Ekowool tastes funny

[Wingsfan0310]

I recently bought a small amount of 2mm hollow russian ekowool on e-bay from a link on vapor joe's for protank head rebuilding. I've boiled it 3 times for 20 minutes each with a rinse in between each boiling. The vapor production is there but very muted flavor, with an odd harsh taste present. I don't have a torch or a gas stove atm. Am I only 1 that has experienced this total lack of flavor accompanied by a strange (not good) flavor?

PS After posting this I realized it's in the wrong area of the forum. Please feel free to delete or move this mods and accept my sincerest apologies! I can't figure out how to delete this thread myself, I must be missing something.

 

[dannyv45]

Dry burn the heck out of it and vape with it. It should loose the funny taste after it carmalizes a bit.

 

[Jimi D.]

I've had the same problem. Therefore I don't use it. I tried every way to kill that chemical taste.

 

[Wingsfan0310]

I've had the same problem. Therefore I don't use it. I tried every way to kill that chemical taste.

Thanks Jimi, I even tried to soak it in Vodka, then soak in distilled water and it still completely muting the flavor and has a funny taste to me. I'm about to call it a failed experiment. If I may ask: What are you using as a wicking material, silica, cotton, ss mesh?
Cheers,
Steve

 

[Wingsfan0310]

Dry burn the heck out of it and vape with it. It should loose the funny taste after it carmalizes a bit.

Thanks Danny, Short of getting a torch its the only thing left to try. I'll give it a shot.
Cheers,
Steve

 

[Jimi D.]

Thanks Jimi, I even tried to soak it in Vodka, then soak in distilled water and it still completely muting the flavor and has a funny taste to me. I'm about to call it a failed experiment. If I may ask: What are you using as a wicking material, silica, cotton, ss mesh?
Cheers,
Steve

Your'e welcome Steve. I use silica 24/7. When I rebuild, I just lighty torch the silica to sterilize it. That makes it taste very clean as well. I'm very picky when it comes to taste.

 

[Wingsfan0310]

Well I tried again, this time with some 30g A1 Kanthal instead of the 32g A1 I used in my other attempts (measured out at 1.4 ohms). I dry burned it for a little while first, pulsing 3.3v, being careful not to fry the coil. If I didn't have some of my Tribeca in another exact same Protank II with a factory head, I would swear Halo sold me dog hair mixed with rubber tires because that's the taste I got from my rebuilt head I'm not sure if I just need to smoke a few tanks and the taste will go away, but I think this just isn't working out for me.

 

[Crunktanium]

Did you maybe get a hot leg and burn the rubber insulator?

I rebuild my Protank coils frequently using cotton in the coil and dirt cheap 3mm ebay silica on top. You could go all cotton but I find the silica helps prevent juice splattering in my mouth from time to time. The cotton produces great vapor and wont retain flavor as much as silica. This helps me greatly when mixing and changing flavors frequently. When it gets burned I toss the wicks, heat up the coil a few times and it's ready for another round.

This is the cotton I use Amazon.com: 100% Cotton Wicks - Extra Long - Smokeless, 1 Pack Of 50 Wicks: Everything Else

 

[Wingsfan0310]

Did you maybe get a hot leg and burn the rubber insulator?

I rebuild my Protank coils frequently using cotton in the coil and dirt cheap 3mm ebay silica on top. You could go all cotton but I find the silica helps prevent juice splattering in my mouth from time to time. The cotton produces great vapor and wont retain flavor as much as silica. This helps me greatly when mixing and changing flavors frequently. When it gets burned I toss the wicks, heat up the coil a few times and it's ready for another round.

This is the cotton I use Amazon.com: 100% Cotton Wicks - Extra Long - Smokeless, 1 Pack Of 50 Wicks: Everything Else

Thanks Crunktanium, I don't think I have a hot leg, I made the coil using the sewing needle method and didn't remove it until it was done (rubber insulator installed and positive pin inserted). Wanted to make sure the coil wasn't sitting too low in the head. I then dry burned the coil and it glowed uniformly across the whole thing. I guess anything is possible but this is the 3rd try with 3 different heads using the ekowool, all have had basically the same off taste. Maybe I really need to torch it first or I just don't like the taste or lack of, ekowool. I'm at a loss
Cheers,
Steve.

 

[we2rcool]

Fwiw, we tried ekowool...and we've soaked it, boiled it, torched it, and done everything but nuked it - and it tastes like total crap no matter what we've done.

 

[Blueser]

Cotton is King...I use CVS Sterile Rolled Cotton ...Personally I've never felt the need to do all the boiling stuff. This is enough cotton wicking material to last a lifetime and then some. The thing with cotton is not to use too much. It should just fit a little snug in your coil. Once it gets fully saturated, the flavor is unmatched and never, ever dry burn cotton that isn't saturated in juice.

 

[dannyv45]

Well I tried again, this time with some 30g A1 Kanthal instead of the 32g A1 I used in my other attempts (measured out at 1.4 ohms). I dry burned it for a little while first, pulsing 3.3v, being careful not to fry the coil. If I didn't have some of my Tribeca in another exact same Protank II with a factory head, I would swear Halo sold me dog hair mixed with rubber tires because that's the taste I got from my rebuilt head I'm not sure if I just need to smoke a few tanks and the taste will go away, but I think this just isn't working out for me.

