#dab size

This gets to the heart of the matter: the efficiency of vaporization. On a spectrum, extremes can be delimited by the presence of liquid residue. If vaporization is fully efficient, there is no liquid residue. Any less, and there is at least some. Vaporization after all is the phase change from liquid to gas.

It has been my invariable--and probably biased--experience that large dabs leave residue. It happens every time. Maybe it's because I'm not starting hot enough, but that factor itself is set by my flavor preferences. Any hotter and my flavor would be suboptimal. There is a cascade of facets to consider on this point, but for simplicity's sake I'll leave it at that. For me, large dabs = residue = inefficient vaporization.

So this means small dabs are best?

I wouldn't go that far. If your setup yields optimally efficient vaporization with a big dab, glob bless. My ECS does not respond that way, and that's important. My sweet spot just happens to be around .1g, give or take a few hundredths. This not-so-coincidentally means I get ~20 dabs out of a 2g jar, which is a sustainable cadence for my budget, given the expense and logistics of procuring the medicine.

In Conclusion

Comparing dab sizes might have more cultural weight than practical weight, but it's a misguided question either way. Responsible use or mastery or whatever you wanna call it involves optimizing vaporization. A more reliable visual cue than dosage size is the physical nature of any residue. An optimal degree of efficiency leaves only non-active compounds. While some of the liquid is non-active, there is no visual mechanism within the human brain that can distinguish that. A handier measure is liquidity. Thus, leveraging minimal liquid residue can be an effective tool when optimizing ECS impact on oneself. At least, more effective than the size involved.

Practical Considerations

Observe residue everywhere within your rig. There should be none aside from a gradual patina limited to the entry side of the air path. Floaties in your water, assuming you change it regularly, indicate oil flooding. Reclaim above the water line on the exit side can indicate that too. These are common signs of inefficient vaporization.

Observe residue within your nail. Residue should be localized within the vaporization area. In a tower, that's going to be the dish and bottom inch or so of the column. In an auto-spinner or banger, it'll be the floor. Residue outside these areas, particularly in the neck or at the underside of the cap, signifies overaggressive aerodynamics forcing liquid to wasteful places.