Different silica=different taste?

[Rickb119]

When I first started rebuilding my PT heads I used silica and had ordered from a few different places. Shortly after, I discovered cotton and have been very happy with it. Recently I decided to build some micro coils for my sister using the silica. I built a few using the 3 different sourced silica and found that they all vaped/tasted different. One was so muted that I could hardly taste anything. One tasted almost as good as my cotton. My problem is, I can't remember where I got them all from. So, for all you silica users, what do you prefer and where do you get it? I'm looking for regular silica cord and not the ecowool as I use a bead needle to thread strands of it into the coil.

Thanks

 

[Alter]

I got my ekowool from a Facebook coop and its russian, there is knockoff wool out there so be sure of where your source is getting it from, cause the Chinese wool is mighty crappy. I only use silica for flavor wicks for my protank builds and through some research found a place in the UK that sells good silica but don't know about their ekowool.
I was happy with their silica, it feels silky and looks much better than the silica I bought from a vendor months ago.
Ekowool and Silica Wick

 

[crxess]

I'm still waiting for someone to explain how Silica can Mute Flavor.
Silica, like Cotton, Hemp, Polyester, Stainless or what ever, is a carrier(wick). Once saturated it is simply delivering Flavored or unflavored e-liquid to the Coil.
Efficiency may be all over the board in terms of wicking ability(keeping up) but the coil Delivers the Vapor and Flavor.

 

[Rickb119]

I'm still waiting for someone to explain how Silica can Mute Flavor.
Silica, like Cotton, Hemp, Polyester, Stainless or what ever, is a carrier(wick). Once saturated it is simply delivering Flavored or unflavored e-liquid to the Coil.
Efficiency may be all over the board in terms of wicking ability(keeping up) but the coil Delivers the Vapor and Flavor.

My first thought was that of a quote I heard somewhere. "Who ya gonna believe, me our your lying eyes (or taste buds in this case).

So, if the efficiency/wicking ability/keeping up is poor, the vapor and flavor is ............................?

 

[Jazzman]

I have found that I need to torch silica before installing (or torch the silica in the coil before installing the coil in the head or atty). This gets rid of the funk taste of the first 10 or so toots of a rebuild and makes it wick much, much better. After threading the silica through a micro coil I torch for 10 second or so. The silica gets much less pliable (almost hard), but after fanning out the ends on either side of the coil it is much softer than the pre-torched silica and wicks juice much better. My builds never get enough juice flow for a good vape if I don't do this, and the flavor is great from the first vape.

YMMV, but this works well for me.

 

[TheReign]

Never tried silica,,,, Cuz Cotten Esss SO Gewwwd

 

[ScottP]

I'm still waiting for someone to explain how Silica can Mute Flavor.
Silica, like Cotton, Hemp, Polyester, Stainless or what ever, is a carrier(wick). Once saturated it is simply delivering Flavored or unflavored e-liquid to the Coil.
Efficiency may be all over the board in terms of wicking ability(keeping up) but the coil Delivers the Vapor and Flavor.

I think you already answered that question. Wicking efficiency all over the board. It could also have something to do with the density of the fibers that can trap the molecules from the flavoring and only allowing the actual PG/VG molecules to vaporize. Cotton being less dense may allow better vaporization of the actual flavor molecules over silica. It also explains why a loose bed of cotton seems to be the popular build for drippers. This theory would also even explain why many people swear by mesh wicks in Genesis RBA's since it is even less dense than cotton and really allows the full fluid, flavor and all, to be vaporized.

In the BCC world, to me anyway, "flavor" wicks seem to be the biggest culprit. It's like they actually absorb some of the flavor as the vapor from the coils flow upward through them.

 

[Jazzman]

Never tried silica,,,, Cuz Cotten Esss SO Gewwwd

I agree Reign for my RDA's. But for my tank head rebuilds it's too much work to replace the cotton since I have to make new coils each time and I use silica for that. But cotton in an RDA is hard to beat for flavor and ease.

 

[ScottP]

But for my tank head rebuilds it's too much work to replace the cotton since I have to make new coils each time and I use silica for that.

Why do you have to make a new coil each time? I rebuild BCC heads and when the wick gets nasty I yank the wick, dry burn, soak in vodka, and add more wick. I have used both cotton balls and cotton yarn this way. I now use the yarn almost exclusively though. Just more consistent that way.

 

[Jazzman]

Why do you have to make a new coil each time? I rebuild BCC heads and when the wick gets nasty I yank the wick, dry burn, soak in vodka, and add more wick. I have used both cotton balls and cotton yarn this way. I now use the yarn almost exclusively though. Just more consistent that way.

Different on a Nautilus. Coil needs to be removed to rewick and the leads are a bit short to replace the same coil. Silica works great though and rewicking becomes a non-issue since the silica is so long lasting. I've done a few cotton rebuilds on the heads, and honestly the silica tastes the same after pre-burning.

 

[ScottP]

Ahh that makes sense.

 

[powerband]

what size silica wick is needed?

 

[Jazzman]

what size silica wick is needed?

I have no idea how they come up with the sizes of silica. Seems a bit odd, but I use a 2mm bit to wrap my micro coils for the Nautilus and 3mm wick to go through it. And I insert the silica after I make the micro coil. I know, doesn't sound like it should fit but it fits perfectly with just a little resistance as I pull it side to side through the coil. And pre-burning does not change the outside diameter of the silica, the silica fits the same if not burned. And just to make it stranger, the 2mm bit still fits very tight after making the coil. I guess the silica compresses just a little when being installed in the coil, but the results are great.

 

[Rickb119]

Thanks all for the tips and info. I'm going to play around with what little I have left and see if I can improve the flavor, errr, I mean "efficiency".

 

[certus11]

I soak my silica in coke for 48 hours before rinsing/using them, my silica rocks and has no bad taste the moment i use them.

 

[Topacka]

I have no idea how they come up with the sizes of silica. Seems a bit odd, but I use a 2mm bit to wrap my micro coils for the Nautilus and 3mm wick to go through it. And I insert the silica after I make the micro coil. I know, doesn't sound like it should fit but it fits perfectly with just a little resistance as I pull it side to side through the coil.

Drill bits are measured in diameter, round thread is measured in circumference.