Beginner's Issues part 1 of ?

[SamBeastie]

Hey, everyone.

I'm still a beginner to vaping in the sense that I still haven't settled on a system or a liquid yet, and I still smoke paper cigarettes at a rate of about a pack every 3 days. I've tried vaping as an alternative, but I've run into some problems that I think the forum might be able to help me solve.

First, I have yet to find a liquid that didn't taste awful. The menthol flavors I've tried were literally nothing but menthol (while to me, the real thing is more of a minty caramel flavor), and the tobacco flavors I've tried have just been wrong. And blatantly wrong at that. I have an NJoy King sitting next to me, and as I take a puff, I find a flavor reminiscent of just about every tobacco flavored juice I've had: chemical-y, disgustingly sweet, and lacking depth. The exception to that is Blu disposable juice, which tastes kind of nice, but nothing like an actual cigarette. I know the conventional wisdom is to buy a bunch of juice online and mix your own, but honestly, I don't have time to meticulously try new mixes long enough to stumble across one I like. Right now I can go into any corner store, gas station or smoke shop and get a pack of Marlboro No. 27's that taste exactly the way I think a cigarette should taste, and I get that flavor every single time I go in. I'd hoped that the forum could just have a recommendation for "this is the best tobacco flavor you can buy," but so far, I've seen no such answer.

The second issue I have is that the "smoke" (used here as a verbe), just isn't as satisfying. I go out for a smoke now, and I can sit on the bench or whatever and there's really something to it. The warm air fills me, the caramel flavor swirls around my mouth and nose, I exhale and I feel quite complete and comfortable. With one of these electronic smokes, I just get no satisfaction. I can draw on it and get a bunch of vapor, but it feels almost hollow in comparison. After about 15 puffs (the amount it generally takes me to finish a paper cig), I feel like I didn't smoke anything, except for an unusually dry throat, and now there's a horrible aftertaste in my mouth as well. I don't think it's the nicotine content; I don't actually get cravings. I can go an entire day easily without smoking, I just find the experience quite relaxing and fun. If nicotine were the culprit, the NJoy, I think would work fine, but even after several puffs on it, I feel no satisfaction, even though I got the high nic disposable. What am I doing wrong here, and how can I make an electronic be as satisfying as the real thing?

My last issue, I guess, is about hardware. Now, don't get me wrong, if people want to use a PV or whatever, they're welcome to do so, but for me, the only option is a cigalike. My experiences are with 4 models so far: NJoy King, Blu disposable, Blu regular and EonSmoke (KR808 rebadge). Of those, the EonSmoke was my favorite in terms of size and weight for me (though the NJoy feels so close to real I almost lit it once). I'm wondering if I should go 808 or 510 (or some other battery thread), and why I should go that direction. I'm not interested at all in PVs, tanks or any of the complex, multi-part builds. I want a cartomizer and a battery and that's it. Normally I'm very into tinkering with everything, being a huge techie on multiple levels, but in this case, I just want something I can treat like a cigarette and not have to worry about.

So for our TL;DR portion:

I want a satisfying smoke that tastes like a Marlboro No. 27 in a cigalike body without clearomizers or tanks. How do I achieve this (if I can) and what do you suggest I buy? Thanks, everyone.

**Note**

I'm not opposed to other weirder flavors, but I want my solid tobacco flavor first, since that's why I started smoking in the first place -- I like that flavor. If you do have suggestions on other stuff like a Cola flavor or fruit flavor you like, let me know, please, but realize that it'll be a secondary goal.

 

[KjAthena]

I wish I could help with some suggestions but I cant...when I first started vaping I had a ego knock off with a knock off top coil wicking tank and of course the 30mg tobacco juice they guy was mixing up...within 3 days I could not stand the tobacco taste and had switched to other flavors. I now have 3 kranger batteries 1 a 1300 mah with VV and 4 protanks and 3 evod tanks. My favorite vapes are bakery flavors, teas and other deserts. My set up is much larger than a cig-a-like, I do have tanks and coils to wash and fill and I enjoy every puff. I have not had a smoke since day three when I upgraded and started trying other flavors.

