Am I doing something wrong?

[edyle]

I used a .5 ohm coil which is recommended at 20-30 watts. Are you saying that I am running it too high?

Yes.
Maybe it will work fine at 20 watts with that liquid.

A coil's performance will also change a bit the more it's used; always best to start low and increase gradually when you put in a new coil or change something;