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How to Smoke Dabs Without a Rig

A woman blow dab smoke as she lands against a wall with a vaporizer in hand.

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Dabs are usually smoked through a device called a dab rig. These are special all-glass and quartz bubbler-like devices that give you quick and strong tokes in a flash. However, rigs can be very delicate and easily broken, not to mention the need for a butane torch to heat your concentrate. Sound complicated, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be.

In the following article, we explore some of the dos and don’ts of dabbing without a rig. So if you’re in a bind and considering a few makeshift dabbing methods, here are some things you should know before you begin. If you are interested in dabbing, you can also learn more in the video below.

How to Smoke Dabs Without a Rig

Dabbing and smoking extracts is a particularly potent way to experience cannabis without having to lean on edibles. Before we move on, let’s slowly review what dabbing means. This is the process of vaporizing small, but potent, portions of cannabinoid extracts. Usually, since extracts need a lot more heat than regular herb, they are smoked through a device called a dab rig.

Dabs can also be added to glass devices like bongs to endure the heat required for vaporization, as regular devices won’t be made to withstand the heat necessary for smoking extracts. Now, don’t fret if you don’t have a rig or specialized equipment.

There are several ways to enjoy dabbing without needing more than you might already have in your stash. Let’s take a look at some of the most common ways to do this.

Roll it in a Joint

The first and easiest way to dab without a rig is to add some of your favorite concentrates to a good old jay. For this, you’ll only need your extract (we recommend crumble or wax), some herb, papers or cones, and rolling skills. Then it all comes down to rolling!

Lay your rolling paper and crutch, spread some of your ground flower, and then add some wax or crumble on the weed. If you use shatter or crumble, you’ll have to break it into pieces and sprinkle it inside the joint. Then roll it slowly, and you are good to light it up.

If you want some flower recommendations, you can try one of our strongest strains at the BF store, Shaolin Gleaux. This Sativa strain has a whopping 31.6% of total cannabinoids, with strong fruit and diesel-like notes.

If you would like something less potent, you can also try the Elektra or Abacus 2.0. Both have similar profiles, Elektra leaning on the energizing and fruity side, while Abacus has a berry tone to it. Elektra is also available in a Delta-8 THC version.

Load it into a Vape Pen

Vape pens already heat up wax or live resin, so you can enjoy some dabbing on the go. Of course, you can get premade carts with extracts, but if you feel like trying new things like crumble or shatter, you can use refillable cartridges.

Once you have your empty, refillable cart (do not try to do this with disposables or prefilled), it’s all a matter of getting your tools and cart together. First, gather a small dab of wax. Ensure your cart is detached from the battery compartment, and open the cartridge.

Add the wax to the coil, but be sure that your tool doesn’t make direct contact with the coil itself. Once the wax is inside, close the cart and seal it properly. Reattach your cart to your battery, and you are good to go.

Cook Them into Edibles

You may not feel the effects as quickly as you would with a dab rig, but edibles cooked with concentrates can be even more potent than regular edibles. And you skip the pesky step of decarboxylation that can get a little complicated with herb. The easiest way to do this is to add the desired concentrate to the fatty part of the recipe.

Desserts like cookies, brownies, or pastries are preferred, as you can add a few small dabs of crumble or wax to the butter, and you are good to go. Just look for recipes that use fatty ingredients, and remember that a little goes a long way with dabbing. So even a tiny portion of your concentrate will have a heavy impact on the final product.

Use a Healthstone

If you have a standard bong or pipe, you can use a particular type of glass with porous consistency called a healthstone. These are used to smoke wax and different kinds of concentrates and they're placed inside the bowl of your pipe.

Some people put a healthstone inside the dedicated nail, which we’ll explore further. Any way you use it, just make sure this porous piece is positioned so all smoke comes down the mouthpiece. To use it, just place a bit of your concentrate on top of the healthstone.

Add heat with a butane torch or high heat source, and give a few tokes. Now, remember that dabbing is closer to sipping a drink, as they can be super potent and big rips are not recommended with extracts.

Drop it in a Bowl

If you’ve got a half-decent bowl, you can have some dabs if you mix it with some weed first. Pack your good old bowl half full of flower. We recommend high-quality buds like the spooky classic Delta-8 Zombie Kush, a potent Indica with berry and earthy undertones.

Or get something sour and sweet like the Sour Space Candy, a hybrid that leans on the Sativa side and has a fairly balanced profile. Now that you are ready, you can use a metal dabber to drop some of your favorite extracts. It is essential you drop the concentrates halfway in, as an open flame can degrade the quality of your concentrate and even burn some of the cannabinoids away.

Half-packing your bowl with weed prevents this, as the heat can help the extract without burning it. This is a pretty simple and effective way to enjoy dabbing. Just make sure your bowl is half decent, or opt for a dab rig instead.

Use a Bong as a Dab Rig

You can always use your favorite bong or bubbler with a dab rig. However, bongs or glassware longer than 15 inches are not that useful as vapor needs to travel upward in a single take, so stick with smaller devices for this. Now, all you really need is a dab nail. These are like an extra bowl, usually made from quartz or titanium, and are placed on the bowl of your bong or bubbler.

Look for the appropriate rig depending on the joints of your glass device, and you are good to go. We don’t recommend using bongs that have percolators, as these can filter the terpenes and reduce flavor and even aroma. And if you plan on investing in your rig, you’ll also need a torch and dabber that you’ll have to add to the shopping list.

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