Dry herb vaporizer – how to use it? How to smoke from a vaporizer?

For some time now you’ve been reading more and more about vaporization and you’d really like to try it? Or maybe you’ve already bought your first vaporizer and are wondering how to properly perform inhalation? If you don’t have any experience with vaporization yet, our guide will certainly be useful for you. You will learn here how to properly use a vaporizer – depending on whether it is an electronic or butane vaporizer. We will also tell you how to care for your vaporizer and what tricks you can use during inhalation to make vaporization more effective. We invite you to read on! 

What will you learn from this article?

👉 Which vaporizer is better: electronic or butane?

👉 How to properly use a vaporizer?

👉 What do you need to remember when using this form of inhalation?

Table of contents:

How to use a Vaporizer? 💨

Vaporizers are becoming increasingly popular among people who prefer alternative methods of consuming substances, such as herbs or oils. Their ease of use and effectiveness make them an increasingly common choice for many users. However, to enjoy the full benefits of using a Vaporizer and ensure your safety while using it, it is important to understand the proper usage techniques. Below we will discuss key steps and tips for using a Vaporizer to ensure maximum effectiveness and comfort during inhalation sessions.

Electronic and butane Vaporizers – what’s the difference?

The way you should use a Vaporizer depends on many factors, including one key factor – whether it is an electronic or butane Vaporizer. These are two different types of devices.

Butane vaporizers are a great choice, although many beginners rather choose the electronic version. Butane vaporizers, sometimes also called manual ones, do not contain any electronics. An external heat source is used here to heat the herbs. Most often it is a special lighter or butane torch.

In the case of VapCap M Plus vaporizer the technique of use is relatively simple – after placing your chosen herbs in the chamber, you should start gently heating the heating chamber cap, rotating the device in your fingers. This way the herbs will be evenly heated. Initially, such a usage technique may seem difficult, but after a few times it is easy to master.

Meanwhile, convection butane vaporizers are much more complicated to use – they require directing the torch flame towards the nozzle, through which hot air is sucked into the interior of the vaporizer. In this case, special attention should be paid to the distance of the flame tip from the air intake nozzle, the size of the flame and the inhalation rate – all of these are factors affecting the final temperature to which the herbs will be heated. This requires significantly more practice and is not a solution recommended for absolute beginners. Using butane vaporizers is more difficult, but can be more effective and enjoyable. It also does not require access to electricity and remembering the need to charge a battery.

As for electronic vaporizers, the matter is much less complicated here, although individual devices differ from each other in the degree of complication of operation. Manufacturers of such devices try to meet the expectations of users who care primarily about inhalation comfort. As a result, many devices can be found on the market where you just need to press one button, and after a few or more seconds you can start inhalation. Even more complicated electronic models are relatively easy to master in terms of usage technique.

What is more convenient to use – electronic or butane Vaporizers?

It depends. Butane devices do not require charging or battery replacement, so there is no risk that they will run out of power in the middle of the day or during a hiking trip. There is also no risk of malfunction here, due to the lack of electronic components. And most importantly – skillful vaporization using a butane device is exceptionally effective.

In turn, electronic Vaporizers are more comfortable and easier to use, because they basically do all the work for us. This is a good option for people who don’t mind the need to charge and who just want to press a button, select the temperature and enjoy the aroma of their favorite herbs.

For home enthusiasts, there are also stationary electronic Vaporizers – connected to an outlet. An example is the legendary Volcano Vaporizer, which is characterized by masterful, repeatable vapor production efficiency and even delivery of active ingredients.

How to use butane Vaporizers? 🔥

First of all, you should choose a good lighter. It cannot be a lighter bought in the first store for two or three euros.

For the inhalation to proceed properly, it is necessary to purchase a decent glow lighter. It can also be a mini butane torch.

For properly conducted vaporization, you also need gas to refill the lighter. It is best to get gas from a known source, it must be fully purified, so it will not pose any threat to the respiratory tract, which matters with some butane convection Vaporizers like Sticky Brick. When you already have a butane Vaporizer and a glow lighter or torch, you can proceed with inhalation.

At the beginning, charge the butane lighter so you don’t have to do it during inhalation. Then fill the chamber with your chosen herb. Remember to grind it thoroughly beforehand. When the herb is in the chamber, everything depends on the model of device you have – if it’s a VapCap, start heating the chamber very gently, while rotating the device in your fingers and wait for the click that the chamber cap will make when it reaches the appropriate temperature.

If you’re using a convection model (e.g. Dreamwood Punch Mini Vaporizer), adjust the lighter flame so it’s a maximum of 2 cm and start slowly bringing it to the air inlet nozzle, while taking slow and even drags through the mouthpiece.

Don’t hold the flame too close, but also not too far away, find the right balance – you’ll know it when, during your inhalation, the vaporizer starts producing flavorful vapor. Then you should definitely increase the pace of your inhalation – otherwise you could overheat the herb in the chamber and burn it. You need to find your sweet spot when it comes to inhalation pace and the distance of the flame from the air inlet.

Done! You can now enjoy vaporization. After finishing inhalation, you can also clean the most important vaporizer components to keep it clean before your next inhalation.

