This is a great thread. I just finished reading the whole thing. So much information...you are all awesome
I mostly seem to be getting good results with the UC but there is always a strange smell and sometimes an associated taste to my juices after about an hour. It smells rubbery almost, or partially burnt. This happens with and without the heating element of the UC turned on and I've kept my water below 120 degrees (that was before reading the whole thread and I will do just at or below 150 from now on). I noticed someone else mentioned this recently but have otherwise seen no mention.
It could just be how eliquid smells when it is warmed for a while. But do any of you who have been doing this for some time ever noticed that? Doesn't matter the flavor - tobacco, cream, waffle, fruit - same smell. I use quality amber glass bottles, caps on, rests in between 30 minute cycles, and on average do 2-5 hours in total for a juice. The juices do not exhibit this smell until about an hour of UC.
Ive been uncapping the bottles immediately after the UC and letting them breathe until cool, which sometimes gets rid of the smell and other times not. A few juices, I sort of taste it. One in particular I'd call unvapable (though to be fair that could be the recipe since I've never tried it otherwise, but - the taste is similar to the smell). That bottle, I had not uncapped after UC, and the next day the smell was horrid. Never went away. The flavorings in that recipe are not alcohol based, and do not need to breathe if not UC'd.
BTW my UC works great. It passes the foil test with flying colors.
Overall I like it and it's done wonders for some tobaccos in particular. I may try the croc pot method soon to see if I still get that smell.