✨ Why cleaning the Crafty matters
Every session leaves deposits behind. Storz & Bickel's Crafty+ manual says the deposits inside the cooling unit come from steam condensate, and that cleanliness is a prerequisite for proper function and taste. Left alone, the buildup shows up in two ways:
- Flavor goes flat. Old residue in the vapor path tastes stale and harsh, and it sits right where every draw passes.
- Airflow tightens up. Clogged screens and a gummed vapor path make the draw feel tight. S&B's Crafty+ manual says to clean the filling chamber as soon as its lower screen is clogged.
The good news: the cooling unit comes apart by hand. Besides the brush from the box, the only tool you need is the Filling Chamber Tool, which sits in the side of the Crafty+ (the USB-C socket is behind it).
🧰 The tools you need
You probably have most of this already. Storz & Bickel includes a cleaning brush in the box, so start there.
| Tool | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Warm water + dish soap | Option 1 in S&B's manual: soak the cooling unit parts in warm dishwater for at least 5 minutes. |
| Isopropyl alcohol | Option 2 in S&B's manual, and the stronger choice for sticky resin. S&B doesn't name a strength. We use a high-strength one (90% or more): less water means the parts dry faster. |
| Cleaning brush | Comes in the box. S&B says to brush the cooling unit screen and the filling chamber screen after each use. |
| Filling Chamber Tool | Levers out the large base seal ring and pushes out the screens. |
| Cotton swabs + a cloth | A barely damp swab cleans the filling chamber; paper or cotton cloths help with manual cleaning. |
| Replacement screens | S&B's rule is that a clogged screen gets replaced. Keep a few spares. |
| A small dish | A shot glass or small bowl to soak the parts in. |
📅 How often should you clean?
S&B's Crafty+ manual asks you to check the cooling unit and mouthpiece before each use, brush the screens after each use, and clean the cooling unit "regularly" and whenever it is shared with someone else. The Mighty+ and Venty manuals put a number on it: no later than 7 days after the last use. That is a sensible benchmark for the Crafty too:
| When | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| After each use | Brush the cooling unit screen and the filling chamber screen with the cleaning brush. | ~1 min |
| Before each use | Check the cooling unit and mouthpiece for deposits. | A few seconds |
| No later than 7 days after you last used it, and whenever you see deposits inside | Take the cooling unit apart and clean it: a warm dishwater soak or an isopropyl soak. Full routine below. | 5 to 30 min soak, plus drying |
| When the filling chamber screen is clogged | Swab the chamber and clean or replace the screen. | ~5 min |
🧼 Deep-clean the Crafty cooling unit
The cooling unit sits on top of the Crafty and holds the flip-up mouthpiece. These steps come from S&B's Crafty+ manual and help center. The unit has eight parts: the cap lock, the mouthpiece, the mouthpiece seal ring, the cooling unit cap, the small base seal ring, the cooling unit base, the upper screen (coarse mesh) and the large base seal ring. S&B's Mighty+ manual lists the same eight parts and the same steps, so if you have cleaned a Mighty, this will feel familiar. If you own the original Crafty, check its manual for any differences. Work over a clean towel so nothing rolls away.
Let it cool, then take off the cap
Make sure the Crafty has cooled down completely. Pull the cap lock towards the mouthpiece, then pull the cooling unit cap off the device. The base stays on the Crafty for now.
Remove the mouthpiece
Pull the mouthpiece out of the cap while tilting it slightly back and forth, then pull off the mouthpiece seal ring.
Take off the cap lock (for an isopropyl clean)
Press the cap lock down on one side, pull it up on the other, then slide it off. Its hologram is a sticker, and S&B warns that alcohol can fade it and dissolve its glue, so the cap lock stays out of the isopropyl. Wash it in warm water or give it a quick wipe with alcohol instead.
Unscrew the base and free the screen
Turn the cooling unit base 90° counterclockwise to unscrew it from the Crafty. Lever out the large base seal ring with the Filling Chamber Tool at the recess in the groove, remove the small base seal ring, and push the upper screen out of the base with the tool.
