Ah Man It Just Tastes Bad!

[Caterpiller]

I've only been vaping for a little over 3 weeks. It was fantastic at first, and I'm still committed to vaping and giving up the stinkies, but something has gone horribly wrong and my juice just tastes bad!

I'm alternating between two identical iStick 20W's, running them both on between 6.8 and 7.4W, while inter-changing four identical Nautilus Mini's.

I'm only using either Five Pawns Castle Long or Five Pawns Gambit. Although the day it all went wrong I did try Suicide Bunny's Madrini (I suspect this has nothing to do with it as I only vaped it for five minutes).

I'm using stock and official Aspire BVC's, reading between 1.7 and 1.9 ohms.

At first the flavours were fantastic, rich rum and coconut from the Castle Long, and sweet apple pie and custard from the Gambit. I stocked up and have several bottles of each.

But about a week ago I stopped really noticing the flavours. Then the flavours disappeared all together. Now a few days later, it just tastes bad. Not awful, or really burnt, but not good, and a little bit off, and with a hint of analogs!

All the good flavours have just gone. I can't explain how upsetting this is.

I've got through 10 BVC's in the last two days trying to fix it.

I've opened new bottles of Five Pawns, in case my juice had gone off.

I've read about vapers tounge but can't believe it's that - foods still taste great and much better than when I was on the analogs.

Any idea's?

Again this might be a red herring, but now that I'm cleaning my mini's out every day and trying to get the flavour back, I've noticed a black residue when I push tissue paper through the inside of the drip tip. I'm sure that wasn't forming the first week I was vaping. Anyone else get this.

Very confused.

Seriously P@$# Off.

 

[Ca Ike]

Partly Vapers tongue and partly coil related. Be sure your priming the coils properly. Also find a juice you like that's very different than your usual flavors to help the vape tongue. Coffee flavors can help

 

[Robovap3r]

Flavour disappearing does sound like vapours tongue, I've had it myself and could still taste food and drink, it's the subtle flavours in the vapour that your senses aren't getting versus eating/drinking which literally coats the receptors. However, it also sounds liek you've burned your wicks, especially if you're getting brown/black gunk coming out from cleaning. Have you been properly priming your coils after every clean and when you put in a new one?

 

[Mrs C]

Quite possible it's vapors tongue. Try adding a slice of of citrus fruit to your water for a bit it will help cleans and wake up your taste buds.

Or it may just be the normal changes to your taste buds as they heal from the abuse of smoking. There are several juices that I loved when I first started vaping that make me gag now.

 

[beez0527]

If you have stopped the stinkies it could be that you are getting your taste buds back it happened when i 1st stopped all of the sudden the flavor i had been using tasted terrible so i switch to something with a totally different profile and it was night and day. Good luck and stay committed.

 

[Caterpiller]

Partly Vapers tongue and partly coil related. Be sure your priming the coils properly. Also find a juice you like that's very different than your usual flavors to help the vape tongue. Coffee flavors can help

Thanks for the advice. How do you prime the coils? I'm just letting them sit for five minutes after refilling the juice, then I vape away. Sounds like I might be missing something?

 

[dhood]

You might want to get some unflavored juice and vape that for a bit. It's cheaper than flavored juice and it's actually pretty enjoyable. Takes the edge off while you're waiting for your taste buds to kick back in.

 

[Caterpiller]

Flavour disappearing does sound like vapours tongue, I've had it myself and could still taste food and drink, it's the subtle flavours in the vapour that your senses aren't getting versus eating/drinking which literally coats the receptors. However, it also sounds liek you've burned your wicks, especially if you're getting brown/black gunk coming out from cleaning. Have you been properly priming your coils after every clean and when you put in a new one?

Yes, the taste I'm getting makes me think I might of burnt my wicks, but I can't see how. I'm running 1.8 ohm BVC's at just 6.8 to 7.4 watts, using just 3.4 to 3.5 volts. I thought this was a really low setting?