I hope you do find something that makes you happy and allows you to quit smoking if that is what you want and hope others can help with suggestions. I know that I will never go back to smoking as long as I can vape all the wonderful flavors I have found

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Hello,
It always amazes me that almost every new vaper has got to have the same taste and look and feel of a cig. I am no exception. Let me just say, if you keep vaping, your taste buds will wake up. And the majority of members now cannot stand the smell, let alone the taste. There are plenty of systems that look like a cig, but usually heavy smokers need that umph in the draw. May be why you feel like you are smoking nothing. The best 'tobacco' ejuice that I found, and believe me I looked at and bought many in my 3 yrs as a vapor, is pall mall from freedomsmokeusa.com Have a look. You can also call the vendors to speak with them to get a better idea of what it is you are buying.
Ecigs nic delivery is totally different from smoking. Most of us were looking for that 'rush' as when we smoked the real cig. Doesn't happen. The point of ecigs is to keep the cravings for the cig away. As you puff on the ecig, the nic is absorbed thru the mouth, nose and throat. I make the analogy of one drinking to get drunk. With ecigs its is like drinking a beer(takes more to get drunk). Cigs are like whiskey in that you get drunk so much faster than beer. Both will get you drunk, one just takes longer.
You have to decide if a little bit of your time is worth making the switch. I certainly can attest that it is. The more you read the more you will start to understand how it works.
You don't seem like a heavy smoker so a cig-a-like may work for you. I would try upping the nic content to see if that empty feeling goes away.
Plenty of ejuice vendors make excellent ejuice. I have already named one and I am sure many more will chime in with some of their own recommendations.
Hope that this helps a little.

And congrats on making the effort to get off stinkies.

 

[Susan W.]

First welcome to ECF. I'm confused. First you say the only option is cig-a-likes, then I think you're asking for an easy system that is better than a cig-a-like. I doubt you're going to find anything that tastes like Marlboro No. 27, though there might be something close.

 

[SamBeastie]

First welcome to ECF. I'm confused. First you say the only option is cig-a-likes, then I think you're asking for an easy system that is better than a cig-a-like. I doubt you're going to find anything that tastes like Marlboro No. 27, though there might be something close.

When did I ask for something better than a cigalike? My favorite setup so far has been the EonSmoke setup (808 battery with cartomizers). I'm wondering if someone can suggest a better threading/system for the battery, but that simplicity was what made me like those. Unfortunately the 3 batteries I had for it are gone now, so I figured if I'm going to start over, I might as well start over right by asking which system people recommend.

And that's a shame. I want a solid caramel-y tobacco flavor that reminds me of 27's (or better yet, Lucky Strikes), but so far, all the tobacco flavors I've tried to vape just taste like ..., except Blu, which really just tastes like cocoa to me.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

When did I ask for something better than a cigalike? My favorite setup so far has been the EonSmoke setup (808 battery with cartomizers). I'm wondering if someone can suggest a better threading/system for the battery, but that simplicity was what made me like those. Unfortunately the 3 batteries I had for it are gone now, so I figured if I'm going to start over, I might as well start over right by asking which system people recommend.

And that's a shame. I want a solid caramel-y tobacco flavor that reminds me of 27's (or better yet, Lucky Strikes), but so far, all the tobacco flavors I've tried to vape just taste like ..., except Blu, which really just tastes like cocoa to me.

You unknowing did by expecting more from a cig-a-like than it can perform. And also when you spoke about not being happy with the vape itself indicates that it is not strong enough.

Also there are cig like ejuice that can taste similar to the real thing, but I don't think one exists that actually tastes like one.
Sorry.

