The Tempest by Mad Heaters & Phatpiggie

[SockPuppetTheatrics]

Am I the only one who is not satisfied with the tempest? The ABV I get from it is very inconsistent. I only do half bowls ( with the wand - airflow over the helix ) and still it almost always is charred on top while still slightly green on the bottom. It’s very easy to combust in general. Maybe I’m doing something wrong, but I did follow the instructions from mad heaters. I started with 290deg and also tried lower temps, but haven’t found anything satisfying…
What I also really dislike is the disbalance in weight it has. It’s a big, clunky thing with a heavy overweight at its top. Not ergonomic at all. But that‘s just my personal feeling about it.
Maybe someone can help with the settings for flavorful hits, that don’t combust?

There are going to be some variables that are hard to predict, like coil positioning on your wand, that could potentially impact performance, but I'd say the first two things to play with are timing and your draw technique. If you have a working VI (I want to say most of the pre-release units have one that's at least good enough), try waiting until the indicator stabilizes and maybe just starts to creep downward before you start to draw.

I've also found that you're more likely to get charring and an uneven roast if you start out with a heavy draw. I prefer either a very light, steady draw or a series of puffs / tokes, particularly at the outset. I've gotten the best flavor from start to finish when I keep the draw light and steady the entire way.

I also have the stem airflow set to open and the cap airflow 3/4 closed; this (I think) shifts the airflow balance away from the cap and toward the stem so it's more of a trickle of heat rather than a rush of heat flowing into the bowl. The vapor isn't as dense, but there's still plenty of it and the improved flavor is worth it (IME).

I'll add as a caveat that I don't get it right 100% of the time - usually if I forget and hit it right at the end of the heating cycle instead of waiting a minute, or if I draw too hard right off the bat - and that there's no one-size-fits-all approach for the device. At the same time, it's hands-down the best-tasting TED I've used and edges out the Venty and Tetra P80 in terms of both flavor and efficiency.

Also, I agree that it's weighted toward the tip, but I don't really mind. The only thing I'd change about the form factor is a more robust connection for the heat shield; I can get it to a point where it clicks into place with no wiggle / play, but it's a little too easy to dislodge from that position. I think later releases have a thicker o-ring, which I'm hoping addresses the issue.

 

[MaWi]

How much does it weights ?

For me it’s not the overall weight that‘s a problem, but the balance. The whole thing is made from titanium and lightweight, but the cap is made from steel and very heavy in comparison. So the top wants to drop all the time. A friend of mine who tried it the first time burnt his finger, because he tried to balance it somehow and came in contact with the heated front part…

 

[Brenyo]

I only do half bowls ( with the wand - airflow over the helix ) and still it almost always is charred on top while still slightly green on the bottom. It’s very easy to combust in general. Maybe I’m doing something wrong, but I did follow the instructions from mad heaters. I started with 290deg and also tried lower temps, but haven’t found anything satisfying…

The glass cup is in too deep, try it about 2mm higher. At 290C that can be the only issue that I can think of unless if there are no balls in the cap.

but the cap is made from steel and very heavy in comparison.

The cap is also mostly titanium, there's only 2.5g of steel of the 12g total head weight. You can reduce it by about 3g with using glass balls instead. The centre of mass should be exactly in the middle, but it's def not made for hands free use (it's doable though).

Also, I agree that it's weighted toward the tip, but I don't really mind. The only thing I'd change about the form factor is a more robust connection for the heat shield; I can get it to a point where it clicks into place with no wiggle / play, but it's a little too easy to dislodge from that position. I think later releases have a thicker o-ring, which I'm hoping addresses the issue.

In the meantime you can put some thread or floss under the o-ring to make it tighter.

 

[MaWi]

There are going to be some variables that are hard to predict, like coil positioning on your wand, that could potentially impact performance, but I'd say the first two things to play with are timing and your draw technique. If you have a working VI (I want to say most of the pre-release units have one that's at least good enough), try waiting until the indicator stabilizes and maybe just starts to creep downward before you start to draw.

I've also found that you're more likely to get charring and an uneven roast if you start out with a heavy draw. I prefer either a very light, steady draw or a series of puffs / tokes, particularly at the outset. I've gotten the best flavor from start to finish when I keep the draw light and steady the entire way.

I also have the stem airflow set to open and the cap airflow 3/4 closed; this (I think) shifts the airflow balance away from the cap and toward the stem so it's more of a trickle of heat rather than a rush of heat flowing into the bowl. The vapor isn't as dense, but there's still plenty of it and the improved flavor is worth it (IME).

I'll add as a caveat that I don't get it right 100% of the time - usually if I forget and hit it right at the end of the heating cycle instead of waiting a minute, or if I draw too hard right off the bat - and that there's no one-size-fits-all approach for the device. At the same time, it's hands-down the best-tasting TED I've used and edges out the Venty and Tetra P80 in terms of both flavor and efficiency.

Also, I agree that it's weighted toward the tip, but I don't really mind. The only thing I'd change about the form factor is a more robust connection for the heat shield; I can get it to a point where it clicks into place with no wiggle / play, but it's a little too easy to dislodge from that position. I think later releases have a thicker o-ring, which I'm hoping addresses the issue.

