How to Use the Volcano Hybrid

So you decided to get yourself a brand new, shiny Volcano Hybrid. Congratulations! You made a smart move and you’re now officially the coolest kid on the block. Haven’t made the leap yet? Read our Volcano Hybrid review to help make your decision!

But what’s even cooler than owning one is knowing how to actually use the thing. Maybe this is your first vaporizer. Maybe you’re a seasoned pro who just needs a few pointers specific to this device. Or maybe you need to know what you’re doing before heading to your friend’s house to use theirs.

While the overall use of Storz & Bickel’s new device is pretty straightforward, there are definitely some tricks to using it most effectively, for getting the most out of your herb, and for maintaining your machine so it’ll last you years to come.

This is your definitive guide on how to use the Volcano Hybrid vaporizer.

The Basics

If you’re already familiar with the basics, skip down to “Tips Specific to the Hybrid”.

The fundamental things you need to know are 1) how to load your herb and 2) how to use the balloon and mouthpiece. If you’re using the tube kit then all you really need is step 1!

But first, there are two setup steps: you’ll want to do an initial burn off session, and you’ll need to prepare your herb.

The burn off

When you first get any new vaporizer, you’ll want to do a quick session without herbs and without inhaling the air, to prep your machine. This helps burn off any residue that may be in there, and any plastic fumes. Doing this before your first real session will prevent any plastic or chemical taste from leaching into your vapor.

To do this, turn on your machine and turn on the heat for 10-15 minutes, without anything in the chamber, and just let it run. Meanwhile, you can prepare your herb.

Preparing your herb

It’s worth noting that the herb grinder that comes with the Hybrid works awesomely. While I do have another grinder I had been happily using previously, I tried out the one included with my Hybrid and was pleasantly surprised at how thoroughly and evenly it grinds my material. I definitely recommend sticking with this grinder rather than going out and buying something else, although if you already have one you love, by all means.

I’ve found the Hybrid to be less finicky about how coarse or fine your material is, relative to other vaporizers, so this isn’t an area to worry about much. I still like going with a finer grind, because generally that helps heat the herb most efficiently.

Loading your herb

On the top of the Hybrid you’ll find the filling chamber. This is composed of two pieces — one orange and one black — which you unscrew to access the bowl inside. Fill that lightly with your material (you don’t need a ton, especially if this is a solo session), and try to keep it even and level. Then screw it back together and back on the device. Press the ‘HEAT’ button to turn it on, and use the “+” and “-” buttons to adjust it to your desired temperature, and you’re ready for the next step.

Note: There’s really a lot that can go into finding your perfect temperature setting. It depends on a few factors, but in general, I’d say to stick within the 350-385 degree F range. Or, start in the 300-350 range if you’re new.

Attaching/detaching the balloon

Take the black mouthpiece off the balloon, and then place the orange piece right on top of the Hybrid. It just pops on and off, no release button or anything. Turn on the air and once the balloon is full (or quite a bit less full if this is a solo session), turn off the air, and simply lift off the balloon via the orange piece.

The valve will close when you life the balloon off the device, so you don’t have to worry about air leaking out. You can take your time. Remove the two-piece filling chamber from the device and set it aside (more on that below). Insert the black mouthpiece in the balloon’s orange piece. The valve opens when you push on the mouthpiece, so try not to push it towards the balloon more than necessary when you’re putting it in.

Using the Hybrid

Inhaling the vapor from the balloon feels quite natural. Your mouth will push the mouthpiece towards the balloon, opening the valve and allowing the vapor to be inhaled. When you stop pushing the mouthpiece in, the valve will close again.

Using the balloon method is great because you can easily control how much vapor you take in at a time. This means you can enjoy your session at a slower pace without feeling rushed. This is one reason I always use my own balloon, too, so I don’t need to hurry up and pass it to someone else.

I typically take shorter draws when using the balloon method, as I find that’s all I need. This gets me a good couple of hits per balloon and is a nice, easy way to go, and what I’d recommend for beginners or anyone who wants a more chill session.

The other way to use the Hybrid is with the whip attachment, or Tube System. The tube just pops on the device like the balloon does, but instead of turning on the air, you just use your lung power to pull the vapor up through the tube. With this method, your draw will typically be significantly longer (up to 10 seconds or so), and definitely does require that lung power. For this reason, this method isn’t my favorite, but some people don’t jibe with the balloons so this is their preferred way to go.

A plus side of the whip is that it’s easy to use and very straightforward, so if this is your preferred style of vaping you’re definitely in luck with the Hybrid.

Tips Specific to the Hybrid

While similar to other vapes out there, this device is in a league of its own, and requires some familiarity in order to use it properly.

