Adding VG: weird taste

[KurtVD]

I'm having a hard time finding juices that I like, because I'm sensitive to PG (the juice shouldn't have more than 30%, less is better). I'm picky, so I don't want to order, and the local shops have very few high VG juices in stock. So far, after 6 months of vaping, I only found 2 high VG juices that I liked, everything else I bought I trashed after half a day.
So I bought a bottle of VG and thought I could buy 50/50 juices that I like and mix them to a higher VG percentage myself. I've been testing this with 2 juices, and it kind of works, the taste is just as good (I'm mixing 1 part juice and 2 parts VG, to make it really high VG). However, usually after a few hours of vaping, I start getting a disgusting, weird, bitter taste. At first I wasn't sure if it was because of the juice, because it also gunked up the coil, but after having changed the coil and juice, I got the exact same taste again. So now I'm quite sure that it was because of the juice, and it only happened with the two juices that were mixed with a lot of VG. I'm vaping at around 35W, with an RDA and an RTA, different coils.
Any explanation for this?

 

[Zaryk]

You can dilute the flavor and nic strength if you are adding a lot of VG, and a good juice can turn kind of nasty at the wrong flavor concentrations.

Where are you getting the VG? This can be a big factor on flavor if it isn't USP grade.

You would probably benefit the most from making your own juice. It is not hard to do at all, and you would be in full control of all aspects of the juice (nic strength, vg/pg ratio, flavor strength, ect).

 

[Jebbn]

I vape only vG and distilled water, there is no "disgusting, weird, bitter taste"
With nic included its just kinda peppery and a bit sweet.

 

[KurtVD]

Where are you getting the VG? This can be a big factor on flavor if it isn't USP grade.

You would probably benefit the most from making your own juice.

The VG should be fine, it’s from a vape shop that sells home juices.
True, I probably should be looking into making my own juices, see if pg-free juices are the best choice. As with everything, it’s all about getting started...

I vape only vG and distilled water,

I wanted to try and vape pure VG since I have this bottle of VG at home (it even has some nicotine), but for some reason I haven’t done it yet. Do you add water just to make it a little thinner? And why distilled water? What if I don’t add water, or tap water?

 

[Jebbn]

I use 7-10% distilled water(DW).
I dont know whats in your tap water, I dont like the idea of vaping ours
I have vaped just vg, it tastes okay but with my style of vaping even at lower watts, shallow short draws etc a dry hit always feels like its a near thing.
DW is really cheap.
I cant really vape PG at any level, or too many flavours either. It sucks. My options are limited. On the upside, I guess Im inhaling fewer chemicals etc, coils last for a long time and my juice cost $2 a week.
Downside is there are no taste sensation surprises, ever.

What makes me laugh about it all is I smoked tobacco for 42yrs and in all that time inhaling all the crap in them I never broke out in any rash's and never once blew my sinus's out. I take up vaping and quit smoking for a few months and all of a sudden I have some sort of sensitivity to products that I had been inhaling in cigarettes for decades!!!
Crazy mixed up world

 

[KurtVD]

I use 7-10% distilled water(DW).
I dont know whats in your tap water, I dont like the idea of vaping ours
I have vaped just vg, it tastes okay but with my style of vaping even at lower watts, shallow short draws etc a dry hit always feels like its a near thing.
DW is really cheap.
I cant really vape PG at any level, or too many flavours either. It sucks. My options are limited. On the upside, I guess Im inhaling fewer chemicals etc, coils last for a long time and my juice cost $2 a week.
Downside is there are no taste sensation surprises, ever.

What makes me laugh about it all is I smoked tobacco for 42yrs and in all that time inhaling all the crap in them I never broke out in any rash's and never once blew my sinus's out. I take up vaping and quit smoking for a few months and all of a sudden I have some sort of sensitivity to products that I had been inhaling in cigarettes for decades!!!
Crazy mixed up world

Hahaha that is true!

Thanks for the explanation. Have you looked into adding a little flavor? I think this is what I’m going to do this week.

 

[Vchick]

I either add a few drops of distilled water to my vg to thin it a bit before adding, or take the bottle once mixed and drop it in a hot water bath, then shake, shake and shake some more. Then be sure you shake it well before using

 

[Jebbn]

Hahaha that is true!

Thanks for the explanation. Have you looked into adding a little flavor? I think this is what I’m going to do this week.

