We've all been there: You've bought your new vaporizer, unpacked it, charged it, and it's ready to use for the first time. That's precisely when the big question arises: How do I fill the vaporizer correctly? How much herb and how tightly? And how finely ground should the herb be? And does it even matter – is it impossible to go wrong? Actually, it's a topic where you can easily make mistakes and, in the worst-case scenario, even damage your vaporizer. To prevent this from happening with your new favorite vaporizer from HIZEN, we'll now explain how to fill it correctly.
True or False: Filling a Vaporizer with Peppermint
Before we can explain how to fill a vaporizer correctly, we need to first look at what you can fill the vaporizer with. Not all vaporizers are the same. Some devices are designed exclusively for use with dried herbs, some for oil or wax, and others are operated with liquids - and are then no longer called vaporizers, but vapes. We admit, however, that many people use the terms interchangeably. Our blog post today is only about vaporizers, not vapes. Basically, you can't go wrong with vapes, because most are either pre-filled or you can simply fill the cartridge with e-liquid yourself. When it's full, it's full, that's all there is to it.
Things are different with vaporizers! For various reasons, you have to pay a little attention when filling them - at least until you have developed a routine and a feel for it.
But now to the real question: What can you actually vaporize? And based on that: Are there different things to consider depending on what you're filling the vaporizer with? And why is it so important how much you put in the vaporizer? Regarding the first question: Basically, you can vaporize anything that's suitable for your device. In other words, you can put herbs in a herb vaporizer. Whether it's mint, lavender, weed, or marigolds from Grandma's garden: the main thing is that it's dried; the rest is a matter of taste. In a vaporizer designed for oils or waxes, you can, of course, only fill it with oil or wax. And then there are also great multifunctional products, like the vaporizers from HIZEN. Because even though they're primarily designed for herbs, you can order special dosing capsules for the vaporizers that allow you to vaporize oils and waxes with the same device.
Here we also issue the first warning: If you use one of our herbal vaporizers for oil or wax without using the dosing capsules, your vaporizer will not survive.
Filling the vaporizer correctly: with dry herbs
A few very simple tips will help you to fill your vaporizer correctly with herbs. It is important that you find the right balance between too little and too much. Too little? No effect. Too much? A broken vaporizer. Since "no effect" is definitely preferable to a broken vaporizer, it is generally better to work your way up until you are sure that you have reached the right amount. So it is better to think conservatively here. And we promise: It will not take long at all until you have developed a knack for it and no longer need a blog post about it or even think about how to fill your vaporizer correctly.
That's how it works:
First, you need to grind some herbs . Ideally, use a grinder – it's easy, quick, and gives you consistent results. A stainless steel grinder is particularly durable and easy to clean . Empty the contents of the grinder onto a piece of paper or another suitable surface, from which you can then slide the herbs into the herb chamber. Our tip: Simply fold a piece of paper in half. This creates both a small bowl and a kind of funnel, making it easy to push the dried herbs into the vaporizer. Incidentally, your HIZEN vaporizer also comes with a small packing tool.
By the way: If you own one of our vaporizers – please leave us a review! We love feedback, because it's the only way we can improve. And whether it's a Stilus , Nanu , or Convectum : We're pretty sure you'll love your vaporizer.
You've ground your weed in the grinder , transferred it to your tray, and now you're ready to go. Don't bother wondering how many grams fit in the vaporizer, because you can't find out. Why not? Because the weight of the material depends on two factors:
- How much residual moisture is there in it?
- How finely was it ground?
So the number of grams that fit into the vaporizer can vary slightly each time. The volume is more important, or rather how hard you press the material into the herb chamber. This is where the most common mistakes are made. Now put some of the herbs on your paper into the herb chamber. Fill it really full to begin with – you’ll notice when you’re stuffing it that you can probably add a little more. Now take the stuffing tool and gently press the herbs into the herb chamber. You don’t need to use any pressure here, just press them down lightly. Fill up with more herbal material until a small pile has formed at the opening of the herb chamber. Now press down lightly with the tool and that’s it! Put the mouthpiece back on, switch on the vaporizer, and off you go.
How tightly do I have to pack the vaporizer?