Loading

What I love about the Hybrid is how user-friendly it is to get started. It’s easy to load the material, with really no special instructions. You can be a bit flexible on the grind, and it’s easy to load the filling chamber. You don’t need to pack it in any certain way, just put it in loosely.

The only thing I would advise is that you keep it level (not mounded up to one side) because this will help it heat evenly and efficiently. You also don’t have to open the filling chamber and stir your herb at all during the session, which is great for time and convenience.

Another pro tip: remove the filling chamber between balloons, and be gentle when you do so. The device actually has a warning sticker on it saying to take off the filling chamber when you’re not actively heating the material, and this is good for two reasons. One, it keeps the machine from overheating or being left on accidentally (though it does shut off after 30 minutes), and two, it conserves your herb. When you leave your herb heating while you’re not using it, you’re wasting that prime fresh taste, and that’s just not what we want to happen. Remove the chamber gently so you’re not accidentally shaking up the material inside and undoing your beautiful leveling job.

AVB

For those who use their AVB (already vaped bud) after their session, take note that it will be darker after being used in the Hybrid. The dual heating using both convection and conduction will make efficient use of your bud, so be prepared for that when you take it out.

And if you’re looking for ideas of what to do with your AVB, look no further than our stash of recipes and ideas for leftovers.

Concentrates

The Volcano Hybrid works with both dry herb and concentrates. The Hybrid comes with a Drip Pad, which is a small stainless steel pad that can be used with liquids, oils, and wax. Remove the screen in your filling chamber, and insert the Drip Pad in its place. Flip the filling chamber upside down and drop a couple drops of your concentrate directly onto the bottom of the pad. Try to spread them out evenly throughout the pad, not just all in the center. Then flip it back over and attach the filling chamber like normal.

Here’s a really clear video on how to do it!

My tip here is to start out with less than you think you need. The pad can hold about 10 drops, but I’d start with just a couple and see how it goes. You might find that’s enough, or you might want to add a couple more and try again.

The other tip here is that after a couple of times, the pad will establish a build-up of concentrated material, which will have a noticeable impact on your sessions (in a good way!). So again, always start with adding just a bit, because you might find that you have a good layer already in there and don’t need to add much if any for your future sessions.

Efficiency

Because the Hybrid is super efficient, you might find that you need fewer hits than you’re used to. I would start out with loading less material, and filling the balloon less full, and see how it goes. I love that I can conserve my herb this way, and that’s definitely a benefit of this vape over others which are less efficient.

Keep it clean

I wrote a whole post on how to clean the Volcano Hybrid, but I’ll condense it into a few key points here.

The best way to keep your Hybrid clean is by not using your balloons past their prime. This will help your session be tastier, too, so it’s really just as much for you as it is for your device. The balloons, and also whips, are meant to be replaced, not cleaned. For this reason the Hybrid is very low maintenance, but you still need to be on top of it and make sure you get extras so you have them on hand.

Replace the balloons every month to month and a half, if you’re a regular user. They’ll start looking brownish on the inside and you’ll know it’s time.

For the rest of the cleaning (cleaning the base, the valves, and mouthpieces), it’s pretty simple. I use a damp cloth to wipe down the base every now and then to keep fingerprints off it and to clean any smudges, spills, or dust. For the smaller pieces like the mouthpieces, I use the cleaning kit that comes with the Hybrid. And when that runs out, I just use a cup of rubbing alcohol and a small cloth.

Hygiene

While we’re on the topic of cleaning, it’s worth mentioning that Storz & Bickel recommend not sharing tubes with anyone else. And while this initially sounds like an unnecessary precaution, once you think about it, it is pretty gross. You use your lung power to bring the air through the tube, and undoubtedly you’re getting your germs all up in there. Since you need to replace the tubes periodically anyway, go ahead and have a couple on hand for when friends come over. This will keep everyone’s germs to themselves, and it will help the longevity of each tube last longer. I recommend everyone having their own balloon as well (although that’s more about taking your time and enjoying your session than it is about sharing germs).

Using the app

So one thing we have to mention is using the app. The Hybrid, like its brother the Crafty, can be controlled with an app. If you’re not into apps, don’t worry, it’s optional. But for those who like to control their device remotely and to have precision doing it, the app is a great addition to this Volcano.

The app connects via Bluetooth between your phone/tablet and your Hybrid. This means you can get your session started without being right there, leaning over the device.

The app doesn’t have too much going on, and is pretty self explanatory and user friendly. But there are a couple quick tips I’ll give you.

First, take advantage of the “Workflows”. These are saved settings of your preferred session, so you can get things going without the manual set up each time.