Yes I have tried various flavour concentrates from different companies, some mixed in pg and some mixed in vg. No real success except menthol from any company.
There is a company in NZ that sells some premade juice that I can vape a bit of it before my forehead and cheeks become all ruddy and bumpy. I do dilute it to the point of just a hint of taste sometimes with my own DIY unflavoured and it works okay without too much if any rash occurring.
I know Ive sort of lamented the fact that I cant really vape flavours but really after a while of vaping flavourless most flavours have very little appeal. You kinda get used to the "flavour" of flavourless and anything else seems a bit yuck or "too much"

 

[KurtVD]

Yes I have tried various flavour concentrates from different companies, some mixed in pg and some mixed in vg. No real success except menthol from any company.
There is a company in NZ that sells some premade juice that I can vape a bit of it before my forehead and cheeks become all ruddy and bumpy. I do dilute it to the point of just a hint of taste sometimes with my own DIY unflavoured and it works okay without too much if any rash occurring.
I know Ive sort of lamented the fact that I cant really vape flavours but really after a while of vaping flavourless most flavours have very little appeal. You kinda get used to the "flavour" of flavourless and anything else seems a bit yuck or "too much"

Well, thanks to you I’ve started vaping pure VG this afternoon, I want to see if that’s something for me

 

[Jebbn]

Well, thanks to you I’ve started vaping pure VG this afternoon, I want to see if that’s something for me

It will be interesting to read your opinions of it. Some people get to really like it and others not so much.
What I shouldve also mentioned is that I am predominantly a MTL, low watt higher ohm sort of vaper. Some one who DL's at higher watts might not find the same enjoyment in it, I dont know.

 

[KurtVD]

It will be interesting to read your opinions of it. Some people get to really like it and others not so much.
What I shouldve also mentioned is that I am predominantly a MTL, low watt higher ohm sort of vaper. Some one who DL's at higher watts might not find the same enjoyment in it, I dont know.

So far (about 1.5 hrs in) I like it. I don’t know if 35 Watts is considered low Watts, but that’s what I usually use, I left it at the same setting, resistance is 0.95. Something I noticed is that the vapor feels (or is?) hotter than before, with the 70/30 juice. I vape with temperature control activated, and I had to lower it from 225C to 200C, because it was too hot.

 

[Jebbn]

So far (about 1.5 hrs in) I like it. I don’t know if 35 Watts is considered low Watts, but that’s what I usually use, I left it at the same setting, resistance is 0.95. Something I noticed is that the vapor feels (or is?) hotter than before, with the 70/30 juice. I vape with temperature control activated, and I had to lower it from 225C to 200C, because it was too hot.

Did you add a little DW,or even a little tap water to the mix?
Just a few drops like @Vchick suggested. It helps with wicking and brings the temperature down.

 

[KurtVD]

Did you add a little DW,or even a little tap water to the mix?
Just a few drops like @Vchick suggested. It helps with wicking and brings the temperature down.

Yes, some tap water (which is very clean here), but I don’t know which proportion: I added a couple of drops directly into the squonk bottle, which was about half full. Maybe 2 drops wasn’t enough...

 

[Jebbn]

Yes, some tap water (which is very clean here), but I don’t know which proportion: I added a couple of drops directly into the squonk bottle, which was about half full. Maybe 2 drops wasn’t enough...

You can always add a drop at a time until you find your right spot I suppose. Too much water and it starts to get more peppery and thinner vapour.
Is there the disgusting weird bitter taste like you described in your OP?

 

[stols001]

Well, that may tell you if your VG is "good" or not. I could see kind of harsh chemical notes emerging with a flavored eliquid diluted by 2/3, and again, this may somehow be related to wattage.

When I was vaping close to max VG, a little distilled water did not go amiss.

Anna

 

[KurtVD]

You can always add a drop at a time until you find your right spot I suppose. Too much water and it starts to get more peppery and thinner vapour.
Is there the disgusting weird bitter taste like you described in your OP?

Not at all, no throat hit either (which was another thing about it, it was bitter and produced a harsh throat hit). I really wonder where that came from...

 

[Jebbn]

Not at all, no throat hit either (which was another thing about it, it was bitter and produced a harsh throat hit). I really wonder where that came from...

Oh yeah! I also shouldve mentioned VG has no throat hit.
Interesting, couldve been what @stols001 mentioned regarding diluting the flavoured juice.

 

[KurtVD]

Oh yeah! I also shouldve mentioned VG has no throat hit.
Interesting, couldve been what @stols001 mentioned regarding diluting the flavoured juice.

Yes, I didn’t quite understand that though, but I know nothing about chemistry. In simplest terms, not all flavors can be mixed into high VG juices, or you might get unexpected reactions (and flavors), is that right?

P.S. Because it definitely seems that it wasn’t my VG: It still has no weird or bitter taste and I feel fine and have none of the symptoms I usually have.

 

[Jebbn]

Yes, I didn’t quite understand that though, but I know nothing about chemistry. In simplest terms, not all flavors can be mixed into high VG juices, or you might get unexpected reactions (and flavors), is that right?

P.S. Because it definitely seems that it wasn’t my VG: It still has no weird or bitter taste and I feel fine and have none of the symptoms I usually have.

I think its more to do with the flavouring percentages being changed down. A flavour concentrate at say 10% can have altogether different attributes taste wise to the same flavour concentrate at say 3%.
Hopefully someone with more knowledge than I have on mixing flavours will answer your question. Im curious as well

 

[KurtVD]

So I've been vaping VG for a couple of days, and I think I've found a compromise: I mix it with a little water, plus about 10 percent (or even less, really just a little) of one of the two juices I have. That way I'm vaping VG with just a hint of flavour, and that makes it much more 'interesting' than just pure VG.