Flavor and the device

[csaba]

I admit ... I am new at this. My brother only turned me onto e-cigs a few weeks ago. Got a Premium Blu with 3 different flavors that all have the same burned taste. That is going back to Blu before the 30 day is up and I already have a Joye ego-T in the mail coming from litecigusa along with some juices to try.

So, I am doing my research now .. All the reviews on liquids vary so much. One person says "its too much vanilla and not enough mint" the other says "too much mint, I had to cut it" talking about the same juice. For some there is not enough vapor and for another it has too much.

Here is my question ... Is it possible that what you smoke (sorry vape) out of really effect the taste of the juice? That the same juice in a 510 may taste different than in a sliver bullet?

 

[Jerry B]

Oh certainly different attys vape differently. So does the change in voltage etc. But bottom line is more subtle than that. I like menthol lets say you do as well, but just because a certain brand taste good to me does not mean you will enjoy it. Taste is so subjective. Instead of relying on just what the reviewers are saying about a juice, look at how many people have reviewed that juice. the ones that are really popular are safer bets.

I take the whole crap shoot approach, i never know what is gonna appeal to me until i taste it and decide. I mean there are certain standards, i dont like Cinnamon in food so i am not that interested in tasting it in vapor form. But i open myself to just about anything else cause ya just never know what your gonna like

Welcome aboard your gonna love the eGo T i sure love mine.

 

[chatter97]

What really makes a difference is not so much the device as several different factors.

1. Batteries - First off most basic devices are 3.7 volt devices out there. This includes the 510,ego, silver bullet mod with 18650 battery ect and any and all clones. There are numerous factors that play into voltage though. The mosfet batteries on the ego and the 510 battery are not lithium Ion. Usually you only get LiIon with mods susch as the 18650 battery.(Correct me if I am wrong here please!). This is important as quite a few of the non mod battery pv's aim to have a voltage that is as close to 3.7 volts as possible. There are posts around this site that shows most of these batteries actually perform closer or under 3.6 volts. So less energy to feed the system. Also, the LiIon batteries do not have as great of a drop off as the 510 and ego style batteries over time, ie you vape at a more constant voltage for a longer period of time with a mod battery such as the 18650 batteries. This is the difference between a silver bullet mod that uses 18650 LiIon battery and an ego or 510, voltage will not decrease rapidly over time.

Another smaller thing to consider is Mah or milliamps per hour. Generally this determines how long your battery will last before it has to be recharged. But, also it determines how long you get a decent voltage before the performance is affected. If you vape on a 510 which is around 200 mah it is not going to get the atomizer as hot as an ego with a 750 or ego T with a 1100 mah rating. Also the battery life is really short.

2. Heating Element (atomizer) - This really boils down to personall preference and can have allot to do with flavor. An important value here is resistance. The lower the resistance the more heat is produce. Most standart atomizers have a resistance between 2.5 and 3 ohms of resistance. With a 3.7volt device that is not LiIon that means you have 4.2 to 3.8 watts of power if the device is running around 3.6 volts. If you go with a low resistance atomizer you start to get higher wattages that give you more heat. Most of these range from 1.5 to 2.0 ohm translating to 7.7 to 5.8 watts of power to the atomizer. The low resistance atomizers are supposed to give you a truer to 5 volt experience which is closer to around 8 watts.

The amount of heat applied to juice can greatly affect its flavor and that is what both battery and atomizer boils down to.

Here is a handy chart that somebody else on this site posted (sorry if I stole your chart) that greatly shows the relation of the battery/voltage to atomizer resistance in overall heat production.

3. Juice delivery method- Another factor that affects juice flavor is how it is delivered. Cartridges use a single atomizer and a cartridge stuffed with batting that you fill with liquid. When you push the button the atomizer heats up and cooks the juice in the batting turning it into vapor. The batting reduces some of the flavor in this method.
Another popular method is to use cartomizers which is a unit that contains an atomizer and some sort of batting or way of holding the liquid. This is probably the most popular method of vaping as it is easy to fill and gives a good amount of flavor and vapor. Cartomizers like most things with vaping comes in various flavors(such as dual coil, single coil) and resistances.
The most direct way is to drop a couple of drops onto the atomizer, put on a drip tip and vape directly off of the atomizer. Some claim this provides the best taste and more realistic heat. There are probably other things I have left out here, but that is the basics.

