The great diversity of hash oil on the market today leaves many novice consumers confused about which one they should use for their vaporizer pen.You can pretty much put any extract in an atomizer and hit it, but you run the risk of damaging the coil, gunking everything up and—worst of all—not getting high.Before you start truly vaping like a boss, you’ll need to know what kind of extracts you might encounter in your dispensary or from your dealer.The two main categories are solvent extracts and non-solvent.Never use non-solvent hash for a vape pen, so check out the non-solvent hash entries from the latest Cannabis Cup in San Francisco to see what they look like.As far as solvent-extracted oils go, think of them in terms of wax (oils that are opaque) and shatter (oils that are translucent).While this is an oversimplification, it allows us to easily categorize oils at a first glance.Shatter, which might be hard, sappy or sticky depending on the strain it’s made from and the ambient temperature, is translucent.

The color of shatter can be anywhere from golden yellow to dark amber and even a little green sometimes, but always translucent and sticky.Wax, also called crumble or budder depending on the consistency, is non-transparent with a dryer consistency similar to a honeycomb.vape shop 33760Wax can be dark brown or white, but generally takes a shade of yellow.vape shop jobsFor a further explanation about the difference between these two general types of butane extract, check out Shatter Vs.vaporizer atomizer shortWax: What's the Difference?.vaporizer aspireWhich one of these two general types is best for vape pens?dx4 vaporizer csi

If you have to pick one, shatter is the best, but it really depends on how runny the oil is.The coil in the atomizer of a vape pen is wrapped around a fiberglass wick.The system relies on your oil being liquid in nature, enough so that it can run through the wick; if it doesn’t do this, your extract is just burning off from direct contact with a red-hot coil.dbv vaporizer ukWhen used properly, the coil should only get hot enough to vaporize the oil.The consistency of shatter allows it to melt and become fluid more easily than wax, but even shatter that’s too hard isn’t ideal.Hash oil that comes in a syringe (and is always translucent) looks sketchy, but it’s really the best oil you can use for a vape pen.They put it in a syringe simply because that’s the best way to store such a sticky liquid.Oil like this might have been extracted with a variety of solvents, or even cut with glycerin to purposefully make it less viscous.

Oil cut with glycerin tastes slightly sweet, but glycerin is completely non-toxic so have no fear.If some of your shatter gets “buddered up” for whatever reason (heat, time, humidity) it will still work for a vape pen, just not quite as well.So put that extract in your atomizer and vape it!(Photo Courtesy of The Nug)There are almost as many different methods for consuming concentrates as there are different types of concentrates available.It can be quite overwhelming to someone who just wants to give something new a try, especially when it often required $100-plus in equipment purchases.Additionally, not all ways of consuming concentrates are created equal, they all have their pros and cons for different types of users.But don’t let that stop you — just do some research.Read up on our Concentrates 101 series, check The Cannabist’s vaporizer reviews, talk with your 420-friendly pals about their experiences and think about what would suit you personally.Here are ways concentrates are commonly put to use: The vaping phenomenon Sensational swag: Vaporizers, vibrators and more among items included in 2015 Oscar gift bags Opinion: How vaporizers will fuel Big Tobacco’s marijuana expansion Word: ‘Vape’ (the verb and noun) is Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year 2014 Watch The Cannabist Show.

Follow The Cannabist on Twitter and Facebook Probably the most accessible way for new users to consume concentrates is by crumbling them up on top of a pipe bowl or into a joint.This allows people to essentially “dip their toe” into the concentrate pool and see if they even like the additional potency offered by these products.The downsides to this method are that it doesn’t allow the user to experience the concentrate itself directly and that much of it ends up wasted as part of the smoking process.Only recommended for those who have no other choice and no other equipment to smoke or vaporize concentrates, this is basically the most Luddite, caveman style of smoking concentrates.There are specialized pipes intended for the consumption of hash (primarily water hash or kief, but certain pipes can work with oil and solvent extracts as well).These pipes generally require nothing more than a good lighter and occasional replacement screens, and allow the user to experience the hash on its own without the flavor and smoke of flowers.

The relatively small entry price makes this option appealing to those who have more than a passing interest in concentrates and want to really see what the new world of cannabis is all about.Part 1: What’s on the market?Info about kief, BHO, water hash and others Part 2: How should I smoke this shatter?Ways to consume concentrates Part 3: Are concentrates right for me?On potency, expected effects and more There are two main types of vaporizer: portable and desktop.Though the large, expensive Volcano-style vaporizers still exist on the market, they don’t tend to work particularly well with concentrates.Reviews What works, what doesn’t: Check The Cannabist’s vaporizer reviews.Pax, Grenco Science, Kandypens, PUFFit, VapeXhale, Wulf, Pinnacle, Firefly, Zema, O.penVape, Herbalizer and more Watch The Cannabist Show.Follow The Cannabist on Twitter and Facebook For the most part, these at-home units have been replaced by portable, convenient “vape pen” options which range in price from $30 to $200 depending upon features and quality.

Rather than being tethered to a power outlet for the entire smoking session, these devices can be charged via USB and taken anywhere, allowing the user complete mobility.Most personal vaporizers of this ilk can accept only solvent-extracted concentrates (wax, shatter, oils), but some can also vaporize high-quality water hash and even flowers if they are designed to handle various substances.Vaporizers allow the user to experience the pure flavor of the concentrate while avoiding any actual combustion of the material, which generally makes it an easier experience on the lungs and results in less carcinogens and tar than smoking.The downside to portable vaporizers is that many of the units on the market have weak batteries or heating elements and tend to give mediocre hits, which don’t completely vaporize the concentrate and result in degraded flavor and lesser effects compared to a more thorough way of consuming such as smoking in a hash pipe or dabbing (see below).The other downside to many portable vaporizers is that they have been linked to nefarious chemicals such as arsenic and boron, which are often left as residuals during their manufacturing process (most of these units are made in China, where regulations are looser).

It is suggested that you study your options before purchasing any vape pen, as there are high-quality units on the market that are free of these issues.Today’s most controversial yet arguably most effective way of consuming concentrates is dabbing.The process involves vaporizing concentrates on a hot surface (the “nail,” generally made of titanium, quartz or ceramic) and then inhaling them though an “oil rig,” which is a specialized pipe meant for this use.For all the older hippies in the audience, this is basically the same thing as a “knife hit,” but fancier and way less harsh on your throat.Through the aid of a butane torch (or an electronic heating element in the case of “e-nails” — the newest and most expensive pieces of equipment for concentrate consumers), the user heats up the nail, places their concentrate of choice on a “dabber” (again, usually titanium, quartz, or ceramic) that allows them to safely dab the concentrate onto the hot surface.Ideally, the temperature of the surface should lie between 550 and 750 degrees Fahrenheit, with the higher end of the spectrum causing a more thorough vaporization and the lower end of the spectrum preserving more flavor and terpene content.