Does cotton wick need time to 'marinade'?

[pauly walnuts]

I have been using boiled organic cotton balls and having good success. However, there are times when my wick tastes like a teeny tiny hint of something different. Its hard to describe, its not burnt, but its a sweetish different flavor in the back of my throat, that is the first sign of cotton burning. Sometimes it goes away, sometimes im too impatient and re wick. And sometimes I will rewick for hours with no success.

Im using a kayfun lite and I will have great success for weeks, then have days of misery constantly trying to re-find that perfect flavor I had before. Its very frustrating to say the least.

 

[Sthur]

Cotton does need a break in time usually mine is within 5 drags or so even on my KFL. Depends on the juice, but does take a few drags to get the cotton working right. Be patient

 

[crxess]

No - I build my Kayfuns and Test the build directly off the chimney as soon as I install it.
Soak your Wick, Not wet - soaked.

I use regular cotton balls, no boiling..............oh, and Organic is simply how they are grown not the preparation and packaging process.

Just how organic is anything in todays polluted world?

 

[vanillayo]

I was getting that weird taste with cotton balls so switched to yarn and really like it.

 

[Xcighippy]

I was getting that weird taste with cotton balls so switched to yarn and really like it.

Yep. Yarn user here also. I used to use cotton balls but got tired of always trying to get just the right amount. It was pretty much hit or miss. With yarn- exactly the right amount every time. And taste is consistently good.

 

[Kemosabe]

i use sterile rolled cotton - CVS brand. it does need to be soaked prior to use and depending on which flavor im vaping, a variable soak-in time is required to avoid that off taste. i will soak anywhere from 5 minutes to 45 minutes. best bet is to re-wick attys that your NOT currently using. that way when you do get around to using that atty, its all broken in and properly soaked.

 

[Rule62]

I've been using cotton in my drippers for quite some time, and have had no problems. The reason, I think, some people have problems with cotton, in most cases, is that they are not allowing adequate time for the wick to become fully saturated. They begin vaping too soon, hence the initial 'cottony' taste. Cotton holds a lot of liquid, relatively, compared to mesh, silica, x116, etc. But it takes a while for it to become fully saturated.
Here's what i do: After I make my cotton wick, and pull it through the horizontal coil on my dripper, I drip juice on one side of the coil only. I will then wait, until I see the cotton on the other side of the coil, the side I didn't drip any juice on, to begin to get wet. When I see the cotton beginning to saturate on this side of the coil, I know that the cotton has become saturated inside the coil. This is where it matters. It doesn't matter how much juice is pooled on the cotton outside the coil, or in the base of the atty. If the cotton that's inside the coil isn't fully saturated, the first vape will taste either 'cottony' or burnt. This process of allowing the cotton to saturate all the way through the wick can take several minutes, depending on the viscosity (PG/VG ratio) of the juice.

 

[Nikkita6]

I feel that all wicks, regardless of type, have a break in period. My cotton wicks usually take an hour or so to really break in to where I don't taste the cotton anymore, and I always prime my wicks before filling up my tank.

 

[Portertown]

It seems that some juices just taste better after the new wick and the coil(either new or cleaned) has been used for some time. It is almost like the full flavor is not attained until some of the flavor ingredients solids have coated the coil and maybe the wick in the coil. I think these solid flavor ingredients continue to buildup until they start to burn and then it is time to rewick and clean the coil. I think this buildup is the "gunk" we see after using the atomizer for some time.