The reclaim harvester’s guide: a complete guide to collecting and using reclaim from a DynaVap vaporizer

If you own a DynaVap vaporizer, you already know that this ultra-efficient butane vaporizer can help you save a lot of weed. The small oven, paired with the device’s ability to quickly transfer a lot of heat to the herbs, results in optimal vapor production. DynaVaps deliver a hit that is comparable to hitting a j. But this is not all: the process of vaping cannabis in a DynaVap produces some fantastic by-products that can help you stretch your stash even further. One of these by-products is reclaim; a delicious oil similar in taste and effects to rosin. Read further to learn all the secrets for collecting and using reclaim.

DynaVap M 2021 model with a triple flame butane torch and wooden stash

What exactly is reclaim?

Reclaim is a reddish-brown residue that collects in the vaporizer’s vapour path every time you vape some weed. The process is simple: as the vapour passes through the path, it cools down. Part of it sticks to the walls of the path, forming a layer of a sticky, oily substance. This substance is what we call reclaim. The more you vape, the more reclaim sticks to the walls of the vapour path of your vaporizer, up to the point where the airflow becomes affected. That’s when most users will decide to clean the vapour path, thus restoring the airflow. Before throwing everything into iso though, make sure you collect the reclaim. To do so, follow the instructions that you’ll find in this article.

How does reclaim look like?

Good quality reclaim appears as a semi-transparent reddish liquid. It is comparable to honey in terms of consistency and viscosity, while being much, much stickier. The smell is rounded and hash-like, with herbal and toasted undertones. When heated, it boils releasing a vapour, and leaves almost no residue behind.

DynaVap leftovers (a.k.a. reclaim) freshly collected and ready to be dabbed

When should I collect reclaim?

You should collect reclaim every time you do a deep cleaning of your vaporizer. As a general rule, if you are using a DynaVap, you’ll want to clean it every 15-20 bowls. To do a quick check of the level of reclaim accumulation, take out the condenser from the DynaVap. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Remove the tip from the stem by pulling it out
2. Remove the cap from the tip
3. Use the digger on the cap to push out the condenser from the stem
4. Check the condenser (the end without the oring) for sings of reclaim accumulation
5. If there is reclaim on the outer side of the condenser, it’s time to collect it
6. If there is no reclaim, vape more and check the condenser every 5 to 10 bowls

Remember that the higher the quality of the material you are vaping, the faster the reclaim will accumulate in the condenser. You can assess the quality of the material you are vaping by monitoring the vapour production: in general, better cannabis means more vapour, hence more reclaim.

How do I collect reclaim?

There are a few ways in which you can collect the reclaim. The general idea is to use a solvent or mechanical action to separate the oil from the components of the vaporizer. In the following paragraphs, we’ll share with you what we think are the best and most effective techniques to collect reclaim for future use. First and foremost, separate the condenser of your DynaVap and remove the orings from it. Then, you can either:

Prepare some stem milk

1. Throw the condenser in a pot with full-cream milk (alternatively, you can use skimmed milk with a dollop of coconut oil in it)
2. Slowly warm everything up until the milk starts to bubble
3. Simmer for 5 minutes and stir with a wooden spoon
4. You should see some golden-brown drops appear on the milk’s surface
5. Remove from the stovetop and take out the condenser from the milk using some kitchen tool
6. Pour the mixture in a clean glass jar with lid, and store in the fridge once cool
7. Use within one or two days maximum

How to use stem milk

You can drink stem milk as it is, or try the following recipe:  

Cocoa-flavoured stem milk (for two)

• 500ml of stem milk
• Two teaspoons of cocoa powder
• Four teaspoons of white or brown sugar
• Half a teaspoon of cinnamon
• A quarter of a teaspoon of turmeric
• Two cloves
• A spoon of coconut butter

Preparation

• Add the coconut butter and the cloves to the stem milk, then warm up in a pot over low fire
• Stir as you warm up the milk, making sure the coconut butter melts
• Add the cocoa powder and stir thoroughly to melt all the lumps
• Add the cinnamon and the turmeric; continue to stir
• Let the mix simmer for 5 minutes
• Remove from fire and let sit for 10 minutes
• Filter with a strainer and serve

Collect the reclaim with a mini-nug

1. Take a piece from a weed nug, and roll it between your fingers until you get a small, dense weed pellet, 1.5-2mm in diameter
2. Insert the weed pellet in the DynaVap condenser, preferably from the mouthpiece side
3. Warm up slightly the condenser using the blue part of the flame of a soft-flame lighter
4. Use a wooden skewer to push the weed pellet from one side of the condenser to the other
5. Check if there’s oil left in the condenser, and repeat with another weed pellet if necessary
6. You now have at least one delicious, reclaim-covered mini nug with just the perfect size to be vaped in your DynaVap

