A device that helps regulate the amount and direction of air going to the nail on a dab rig, helping you take a better hit. Like the carb hole on the side of a hand pipe, a carb cap gives a dabber more control over their dab. Carb caps are normally made of glass, borosilicate glass, quartz, or metal.
“My new dab rig came with a carb cap, so now I can take my dabbing to the next level!”
“I lost my carb cap again, man.”
What is a carb cap?
The word “carb” is short for “carburetor,” a term borrowed from gas engines—in an engine, the carburetor mixes air into fuel to facilitate combustion. In a pipe, a hole on the side acts as a carburetor, mixing air into the smoke pathway, allowing the smoker to regulate the heat, and size of the inhaled smoke. It also allows you to “clear” the smoke.
The concept of the carb has also spread to dab rigs. On a dab rig, a carb cap is placed atop the nail to temporarily restrict the airflow to the nail and burning concentrate. In addition to regulating the amount of air, the carb cap also helps the nail retain heat, allowing the dabber more time to finish the dab, which is handy if one is taking exceptionally large dabs (rightly called globs).
Types of carb caps
There are several styles of carb caps and they all work a bit differently.
- Directional carb caps give a high degree of control as to where air flows.
- Bubble/spherical carb caps work better with nails that have a beveled edge.
- Bullet carb caps are a variant on the bubble/spherical design.
- Vortex carb caps create a cyclone of cool air in the nail.
According to Daniel De Sailles, owner of Top Shelf Extracts and a founder of the Secret Cup, Taskrok, the rapper who helped coin the term “710,” also created the first E-nail and carb caps.
How to use a carb cap
First, heat your nail as you normally would and add your dab of concentrate to the nail. Place the carb cap on top of the nail, and if using a directional or bubble style cap, rotate/move the carb cap around the top of the nail to direct airflow evenly around the nail while you inhale.
After use, let the carb cap cool down enough to be touched and use some rubbing alcohol to clean it.