Diluting 100% VG juice

[artax]

I've been using Johnson Creek Red Oak for a couple months. I started ordering from them because I had a severe reaction to the only PG I tried and they touted 100% VG on their Red Oak line. Thanks to some very helpful members here I've found that the stuff is too thick and is killing the cartos. Some suggested to dilute the juice a bit with vodka or distilled water. Well, for $2 I now have enough distilled water to last me a year of mixing. So, how much should I be watering the stuff down? I've been trying to get a good read on it but I figured I'd ask the people that know instead of continuing to experiment.

I've tried ~50/50. Seemed to be way too much water. The last little bit I mixed was about 80/20. Not bad, but still feels like it's going to clog up the carto. One issue is that since adding water it seems to take MUCH longer to get primed and vaping, almost as if I'm burning off all the water I added right away. It also tastes very much like straight steam with some metallic overtones from the carto housing. Also, the less water I use, the harder it is to saturate the carto. At full strength the stuff just beads on the top...although it seems like the poly fill is not very absorbent until its initial saturation (I usually jab at the top of the filler on the first fill to help it get in there). The 50/50 was the only one it soaked right up.

Lend me a hand...how the heck should I be doing this?

 

[spaceballsrules]

The only VG juices that I use are Boba's and Raf-a-Licious from Alien Visions, and I use cartos exclusively. I found that 1 drop of distilled water per 2ml of juice thins them out enough to make them carto-friendly.

I find that cartos are easier to fill the second or third time, but the first fill always takes a little extra work. On first fill, I shake the carto as I would a thermometer to get the juice down to the coil. Once the polyfill is wet, the juice seems to flow a little faster.

 

[artax]

Hmmm...man, so I guess that 50/50 was a liiiiiiittle too much water I keep hearing about this AV Boba...what's it taste like? As for the shaking method, how does that work? If it's not soaking in, won't the juice just go down the tube, on my fingers, etc?

 

[Disk4mat]

Something I started doing when filling cartos is leaving the rubber boot on the bottom of the carto. Adding 10 drops to the top. Then slide the boot off, on off, on etc. that sucks the liquid down the carto. Then I add 5 more drops, slide the boot on and off a few times and repeat until I cant suck liquid down any more. Which is why after the initial 10 drops I cut back to 5. Let stand for a few minutes and vape.

Worked very well with 50/50 and thinner liquids even better.

 

[WCSR]

To get heavier VG juices to soak into the polyfil... I drop about 5-10 drops on the polyfil until it looks slushy on top. Then I put my finger over the bottom hole (on the threaded end) and blow into the mouthpiece end (without the mouthpiece in the carto). Doing that pressurizes the inside of the carto and forces the juice into the polyfil by way of "capillary action". If any comes out on my finger, I run my finger down the top edge of the carto to get it back into the carto (I try not to waste a drop of my precious nectar), add a few more drops, and pressurize it again. I do that until it just won't take any more.




As for cutting VG with distilled water...I don't have much experience doing that because I can use PG. Most others, however, seem to recommend using 10%-20% distilled water, but you'll just have to experiment to find what works best for you and your particular cartomizers. As Spaceballs said above, he uses 1 drop of distilled water for every 2ml of VG. Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks....

 

[WCSR]

Something I started doing when filling cartos is leaving the rubber boot on the bottom of the carto. Adding 10 drops to the top. Then slide the boot off, on off, on etc. that sucks the liquid down the carto. Then I add 5 more drops, slide the boot on and off a few times and repeat until I cant suck liquid down any more. Which is why after the initial 10 drops I cut back to 5. Let stand for a few minutes and vape.

Worked very well with 50/50 and thinner liquids even better.

This also works. Works even better if you plug the top of the carto with your finger while sliding the condom off, because it will create a vacuum effect.

 

[artax]

I've been leaving on the cap to stop the leakage I seem to always get but the suction drawing the juice down is a great idea! The 50/50 I was referring to was VG/Water

 

[artax]

I still feel like I'm doing something wrong. My cartos are still clogging after a day or so. The distilled water has helped a bit but not much and it's taken all the flavor away. I also get leakage out of the bottom on EVERY fill/top off (this was already happening but has gotten worse with the thinner juice). Most of the time I can take a few vapes and the thing looks bone dry immediately. I have to be doing something wrong. Using the suction method has proved excellent for filling though. I plan to buy an Atty tank and a Provari tomorrow but I don't want to destroy a $200+ PV by leaking juice into it or have to dump out the liquid to change a clogged carto while the tank is still full.

HELP!!!

 

[artax]

80/20 VG/water JUST FILLED. Clogged. 20 minutes. WTF AM I DOING WRONG???

 

[Swer3397]

80/20 VG/water JUST FILLED. Clogged. 20 minutes. WTF AM I DOING WRONG???

How is it now Artax? I am having the same issue, although leaving the boot on suggestion above seems to be something worth trying. I am using a loose mix of mostly VG to experiment with PG intolerance issues I am having. But I do notice the quick dryness of the polyfil material. Although I still get a good vapory vape from it so idk. From what I read VG heavy and VG only juices require more time, allowing them to soak and penetrate as much as possible. More experimenting today.

 

[Sneak]

80/20 VG/water JUST FILLED. Clogged. 20 minutes. WTF AM I DOING WRONG???

I was just about to make a thread about JC liquid. To find out wether or not the clogging issues have been rectified. Apparently, they have not.

By the way, what device are you using the Red Oak in?

There has been a bit of controversy, since 2008, over the Red Oak series and its outstanding ability to kill atomizers. I take it from your reports here that this is still the case.

Please notify me if you find a VG based liquid that does not end cartos and attys.

Best wishes. Sneak.

 

[Swer3397]

It could also be that you're not mixing it properly. At first I noticed how the E juice would sit on top of the VG and needed a good shake/mix to blend the two. Like the way oil is in water.

 

[artax]

Well, I have a sneaking suspiscion the low voltage on my eGos is partially to blame. Just got a shipment of 5 different pure VG juices, 2 Red Oaks (Tennessee Cured and Ranier) and 3 from AV (I think it's a forum requirement to try Boba's and I got 3ml samples of Strawberry Cooler and Caramel Kicker). I got the Provari a couple days ago, so I'll have a more powerful device and plenty of different juices to try with it. Just filled a whole box of cartos, one with each of the above. I'll report my findings for others having the same problem. Still don't know why my cartos always leak like crazy from the bottom, but that's another story. I have to say, I've puffed on a few of these so far and the JC TC is still the best tasting ice I've had.

 

[artax]

A couple hours later and it looks like the eGo just wasn't strong enough. At 3.7 the Provari is absolutely RIPPING through the Red Oak. So far, so good...

 

[thinkingaboutit]

Good news. My kgo has been taking "cup of joe" like a champ and it's THICK juice. I cut it with some RY4 here and there...just for S&G. I think the kgo runs around 3.7...I saw some on that. It seems to be doing well, and I'm glad to hear you seem to have solved your issue.

 

[artax]

It's GLORIOUS!

Interested to see if I need to dilute the new AV juices I got which are thick as syrup.