How To Use & Clean A Dab Rig And Get The Most Of Your Cannabis Concentrates
Dab rigs in Canada are getting popular by the day as more people gain interest in dabbing and vaporizing cannabis products. But are they worth it?
For most people, vaporizing is a healthier way to enjoy weed than smoking. Available studies suggest that there is some truth to this.
However, this is only true if you buy weed online at a reputable cannabis store with high-quality products that don’t contain any solvent residuals or harmful cutting agents.
West Coast Cannabis is a Canadian cannabis dispensary known for offering premium weed products and accessories at the lowest prices in the market.
Order weed online at West Coast Cannabis and enjoy quality products at prices that won’t burn a hole in your pockets.
Dabs and dabbing accessories are some of the hottest products in our online dispensary in Canada. With dabbing taking a front seat in cannabis delivery methods, dab rigs are some of the equipment to familiarize yourself with.
But what is a dab rig? How do you dab, and most importantly, how do you clean a dab rig?
In this article, we tell you all about Canadian dab rigs, the online weed dispensary to find them, the difference with electric dab rigs and much more. Read on.
What is Dabbing Weed?
To better understand what a dab rig is, we have to look at what dabbing is. It is really a simple concept if you are already familiar with cannabis concentrates.
Dabbing comes from the word ‘dabs. ‘ Dabs refer to weed concentrates that you find at any cannabis stores all over Canada.
Examples of dabs that you will come across when you buy weed online in Canada include shatter, wax, budder, rosin, live resin and more.
These concentrates or ‘dabs’ are usually more potent than the regular cannabis flower and can contain up to 90% plus THC. Compared to other weed products, a single hit is enough to blast you into space.
So, what is dabbing?
Dabbing is a way to consume dabs. Dabbing is essentially a vaporization technique, but instead of using a vape pen or weed pen, you use a dab rig.
Simply put, dabbing is the act of inhaling vaporized cannabis concentrates using a dab rig. Unlike smoking, dabbing doesn’t combust the weed product.
Instead, dab rigs use a heated nail that turns the concentrate into vapour immediately after contact. The vapour containing THC and other cannabinoids is then delivered into the consumer’s lungs.
So, now that you know what dabbing is, what is a dab rig?
What is a Dab Rig?
Dab rigs are an essential part of your dabbing setup. They are also called wax rigs or oil rigs.
A dab rig is essentially a water pipe that looks like a bong. But unlike a bong, this is designed to be used with cannabis concentrates.
Like your traditional bong, dab rigs have a mouthpiece, a water chamber and a place to hold the cannabis product.
However, they have a nail or banger instead of a bowl. They usually have angled pipes and a flat base to enable you to take a dab from a stationary platform such as a table.
Wax rigs can be expensive. Wondering if you can consume concentrates without a dab rig? Here’s our guide on taking dabs without a rig.
However, we recommend using a rig to get the best out of your concentrates.
Rigs come in different designs, shapes, materials and features. However, they all have essentially the same parts. Here are the basic parts of a dab rig:
- Mouthpiece: All dab rigs, like bongs, have a mouthpiece. Pressing your mouth against a mouthpiece creates a closed environment inside the rig, allowing you to inhale the vapour.
Mouthpieces are usually made of glass but can also be made from other materials, including quartz, silicone, metal, wood, etc.
Some rigs will also have removable mouthpieces.
- Nail/ Banger: This is the most important part of any rig. The nail is the part that gets superheated on the opposite side of the mouthpiece.
A nail is the surface that you put your concentrate on so it can get vaporized. Nails can be made from different materials, including quartz, glass, ceramic, titanium or medical-grade steel.
If a nail uses electric power to heat up, it is called an e-nail.
- Dab rig dome: If you use a domeless nail, most of the concentrate vapour will be wasted after you take a hit.
A dome is the part that goes over the nail once the concentrate has been placed on the heated nail to prevent the vapour from escaping and being wasted.
- Chamber/ Base: This is the largest part of a dab rig. As the name suggests, this section acts as a base on which the entire dab rig rests.
It is also the part that you pour water into to filter and cool the vapour before inhalation.
