Volcano Classic Tips & Tricks

The legendary Storz & Bickel Volcano Classic vaporizer has delighted vapor enthusiasts since 2000. It sets the bar high for flavor, efficiency, and ease of use, and requires very little instruction. Its simplicity is certainly part of the appeal. That said, we do have a few tips that can help Volcano owners get the most from their desktop vape, with maximum vapor production, excellent flavor, and no waste.

Volcano Classic tips: Quick summary

Use the included grinder
First bag is flavorful. Second is thick.
Heat soak filling chamber to finish off a session
Try dosing capsules for smaller sessions
Turn the temperature up until you’re satisfied

Volcano Tips and Tricks: Use the included grinder

While the Volcano will work well, even with chunkier ground materials, it's worth blending them a bit finer than you're used to. You may be tempted to reach for a nicer metal grinder, but the included two-piece plastic grinder actually produces perfectly ground materials for your Volcano. It keeps the herbs between the teeth longer, and produces an almost-powdery material that ensures full extraction for convection vapes such as the Storz & Bickel vaporizers.

Storz & Bickel Volcano Grinder — Our tips work for the Volcano Digit as well. The included grinder is better than expected.

Second bag is thicker

While the Volcano Hybrid is ready almost immediately, the Volcano Classic’s reliance on convection heat requires a little time for the materials to fully preheat, depending on your temperature. Just because the vapor isn't visible, doesn’t mean it’s not there. Your herbs will release their natural moisture and extracts before they produce the thick clouds most people expect, so your first bag won’t look like much, but it will taste the best. That's not the only option, however.

For thicker clouds, you can start filling a bag and keep an eye on the vapor density. Once the vapor starts getting visible, pull the bag off and inhale the lighter, tastier vapor. You don't need to fill a full bag, just pull it off when you like the look of the vapor. After you're done, the second bag you fill will be full and dense from start to finish. As always, you can experiment and dial in the vapor density that you like best.

Storz & Bickel Volcano Vaporizer Balloon — The first bag is thin and tasty. Thicker bags follow…

Save your herbs

Your materials will continue to vaporize if left on top of the Volcano Hybrid. They cook slower on the Volcano Classic, so we recommend you remove the filling chamber if you’re not going to use it for a bit. As you near the end of the session and the bags start to thin out, you can leave the filling chamber on top of the Volcano Classic for a few minutes before turning on the fan. The filling chamber will absorb some heat and you’ll get full extraction from your herbs at the very end. This isn't necessary with the Volcano Hybrid.

Volcano classic and hybrid — Volcano Classicon the left with the newer, Volcano Hybrid on the left.

Max out every chamber

While the solid valve’s French press-like sliding chamber accepts loads of almost any size, the easy valve’s fixed size is less forgiving. It works best when fully loaded. If your bags aren’t as dense as you like, a little more herb can usually solve the problem.

Solo users who are often only enjoying a bag or two should check out the Volcano dosing capsules and adapter. The capsules hold one tenth of a gram, instead of the half gram capacity of an empty filling chamber, and the reducer directs the air straight into the capsule for satisfying hits. The extra metal can absorb heat at first and weaken the vapor, so we recommend you let the filling chamber warm up on top of the Volcano while you prepare the dosing capsules. Where a full chamber will produce three or four hearty bags, the dosing capsules will typically produce just one -- perfect for a quick solo session.

Don’t be afraid to turn up the heat

The Volcano vape’s clean convection and wide vapor path into the bag produce cool vapor, even with higher temperatures than you might be used to. If you want a little more oomph in each bag, turn up the heat to 400° F or higher won’t produce harsh off-flavors or burnt material. That said, vapor of any temperature will grow stale as it sits in the bag. You should plan to finish your bags within five minutes for the best experience.