 

[rhean]

I may be misunderstanding you, but it sounds like your main objection to the battery+clearomizer is its complexity? I'm sorry if I got it wrong! If that's the case, though, I should say that a basic set up of ego battery+evod clearomizer is VERY simple. It takes around three seconds to fill up the clearomizer in the morning, and another three seconds to screw it onto the battery, and then you're set for the day. I have three batteries, one charging at home, one with the clearomizer, and one with me, in case the other runs out. I guess the most complex part would be that you have to remember to plug a battery in at night, and every two-three weeks, replace the coil on the bottom. Replacing the coil takes another three seconds; they come premade, in packs of five, and they're cheap.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that we're talking about a very simple, convenient process, simpler even than a cigarette, which involves fishing out the lighter and lighting up outside, often in inclement weather, not to mention frequent trips to the gas station for more packs lol. Many vapers enjoy more complex, more expensive stuff, but it's a choice, not a necessity. The advantage is that you will get a more substantial feel than you will with cigalikes, and (I think) your choice of flavors goes up. My only experience with a cigalike was njoy, and it was okay, but not as intense as what I have now.

 

[686clayshooter]

For me nothing fully replicates smoking real tobacco. I started with a RY4 flavor, which is a tobacco caramel and vanilla blend at 24mg. I found it very satisfying as a alternate to cigarette. I tried "gas station" ecigs in the past, I hated them, and I quickly wrote off ecigs. It wasn't until I went in a real dedicated electric cigarette store and got educated as to the difference between a njoy and blue to a refillable (nicotine amount adjustable) e cig. It was a little rough for about 3 days but definitely bearable. Now a can't stand the taste of cigarettes.

 

[madqatter]

I have yet to find a [menthol or tobacco] liquid that didn't taste awful.

I know it will sound crazy, but this might be a good reason try avoiding the "tobacco" flavors for the moment. Sounds crazy, right? Bear with me.

I'm not a vegetarian myself, but I know a lot of them. One thing I've learned from them is that they generally consider it a mistake to try replacing meat with faux-meat when transitioning to vegetarianism. If you're going to be a vegetarian, they say, jump right in and just be a vegetarian. It's easier to learn to enjoy it when you commit that way, they argue.

So what I'm proposing is this: Don't try replacing your cigarettes with faux-cigarettes. Perhaps it might be easier to learn to enjoy vaping if you embrace vaping as vaping rather than vaping as pseudo-smoking.

I can sympathize if you're finding many flavors too sweet for your tastes. I am beginning to notice a change in this, though, and you may experience something similar if you give it some time: When I first tried an NJoy King, and after that a Blu, I found them both sweet. Now, after a couple of weeks of vaping sweeter juices, Blu doesn't seem sweet to me at all, just pleasantly nutty. Veteran vapers have suggested that my sensitivity to sweetness will probably continue to decline as I continue to vape.

That being said, I do recommend trying to find a few flavors in your early rotation that aren't terribly sweet. I found one labeled "Turkish Blend," for example, that did not taste like tobacco to me but did taste like Earl Grey tea. I like Earl Grey tea and it wasn't as sweet as some of the fruit flavors. If I alternate this with the sweeter flavors, I have a more pleasurable experience. Perhaps you can find something similar-- something that doesn't taste like tobacco but does taste pleasant to you and not terribly sweet. Perhaps something along the lines of coffee, tea, or nuts.

The exception to that is Blu disposable juice, which tastes kind of nice, but nothing like an actual cigarette.

Try embracing that. If you find the Blu juice a pleasant flavor, try forgetting that it's supposed to be tobacco flavored and use that kind of juice for a while. You don't have to get a Blu system, by the way, in order to have a similar flavor. Johnson Creek makes Blu's juice, so some of Johnson Creek's own juices are supposed to be similar.

I'd hoped that the forum could just have a recommendation for "this is the best tobacco flavor you can buy," but so far, I've seen no such answer.

I think there's a variety of reasons there couldn't be, the most important being that taste is subjective. I smoked Camels (for cigs) and black cavendish (for pipe), for example, and wouldn't want a juice that tasted like Marlboros. Other folks love Marlboros and wouldn't particularly want Camel or black cavendish. When tastes differ that way, there can't really be a "best." Same goes for juices. Some people think NJoys are great for a disposable, while I preferred Blu. Some people want strawberries & cream juice, while I would prefer green tea with a hint of mint.

