Hey Hoosier and everyone! I finally figured it out. And you guys may never guess what the problem was. It was the tube tank with a cartomizer that was the problem. Here's what happened. I went back to my local vaper store, and I got a clerk that was a bit more talkative. They have a vaper's lounge there and this time there were people vaping. So I took my new fluids and sat down and vaped up. I started talking to a customer and then the clerk came over and vaped up and started chatting. They told me that I was using an old-fashioned tube tank with a cartomizer that nobody uses anymore. So they suggested I spend $20.00 for a Kangertech Pro-Tank II. So I did. In the meantime, I had vaped up with the Strawberry that I just bought and it was great. So I opened up the new Pro-Tank and poured some of the same Strawberry in. And what a difference. Remember, I told you their flavors were great before? Well they were, but when I tried the Strawberry in this Pro-Tank, it was even greater. Still lots of flavor, but it tasted richer, kind of like generic Strawberry ice cream compared to Haagen Daz. So I bought another Pro-Tank II, and when I got home, I mixed up some of my own with 10% Strawberry Loranns. It was too weak, but then when I add flavoring, it actually worked this time! So I added till I got it similar to the one I purchased, 20%, and it was fine. So I have been mixing flavor after flavor, writing down the flavor %, and it looks like the problem is solved.
I should mention that I changed a couple other things also. But based on my experiment, I think nearly all of the problem was the tube tanks with cartomizers. There flavorings are 70/30 VG to PG (they told me before it was 100% PG, I don't know why). I can't make it that way because my nic is in pure PG. So I made roughly 50/50 PG/VG, and I think the next time I buy nic, I will buy it in VG so I can mimic their flavorings. Also, the clerk suggested making up my nicotine base in a larger batch and just add the flavoring on top of it. So I made up 50/50 PG/VG with 18% nic (at his suggestion). Then I poured 10mL into a bottle, and then added fluids on top of it, starting at 10% and then working my way up. That is okay, I think, as long as I write everything down. So the Strawberry Loranns is 10mL of my base + 20% flavoring. And it works great! So I already ordered 10 more Pro-Tank II's. Incidentally, I ordered from Kangertech themselves, located in China, and they were $135.00 including shipping for 10, which is $13.50 each, the best price I found anywhere on line.
Another thing about these Pro-Tank II's that is really cool. The heating element is a little strip of metal in the bottom of the tank with no filling. So when you want to switch flavors, you don't have to worry about the cartomizer with the filling inside. You just open the tank up and rinse everything off in hot water until it doesn't smell anymore, dry it, put it back together, and insert a new flavor. They are also made of pyrex glass, so none of the flavorings will melt the tank.
I want to thank you Hoosier, and all of the rest of you for all the help. Now I can stop buying $9.00 bottles of flavorings and keep making my own for $1.00 per bottle. Thanks again, hoop50
). I haven't made it in a while, but it was sooooo very much like an actual sweet tart.
