If you smoke CBD flowers or medicinal herbs for health reasons, you can use these 10 simple basic rules to make every vape a pleasurable experience.
1. Invest in a quality vaporizer
It all starts with a quality vaporizer. When choosing a vape, you should pay attention to certain points such as replaceable parts, warranty and materials.
We have written a detailed article about this that addresses all the important points: “What you should pay attention to when buying vaporizers”
Professional tip: If your vaporizer is new, you should heat it at least 4 times at maximum level to free the herb chamber and the air duct from production residues and unpleasant aftertastes.
2. More aroma through dry herbs
The taste and aroma of dry herbs and flowers are much more intense than fresh ones, as essential oils are dissolved during drying and new aromas are created through chemical processes.
Professional tip: If the material is still wet, first dry it in the evaporator chamber at lower temperatures and then vape it.
3. Efficient evaporation through finely ground material
The finer the material is ground with a herb grinder, the better the heat distribution and the larger the surface area from which active ingredients can be filtered. This means you can vape effectively with more steam and a more intense effect.
4. Do not overfill the heating chamber!
The basic requirement for proper vaporization is sufficient air and heat circulation. That's why the crushed flowers should lie loosely on top of each other and not be stuffed too tightly into the herb chamber, as the heat and air cannot be distributed evenly. This means that some flowers are steamed “empty”, while other parts still contain ingredients that cannot be released.
5. Let it heat up!
Most handheld vaporizers these days have an automatic preheat program that often only takes a few seconds to heat the herb chamber to the desired temperature. However, many table vaporizers and older vaporizer models take a little longer. The key here is to be patient!
Regardless of the vaporizer model you use, we recommend that you always read the instructions carefully. Here we explain exactly how to heat up your device correctly and ensure a pleasant vaping experience every time.
6. The right temperature for “healthy” vaping
The standard range is a temperature of 180 to 220 degrees. At temperatures up to 200 degrees, the steam is hardly visible, but tastes purest because it does not yet contain any roasted aromas. From 200 degrees the steam becomes thicker, but it also scratches your throat more. The roasted aromas distort the taste, but intensify the effect released.
You should adjust the temperature of your vaporizer depending on the material.
For example:
- Chamomile, lavender, St. John's wort & thyme: 100-150° C
- Fennel, ginkgo, hops, lemon balm & tarragon: 150 – 175° C
- Marshmallow, peppermint & sage: 150 – 200° C
- CBD: 160 -180°C
- Aloe vera, ginger, ginseng, green tea & valerian: 175 -200° C
Note: Benzene is formed in the vapor at temperatures above 205 degrees. Although the amount is significantly lower compared to cigarette smoke, it is no longer within the “healthy” temperature range for vaporization.
7. Regulate air supply
Most vapes have an adjustable air supply via a slide regulator. This way you can change the pulling resistance and ensure easy inhalation. Make sure that the regulator is not opened too far, otherwise efficient evaporation cannot take place.
8. Inhale gently and enjoyably!
Vaping means enjoying - that's why you should draw lightly and evenly on the vaporizer. Pulling too hard results in too much cold outside air being sucked into the heating chamber, which distorts the set evaporation temperature and affects the quality of the steam. Just try it out! After a while you will find the balance between pull strength and air valve.
9. Stir several times
With almost every vape model, it's worth rearranging the material in the chamber to get intense and flavorful vapor. Simply “stir” gently with a small stick a few times per steam session. With little effort you can get the most out of your herbs.
10. Regular cleaning for long steaming pleasure
As you use it, the warm vapor from the vaporizer condenses and, over time, sticky, resin-like deposits form. This causes the air passages to become clogged and the performance of the evaporator decreases over time. This shortens the functionality and lifespan of the vape.
But through regular cleaning you can positively influence the quality of the steam and its performance. Depending on the intensity of use, this should take place every 4 days (heavy use) or once a week (normal use).
Read our article “The right way to clean your vaporizer – instructions & tips for “clean vaping” here.
The right cleaning for your vaporizer:
1. Let your vaporizer cool down. Then disassemble it into its individual parts (remember the composition!)
2. Brush all herbs and flower residues out of the herb chamber and the sieve with a small cleaning brush
3. Now dip a cotton swab in isopropyl alcohol and clean the mouthpiece and strainer
4. If there is minor resin buildup in the chamber, the cotton swab should only be moist when cleaning so that no liquid gets into the electronics
5. To remove alcohol residue, your vape should first be “evaporated”. To do this, set the evaporator with the empty herb chamber to a low heat (min. 100 °C) and operate the evaporator for a few minutes
You can find many more articles on the subject of vaporizers and the enjoyment of vaping in our ZEN VAPE blog. Please also take a look at our ZEN Vaporizers Shop! Here you will find a great selection of vaporizers and accessories in premium quality.
Note: This item is not suitable for people under 18!
This article describes, among other things, the possible uses of CBD flowers, provided that these flowers do not contain more than 0,3% THC. The purpose of this article is not to entice, support or encourage anyone to abuse substances.