I can draw on it and get a bunch of vapor, but it feels almost hollow in comparison.

I understand. It is a different feeling. I think it gets better over time, though, fwiw.

for me, the only option is a cigalike.

I thought the same at first, but I've changed my mind. I think it's part of my "embrace this as vaping, not as pseudo-smoking" mentality, but it's also the fact that I find the mods so damn cool (and I don't even have one yet). Have you tried some good PVs?

Normally I'm very into tinkering with everything, being a huge techie on multiple levels, but in this case, I just want something I can treat like a cigarette and not have to worry about.

FWIW, my Evods & Mini Protanks are quite simple. I'm not really doing any tinkering, if that's what you're looking to avoid.

 

[Susan W.]

I'm sorry, I misread your post. I don't know if there are any good cig-a-like systems. All the ones I've tried were crappy and I moved to something with more power. Since taste is subjective, what I might think taste great, might not to you. The best advice is to keep trying different flavors and hopefully you'll find on that will fit your liking. Good luck.

 

[sawlight]

The RY4 juices will give you the caramel flavor you like, might be worth a try. Vapor4life Wow Boy juice really helped me turn the corner, and also check out some of the offerings myfreedomsmokes has to offer as well.
Problem is, there is no real way to get the exact taste of a cig, and part of that reason is there is no way to duplicate the carbon monoxide hit you get from a cig.

 

[SamBeastie]

I may be misunderstanding you, but it sounds like your main objection to the battery+clearomizer is its complexity? I'm sorry if I got it wrong!

You misunderstand. I like the simplicity of a cigalike. People might say a PV will be a more satisfying vape or whatever, but the thought of walking around with one of these suckers is just laughable to me. I want something the size of the a cigarette that I can vape on discreetly and comfortably exactly the same way I'd smoke a cigarette.

I know it will sound crazy, but this might be a good reason try avoiding the "tobacco" flavors for the moment. Sounds crazy, right? Bear with me. [snip]

I see what you're saying, and I guess I can be kind of down with the general idea, but the problem I'm still going to have is that I'll now have to spend a large amount of time and money on a bunch of flavors that I potentially won't even like. This is really a stumbling block for me and vaping. That and the satisfaction issue, which I still just can't figure out how to solve. It would also help if there were vape shops around me, I guess, but I've yet to find any.

But along the same line as madquatter's suggestion, are there any really good caramel-y, warm, smooth flavors that aren't designed to mimic tobacco? If I could find something suitably tasty that satisfies the feeling I get (not the head rush, that's not even a concern for me, really) when I smoke, I'd probably have no issue sticking with that. Maybe a flavor that tastes like caramel with a little chocolate and some vanilla. I don't know. Something on the savory end of dessert would be pretty nice.

 

[RedNBlack]

When did I ask for something better than a cigalike? My favorite setup so far has been the EonSmoke setup (808 battery with cartomizers). I'm wondering if someone can suggest a better threading/system for the battery, but that simplicity was what made me like those. Unfortunately the 3 batteries I had for it are gone now, so I figured if I'm going to start over, I might as well start over right by asking which system people recommend.

And that's a shame. I want a solid caramel-y tobacco flavor that reminds me of 27's (or better yet, Lucky Strikes), but so far, all the tobacco flavors I've tried to vape just taste like ..., except Blu, which really just tastes like cocoa to me.

