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Volcano Hybrid - is it good?

goingrey

Well-known member
Thinking about getting a desktop vaporizer.

Is this the one to go for? Does the whip mode work well?

Would especially appreciate experiences from people who have also tried other top end models from the likes of VapeXhale or Aromed.

Please don't suggest an Arizer Extreme Q. Used to have one and did not find the vapor satisfying.
 

goingrey

Well-known member
I don't know if you'd consider the Volcano Plenty a desktop model, but I've been using it for years and been very pleased. :good:

Hmm, it's one that's worth considering for sure. A lot cheaper than the Hybrid and don't know if I'd use the bags much anyway.
 

Brother Nature

Well-known member
Hey mate, I went for the Volcano "Medic 2" which is the same as the Hybrid, without the bluetooth capability and has a slightly lower top temperature. It was about $500 cheaper than the Hybrid in my country too. But, in any case, it's absolutly the best cannabis consumption device I have ever owned. I'm a heavy smoker and have always preferred a large glass bong, but the taste, high, and feeling in my lungs have completely converted my to this vape. I prefer the whip, but was surprised how much I actually use the balloons, though I've discovered I can attach the whip to my bong so now use that almost exclusively.
 

big315smooth

mama tried
Veteran
i got the old volcano things are built good got about 5 years daily use before heater broke got it refurbed those newer models probably built even better. havent tried the whip but heard good things about it
 

flylowgethigh

Non-growing Lurker
ICMag Donor
If you can get a Hybrid without the bluetooth crap - it doesn't work anyways cause you can't get the ap - that is the way to go. Go whip, fergit bags. One hit dope makes great ABV for cookies. An Arize EQ is a cheap chinese toy in comparison.

Creme City Vapes has the best prices.
 

goingrey

Well-known member
Ok so I bit the bullet and got one. The bt one as that's what the local had.

While it's true Apple removed the app from their store, you can use the online app on https://app.storz-bickel.com, and you can still get the app for Android.

Someone has even made an open source app: https://github.com/ImACoderImACoderImACoder/onyx - pretty cool.

But yeah, not sure that I will be using the flows anyway. Has anyone found them useful? Better tasting bags or something?

Compared to the old Volcano the heatup time has been improved immensely. Basically it heat ups in the time it takes to grind up some weed now. And the whip is very much appreciated though aftermarket whips were available for the old Volcano too.

Efficiency wise it seems good but not as good as something like a Dynavap Vapcap. Probably because the Volcano only goes to 230c/446f and the draw isn't as tight? I'm pretty sure there are still some actives left in the ABV even after no visible vapor comes off the Volcano anymore.
 

flylowgethigh

Non-growing Lurker
ICMag Donor
Congrats. I never use bags anymore, only the whip. I heat at 420*F, let the material set on the unit about 10 seconds to heat the material well, then with the whip in my mouth I turn on the fan. Power hit! One hit only, then after that dump the material a container to use as ABV.

You get mostly terps that way, and it is a different high. My lungs seem to be cleaner from vaping that way, compared to joints. Watch how clean the whip stays inside. So are your lungs.

This is a grow site, so who cares about "efficiency" here?
 

goingrey

Well-known member
This is a grow site, so who cares about "efficiency" here?

Well extracting it all just seems like the right thing to do. But yeah ABV can be cooked with even eaten as is in yoghurt or whatever or as the heat has at least partially activated it already.

Oh wow that "power hit" with the fan is something else.
 

flylowgethigh

Non-growing Lurker
ICMag Donor
Hell yeah Brother! Notice the chamber holds about 1 joint (1.0 paper)? A joint in one hit.

After that first heating, where the delicious terps are shed, there is some nasty compounds waiting and ready to be evaporated. They make me hack, so I only go as deep as one hit. The nasty compound may be chlorophyl. I just avoid it, by heating the material the way I described, and taking ONE power hit. Heating up long enough to fill a bag, surely sheds a lot of nasty plant material.

A side benefit is this lighter vapor from this technique, is it seems to help unstick oils that have condensed in the lungs, and makes them less like the inside of a Volcano bag that is well used - ie sticky inside.

The oils need to get a lot hotter to shed, to the point of destroying the plant material - might as well smoke a doob.

When I first hit the whip, I can feel the effect as the blood is pushed further out in my body with each pulse. It takes about 6 seconds, and feeling is a wave of relaxation. I suggest being seated.

