What are Carb Caps & Dabbers? Learn How to Use it While Dabbing
Concentrate, honey oil, wax, rosin, shatter, budder, or live resin. Call it whatever you want, dabbing is on the rise and users are continuously turning to it because of the high amount of potency in dabs. Using a dab rig is pretty simple and straightforward but there are ways to make it more efficient. After you have heated it up, it's best to use a carb cap to keep the vapor back into the rig.
If you’re new to the dabbing side of things, or you’d love to try something new for a more enjoyable dabbing experience, then a carb cap is definitely a thing to try.
What is a Carb Cap?
Carb caps are used with oil rigs. They are designed to help restrict the airflow of your open-air dab system. This means you can use it with a domeless nail, bangers or curves. This is possible because of the small hole on the carb cap. So basically you just have to heat up your dab nail, place your concentrate on the heated nail, and then place your carb cap over the nail.
Benefits of a Carb Cap?
A carb cap will surely make a difference in your dabbing experience because of the many benefits it offers.
Superior flavor: A carb will help maximize the flavor of your wax while trapping the heat of your nail. It helps to stabilize the dabbing temperature which provides tastier and smoother dab experience.
Even Burn: With the carb cap on top of your nail, it helps spread the wax across the surface of the nail which leads to an even burn of your material.
Saves your concentrate: Since a carb cap calls for even burning, it will help you to efficiently manage your wax. It prevents them from sticking to the neck of your nail.
What are They Made of?
Although carb caps have different styles and designs, they are usually made of ceramic, glass, or quartz. These materials help to resist and trap heat. Metal or titanium carb caps generally won't work too well because metal radiates heat. This can burn your hand leading to a failed attempt.
How to Use a Carb Cap?
Carb caps are easy to use, for both newbies and expert dabbers alike. Here’s what you need to know about using your carb cap.
Dabbing at High temps
Many newbies always end up dabbing at high temperatures as they find it hard to figure out how to heat their nails correctly. If you’re not careful enough, you may end up breaking your glass piece, unless you learn how to heat your nail properly. Try to season your dab nail before starting. Avoid applying the heat directly on your glass piece.
Important tips:
- There are two areas of your flame: the bright blue and the light blue.
- Primary combustion occurs at the bright blue part of the flame. This is not the hottest part of the flame; it’s just initial burning.
- You will get a faster heat time and less combustion when you use the tip of the inner flame, which is the hottest part of the flame.
- You don’t have to heat your nail red hot (whether titanium, ceramic, or glass) before you get the best out of your wax. A perfect temp for dabbing is around 350ºF to 410ºF. Using your nail when it’s red only will only lead to a less efficient result while wasting your dab.
- Dabbing at low temperatures is mostly used by expert smokers because it helps enhance the taste of the concentrate while providing a smoother experience.
- Learn the difference between your dab tools. This will help you learn which one you really need and which one can be sacrificed.
6 Best Carb Caps
There are so many different carb caps to choose from, you probably don't know where to start. Some people like when the product has one application and others like multi-use items. We listed the 6 best carb caps with most of them having the dabber on them.
Fancy Glass Sunflower Carb Cap
This is a very intricate design of a carb cap. It is an American blown that is actually blown by an expert from Los Angeles, CA. Every single piece is unique since it's not blown from a mold. It features a glass sunflower with a green flower on top for you to hold from.
Fancy Glass Eyeball Carb Cap Dabber
A very one of a kind fancy glass carb cap is the eyeball dabber. It features a long dabber that you can use to scoop up your wax and safely put it in your nail. On the other end, it has an eye ball design carb cap which you can put over your domeless nail or banger to restrict airflow.
Fancy Glass Sunflower Carb Cap Dabber
Similar to the Fancy glass sunflower carb cap, this one has a dabber to help you dab. However, it does not have a leaf at the top of it for you to hold.
Sword Stainless Steel Carb Cap Dabber
If you have ever shaved with a sharp blade, this one will look familiar. This multi-sized stainless steel carb cap and dabber is made with a sharp bladed sword. The bottom also has a carb to let more air in as you constrict the flow.
Fancy Glass Leaf 5-Marinas Carb Cap Dabber
One of the more intricate designs on a dabber carb cap is the fancy glass leaf 5 marinas because of the leaf. The leafs design shows the grooves and bumps making it look like a real life. It also has a dabber with circle twists coming down. This is blown in Los Angeles, CA by a local glass blowing expert. Each one is unique.
Mushroom Green Dabber
This mushroom green dabber has a carb cap on the other end which is the mushroom. The mushroom protrudes which helps you restrict airflow. The dabber is 4" in length and has ribs coming down which helps you grip it better.
Conclusion
Once you have heat your nail, simple cover the nail, banger, or curve with your carb cap to refrain the heat. Twirl or spin the cap gently around the crown of the nail. Using a titanium carb cap or a flat based one does not require a spin. Just give it a light lift, up and down.