Thanks, closing the airflow might be something to play around with. I had it always fully open.
My draws are also very light, and the first draws are ok. But I find it very hard to get the right time to stop. In my experience you char within the first heat cycle really quickly if you draw too often, too long, too strong …. Whatever

The glass cup is in too deep, try it about 2mm higher. At 290C that can be the only issue that I can think of unless if there are no balls in the cap.


The cap is also mostly titanium, there's only 2.5g of steel of the 12g total head weight. You can reduce it by about 3g with using glass balls instead. The centre of mass should be exactly in the middle, but it's def not made for hands free use (it's doable though).



In the meantime you can put some thread or floss under the o-ring to make it tighter.

The glass cup is in too deep, try it about 2mm higher. At 290C that can be the only issue that I can think of unless if there are no balls in the cap.


The cap is also mostly titanium, there's only 2.5g of steel of the 12g total head weight. You can reduce it by about 3g with using glass balls instead. The centre of mass should be exactly in the middle, but it's def not made for hands free use (it's doable though).



In the meantime you can put some thread or floss under the o-ring to make it tighter.

sorry, I was not correct regarding the cap. And you are right the center of balance is somewhere in the middle. But that’s not where you grab it, because the airhole is placed much closer to the mouthpiece. Maybe that’s why it feels so offbalanced to me. It’s not the most important thing and obviously doesn’t bother many people. Also for me it’s not a dealbreaker, it’s just something I don’t like that much about it.

 

[RedZep]

Thanks, closing the airflow might be something to play around with. I had it always fully open.
My draws are also very light, and the first draws are ok. But I find it very hard to get the right time to stop. In my experience you char within the first heat cycle really quickly if you draw too often, too long, too strong …. Whatever




sorry, I was not correct regarding the cap. And you are right the center of balance is somewhere in the middle. But that’s not where you grab it, because the airhole is placed much closer to the mouthpiece. Maybe that’s why it feels so offbalanced to me. It’s not the most important thing and obviously doesn’t bother many people. Also for me it’s not a dealbreaker, it’s just something I don’t like that much about it.

If your airflow is fully open, then air will be moving over the herb really quickly. This is why it's just scorching the top. It's passing though the rest of the bowl too quickly to build up correct extraction temp. You are just sucking the heat out of the tip.

Experiment with your inhale speed/strength also. The Tempest is pretty much a pure convection device. So draw speed still had a big effect. It is much less finicky than something like a Tinymight, but it's still something to bear in mind.

Overall have patience. Anyone not blown away by the Tempest is quite probably not getting their technique dialed in. The Tempest has a large range of potential settings. This is brilliant once you know what you are doing, but can be a little daunting at first.

I have my airflow at the tip 2/3rds closed. Then I maintain a steady slow inhale, and it puts out huge clouds.

Here is a vid showing what I mean. Putting it on a glass rig will help you get a visual idea of your draw speed and the effect on vapour thickness. This was half bowl also, and you can see from the AVB below that the extraction is even as it gets.

https://imgur.com/a/pqQcOoH

https://imgur.com/a/vn3EICn

 

[MaWi]

…to give a better picture of my thoughts about this device and not just complaining:
The overall machining and engineering of it are great. The cooling is impressive, although it leads to a really hot stem (get the wood stem if this is an issue for you) It’s great to see that there are people that push those devices forward, so thanks Brenyo! I would definitely recommend it to every cloud chaser that loves a dark roast at the edge.
I am a flavor chaser and definitely want to avoid charring/ combusting. That’s why I was not able yet to love this thing like I wanted to…
But I will go on experimenting, so thanks for your advice.

If your airflow is fully open, then air will be moving over the herb really quickly. This is why it's just scorching the top. It's passing though the rest of the bowl too quickly to build up correct extraction temp. You are just sucking the heat out of the tip.

Experiment with your inhale speed/strength also. The Tempest is pretty much a pure convection device. So draw speed still had a big effect. It is much less finicky than something like a Tinymight, but it's still something to bear in mind.

Overall have patience. Anyone not blown away by the Tempest is quite probably not getting their technique dialed in. The Tempest has a large range of potential settings. This is brilliant once you know what you are doing, but can be a little daunting at first.

I have my airflow at the tip 2/3rds closed. Then I maintain a steady slow inhale, and it puts out huge clouds.

Here is a vid showing what I mean. Putting it on a glass rig will help you get a visual idea of your draw speed and the effect on vapour thickness. This was half bowl also, and you can see from the AVB below that the extraction is even as it gets.

https://imgur.com/a/pqQcOoH

https://imgur.com/a/vn3EICn

… wow, yes that‘s what I want mine to look like! Thanks for detailed advice!

 

[RedZep]

… wow, yes that‘s what I want mine to look like! Thanks for detailed advice!

No problem. Maybe the Tempest ends up not being for you. But I strongly feel you have not seen the best of it yet. I would urge you to push on with it. I think it will be worth the annoyance at first. Once you have it working for you, you might really like it. It's the best vape I've ever used considering all factors. We are all here to help you out also. Don't be afraid to ask for more help/guidance.

 

[MaWi]

No problem. Maybe the Tempest ends up not being for you. But I strongly feel you have not seen the best of it yet. I would urge you to push on with it. I think it will be worth the annoyance at first. Once you have it working for you, you might really like it. It's the best vape I've ever used considering all factors. We are all here to help you out also. Don't be afraid to ask for more help/guidance.

No worries, I will go on with it