My Journey with the Nectar Collector: The Portable Dab Rig for Stoner Hummingbirds
As a fellow stoner hummingbird, I’ve discovered the nectar of the gods (yes, I mean dabs) through one of the most innovative, unique, and portable dab rigs out there: the nectar collector, also known as a dab or honey straw/collector.
No matter what you call it, this little gadget can get us high as a kite (in the best way possible) with its vertical and handheld design. A dab straw lets us heat, dip, and sip our extracts to create some of the most delicious vapor from our shatter, wax, or other concentrates.
Though it’s a relatively niche variation of the dab rig, the honey collector is not as popular as the traditional dab rig, but it’s just as effective. My nectar collector dab rig guide will walk you through its components, how to use it, how to clean it, and how to incorporate it into your dab rig collection.
Introducing the Nectar Collector
Nectar collectors, or dab and honey straws, are vertical and compact dab rigs with a tube-like design, making them easy to carry around and disassemble when needed. We can use them to dab all types of concentrates. Here are the main components of a nectar collector:
Mouthpiece
A glass or silicone straw-like mouthpiece with a flared top. We use it like a straw to sip on dab vapor.
Tip
Made of titanium, quartz, or ceramic, a nectar collector’s tip (usually 10mm or 14mm in size) is heated and directly applied to the concentrate.
Concentrate container
A food-grade glass or silicone dish that holds the dab.
Water chamber
A percolator within the body design that uses water to filter the dab vapor.
There’s also a modern variation of the silicone or glass dab straw: the electric nectar collector. Instead of heating the tip of a quartz nectar collector with a torch, the electric dab straw uses an atomizer to heat up the concentrates with the push of a button.
How Do I Use My Nectar Collector?
If you’re familiar with dabbing from a traditional dab rig, then using a nectar collector for wax will be a breeze. But, for those of us who are complete beginners, here’s how the nectar collector works and how we can use it without wasting dabs or burning our fingers.
Instead of dropping a small dab of extract into your glass dab nail, a nectar collector requires us to heat the tip of the device and gently apply it to the concentrate in our glass dish. It’s fine to use the container the dab came in, as long as it’s food grade.
Here’s my step-by-step tutorial on how to use a dab straw:
- Fill the body of the nectar collector with water.
- Take your blow torch and heat the nectar collector’s tip. This is where it gets tricky. Heat it for about 40 to 50 seconds. Heating times vary depending on the strength of your torch, quality of your tip, and your desired heating temperature.
- Once heated, let the tip cool for about 15 to 30 seconds. You can use an infrared temperature gun to get the tip within a specific temperature range and avoid burning or underheating your dabs.
- When it reaches your desired temperature, wrap your lips around the glass or silicone straw mouthpiece and slowly inhale as you lightly apply the tip to the concentrates in the dish.
- Inhale as the vapor forms and remove the dab straw from the dish when you’re finished.
Exploring Concentrates and Benefits of Using a Nectar Collector
As fellow dab enthusiasts, we know that a water nectar collector works only with concentrates and not loose leaf cannabis. Nectar collectors are versatile dabbing tools, allowing us to enjoy nearly every concentrate available, including but not limited to:
- Wax
- Shatter
- Oil
- Budder
- Crumble
- Live resin
- Rosin
- Hash
Why Should We Consider Nectar Collector Dabs?
Compared to a traditional dab rig, a nectar collector has several advantages. While we might not want to replace our at-home rig, investing in a nectar collector can broaden our dabbing horizons. Here are a few benefits of using a nectar collector:
Affordable
Nectar collectors can be considerably less expensive than large dab rig setups, making them perfect for budget-conscious or new users seeking a hassle-free way to get high.
Portable
Whether we want to keep our rig at home due to its size or avoid risking breakage while on-the-go, nectar collectors come in lightweight, travel-friendly sizes. They can be disassembled and easily stored in a backpack, purse, or carry-on luggage. We can break apart the tip, body, and mouthpiece and store them safely.
Efficient
One of the most significant selling points for dab straws is the no-waste method of consumption. A nectar collector allows us to dip and dab without wasting any oil getting scorched or puddling in the corner of a dab nail.
Easy to use
With a nectar collector, there’s no need to load dabs like with a dab rig. We simply assemble the collector, heat, dip, and sip. No need for a drawn-out ritual when we can dab on-the-go.
Cleaning Our Nectar Collector
Cleaning a nectar collector is easy, which is one of its key benefits. We just need the following items:
- 91% or higher isopropyl alcohol
- Plastic resealable bag
- Coarse salt
- Warm or hot water
Once we have those items, it’s time to get our dab straw sparkling clean. Here’s how it’s done:
- Disassemble the mouthpiece, tip, and body of the nectar collector. Start by removing the tip first, and blow into the mouthpiece to remove the water inside.
- Remove any caked-on resin with a cotton swab or other soft material to avoid scratching our silicone or quartz nectar collector.
- Place the tip, mouthpiece, and body of our collector inside separate resealable plastic bags and add enough isopropyl alcohol to completely submerge them. Add a ratio of 2:1 alcohol to salt. Make sure the container is completely closed.
- Allow each component to soak for at least 30 minutes or an hour, depending on their dirtiness.
- After soaking, hold on to the glass or other pieces inside the bag and shake vigorously, allowing the salt to scrape the caked-on resin outside and inside the pieces.
- If vigorous shaking doesn’t completely remove the resin, leave the nectar collector component in the solution for a longer time and shake regularly until satisfied.
- Once satisfied with the results, rinse the body, tip, and mouthpiece with water and repeat the process if needed.
It’s Time to Dab with Our Nectar Collector
Now that we’re nectar collector experts, it’s time to find the right dab straw to invest in and start getting high at home and beyond. The possibilities are endless. A nectar collector makes an incredible addition to our dab rig collection.
