a lot of attention and care during the extraction process.
- Wax is easier to handle, measure, and use because of its thick and gooey consistency whereas shatter is harder to deal with because it’s so brittle.
Don’t let that turn you off from any of the forms of concentrate mentioned in this section. It all comes down to personal preference.
If you like budder over wax, or crumble over all others, by all means, use that one. When it comes down to it, the cannabis experience is all about doing what feels best for you. If that means doing a cold start dab with honeycomb, more power to you. We won’t get in your way.
What's The Differences Between Regular Dabs And Cold Start Dabs?
The key difference between a regular dab and a cold start dab is temperature. In regular dabbing where you heat the nail and then add the dab, temperatures can reach a whopping 600 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s hot! So hot in fact that it actually destroys a portion of the cannabinoids in your concentrate. High heat does so much damage because most cannabinoids begin to boil at half (or even a third) of that 600-degree temperature. That’s not the end of the story, though.
Yes, cannabinoids get the majority of the press, but marijuana also contains two other vital chemical compounds: terpenes and flavonoids. These molecules are largely responsible for the flavor of your ganja. But they can also have some unique physical effects as well. The thing is, terpenes and flavonoids also boil away at much lower temperatures than the 600 degrees Fahrenheit produced by an open flame.
So not only are you losing out on some of the medicinal or psychedelic components of your cannabis but you’re also losing out on some of the flavor.
What’s a concerned cannaenthusiast to do? Cold start dab.
Cold start dab vaporizes your chosen concentrate at lower temperatures thereby conserving many of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids that are lost during the regular dabbing process. With that key difference in mind, let’s turn our attention to the best way to cold start dab your favorite cannabis concentrates.
What Do You Need To Cold Start Dab?
Here’s what you’ll need to cold start dab:
- Dab rig
- Banger insert (slides into the downstem of your dab rig where the regular metal nail normally goes)
- Carb cap
- Dab tool or tweezers
- Your favorite cannabis concentrate
You can find all of these supplies online or at your local dispensary.
How To Cold Start Dab?
Now to the nitty-gritty of how to cold start dab:
- With your dab tool scoop out a small amount of your concentrate about the size of a pea will do
- Place your dab in the banger
- Put the carb cap over the top of the banger opening
- Heat the bottom of the banger with a flame only until the dab starts to melt and bubble
- Remove the heat
- Inhale the vapor
That’s it! If you didn’t get all the smoke on the first toke, and you need another hit, inhale the rest of the vapor from the dab rig. Be sure to let the banger cool completely before trying another cold start dab.
What Should I Expect When I Cold Start Dab?
As we mentioned earlier cannabis concentrates such as wax, shatter, and budder, are very potent forms of cannabis. In fact some concentrates weigh in at a whopping 80% THC three times the strongest strains of raw bud.
Experienced dabbers tell stories of instantaneous effects and intense visual and physical highs.
For those of you new to the cold start dab process — and dabbing in general — that would be like learning to drive in a 1000-horsepower supercar. You can get in real trouble real quick.
If it‘s your first, second, or even third time trying the cold start dab, take it easy. Take one hit and then wait a few minutes to see how you react. Don’t inhale too deeply. And don’t hold the smoke overly long in your lungs.
If you abide by these suggestions the first few times, you won’t get too much THC and set yourself up for a bad high. The bottom line is to start small and take it slow. That’s good advice any time you try a new form of cannabis or anything else for that matter.
Source: https://honestmarijuana.com/cold-start-dab/