This is probably the most frequently asked question on this topic. The fear behind it. Packing too tightly and wasting material while breaking the vaporizer. This can happen if you have packed the herb chamber so tightly that the air can no longer be sucked through. This ultimately leads to overheating of the vaporizer and anyone who has ever left a cell phone in the sun knows: better not to do so. If the vaporizer is not filled correctly, the herb material is not heated evenly, which in turn also puts unnecessary strain on the heating components. One way to check whether your eyes were bigger than the herb chamber and you wanted to pack too much weed in is to pull on it (when it is on). No resistance at all? Too little weed - there is still more to be done. Clearly noticeable resistance so that you have to pull harder than on a cigarette? Turn the vaporizer off, let it cool down for a few minutes and take out some material. You can also use the flat side of our stuffing tool to "stir" the herb chamber. Clever, right? We've already thought of something.
Filling the vaporizer correctly: with oil
Just a reminder: Please check if your vaporizer is designed for oils and waxes. We'll assume you have the right device—or the appropriate dosing capsules—ready. We'll now show you how to properly fill your vaporizer with oil . Clean your chamber or dosing capsules regularly, ideally before each use. Oil residue can negatively affect both the flavor and performance, which we naturally want to avoid. It should go without saying that the device shouldn't still be hot from the last use.
You can now use a pipette to fill the oil into the chamber or capsule. You will usually find a mark inside that shows you how much oil you can put in. Stick to it! If you cannot find a mark, then only fill the chamber about two-thirds full.
That really wasn't a big effort and you're already done! Put the mouthpiece back on the vaporizer and we hope you have fun.
Filling the vaporizer correctly: with wax
Similar to properly filling vaporizers with oil, you should also make sure that your device is designed for use with wax and clean the vaporizer or capsule before using it again. Then use a dabber to add a rice grain-sized amount of wax into the chamber and distribute it evenly. Close the vaporizer, turn it on and wait until it has heated up before taking a hit so the wax has time to melt.
You usually need slightly higher temperatures for wax than for oil or herbs, between 200 and 250 °C. You can also set vaporizers filled with herbs to this temperature (HIZEN vaporizers only go up to 220°), but to get the best aroma, lower is definitely better.
When does the vaporizer need to be refilled?
When considering when to refill your vaporizer with new material, and whether this isn't actually necessary with every use, one method of consumption stands out: When vaporizing with wax, you usually use up everything in one session. It's different when you've filled your vaporizer with herbs or oil. While the oil level decreases slightly each time, it can last for several sessions depending on usage. And even when using dried herbs, you don't need to refill immediately after every use. Here, you can go by the color the dried herbs have turned. They should have changed from fresh and green to dark brown – but never black, as that indicates your vaporizer was overheating . After all, you want to avoid combustion with this method, right?
Some users simply don't like the roasted flavor, but prefer their weed to taste aromatic and terpene-like; you'll find out if you're one of them. If that's the case, there's nothing wrong with filling the vaporizer with the right amount of weed each time.
Random tips and thoughts on how to properly fill vaporizers
As long as you don't put too much or too little into your vaporizer, it will be fine. The rest will follow. You will also quickly notice that different types of grass, different room temperatures or even humidity, for example, play a role in how much grass vaporizes at what temperature.
Another consideration: conduction vs. convection . Vaporizers use different heating systems, both of which affect the vaping experience. This is because, with conduction heating, the heating chamber is heated directly – the herb is in direct contact with the hot material. Since the herbs are heated unevenly from the outside in with this method, it's advisable to stir them with the packing tool after each session.
When heated via convection, however, air is first heated and then fed into the herb chamber - here it flows around the herbs, heats them evenly and absorbs active ingredients. In order for this to work well, however, herbs must be stuffed a little more gently into convection vaporizers, otherwise uneven heating will quickly occur.
We're pretty sure you'll figure out how to dose the herbs, oils, or waxes in your vaporizer in no time. After all, filling a vaporizer correctly isn't rocket science. However, we completely understand your uncertainty, and that's exactly why we wrote this guide! We hope you now feel more confident about filling your vaporizer correctly and can simply enjoy your vaping session.
How much weed goes into the vaporizer? That's not your main problem!
Even though filling vaporizers incorrectly can destroy your device, it is not the most common cause of vaporizers breaking. It is much more important to use the right accessories and not put the wrong materials in the wrong heating chamber.
Oh, and one more thing: If you clean your device regularly – regardless of correctly filling the vaporizer – you'll save yourself a lot of work on the day you open it and wonder how you're ever going to get that stuff out again.
