A Beginner’s Guide to Dry Herb

Liberating the precious cannabinoids and terpenes from your favorite flower can be achieved without torching the herb. Also known as thermal extraction at Ritual CO, our top-tier dry herb vaporizers are engineered to access all of the potent goodness without reaching the destructively-high heats of combustion. The result? A smoother, healthier, and more potent experience that accentuates the delicate balance of flavors with clarity.  

What You Need to Get Started

The goal with every bowl is to release all of the active compounds without burning the herb. While the design details vary from device to device, the core operating principles remain the same. Each device utilizes: 

• A heating element
• A battery or connected power source
• A chamber or oven to house the herb
• A system to regulate/control the temperature
• An airflow pathway from the chamber to the mouthpiece 
• A housing and/or casing to hold the device and handle the bowl safely

For cloud chasers of every preference, our Denver, Colorado smoke shop has a ton of innovative options to choose from. If you are brand-new to the world of dry-herb vaping or are hoping to spend less upfront, our versatile portable devices take the guesswork out of the entire setup. For the next step up in cloud production, our top-tier desktop devices offer the optimal balance of product durability, user-friendly functionality, and unrivaled extraction consistency. 

How Dry-Herb Vaporization Works 

First, the device is powered on and heated to a temperature ranging from ~350-450°F depending on vaping preferences. A lower temperature range will produce a lighter vapor, milder flavor, and conserve the herb. A higher temperature range produces fuller clouds, a richer flavor profile, and is ideal if you’re after those massive bowl clears. In our opinion, the sweet spot is around the 400-420°F range for the perfect balance of flavor, cloud production, and potency.  

Before you begin, it’s essential that you grind the herb to promote even heat transfer and unimpeded airflow. Our best dry herb grinders make it easy to create a loose shake for slower-paced vaping sessions, or a finer grind if you want to maximize active compound vaporization with every clear. 

After lightly packing the chamber with your favorite strain and exposing it to the heat source, the vapor is ready to inhale in moments. If you go with a revolutionary ball vape, like the Taroma 360, these versatile systems allow you to heat-soak the herb for a fuller single clear. Alternatively, if you prefer the slow-and-steady puffing experience, take a gentle and consistent draw after the heat is applied for a gradual rip that’s easier on the lungs. 

After the herb is fully vaporized, simply shake the dry material out of the chamber and your bowl is ready for a reload. Before you go again, we recommend experimenting with minor temperature adjustments until you find a balance of flavor and potency that’s right for your preferences and the specific herb you’re using. It’s important to note, since all strains have varying moisture levels and the vaping can be affected by factors like herb age and grind quality, you may have to adjust the temperature settings each time. 

Thinking About Switching to Dry-Herb Vaping? 

In our opinion, it doesn’t get better than thermal extraction. We still get to enjoy all of the clouds and flavor. We get more potency out of every gram. We protect our health and avoid the residual smell that lingers after a joint. At the end of the day, it’s all about the experience, and vaping is undeniably one of the best ways to get more out of every puff. 

Even our glass and dab aficionados still use their vapes regularly for those socially acceptable situations when a discreet hit is ideal. Whatever your reasons for making the switch, we’ll gladly help you find the perfect vape for your collection.