4. The juice itself - Juices come in basically two types - PG and VG. There are some hybrid mixtures. PG is usually thinner and sweeter where VG is thicker and produces more vapor. PG/VG can greatly affect the way the juice tastes on its own, but also they can affect the flavor based on the delivery method used. Some mixtures work and taste better with cartomizers and others dripping. It really all depends. This area I am still delving into, but I have seen allot of talk on this forum about the taste of juice in relation to delivery method.

So what does this all boil down to? Basically, you really need to try allot of different things to really figure out what works for you. I think understanding some of this stuff is helpful in determining that perfect sweet spot when it comes to juice. The hardware really is just that... hardware. The above factors will really have a larger effect on the taste of the juice more so than the device used.

Hope this helps, I am open to criticism if I got something wrong here, I have only been at this a very short period of time

 

[csaba]

Hope this helps, I am open to criticism if I got something wrong here, I have only been at this a very short period of time

Thank you very much for that analysis. It does make a lot of sense even if I don't understand it all. I can see this turning into another obsession ... try a new juice, a new hardware a new ... oh it's just 20 bucks ... maybe if I try a low resistance ...

 

[csaba]

I take the whole crap shoot approach, i never know what is gonna appeal to me until i taste it and decide.

That is what I am doing with it. But I am looking for a few basic things that are consistent for me like a good strong Menthol and a replacement for my analog Marlboro reds.

Thanks for the reply Jerry.

 

[dotma]

I think juices taste VERY different going from just a regular atty with a tank (for an Ego T), to a LR atty, to a cartomizer, all on the same battery.

 

[JD1]

..... I can see this turning into another obsession ......

Really???? No one else here sees it that way!! (jd runs and hides under desk)

 

[csaba]

Really???? No one else here sees it that way!! (jd runs and hides under desk)

I made a promise to myself that I will not place an order before the previous one arrives ... and that is not easy

 

[JQside]

More heat means more vapor and more aroma. Less heat is the reverse. Kind of like cooking something in the kitchen. The smell reaches every corner of the house if the burner is set to high.

What you have now are ones with lower voltages and standard resistances, which is equivalent to less heat. In time you will want to have the ones that cook the juices properly.

Also, devices with higher voltages and lesser resistance attys (more heat) means shorter battery life. You have to have bigger batteries for those.

It also means portability is compromised, somewhat.

;-)

 

[base234]

Here is my question ... Is it possible that what you smoke (sorry vape) out of really effect the taste of the juice? That the same juice in a 510 may taste different than in a sliver bullet?

No matter what device you use or at what voltage you use, do your juice a favor. Try it just once with an atomizer and a drip tip.You'll never know what it really tastes like any other way.

 

[chatter97]

Since you are getting an ego T, I would recommend you grab some boge cartomizers, one box at low resistance and the other at normal or 2.5 resistance. You can use these on your Ego T battery without all the tank stuff. This will give you an idea of whether you like the lr heat and flavor over the regular resistance. The next thing I would do would be to get three atomizers, a 1.5LR, a 1.8LR and a standard 2.5. Does not have to be anything fancy, you can play with that later. The cartomizers will only cost you less than 20 bucks, the atties should be around 10$ a piece. Then take each atomizer attach to the battery and drop 3-4 drops of juice directly on the coil itself. Let it sit for thirty seconds then add 2-3 more drops. put your drip tip back on and vape it. Try all three to see what you like. By the time you do this you will have an idea of what you like atomizer and cartomizer wise.

Hope this helps and I do not confuse you, I have only been at this for 2 months now, but I think I have it pretty much explained.

 

[Boodle]

Thank you for the time and effort on this post. There are a couple of Fat Batts that are lithium ion. Kgos for sure and (I think) the new Rivas made by SLB.

I spent quite a while at the start trying to figure it all out. I wanted a perfect setup and experience. It doesn't exist. I've realized 8 months in that it's a journey more than a destination. Your post will help sort out many questions we all had. Thanks for that.