Just grow more dope, vape off the terps, and make cookies with the rest.

As for the ABV, when you make the butter the THC-a will decarb there. 4 hours @ 212*F. The butter will stay at 212 if there is water in there with it.
 

goingrey

Well-known member
Interesting study from Pomahacová et al: Cannabis smoke condensate III: The cannabinoid content of vaporised Cannabis sativa (DOI:10.3109/08958370902748559)

According to them, the max temperature of the Volcano (230C) extracts a lot more cannabinoids but does not create much more by-products than 420F (215C).

vaptemp1.png


420F is pretty good also but it is notably missing CBC entirely with its boiling point of 428F.

Running at max temp is certainly not the same healthwise as smoking a joint. Joint smoke has 3x the amount of by-products.

vaptemp2.png
 

flylowgethigh

Non-growing Lurker
ICMag Donor
Since I started with a regular Volcano I have wanted to know what off gasses with temp and time. I am convinced that the first lungs worth in a power hit, after letting the material set on the unit for about 10 seconds 420, is optimum. After that there are things coming off that my lungs do not like, and it causes me to hack. I notice the ABV gets less green with a longer heat, and I assume that the plant matter is the culprit. Time of heating matters, as the heat has to soak in to the material.

BTW, a Mighty can be used the same way. Let the heat soak in a while before your draw. One hit only.

I had found a video from another brand of desktop vape where they tried to measure what was coming off as the material heated. I would love to see someone do that test for real, and not just a promo.

My ABV is odorless because I got the terps already, until it goes into the crock pot with butter and water.

I get higher smoking joints, but the sticky oil condensing in my lugs is the price I pay. Vape and cookies are a good combo. :D
 

Muleskinner

Active member
Veteran
Interesting comments on the Volcano, the first hit is definitely the best-tasting but I usually draw another balloon to make sure I get all the different cannabinoids out, for medical effect. I don't get much from setting the temp above 385 or so - 5.5-6 on the Classic dial.

I've been using the Volcano since they first went into business and one suggestion I would make to any Volcano owner is make sure you get the original Solid Valve set. It's unfortunately another $100 but it works MUCH better than Eazy-valve - I can't believe how much better it works. The Solid Valve set is more efficient, it gets more out, and the vapor tastes much better.

It's a shame they now make you pay extra for the Solid Valve set. It's been interesting watching the company develop, I always thought prices would fall but they never did, and they started de-tuning the machine's performance. You used to get CNC-machined Delrin parts, now they're injection-molded, and the Easy-valve system is cheap plastic shit.
 

flylowgethigh

Non-growing Lurker
ICMag Donor
I don't like bags. The insides are a big surface for the vaporized goodies to condense on, especially the lighter compounds. After a while they start to leak. One more piece of evidence to throw away - where the cops like to rummage through. Burn the used bags, like I did with the used vac packs, and there is the residue from the plastic. A whip is the hot tip. If you like bags, a classic 'cano is all you need because the material will get plenty hot from all the air to fill the bag. I gave away my classic, and all the bags that came with the hybrid.

I used to overthink this stuff, until I got the hybrid and used the one-hit whip technique.

https://www.icmag.com/forum/marijuan...nds#post369086
 

@peace

Well-known member
Ok so I bit the bullet and got one. The bt one as that's what the local had.

While it's true Apple removed the app from their store, you can use the online app on https://app.storz-bickel.com, and you can still get the app for Android.

Someone has even made an open source app: https://github.com/ImACoderImACoderImACoder/onyx - pretty cool.

But yeah, not sure that I will be using the flows anyway. Has anyone found them useful? Better tasting bags or something?

Compared to the old Volcano the heatup time has been improved immensely. Basically it heat ups in the time it takes to grind up some weed now. And the whip is very much appreciated though aftermarket whips were available for the old Volcano too.

Efficiency wise it seems good but not as good as something like a Dynavap Vapcap. Probably because the Volcano only goes to 230c/446f and the draw isn't as tight? I'm pretty sure there are still some actives left in the ABV even after no visible vapor comes off the Volcano anymore.

I used to hit my vape through my bong. Seemed to hit a lot harder than the bag or whip by itself. That was with a bag from an Arizer, which I agree with you is not great on it's own , through a bong it would cripple me though. Would be interested to know if you find the same thing with the volcano if you ever try it.
 
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