Doing Dabs Without the Use of a Torch

One of the reasons why some people aren’t doing dabs is due to their fear of torches. It could be a big turn off for those who don’t understand how to use torches. The fear of torches is understandable since they can start a fire, if mishandled and the operator can get seriously injured.

If you are worried about purchasing butane and finding the right torch that will last, you have more than the traditional dabbing options. In fact, you can ditch the torch, if you want to use fewer arsenals. Let’s explore other options that you could consider.

Electric Nail

Electric nails are an excellent choice to doing dab without having to use a torch. E-nails come with a box that transmits power to a coil. The coil then is wrapped around the outer area of the quarts or titanium nail. With the E-nail, you don’t have to purchase butane on a weekly basis.

You would not have to purchase a torch either every few years. It allows you to do your dab anytime you want because the temperature stays consistent. You can expect to spend as little as a hundred dollars for one of these and up to $500, depending on the quality.

Topping a Bowl

Prior to vaporizers coming on the market, people were using hash oil to enjoy doing dabs. This was the method that many people used back then because it is able to easily liquefy, allowing the wax to melt into the cannabis and with the dry herb, be able to combust. You can melt the wax using a lighter so it can be evenly coated. You can stretch the wax to cover the bowl, if you are going to share the bowl with more than one person.

Twax a Joint

Similar to topping your bowl, “twaxing” your joint is an easy way to smoke dabs without using a blow torch. You can add wax, shatter, live resin, or any other concentrate to the inside of your marijuana cigarette. Simply create a long and thin line to add over your ground-up herb.

Ideally, as you wrap your joint closed, the dry flower will cover the sticky dabs keeping your rolling paper dab-free. If your dab begins to stick to your rolling paper, it could lead to a leaky joint.

Some users also wrap a lengthy and slim dab line around the outside of a joint like a snake curling around it.  When smoking this amped-up joint, you’ll need to smoke it at an angle to prevent the dab from dripping down.

While this method may require some level of skill rolling and smoking a joint, it’s totally worth it. As a finishing touch, dip your twaxed joint in kief or apply the kief over it with a dabbing tool. Once it’s rolled, light up with your trusty lighter and enjoy.

Make Cannabis Butter or Oil

Extracts are the base for many cannabis products including your favorite edibles. Cannabis oil is infused into the butter or oil and ingredients used in a recipe. Check out our large selection of edibles recipes to learn how to make cannabis butter or cannabis oil.

Compared to using whole-flower, you’ll be using far less concentrate. You’ll have to decarboxylate your cannabis extract before cooking it into butter or oil. After infusion, you can create a wide range of baked goods, drinks, and more.

Make Cannabis Tincture

Cannabis tinctures are one of the most effective delivery methods. Using an alcohol base and cannabinoid extract, tinctures can be administered via a dropper bottle. These provide a predictable dose that you can consume orally or sublingually.

Oral consumption can provide long-lasting relief, but sublingual consumption can deliver fast-acting results. While you can make tinctures with flower, you can also make tinctures with dabs.

To begin, you’ll need to decarboxylate your cannabis extract. Then, you’ll have to mix your extract in a mason jar or smaller airtight container with high-proof alcohol. You’ll let this solution sit in a cool, dry, and dark place for a few hours or days. Make sure to regularly shake your mix. Afterward, it’s ready to enjoy in meals, drinks, or right under your tongue.

Dabbing Methods to Avoid

Searching on the internet for doing dabs is rife with smoking methods for use without a torch. These methods are impractical at best and dangerous at worst. For instance, many have used an electric car lighter in desperate times.

This method requires you to light up your car lighter and use the top of a plastic bottle as a smoke chamber where you can inhale. Smoking this way involves a lot of moving parts and multi-tasking.

You also risk dropping the electric car lighter onto yourself, especially if you’re in a seated position in the car.

Hot knifing is an uncommon method of consuming dabs. This method involves heating two knives with a torch or with a stove burner (if a torch is unavailable). Once the blades are hot enough, a dab is sandwiched in between and the vapor is caught with the top half of a plastic bottle or a similar tool.

Hot knifing is a dangerous method to try, especially for new users. Hot knifing can become even more dangerous as you get higher and can’t handle the scorching knives.

Another rudimentary material to use is aluminum foil. It’s a great tool for cooking food on the stove or the oven due to its heat retention, but not so great for dabs.

Some users have opted to make a smoking pipe using aluminum foil. Smoking from aluminum foil exposes you to fine and toxic materials when inhaling.

Short term effects may include lung irritation, but long-term effects can be even worse. It’s better not to take the risk and use any other smoking methods listed above.

What Is Marijuana Dabbing?

