The ceramic piece wont ever be glowing, at least not that I've noticed, The GVG is the PLATNUM STANDARD for vaporizing changa. Very mellow cool smoking I hardly feel the vapor, but, wow! The breakthrough comes on a little delayed for me but it happens every time. The best part about the GVG is there is NO waste. The GVG is the most efficient delivery system, hands down. I only have 4 screens in mine and all I vape is changa. I guess you could put more in there. I hear of some people using 7 or more. I only put in, screens, what would fit snuggly.

Wow...my filter is always glowing. I do have a rather powerful torch, but I thought it was supposed to.
I guess just whatever gets the vapor going, that's where you want to be.

I never notice mine glowing, I am going to start paying attention now, I'm sure i would have noticed if it was. I think?

If your getting it glowing your probably getting it hotter than it needs to be, I'd back off a bit.

The idea behind the GVG IMO is efficient/effective delivery in every way. That includes delivering the proper dosage, at a comfortable temperature, and efficiently getting all of the spice vaporized.

It doesnt need to be glowing to effectively and efficienly deliver the medicine.

When I medicate I dont want to be coughing or to have burning lips and mouth.

When I administer the medicine I barely notice the sweet vapor as I voyage off into hyperspace.

Thats the way it's gotta be for me.

I feel the ceramic bit needs to be glowing or very close to that so the spice vaporizes. But I've never smoked changa from it and I've only used it a few time with low doses. I'm just learning the nuts and bolts of it. Never used a vaporizer before. But I'm looking forward for my herbs that's in the mail. I'm going to make some electric sheep. How does that work with the GVG? Anyone here have experience with that combo? Electric sheep in a GVG!

The ceramic diffuser will glow only if you have a very hot torch. I use two – a regular torch lighter which never causes it to glow, and an “industrial strength” torch that causes it to glow if I keep the flame close. If the diffuser is glowing, you may have your flame a bit too close.

Never seen the ceramic piece glow, really surprised to hear it!

I've had mine glow too with a quadruple flame torch lighter. I am always pulling the lighter back and minimizing the glow. I am still trying to figure out what works best. I am using 7 screens and a copper mesh. I have had some very significant launches, but no breakthroughs yet using 25-35 mg of spice. However, my GF had a breakthrough on ~30 mg of spice last Saturday.

What position do you guys hold the pipe in? I was just having the thought that holding it downward would help minimize the amount of spice that melts into the lower portion of the pipe. Does anybody have any thoughts in this regard?

I wouldn't hold it upside down. That way, the oil is going to run onto a very hot diffuser and be more likely to burn.

As for Electric Sheep in the GVG... all I can say is fugghedaboudit. It's time to kiss the mantid.

What do you mean exactly?

Aren't some people smoking changa out of the GVG? What blend then? And why not Electric Sheep?

yes changa works perfectly fine in the GVG

I did not mean to convey holding it upside down, I meant to convey holding it such that the 'bowl' end of the pipe is considerably lower than the mouthpiece.

Agreed- upside down might lead to trouble- but it can be a lot easier sometimes to hold the pipe at a downward angle. This way, with a regular lighter, it's much easier to get the flame going in the right direction without so much air flow (ergo getting things hotter faster).

I also have never seen the ceramic bit glowing whatsoever. I've even lit my changa (!!!) without touching flame to filter, and yet never seen the ceramic bit glow. If it's glowing but the spice isn't vaporized, methinks you aren't inhaling enough to make the intense heat hit the spice....

I get it glowing nice and red, it only takes a second or so of pulling to get it glowing, as soon as the vapor starts thats when I pull the torch away a bit. I get thick vapor very quikly this way.

If you’re getting a lot of melted spice in the lower portion of the pipe directly below the screens, then maybe your screens/mesh aren’t sufficient to hold the liquid. Maybe add a few more screens or make your mesh disc a bit thicker.

If you’re talking about residue near the curve of the pipe, that’s from condensation, and I don’t think you can do much about it – when hot vapor hits comparatively cold glass you get condensation. However, I’ve noticed that condensation seems to be less of a problem if I clean my GVG frequently. It seems that once the inside glass surfaces have a coating of condensate on them, future condensation forms more readily.

Can one smoke powdered caapi with spice? if so, what would the amount and ratio be? could one do it in the machine, or gvg?

I don't know, but check out the Nexus changa section