Jimi DevineI’m running down the setup I’m using to grade the best hash in California for the Emerald Cup’s big move to Los Angeles in May.
This is my third year having the privilege of judging the Emerald Cup’s concentrate divisions and the second time on the solventless team. This year features 54 entries in rosin, 17 water hash entries, and 17 Personal Use entries. I tried all of them over the past week and there was certainly a majestic spread of both new and familiar terpene profiles done well.
But dabbing is one of the more accessory-driven spaces within cannabis and there’s a variety of doodads and lasers. Here is the basic setup I used to score all the heat. I didn’t sacrifice quality but went as affordable as I could in certain situations.
The Rig
Higher Standards Heavy Duty Mini Beaker
If you purchased Higher Standards Heavy Duty Mini Beaker Kit you would be good to go. It includes most of the things you’ll need to get you going besides hash and a torch. While we opted for some upgrades that we’ll cover, make no mistake about it, this kit is probably the nicest entry-level dab rig setup you’re going to find.
Tiki Quartz Terp Slurper
Terp Slurpers can run into the billions of dollars so we’re extremely excited to provide you access to Tiki Quartz. You’ll need a $10 adapter to fit the 10mm slurper on the HS Mini Tube but at $50 bucks you’re still talking about an awesome deal. The main reason to switch from the bucket to slurper is for bigger juicy dabs. The dual heated surfaces of the bowl and barrel up to where the internal valve marble sits help vaporize concentrates more evenly off the rip over a bigger surface area. There is less residue but still some cleaning steps to run through after.
Black Market Glass Quartz Pillar
I bought a marble set for the slurper that was made by some wook in Berkeley. The sets feature three marbles, the carb, the valve and the pill shape that goes into the barrel of the slurper that you’re actually heating. I didn’t want to explode a pill. I’ve heard some horror stories. I opted for Black Market Glass’s Quartz Pillar. This actually retains heat better and makes the slurper’s tech even longer into the rip, wasting even less hash. Pretty magical stuff.
The Puffco Stuff
Peak Pro
This is my second year using the Peak Pro while making my first pass on all the concentrates. The first time I tried everything but the water hash was in a Puffco at 510 degrees. There has been some new competition over the last 12 months but I’m still a Puffco believer all the way, especially since the launch of the 3D chamber at Puffcon. I have a second Peak Pro and three 3D chambers on standby in the event things get crazy.
Ryan Fitt Recycler Collab
The Ryan Fitt-designed attachment for the original Peak is a couple of years old, but there is a new generation about to drop. Regardless of the new pro base, I still think this is the Puffco attachment that rips the hardest without any splash getting up to your mouth. But you shouldn’t rip a Puffco that hard anyway, it’s like how you sip a milkshake.
Hot Knife
The Hot Knife changed my life. When people talk about the years of their life they lose in traffic, that was me fighting sticky hash that didn’t want to say goodbye to whatever tool I had it on. The Hot Knife changed the game, I use it on everything but the freshest press stick rosin. I know it doesn’t matter but I feel bad degrading it with heat before it’s time to party.
Other Accessories
Glob Mops XL Cotton Swabs 6-Pack Bundle 
There are a few options out there for cleaning quartz. Usually, you’re just buying lab-grade cotton swabs that are spun tighter and don’t degrade on the surface of the quartz as you clean it. I’ve been a Glob Mop guy for years. You can get them in bulk cheap on Amazon too!
Dab Rite
The Dab Rite is pricey but it’s awesome. Taking dabs at the perfect temperature is key to experiencing the expression of terpenes the extractor was going for. I have mine set to 510 degrees, the same temperature as my Puffco. It also looks cool.
Super Melt Pipe
My black supermelt pipe is the rarest of the lot. Opaque glass is the trickiest for lampworkers to shape. Mine was blown by a dude who taught glassblowing up north named Lance with dreadlocks down to his ankles. Very authentic. I’ve had it for 10 years. What makes it a supermelt pipe is the three holes on the side of the bowl so melts can pool on the bottom. In a standard hash hammer, they would be pulled through when they get juicy.
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