Dabs are a highly concentrated form of cannabis that are usually vaporized and inhaled in a dab rig. Cannabis flower contains 1-30% THC levels. THC produces intoxicating effects. Dabs can have 50-99% THC, a significant difference compared to flower products.

Cannabis concentrates can be made at home or in a commercial lab through solvent-based or solventless extractions. Solvents include supercritical carbon dioxide, ethanol, and butane. Processors extract the trichome resins from the plant material.

Marijuana Dabbing Pros and Cons

Pros

• Potency
• Aroma and flavor
• Cleaner vapor compared to smoke
• Fast onset of effects

Cons

• May be too potent for low-tolerance users
• May require the use of flammable and explosive chemical solvents to make dabs
• Can decrease THC tolerance
• Concentrates may contain harmful residual toxins
• Carcinogens, smoke, odor, cough, congestion, sinusitis, butane inhalation, and carbon monoxide

Different Types of Cannabis Concentrates

Cannabis concentrates are separated into two main groups: solventless-derived concentrates and solvent-based extracts. Cannabis concentrates come in different textures and potencies.

Solvent-Based Extractions

• Shatter: Hard, brittle, and glass-like
• Wax: Sticky and thick 
• Crumble: Brittle and crumbly
• Budder: Smooth and pliable
• Live resin: Made from fresh-frozen flower; high terpene levels
• Distillate: Highly refined cannabis oil; high concentrations of THC or CBD
• Isolate: Diamonds or powder form; up to 99.9% THC or CBD

Solventless Extractions

• Kief: The collection of trichome glands from cannabis plant material
• Dry sift hash: Kief is compressed into a slab or ball
• Bubble hash: Made using the ice water extraction method
• Live bubble hash: Made using fresh-frozen cannabis buds
• Rosin: Made using a rosin press; sappy consistency
• Live rosin: Made using live bubble hash

Learn how to make dabs at home and how dabs are made in a commercial lab by reading our blog posts.

Time Until Onset of Effects of Marijuana Dabbing

The effects of dabbing appear after about 30-90 seconds.

Duration of Effects

The effects of dabbing can last 2-3 hours.

What Do I Need to Dab?

• Banger: Flat-bottomed, square-necked dab rig nail
• Carb cap: A type of dome that contains vapor and restricts air flow
• Dab rig: Special water pipe designed for dabbing concentrates
• Dab tool (aka dabber): Used to pick up the concentrate and apply it to a heated nail
• Dome: Glass good that contains the vapor in a dab rig
• Nail: Part of the dab rig that is heated and vaporizes the cannabis concentrate
• Quartz insert: Small dish that goes inside the dab nail to provide an extra surface area for better low-temp dabs and to protect the dab rig from becoming hazy or breaking
• Reverse tweezers: Dabbing tool used to pick up hot dab rig parts
• Terp pearls: Dabbing accessory used to evenly distribute the concentrate

How to Dab Cannabis Concentrates

WARNING! Nails can become extremely hot while dabbing. After dabbing, let your dab rig components cool off before handling them.

1. Set up the dab rig and open the cannabis concentrate container.
2. Heat the dab nail until it begins to glow red or orange.
   1. If you are using an electric nail, turn it on and wait until it has heated the nail to your desired temperature.
   2. If you are using a blow torch, turn it on and aim the flame right at the nail until it is red hot (around 20-60 seconds, depending on your torch).
3. After the dab nail has heated, you can place a dome over it.
4. Use a dab tool to apply a dab (smaller than a grain of rice or more) directly to the nail or banger.
5. Inhale slowly. Rotate the dab tool on the nail to vaporize all the concentrate that’s stuck to it.
6. Enjoy!

Best Dabbing Temperatures

Some users prefer to take dabs off a red-hot nail, while others prefer low-temp dabs. Ultimately, the best dabbing temperature is up to you.

Experiment with different temperatures if necessary to gauge the difference in effects.

Hot dabs can produce immediate effects, but low-temp dabs allow you to preserve more of the aromatic terpenes and produce a more flavorful experience. Terpenes have a lower boiling point than cannabinoids like THC and CBD.

Low-temperature dabs: 400-500º F (204-260º C)

Standard dabs: 545-570º F (285-299º C)

Hot dabs: 570-600º F (299-315º C)

Doing dabs without a blow torch FAQ's

Gavin Kushman

Gavin is a worldly adventurer and cannabis connoisseur, embarking on journeys that take him to the far corners of the globe to explore and document the varied effects, flavors, and histories of both renowned and lesser-known strains. From the misty high-altitude farms of the Hindu Kush highlands to the vibrant cannabis cafes of Amsterdam, Gavin's quest for knowledge spans continents. A recognized authority in the cannabis industry, he frequently lends his expertise to leading publications such as Cannabis Training University, where his captivating blog articles chronicle his unique experiences with different cannabis strains.