I rebuild my T3's with 32 awg and only 5 winds with 2mm silica. I dry burn them and within 10 puff's the matalic taste goes away.

 

[Wingsfan0310]

Fwiw, we tried ekowool...and we've soaked it, boiled it, torched it, and done everything but nuked it - and it tastes like total crap no matter what we've done.

Thanks, we2rcool, I appreciate the comment, I was starting to think it was just Jimi and me. I knew I was in trouble when even Vodka couldn't save it I do believe this one gets filed in the unsuccessful experiments category.
Cheers,
Steve

 

[dannyv45]

Thanks Crunktanium, I don't think I have a hot leg, I made the coil using the sewing needle method and didn't remove it until it was done (rubber insulator installed and positive pin inserted). Wanted to make sure the coil wasn't sitting too low in the head. I then dry burned the coil and it glowed uniformly across the whole thing. I guess anything is possible but this is the 3rd try with 3 different heads using the ekowool, all have had basically the same off taste. Maybe I really need to torch it first or I just don't like the taste or lack of, ekowool. I'm at a loss
Cheers,
Steve.

Maybe the coil is wound to tight then. I generally use an 18 gauge syringe filling needle. Can the wick move freely inside the coil when you slide it back and forth (Test it before cutting it)?

 

[Wingsfan0310]

Cotton is King...I use CVS Sterile Rolled Cotton ...Personally I've never felt the need to do all the boiling stuff. This is enough cotton wicking material to last a lifetime and then some. The thing with cotton is not to use too much. It should just fit a little snug in your coil. Once it gets fully saturated, the flavor is unmatched and never, ever dry burn cotton that isn't saturated in juice.

Thanks Blueser, I've used plain cotton balls I nicked from the misses, not the sterilized you linked and had good results. I just felt like it didn't last very long before it gunked up, so I decided to give the ekowool a try.
Cheers,
Steve

I rebuild my T3's with 32 awg and only 5 winds with 2mm silica. I dry burn them and within 10 puff's the matalic taste goes away.

Thanks Danny, I usually use the 32g, but decided to give the 30g a try with ekowool, a small sample of the 30g came with ekowool and thought maybe that would give me a better result, well I thought wrong
Cheers, Steve

 

[Blueser]

Thanks Blueser, I've used plain cotton balls I nicked from the misses, not the sterilized you linked and had good results. I just felt like it didn't last very long before it gunked up, so I decided to give the ekowool a try.
Cheers,
Steve

I'm using a Kayfun Lite with a 4.5ml tank capacity. Something I've noticed in my short span of DIY'ing is my cotton wicks remain almost Lilly White even after 3-4 tank refills, so that's 12-18mls of juice through one cotton wick. The store bought stuff I had been trying gunked up my wick even at a few mls.

 

[we2rcool]

Thanks, we2rcool, I appreciate the comment, I was starting to think it was just Jimi and me. I knew I was in trouble when even Vodka couldn't save it I do believe this one gets filed in the unsuccessful experiments category.
Cheers,
Steve

Oh yeah, speaking of Vodka...we also soaked ours in 190 proof - still crapola. After getting some vape-mileage under our belt, we could tell it had nothing to do with the wire/heat/resistance...it was definitely the ekowool.

 

[ut1205]

I purchased 2 ft. from the ebay site on Vapor Joes and not having any problems with it. I boiled it, the same as I do my silica, and I do get an "off" taste for the first 10-20 puffs but I get that with silica also. I just rebuilt 5 Evod heads this morning and am using one right now.

 

[Blueser]

I guess wicking material is as subjective to the user as juice. After I started using the sterile rolled cotton, I threw my silica/ekowool in the garbage can. I did a little experimenting with cheesecloth but I never got it to tasting right, but in all fairness, I only tried a couple of times. I've read from some who swear by it...just goes to show.

The device/attie used could possibly be more or less suited to certain wicks...I dunno. I'm using a KFL and the design of the Kayfun with the way juice is served to the wick through the juice channels is ingenious, plus the flavor is unmatched, the flavor is consistent for days on end. My wife is using PT's...myself, I hate them. I've built so many coils and used silica/ekowool, cotton and the vape to me is mediocre at best on a good day. To me, juice is not effectively or properly fed to the wick in a manner to return a sustained vape flavor. Performance tends to degenerate very quickly and leads to a nasty burnt taste.

 

[Crunktanium]

The quality of silica and ekowool can also vary greatly.

I got my 3mm silica off Ebay cheap it was inferior to my previous 2mm more like fiberglass. But it vapes great after a quick boil with no foul taste whatsoever. Only knew it was different because when it cuts there is residue like fiberglass. But the fiberglass wont withstand heat like silica and this stuff does so it must be a blend of sorts. If your in a pinch I have used plain old bleached cotton to get me by. But do get some natural cotton see how that works for you. And the nice thing with cotton you can stretch it to any size or double up so any size works.