Bad Taste with Vaping

[angelique510]

I just got my firt e-cig three days ago. I got a dozen different flavors of juice to try with it and have more on the way. The juices smell wonderful, and tasting a drop off my fingertip, they taste great too.

When vaping, there is a bad taste. I get this horrid undertaste (is that a word?) It is like burning electronics, or the smell of soldering. I have cleaned my attys with alcohol several times. Between cleaning and almost constant use for three days, I don't think there could be any primer left on them.

The only way I can avoid this is to use one of the very strong flavors like clove, cherry or licorice, But I don't want to vape those all the time. And I want to enjoy the subtler flavors I have like honey and cotton candy.

Does a e-cig itself have a flavor? Could it be the PG? I really want to love vaping, but can't get past this icky taste.

Please help.

~A

 

[doots]

Hi
It would help to know what device are you using and what type attys?

 

[Dredbull]

Hmm sounds like you could be running low on the juice atty getting dry or running hot and burning cart filler.

Maybe try and put the atty to the side and go on the another and drip?

 

[happily]

cleaning will dry the wick and make it taste burnt..........clove and licorice are not really good to mix with others as well.

 

[raddiver]

I would think that after 3 days you'd be through the factory primer.
For me the primer is a plastic taste. obviously everyones tastebuds will vary.

I semi agree with dred. if you're using a pv that is not a cartomizer style, is the cart material staying wet? have you tried a cart without the material, and just drip on the bridge?
If you hear/feel a gurgling, when you're vaping, then running dry wouldnt be the case.

I found that if i have a burnt taste(or wierd residual tastes for that matter) with my atty, 8/10 times, its old juice starting to build up. Pop it out, blow on it from the battery end with a paper towel or toilet paper over the bridge end.
And some NASTY stuff comes out. Then im good to go for another day or two.
The tastes are much clearer and lighter after that.

-RAD

 

[Michelle M]

If you're using a 510, be sure you don't have a few stray "hairs" sticking to the atomizer and frying along with your juice. Just one or two can leave a dreadful taste.

Another thing.

I've found a number of juices with fancy flavors and good smell that have icky aftertaste. I've gotten where I really just order from a select few trusted juice places (NHaler, for example... Johnson Creek is also really reliable, though some seem to think less of it since a recent formula change). Bottom line, a variety of exciting flavors doesn't guarantee much when it comes to taste.

Another thing to try is to make a tea bag mod and use it instead of a poly filter. It seems to lend a more "neutral" taste to the juice.

I personally got tired of all of it and decided on a KR808 and haven't looked back. But my experience was a day or two to break in a new atomizer for maximum flavor. Also, slower draws than you would take on a cigarette, because it cannot wick as fast as a cigarette would draw and you have to give it time to keep up.

 

[Debra]

On my first few days with my 901, I totally underestimated how quickly the cart filler dries out.. at least the top part of it. If you haven't already adopted the straw mod, do so. It will help tons! Keep the filler near the atty (it has to make contact with the wick to work properly,) and keep it wet, even if you have to top off constantly. Also, if you don't have something to use as a straw right now, try direct dripping until you do.

 

[Luv2CUSmile]

Hey Angelique, my husbands Sidesho is kind of the same- it doesn't bother him but I can taste it... & we have had ours 3 weeks... I changed to using Fluval and it works great in my 401 (I never had the yuck taste in my 401 but wicking is killer cool now even better than before) His, I am going to try the PTB mod- Fluval worked better than the reg cart filler cuz it was always gettin stuck on the atty and he would be losing vape but his cart would be more than half full... I am going to see if the PTB mod will help to wick up anymore liquid than he can get now... I think that may help- he can only get a cig or two worth of vaping and start getting the taste (as if cart is dry and he is vaping primer or dry atty webbing)... We will see how that helps- otherwise I am beginning to think it is the way Sidesho works... Do you notice when you vape that you can't vape the entire cart... like half the liquid is there but isn't wicking up the filler to reach the atty? This is all I can think it can be... & yeah it is a distinctive metal taste to me too... Even after the stronger flavors I taste it... I just tell him to keep topping off- so he does...