Wait a minute, SamBeastie, your post did appear to ask for the next step in your evolution to vaping. Do not dismiss, out of hand , the wisdom these members can pass along to you.
Susan gave you the answer most of us have found from YEARS of searching....and asking for advice on this forum. Take your ... to a local Brick and Mortar store and search for a tobacco flavor, you will not find a burning cancer stick. You may find something that tastes like tobacco, smells like tobacco, but will never be a "burning cancer stick". No two people will vape the same flavor, and have the reaction to it. Just

 

[SamBeastie]

Wait a minute, SamBeastie, your post did appear to ask for the next step in your evolution to vaping. Do not dismiss, out of hand , the wisdom these members can pass along to you.
Susan gave you the answer most of us have found from YEARS of searching....and asking for advice on this forum. Take your ... to a local Brick and Mortar store and search for a tobacco flavor, you will not find a burning cancer stick. You may find something that tastes like tobacco, smells like tobacco, but will never be a "burning cancer stick". No two people will vape the same flavor, and have the reaction to it. Just

Ah, then we weren't quite on the same page. I have no desire to "step up" to a complex PV setup with clearomizers and dual coil tanks and all that other stuff. For me, it'd be inconvenient to deal with all that, plus the sheer size of such systems is impractical. My battery question was more about whether I should go 808, 901, 510, eGo, etc. As I said, almost all my experience with non-disposable vapes has been with the 808, which I enjoyed to some degree, just found the flavor selection to be less than ideal.

And seriously, I'd love to go to a brick and mortar, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any in my immediate area. I'm still looking.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Ah, then we weren't quite on the same page. I have no desire to "step up" to a complex PV setup with clearomizers and dual coil tanks and all that other stuff. For me, it'd be inconvenient to deal with all that, plus the sheer size of such systems is impractical. My battery question was more about whether I should go 808, 901, 510, eGo, etc. As I said, almost all my experience with non-disposable vapes has been with the 808, which I enjoyed to some degree, just found the flavor selection to be less than ideal.

And seriously, I'd love to go to a brick and mortar, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any in my immediate area. I'm still looking.

Electric Cigarette | Eliquid | Supplies | Electronic Cigarette | Ejuice | Vapor Search USA

and for 808 ecigs and cartos Vapor4life has a hugh selection.

 

[Cactus Breath]

But along the same line as madquatter's suggestion, are there any really good caramel-y, warm, smooth flavors that aren't designed to mimic tobacco? If I could find something suitably tasty that satisfies the feeling I get (not the head rush, that's not even a concern for me, really) when I smoke, I'd probably have no issue sticking with that. Maybe a flavor that tastes like caramel with a little chocolate and some vanilla. I don't know. Something on the savory end of dessert would be pretty nice.

Sam - I can't help you with the cigalike devices because I tried them and found them extremely frustrating....if the battery wasn't going dead, the cartomizer was running dry, and I really only got a pleasurable experience from them with a fresh battery and brand new carto.

As far as the juices - a great one that pretty much hits the bases you asked for above is Creme Brulee from Nicoticket:http://www.nicoticket.com/creme-brulee/. His "Custard's Last Stand" is a very similar flavor, just without the caramel. Both are very tasty and at 50/50 PG/VG, they provide nice thick, creamy vapor. He also has a naturally extracted tobacco flavor called H1N1 which is quickly gaining popularity. Read the description on the product page and see if it might be up the alley of what you're looking for.

If you're looking for tobacco flavors, here's the thread for you: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-liquid-discussion/274904-natural-tobaccos.html - it's a very lengthy thread, but there are a lot of people in there who are very knowledgeable about tobacco vapes. Not tobacco *flavored* vapes, but juices that have actual tobacco extracts in them. (NET = Naturally Extracted Tobacco). Hopefully those two suggestions will get you pointed in the right direction for e-juice - and hopefully somebody else will come along that can help you with the equipment end of things. The cigalikes are just a difficult bird because battery technology hasn't yet progressed to the point where you can get adequate battery life in such a small form factor, and the tiny cartomizers they use don't convey taste as well as other devices. Best of luck to you!

 

[madqatter]

the thought of walking around with one of these suckers is just laughable to me. I want something the size of the a cigarette that I can vape on discreetly and comfortably exactly the same way I'd smoke a cigarette.