Soak: dishwater or isopropyl
Pick one of S&B's two methods. Warm dishwater: soak all the parts for at least 5 minutes. Isopropyl: soak all the parts except the cap lock for no more than 30 minutes, seal rings included; S&B warns that longer soaks can make the plastic parts brittle. The filling chamber screen can go in the same soak.
Scrub the stubborn spots
Work any leftover residue with the brush, a cotton swab, or a paper or cotton cloth.
Rinse under running water
Rinse all the parts under running water for at least one minute.
Check every part
Look for cracks, softening, hardening, brittleness or discoloration. Replace anything damaged.
Dry fully, then reassemble
Let every part dry completely, then reassemble in reverse order. Push the small base seal ring all the way into the cooling unit cap until you can no longer see it, make sure every seal ring sits properly, and carefully set the upper screen into its groove so no plant particles get into the cooling unit.
🫧 The dishwasher: an owner shortcut, not S&B's method
S&B's Crafty+ help center gives two ways to clean the cooling unit, warm dishwater and isopropyl, and the Crafty+ manual only recommends the dishwasher for accessories like the Herb Mill, Filling Aid and Magazine, not the cooling unit. We run the fully disassembled cooling unit through the dishwasher anyway, and in our own experience it comes out clean with almost no effort. This is an owner practice, not a manufacturer-approved method, so if you try it, it is at your own risk.
Take the cooling unit fully apart
Exactly as for the soak: mouthpiece, cap, base, screen and seal rings all separated.
Keep the cap lock out
Its hologram is a sticker, so we wash the cap lock by hand. We also keep the small seal rings out of the machine, mostly because they are easy to lose, and wash them in warm dishwater instead.
Load the parts securely
Put the small parts in the cutlery basket or a closed mesh bag so nothing gets lost. Run a normal cycle.
Rinse, check, and dry completely
Rinse the parts, check them for warping, softening or discoloration, and let everything dry fully before you reassemble.
🔥 Cleaning the filling chamber & screens
The filling chamber is where your herb or dosing capsule sits, with the lower screen at the bottom. This part touches your material directly, so keeping it clean has a big effect on taste. S&B's steps:
Empty and brush
Tip out the spent herb, then brush the chamber and the lower screen. Owner tip: spent herb comes out more easily while the chamber is still warm, so take care.
Swab the chamber
Clean the chamber with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl, and make sure no alcohol drips into the device. Owner tip: holding the Crafty upside down while you swab helps keep drips out.
Remove the lower screen
Press along the groove in the chamber with the Filling Chamber Tool. The screen bulges and comes out of the groove. Clean it in warm dishwater or isopropyl together with the cooling unit parts.
Reinstall it
Curve the clean lower screen slightly (or use a new one), set it in curved side up, and press it flat into the groove with the Filling Chamber Tool.
💊 Do not forget your dosing capsules
Our capsules are our own, not made by Storz & Bickel, and they are made for multiple uses. This is how we use them:
- Open and empty after each session. Tip out the spent herb and the capsule is ready to refill.
- At least a dozen uses before cleaning. That's how long ours go before residue starts to build up.
- Then swap or soak. You can soak a sticky capsule in isopropyl, rinse it and let it dry completely before refilling, but at 50 ₪ for 40 it's usually simpler to swap in a fresh one.
- Retire tired capsules. If a capsule is dented or its lid no longer seats properly, replace it.
With a 40-pack there's always a fresh capsule ready.
Always have a fresh one ready: 40 dosing capsules
Swap in a fresh capsule whenever one gets sticky. Our own capsules, made for multiple uses, food-grade aluminum, sized for the Crafty.
Shop the 40-pack →♻️ When to replace your screens
Screens wear out. S&B's Crafty+ manual says to clean the filling chamber as soon as the lower screen is clogged, and its Mighty+ and Venty manuals go further: a clogged screen must be replaced. Clean it first, then replace it when:
- It stays clogged or discolored even after a full soak.
- It is bent, torn, or no longer sits flat in its groove.
- Airflow still feels restricted with a freshly cleaned, empty Crafty.
S&B doesn't give a fixed replacement interval, and neither do we: how fast a screen clogs depends on how much and how often you vape. Keep a small stash so a clogged screen never stops you.