 

[Sir2fyablyNutz]

I'd have to agree with the vapors tongue. Are you drinking lots of fluids? I kept a cheap tank filled with a strong flavor like a menthol/mint and used it as a palate cleanser, just to wake my taste buds up. When I got to where nothing was working I would hit that and it seemed to do the trick. Good luck.

 

[wesson]

I agree with what everyone said about vapors tongue. Same thing happened to me with both Castle Long and Gambit, specifically. I enjoyed both when I first received them, then a day later couldn't stand the flavour. Almost nauseating. Now, I'll grab some every once in a while, for a change, and really like them. But, for me, not an all day, or go-to vape. The burnt taste that you're getting could very well be you damaging your coils. One good dry hit or burn will ruin the coil for good. You'll never really get rid of the taste. Although the PG/VG ratio for Five Pawns e-liquid is proprietary, they look and vape like a higher VG juice, so they tend to have a thicker viscosity. I too have five Nautilus Minis and when I fill up the tank (with a fresh coil), I'll let the tank sit upright for at least 10 mins to give the cotton a chance to wick. After that I'll even take a couple of pulls, closing off the airflow, without firing my device. Then I'll start vaping at a really low wattage, five or six, to make a "test" vape. If all is good, I'll crank the wattage to nine or ten and happily vape away.

One thing that I forgot to mention - the new all cotton Aspire coils may be exasperating your burnt taste issue. As a combination of cotton and other wicking material, the older coils may have been a bit more forgiving as it relates to wick burning issues.

 

[Baditude]

I've been vaping for 3 years, and I still occasionally get vaper's tongue. Luckily it only lasts a couple of days for me. When it strikes, I vape my least favorite flavors or some straight Vg from over-the-counter Walmart. I've not found much that really accelerates improvement.

Also a big fan of Castle Long.

 

[andrew1030]

Same here sometimes, though on a different setup. I just close the air holes for a tighter draw & play with the power until the flavor is back somewhat.
It usually happens with more complex flavors. Five Pawns / Halo / Mountain Oak, things with tobacco bases, etc.
The more straightforwards ones with strong presence, things like watermelon or mango mint won't be so bad.
Juices that are minty or frosty may help. I find that no matter how much the flavors die down, the chiller effect is always there...

 

[FeelinFoggy]

Yes, the taste I'm getting makes me think I might of burnt my wicks, but I can't see how. I'm running 1.8 ohm BVC's at just 6.8 to 7.4 watts, using just 3.4 to 3.5 volts. I thought this was a really low setting?

The Istick 20w is an overpowered device. I run my Nautilus mini's at 5.8 to 6.0w anything over that and I get a burnt taste pretty quickly. But at my settings I get at least a week out of a coil. Hope this helps.

 

[Caterpiller]

Big Bump to say thank you.

This forum has been a massive help. So I've now learnt to prime my coils and to keep a slight negative air pressure in the tank.
Never thought I'd need to learn about fluid dynamics and ohms law to vape, but it really does help. Thank you.

The upshot of this is with a new set of primed coils in my mini's I've now got some flavour back. About 60% I'd say, so I put the rest down to vapers tounge, but I'm feeling a lot more positive about my vaping thanks to your help.

P.S. The new forum software is great, works much better on my blackberry now!

 

[Vince159]

I don't like five pawns. I thought I did in the beginning, then I got a sampler and, I'm sorry to say, I thought the flavors got worse the more I vaped them. I have no idea why.

 

[AngelicEmbers]

This has happened to me before, i kept vaping my all day vape which i used to love and after a week or 2 i could hardly taste it or it tasted weird. Try switching up brands or flavors more often.

 

[57chilicat]

Time for a Zotz! Really helps with that vapers tongue!

 

[Grendel6.5]

I've read in several threads about vapors tongue that mixing a tablespoon or two of applecider vinegar and water brings back the flavor. Some use it as a mouthwash, others drink it after they slosh it around in their mouth. They say drinking it also fights kidney stones.