How to use electronic Vaporizers? 🔋

Here things are much simpler. At the very beginning, familiarize yourself thoroughly with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Read the instruction manual, and you’ll find out how to use the vaporizer you bought. It may turn out that your vaporizer has a dedicated mobile app.

Don’t skip downloading it, because very often it allows you to improve your inhalation experience, for example by better adjusting the settings to your preferences or unlocking additional inhalation modes.

It’s also worth watching reviews available on the internet for your chosen model – very often vaporizer reviewers provide detailed instructions on how to operate individual models.

When you are ready to start inhalation, fill the chamber with herbs. If you have a conduction vaporizer, the herbs should be ground very finely, to maximize the surface area of its contact with the walls of the heating chamber.

If, on the other hand, you have chosen a convection device, where the herbs are heated by a stream of hot air, you should not grind them too finely – this can cause the vaporizer to clog when fine herb particles are carried away by air and settle on the steel filter, which is usually located before the mouthpiece.

Once you have placed the herbs in the chamber, you can turn on the device. Then select the optimal vaporization temperature. When the device reaches the set temperature, you can proceed with inhalation. 

In the case of most electronic models, the best results are given by slow, long inhalations – you will get the largest amount of vapor. Remember to always turn off the vaporizer after inhalation and clean it regularly. Don’t forget about charging either.

It is a good idea to purchase a device with a replaceable battery or one that you can charge via a micro-USB port – this allows you to charge it using a power bank. Thanks to this, you will be sure that your vaporizer will be ready to work whenever you feel like inhalation. 

😶‍🌫️ Using a vaporizer – what do you need to remember? 

You already know how to use a vaporizer. However, that’s not all. As a beginner, you must remember a few issues that are of great importance – not only for the quality of inhalation, but also so that your vaporizer can serve you for many years. 

Vaporizing herb should be treated as an art – everything begins with choosing the right equipment, and ends with skillful temperature manipulation to achieve optimal flavor and effect.

Lucas Cysewski – president and founder of VapeFully

✔️ Regular vaporizer cleaning

Regular vaporizer cleaning is the foundation if you want it to serve you for many years. Neglecting cleaning can cause the aroma during inhalation to no longer be as pleasant, and in some situations can even damage the device.

After each use, it is enough to quickly remove the remaining herb from the device, and from time to time it is necessary to disassemble it and thoroughly clean each element in isopropyl alcohol (e.g. in the VapeCleaner preparation). Also remember about hygiene considerations. If you use the vaporizer many times throughout the day, you can disinfect the mouthpiece, or even the entire device, to get rid of bacteria.

✔️ Burn-off matters

This is a very important step that you must perform before the first use of the vaporizer. First, clean the device with isopropyl alcohol. Then turn it on, set the maximum temperature and leave it on for one full cycle – until automatic shutdown, which for most models occurs after a few minutes. If the device still emits a new electronics smell – turn it on again and repeat the “burn-off”. This way you will remove residues from the production process (e.g. remnants of factory lubricants) and improve the taste of the vapor from the first inhalation.

People who skip this step may feel an unpleasant smell and taste during their first inhalation, and the vapor may also be more harsh. It is therefore worth doing burn-off, so that from the very beginning you can enjoy the excellent aroma of herbs. 

✔️ Inhalation technique

Inhalation during use should be slow. Make gentle, long breaths that can last even 10 or 15 seconds. Perhaps the first cloud won’t be very visible, but the following ones – certainly will be. Too rapid breaths in most cases will lead to excessive cooling of the heating element and lower vapor production. And after all, it’s all about relaxing! 

✔️ Selection of optimal vaporization temperature

Another important matter is temperature selection. It should be matched to the specific herb blend. If you choose delicate herbs for vaporization, the temperature must be lower, if concentrates – relatively high. In any case, it is worth following the manufacturer’s recommendations or looking for information on the internet. Too high a vaporization temperature can destroy the active ingredients in the herb blend and make the aroma not very pleasant, while too low a temperature will not allow you to extract the compounds you are interested in from the herb blend.

How to use a Vaporizer – step by step 🚶‍♀️

1. In case of electronic Vaporizers – charge the device to make sure it doesn’t run out of power during inhalation. 
2. In case of butane Vaporizers – fill the lighter with butane before starting vaporization. 
3. Fill the chamber with your chosen dry herb – remember to grind it well, depending on the type of Vaporizer. 
4. Turn on the Vaporizer or start heating it using a lighter. 
5. Wait for it to warm up and for the dry herb to reach the optimal temperature for inhalation. 
6. Inhale very slowly. 
7. Gradually increase the temperature. 
8. After finishing inhalation, turn off and clean your Vaporizer. 

🌬️ How to use a Vaporizer – summary

Although at first it may seem to you that inhalation using a Vaporizer is very complicated, over time you will find that this is not true. For many people, it is the best form of relaxation, without which they cannot imagine their lives. After a few uses, you will certainly learn how best to operate your Vaporizer and how to extract the perfect aroma from herbs. Remember the rules described here, as they are very important. And don’t forget the most important thing – enjoy vaporization, because it’s a great way to relax and have fun!