 

[Scottbee]

I'm guessing that you have a SideSho (although your nick almost had me thinking you were a 510 user).

I don't have a SideSho.. but I think I know how it is put together and works. If you have a mouthpiece that doesn't have a cartridge in it (shipping mouthpiece), then use that. If not, either take the cartridge or the filler out of your mouthpiece. Put three drops of e-liquid directly on the tip of the atty bridge. Put the mouthpiece on and vape a few hits. You should get good vapor... and hopefully no bad taste.

If you get the bad taste.. then the problem is either in your liquid.. or inherent in your atty.

Doesn't solve the problem.. but helps to narrow it down.

 

[angelique510]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Yes, I am using a Sidesho. My nick is my name and my birthday, May 10th. I have juices from Modern Vapor, My Freedom Smokes and DIY Flavorshack.

I changed the filler in the cart to natural wool, and I will go to Petsmart tomorrow and get some fluval.

I also have a 902, which doesn't have the problem as badly. But no working battery for at at the moment. I think part of the bad taste is some of tobacco flavored juice that I first tried, and maybe some is still on the atty. I will blow it out real well and then try direct dripping.

I do hope I don't have to drip all the time, that would be a pain in the ..... Especially when I am out and about.

I'm going to give the straw mod a try too, but the cart is so tiny, I'll have a hard time getting it in there.

Thaks again,
~A

 

[Scottbee]

Same birthday as my daughter...

The dripping is just a test. That will help you determine where the actual problem lies. Once you've done the test.... you can figure out what really needs to be fixed.

 

[Scottbee]

Just an FYI: I have a Revolver... and while it is not identical to the SideSho, I believe the cart configuration is similar... both in size and function.

To-date, the best results that I have gotten with the Revolver have been with the PTB (shredded atty end). Took a bit of time to find the right amount of PTB to use.... but now it is working pretty good.

 

[Luv2CUSmile]

Good Advice Scottbee! Thx- I chalked it up to the way the Sidesho works but I will try this as well...

 

[angelique510]

Let me know how it works out for you, Luv. There are some detailed directions for a PTB mod in the "caps" thread on Modern Vapor's part of the forum.

I'm going to go try it.

~A

 

[Angela]

Just something that no-one else has mentined: don't over-clean your attys with alcohol either.... the alcohol can taste nasty when vaped as well

 

[angelique510]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have tried several, and I think I am happy now.

I have discovered that I like the 902 much better than the sidesho. It has larger carts and I don't have to fiddle with a paperclip to see if they are dry. I also think that part of the taste might actually be a sidsho thing. Maybe it burns hotter, or just goes through juice faster.

The PTB mod didn't work well for me at all, even after several sessions of fiddling with it. Three quarters of the liquid was still left in the cart. I tried natural wool, which was better, but gets matted down away from the atty very easily. I got fluval today, which was the best. It stays fluffy and I can use most of the juice in the cart. It is also easier to get the exact right amount. Adding the straw mod to it made it even better.

I also realized that I vape a lot and fast - like every other breath. I found that if I put the PV down and come up for air occasionally, it gives the atty a chance to cool and the liquid a chance to wick down. That may have been the reason I was only getting two or three good hits before I got the burnt taste.

So - 1) use 902 for more juice capacity 2) fill carts with fluval with a straw mod and 3) don't vape so fast.

Thank you so much. Without the support of the form, I think I would have thrown my e-cig away and gone back to analogs.

Be well,
~A

 

[Bandit]

The SideSho draws a lot easier than the 902, so take a short primer puff, then a slowwwww easy long draw. You'll find it will reduce the harsh taste you're getting and prevent you from taking in the vapor faster than the atty can vaporize the liquid.

Some juices do indeed linger as you noted above. Strong flavors like RY4 and Clove will stay almost forever. So when vaping something particularly strong in flavor, dedicate one cart and one atty o that one flavor. I have to do this with Dawn's Red Hots, many experience this with clove as well.

BTW: You do not need to use the paper clip method to top off a SideSho cart actually. The inner cart is so tall that you can just drip right in there without worry.

 

[solaar]

Here's a trivial one which works for me. Keep the e-cig always vertically, cart up, when you put it away.