My Evod on the 650 mAh battery it came with is only a centimeter-and-a-half longer than a disposable Blu, and on a 350 mAh it would be shorter than the Blu. The Evod & battery are 5mm larger in diameter, but that's really not much. It's basically like carrying a petit corona-sized cigar, except that it can be transported in two pieces.

now have to spend a large amount of time and money on a bunch of flavors that I potentially won't even like.

I strongly recommend looking for vape shops (or smoke shops that carry vape juice) in your area. If there are any good ones-- and I do understand there may not be-- they will let you sample juices before buying.

If you can't find something that way, look for online shops that do sample sizes. Johnson Creek, a previously mentioned example, has some 5ml sample bottles of Red Oak Domestic, Red Oak Silverthorn, regular & Red Oak Tennessee Cured, and regular JC Original, as well as Marcado (clove) and a couple of menthol flavors.

Veterans may have some other recommendations as well.

 

[rhean]

I am sorry for the misunderstanding I find the Evod/Ego combo extraordinarily simple and convenient, but those terms are very subjective.

Here's a long discussion from this forum on RY4, a tobacco flavor with hints of caramel and vanilla http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...s/193327-really-big-ry4-roundup-long-468.html They started back in 2011, and they're still going at it.

 

[SamBeastie]

Sam - I can't help you with the cigalike devices because I tried them and found them extremely frustrating....if the battery wasn't going dead, the cartomizer was running dry, and I really only got a pleasurable experience from them with a fresh battery and brand new carto.

As far as the juices - a great one that pretty much hits the bases you asked for above is Creme Brulee from Nicoticket:http://www.nicoticket.com/creme-brulee/. His "Custard's Last Stand" is a very similar flavor, just without the caramel. Both are very tasty and at 50/50 PG/VG, they provide nice thick, creamy vapor. He also has a naturally extracted tobacco flavor called H1N1 which is quickly gaining popularity. Read the description on the product page and see if it might be up the alley of what you're looking for.

If you're looking for tobacco flavors, here's the thread for you: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-liquid-discussion/274904-natural-tobaccos.html - it's a very lengthy thread, but there are a lot of people in there who are very knowledgeable about tobacco vapes. Not tobacco *flavored* vapes, but juices that have actual tobacco extracts in them. (NET = Naturally Extracted Tobacco). Hopefully those two suggestions will get you pointed in the right direction for e-juice - and hopefully somebody else will come along that can help you with the equipment end of things. The cigalikes are just a difficult bird because battery technology hasn't yet progressed to the point where you can get adequate battery life in such a small form factor, and the tiny cartomizers they use don't convey taste as well as other devices. Best of luck to you!

That actually sounds really good. The smallest it looks like I can get is 15 ml, but for the cost of two packs of smokes, I guess I could deal with that.

As far as the evod setup, I'm sure it works well for you, but something the size of a cigar that looks like that does will draw attention, which is something I don't want. It also just sounds too huge to fit in my watch pocket (that little pocket on the right side of your jeans, above the main pocket), which is where I've been keeping my disposables, and where I traditionally keep my Zippo.

I'm not looking for a lot of mods or accessories. Really, what I'd like is a system that has cheap empty cartomizers and a decent battery life. The battery life on the EonSmoke was perfectly reasonable for me. I had one battery for daytime, and one for after hours, and I never found myself running out of power when I really wanted a smoke. Whichever system has the cheapest carts, though, is probably the one I'd go with.

Also, are the Cola flavors generally any good? I do think it'd be really cool to just whip out some coke flavor whenever I feel like.

 

[pianman6954]

As for the flavor, your likely never going to find it spot on with nearly anything, I think nearly most of us here understand that and have moved on to our own personal tastes and as mentioned before found it eventually a little easier with time to wave goodbye to the tobacco flavor and learned to enjoy the huge palette of other flavors. Your more likely to find an accurate pipe blend flavor than a spot on Blend 27 flavor. As for 808 style batteries, those can work, if you can find one that lasts more than 10 minutes on charge or buy literally twenty of them.