Optimum Dab Temp for THC: 315°F to 450°F

Answer

THC vaporizes at 315°F (157°C). The working range for a dab is 315°F to 450°F. Most users land at 350°F to 400°F. Above 600°F the vapor gets harsh and terpenes break down. Combustion starts near 900°F, so a dab anywhere in the 315°F to 600°F band is vapor, not smoke.

why low temperature dabs taste better

Boiling Points That Set the Range

• THC: 315°F (157°C)
• CBD: 320°F to 356°F (160°C to 180°C)
• CBN: 365°F (185°C)
• CBC: 428°F (220°C)
• Pinene: 311°F (155°C)
• Myrcene: 334°F (168°C)
• Limonene: 349°F (176°C)
• Linalool: 388°F (198°C)

A dab below 315°F leaves THC in the puddle. A dab above 400°F boils off the terpenes first, so the flavor goes before the cannabinoids do.

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Temperature by Result

• 315°F to 350°F: low temp. Flavor comes through. Vapor is thin. Some oil stays behind.
• 350°F to 450°F: the middle band. Flavor and vapor both present. This is the number most guides print.
• 450°F to 600°F: high temp. Vapor is thick. Terpene taste drops. Throat hit rises.
• Above 600°F: terpenes are gone. Vapor is harsh. Residue chars.

Surface Temp Is Not Oil Temp

A banger, nail, or coil reads hotter than the oil that touches it. An infrared thermometer aimed at a quartz banger reads surface temperature. The oil drops that number on contact. Enail controllers set to 550°F to 700°F often deliver oil at 400°F to 500°F. Treat device settings as a starting point and adjust by result.

cannabis dab temperature chart

How to Find Your Number

1. Start at 350°F on a controller, or wait 45 to 60 seconds after heating a quartz banger with a torch.
2. Take a small dab. Note the taste and the size of the cloud.
3. If a puddle remains and vapor is thin, add 25°F.
4. If the vapor burns your throat and the residue is black, drop 50°F.
5. Cold start: load the oil first, heat until vapor forms, then stop. This keeps the peak near 400°F.

Signs the Temp Is Wrong

• Too hot: instant harsh hit, dark residue, banger glows red, coughing.
• Too cold: oil pools, weak vapor, residue stays amber and sticky.

Devices

Quartz bangers and e-nails hold heat with the least loss. Titanium nails run hot at the surface and cool fast. Ceramic holds heat longer and heats slower. Temperature readouts on portable devices measure the coil, not the oil, so the same setting gives different results across units.