- Dab rig torch: A butane or propane torch is used to heat the nail or banger to the required temperature. Using a lighter to superheat the nail would take ages, hence why a torch is preferred.
You will not need a torch if you are using an e-nail as it is heated using electric power.
5 Main Types of Dab Rigs in Canada
Visiting any cannabis store, you will find different types of dab rigs. Typically, there are two types of dab rigs: traditional Canadian dab rigs and electronic dab rigs.
However, for better understanding, they can be classified into five. Here are the 5 main types of dab rigs:
- Glass Dab Rigs
This is the most traditional and most basic type of dab rig. These are mostly used by beginners and range from 6 to 12 inches in height.
Glass dab rigs are usually made using borosilicate glass designed to withstand high temperatures. They also come in a variety of colours.
- Silicone Dab Rigs
These rigs are made from silicone, making them flexible and nearly impossible to break. They are usually adaptable with glass and quartz accessories.
They are virtually indestructible, and most can be taken apart for easy cleaning and storage.
- Mini Dab Rigs
As the name suggests, these are just smaller versions of dab rigs. They are typically less than 6 inches in height.
Their small size and full functionality make them some of the most convenient rigs. They are portable, making them ideal for dabbing on the go.
- Recycler Dab Rigs
If you prefer a more refined dabbing experience, get the recycler dab rig when you visit our online dispensary in Canada.
These get their name from their unique design that enables the vapour to be recycled through the percolator and tubes multiple times before it reaches the consumer.
This helps in additional filtering and producing the smoothest dabs.
- The Electronic Dab Rig
The e-rig is considered the crème de la crème of all dab rigs in Canada by most enthusiasts.
E-rigs are user-friendly, portable, and most importantly, they eliminate the danger of using a torch to heat a nail.
Electric dab rigs use a rechargeable battery or connection to your power outlet to heat the nail. Enthusiasts prefer e-rigs to most Canadian dab rigs as most have temperature controls.
How to Use a Dab Rig?
Dab rigs may seem intimidating when you first come across them at an online dispensary in Canada.
However, they are simple to use when you understand what goes where and with quality concentrates from a reputable online weed dispensary.
The first step is to ensure your rig is set up correctly with enough water in the chamber and the nail well secured to your rig.
Turn on the nail if you are using an electronic dab rig or e-nail, and set the temperature. If you are using a traditional nail, ensure the rig is stable and heat the nail for 30 seconds or until it glows red using the torch.
Let the nail cool down for twice as long as you heated it. Using a dabber, place a small piece of the concentrate and inhale the vapour from the mouthpiece.
Cover the nail with a carb cap to retain the vapour inside the rig till your next hit.
How to Clean a Dab Rig?
Wondering how to clean your dab rig? It’s crucial that you clean your dab rig after every session to prevent bacteria, yeast and fungi from growing in the chamber water.
It also prevents clogging up or staining. To clean your dab rig, you will need a torch, cotton swabs, 99% isopropyl alcohol, coarse sea salt, warm water and a sealable container.
First, pour out all the dirty chamber water. Heat the nail with the torch to burn off reclaim and residual concentrates, and clean it with isopropyl-soaked cotton swabs after it cools down.
If there’s still some carbon or residual buildup, place the nail in a sealable bag, add coarse salt and isopropyl alcohol and shake it a bit. Let it soak for some time.
Add coarse salt to the chamber and fill it with isopropyl alcohol. Using plugs or your hands, cover all the openings and shake the rig to loosen up or dissolve buildup.
Rinse everything thoroughly with warm water while shaking to wash away the remaining residuals. Let the rig air dry before using it again.
Where to Buy Premium Cannabis Concentrates to Use with Your Dab Rig
Wondering where to get quality concentrates to use with your dab rigs? West Coast Cannabis is the leading online weed dispensary for premium cannabis concentrates and accessories.
Order weed online from our cannabis store and get premium concentrates that won’t leave buildup in your dab rig. We have everything from shatter, budder, live resin, rosin, and crumble to THC distillates.
Order weed online from our cannabis store today and enjoy premium products at the lowest prices in Canada.
