Ever wonder what to do about that gunk that gets stuck in your dab rig after a while? You can try to keep up with the cleaning as much as is humanly possible, but you’ll often find bits of dark matter left behind. What is it? What do you do with it? These are questions lots of people new to the game might ask and we’re here to provide that answer.
There’s a pretty easy explanation and an even better option on what to do with it. Whether legal herbs or concentrates are your pleasure, there’s a lot you can get out of the stuff left behind. Most commonly referred to as ‘reclaim’, this resin is useful in more than one way.
High and Dry
If you partake mostly of the dry variety of smoking, as opposed to with water pipes, you might wish that brown resin that gets left behind would just disappear. Depending on what you want to use it for, the reclaim left in your pipe is actually something you might be looking forward to. There are several ways to get it out from your gear but the easiest is to invest in a glass dab reclaimer like these. This lovely attachment to your rig does the job of catching the reclaim for you in a nice little jar. Once it’s full, you can detach it and harvest the spoils.
If you’re crazy new to this whole deal you might be scratching your head and wondering what the heck reclaim even is. Don’t worry. We’ve got your back.
Reclaim is the vapor that condenses back into a solid that gets stuck in your pipe after several hits. You know, that brown sticky stuff that’s been staring at you for a while that you’ve been wondering what to do with. Now that you know what it is, do you know what to do with it?
Options, Baby
Opportunities for reclaim are pretty vast. It’s another form of concentrate and depending on its intended use it can be pretty effective. One common use for it is in baking. Gotta make those brownies hit the spot somehow, right? You can also add it to your spreads like peanut butter too, to give your toast or sandwich a bit of a kick. Reclaim is perfectly safe to ingest so you don’t need to worry that you’re putting something terrible in your body. People have been using it for these methods for ages.
Another common use for reclaim is to apply it topically to your body in combination with stuff like coconut oil or other topical applications. Because it’s so concentrated it works as a fast acting pain reliever as well.
It’s up to you what you use it for. It’s pretty easy to collect and it’s even easier to use. It kills two birds with one stone: removing the reclaim helps keep your pipe looking shiny and new while also giving you a concentrate that you can use in another fashion. Recycle, baby.
Are Dab Reclaimers Worth It?
A huge question that people ask is if the dab reclaimers that are designed to attach to your rig are even worth buying in the first place. We can’t tell you yes or no because it depends on how much you consume and how often. Personal preference plays a big role here, so this is something you have to decide for yourself.
If you consume a lot, you’ll see a lot of reclaim building up in your water pipe. This is a good indication that you should probably invest in a dab reclaimer. The more you use, the more you’ll create and the more you’ll collect. The dab reclaimer basically pays for itself in the first few weeks and you’ve got yourself some sweet supply for those snacks you’ve been wanting to try.
If you don’t consume a lot, however, buying the actual dab reclaimer might not be worth it for you. That doesn’t mean you can’t harvest the good stuff if you don’t have one. It just requires a bit more elbow grease to get at it. When it comes to the drop down, you can simply heat the glass and drip the oil onto some parchment or cooking paper to collect it.
But if it’s inside the rig itself, it requires a bit more effort. You can clean it out using alcohol and the method is pretty safe to boot. Just plug your mouthpiece and glass joint with paper towel and fill your rig, slowly, with high proof alcohol until it covers the bits of reclaim. Don’t go too fast or dump it out or you’ll lose what you’re trying to harvest.
Now comes the fun part: shake it up! But not like crazy or you’ll have a big mess on your hands. If the reclaim is being stubborn, run some hot water over the outside of the rig to help loosen it up. Pour your concoction into a dish over a hot plate and slowly evaporate the liquid. After letting it air dry for a day or so use something frozen on the back of the dish to help your reclaim stabilize and – ta-da! Now you can gather it up with a razor blade and enjoy the awesomeness of the harvest.
Save the Planet
Recycling goes a long way, and not just with one of these beautiful Ball Klein Recyclers from TAG. This applies to your reclaim and the way you get at it. We’ve all been taught that we can save the planet if we reduce, reuse and recycle, right? So here’s your contribution towards planetary health in a beneficial way. Now that you’re informed, you’ll never look at that brown gunk in your pipe the same way ever again.
You’re welcome.