Second, explore the precision of the temperature range. The app makes it so easy to adjust the settings, I’ve found myself experimenting way more than I normally would. Usually I just know my temperature and go straight to it without trying anything different. But with the Hybrid and its app, I’m trying out different temps — even within the same session — and really enjoying getting a different experience than my same-old. If you’re a regular user, your sessions have likely become predictable (not a bad thing!). I invite you to change things up now and again, and the app makes this so easy to do.

Keyboard shortcuts

Let’s talk about what some buttons do! If you want to change your temperature display to show Celsius instead of Fahrenheit (or vice versa) press both the “+” and “-” buttons at the same time.

If you’re looking to do a factory reset, hold the “HEAT” button for 10 seconds (your device must be on for this to work). You might want to do this if your Bluetooth has turned off, as this will turn it back on, or if you want to reset the setpoint and booster temps.

Another way to turn Bluetooth on and off, without doing a whole factory reset, is to hold both the “-” button and the “AIR” button for 3 seconds.

What are your tips?

We’ve covered a lot of tips in this article, and now I want to hear from you.

When using such an impressive machine, we rightly expect to get the best sessions ever, and the exact ways of doing that vary from person to person. So let me know in the comments some of your tips for getting the best sessions with your Volcano Hybrid.

 

 

13 Comments

  1. Ashley on September 10, 2023 at 11:05 pm

    I need to know… how many times can you use the same “bowl” of herb in the Volcano? 3,4,5??

    • Hat and Glasses on September 11, 2023 at 10:53 pm

      There’s no standard answer to this question since so many variables affect it. What temp you vape at, the moisture content and quality of the material will determine how long it lasts. For me, at a certain point the bag is hot and dry and doesn’t feel good on my throat or taste good – then I know it’s definitely cashed. In my experience, with good quality dispensary flower (20%+ very dry usually) – 3 great bags, stir it up and get 2-3 more bags of declining quality. Some folks like to keep going and don’t mind the increasing harshness. Others prefer going light on the bags and saving the leftovers to make a more potent butter.

  2. Camryn on September 4, 2023 at 8:56 am

    Hi! I just got my volcano hybrid and I’m very excited. But I find myself wanting to physically move it from one location (my bedroom) to my deck (outside). Do I have to wait until the orange cooling numbers are gone completely to be able to unplug it from the wall? I’ve been doing that and it just takes quite a bit of time to cool down but I’m terrified that if I unplug it while it’s still cooling I’ll break it. Please let me know!

    • Hat and Glasses on September 11, 2023 at 10:59 pm

      Hmmm, I’ve unplugged all of my Volcanoes while hot probably more than a few times with no problems thus far but not on a daily basis. If you really find yourself doing it all the time, maybe get a power strip where you can turn off the power with a switch instead of unplugging and plugging back in which seems like a more gentle way to cycle the power. That being said when the heat and fan are not on, the electrical draw is probably like that of an alarm clock. Maybe an armchair electrical engineer will weigh in here…

  3. Phil on July 26, 2022 at 4:28 pm

    Im getting a err 30r code on my device it wont reset

  4. Amy24 on March 26, 2022 at 7:11 pm

    Anyone else experienced huge turn around on the plastic pieces? I feel like I need to replace the plastic outer shell of the base waaaaay too often. The last one cracked within a week of use.

  5. Kellie on February 27, 2022 at 3:58 pm

    How about an update to this since the web app won’t allow you to update the firmware, and iOS is out of the picture altogether… would S & B do that to us? Only because I don’t have an Android device? That seems to really single out a big customer base (i.e., Mac users??).
    I’m so frustrated, but maybe firmware, schwirmware? I don’t even know what I’m missing…

    • rye420 on May 9, 2022 at 4:52 pm

      it’s not S&B though i don’t think – it’s apple 🙁 apple has a ban on vape apps they introduced in 2020 i believe, pax users have the same fate as us…

    • Fork on October 20, 2022 at 10:24 am

      Unfortunately that’s what you get for buying Apple. You pay for the device, but they dictate what you can and can’t do with it. Make a stand and buy Android! The app is good and comes in handy.

    • Camryn on September 4, 2023 at 8:53 am

      It’s apple that did the ban on all the Vape apps. I have a focus V carta 2 and the app goes through a web browser within the app. It’s interesting

  6. Robert H Cash on February 25, 2022 at 8:52 am

    Great read. Thanks.
    Need advice please. My unit always, mostly, tries to connect to a “new crafty”.
    No big deal, but would love to skip the extra clicks.
    Keep up the great writing.

    • Vapormaster on March 1, 2022 at 11:48 am

      Hhhmmm…can you clarify? Which unit is trying to connect to a “new crafty”? Little more info and we’ll try to get you straightened out!

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