Collect the reclaim with a toothpick

1. Warm up slightly the condenser using the blue part of the flame of a soft flame lighter
2. Use a wooden toothpick to scrape the inside of the condenser in a circular motion
3. Remove the toothpick and spread the reclaim collected on a piece of parchment paper
4. Fold the parchment paper in half and store it in the fridge
5. With time, you will accumulate more and more reclaim on the piece of parchment paper

Long-term reclaim collecting method using ethanol

1. Fill up a small container with 100% pure ethanol (it’s the alcohol used to make infusions and drinks)
2. Use the same alcohol to clean the condenser each and every time
3. (Optional) A lot of reclaim accumulates inside the tip of the DynaVap, right past the screen. You can definitely collect this reclaim by following the same procedure used for the condenser. However, the reclaim contained in the tip tends to be contaminated by the weed particles that make it past the screen. It is thus important to filter this reclaim before dabbing it.
4. After 10-15 cleaning cycles (or more), the alcohol should have turned brown in colour
5. Pour the alcohol on a ceramic plate, cover everything with a lid that lets some air pass through, and let evaporate
6. After a couple of days, the alcohol should have completely evaporated. There should be a brown sticky residue left on the plate. Use a blade from a safety razor to carefully scrape the residue from the plate
7. Put the reclaim collected on a piece of parchment paper, fold it, and store in the fridge

Collecting reclaim from a bong

Although somewhat off-topic, you should know that collecting reclaim from a bong or dab rig is also possible. There are various ways to collect reclaim from dab rigs, but one of the easiest and most popular ways to collect reclaim from dab rigs is to use a reclaim collector. If you use a DynaVap on a bong, a reclaim catcher will help you recover some of the final leftovers that would otherwise get lost in the bong water.

Make sure to clean out both the condensing chamber (below the bowl) and the inside of the DynaVap stem to recover all the reclaim you can possibly get

How do I use reclaim?

Once you have a good amount of delicious reclaim, you’ll be able to do many things with it. Despite being a by-product of vaping, reclaim is packed with cannabinoids and will get you super-high. Even better, the taste is not bad at all; in fact, some people find reclaim to taste better than hash. Give a try to one or more of these techniques to use reclaim, and we’re sure you won’t be disappointed at all with the results.

Stem milk: recipes

Stem milk can be used for pretty much any recipe you like. Some of the best results come when stem milk is used to bake cakes, brownies, or to make hot chocolate. A perfect treat for the colder winter nights!

Reclaim-covered nug: vape it or smoke it

Reclaim-covered nugs are awesome when vaped. They produce a lot of vapour, and hit with a strong, couch-locking high. Alternatively, if you have a few nugs accumulated, you can roll a joint with them, and get absolutely blasted. You can even roll a reclaim-covered nug in kief to get a wicked mini moonrock.

Dab it

Dabbing reclaim is probably not as poshy as dabbing freshly-squeezed bubble hash rosin, but it sure is an experience to try. Reclaim is a clean, pure cannabis distillate packed with cannabinoids and flavour. It has a high THC and CBD content, and it will get you almost as stoned as the best rosins on the market, with a more physical and less heady high.

Smoke it on a joint

Nothing stops you from spreading the reclaim on a joint and smoke it. While not being the most efficient way to use reclaim (part of it will be destroyed during the combustion process), who doesn’t love a good old joint spiked with some cannabis concentrate?

Reclaim capsules

Capsules are a good way to dose and ingest the exact amount of reclaim you want. It takes a little bit of experimentation to find the perfect amount of reclaim to ingest, but once you find it, you’ll be able to dose your capsules and standardise your reclaim intake to have a consistent experience. You can buy empty capsules from pharmacies, and fill them up yourself.

Reclaim edibles

Reclaim is highly concentrated; a tiny bit will get you very high. This makes it suitable for a variety of edibles. In general, you’d have to melt the reclaim in butter, coconut oil or similar, and then use these oils in the recipes. Reclaim is decarboxylated, which means that it is active even if taken orally as it is, without the need for further processing or cooking.

Toothpick

You can collect a little bit of reclaim on the tip of a toothpick and then place the toothpick in your mouth. The mouth mucosa has an excellent ability to absorb cannabinoids and send them directly to the bloodstream. The best place to keep the reclaim-covered tip of the toothpick is on the inside of your cheek.

Boofing reclaim

What is boofing? Boofing is the practice of ingesting a substance via the rectum. Traditionally used to ingest opium, boofing is nowadays used to ingest molly as well as other recreational drugs. We surely don’t want to encourage you to put reclaim in your rear end; just know that this possibility exists, and it also seems to be very effective.

Some delicious DynaVap-reclaim!