 

[chatter97]

Yeah, I have been climbing the ecig evolutionary ladder pretty quickly, Ego/carts-->Ego /Cartomizers -->Ego Dripping Regular Atties -->Ego Dripping LR atties -->LiIon/Imr Silver Bullet LR 1.5 atties and 5 volt with 2.5 carts for some flavors that don't vape well, all within 1 1/2 months of vaping! And since October 20th I am pushing 170+ posts here!!!

Its all about learning and helping out.

 

[Dukatt]

That is what I am doing with it. But I am looking for a few basic things that are consistent for me like a good strong Menthol and a replacement for my analog Marlboro reds.

Thanks for the reply Jerry.

One thing I have noticed is for me what I smoked has little bearing on what I like to vape.
My first sample pack of juices were made up of mostly cigarette type flavors and most are still full however the "offbeat flavors" like coffee and cherry etc are empty. Just in this for my 2nd week I'm kinda figuring out that when you smoked you were stuck with minor changes in taste of burning leaves however when you vape you have a huge choice of flavors that just were not availible in analog's. My first few days were getting used to a "weird " taste now I prefer that taste. Was 2 packs a day...now less than a pack every 2 days and getting less every day. So I guess when you look for a juice dont think of it as something you would smoke ...if the flavor sounds good go for it. Just as you would not choose Marlboro flavored gum don't limit yourself to analog flavored juice.

 

[Jerry B]

Since you are getting an ego T, I would recommend you grab some boge cartomizers, one box at low resistance and the other at normal or 2.5 resistance.

Now thats some top shelf advice right there gonna do that myself. Thank you.

The Vapor Room also have a simple little 510 pass through i was thinking about getting with a drip tip. Perfect for taste testing new flavors i would think.

 

[chatter97]

the weird thing is the flavors are never what you would expect to test. I am vaping snikerdoodle cookie right now. Granted I usually vape tobacco flavors, I still enjoy something different from time to time. I try to find a good base of flavors I enjoy vaping and then I will occasionally experiment with flavors.

I had a friend that got me started and he explained allot of things to me, but allot of this has been trial and error. I spent quite a bit figuring out exactly what works for me and doesnt and I am still playing with it. I bought numerous types and name brands of cartos trying to figure out what I liked, and atomizers, boy, i have sunk a small fortune figuring this one out. I have tried 306's which I love but dont last worth a flip, all different brands of 510s and found the Iken and Cisco are well worth the hassle and miles above the rest(just starting for trial, name brand does not matter). I tried 1.5,1.8,2.0 and 2.5 resistance atomizers. Still playing with the juices.

Forgot to mention, when you get your atomizers, blow hard through them into a paper towel. This will remove the machine oil they put in there. If you get a gurgling noise when pushing the button then do this also and reprime the attie.

 

[AttyPops]

Flavor is subjective, TH is subjective, vapor production subjective, heat subjective, ......

That's just for the juice. The device..... varies by manufacturer. The atty varies. The combinations.... let's see...500 different devices X 300 different atty/carto choices, x 5 different types of batteries/PT's, X variable voltage options, X .... oh forget it.

Juice reviews are 50% helpful. If 5 reviewers all say "it tastes like perfume even after 3 weeks of steeping"... OK, it goes to the bottom of the list. You're correct about mint, menthol, flavor strength, etc.... subjective to begin with. And the device varies. So... grain of salt. I think that some reviews have tastes similar to mine... so I'm more inclined to trust their reviews.

I think that hardware reviews suffer from some of the same issues... although maybe a bit less subjective. Reading this forum is the best way to sort through it all.

You can always mix your own juice, too. Then it's to your tastes (hopefully lol).

 

[JQside]

I've mixed my own juice, but because of the required proportion to the VG, which is too small, the desired taste is never reached, ie, pineapple, vanilla, ginger juice, etc. Instant coffee stirred with few drops of distilled water plus the VG has been the only flavor that worked for me.

Of course, I still have plenty of e-liquid that came with my kits, mostly menthol and tobacco, which don't taste like real tobacco. I'll get serious with other flavors when I ran out.

 

[csaba]

Just as you would not choose Marlboro flavored gum don't limit yourself to analog flavored juice.

You are probably right ... thanks for that!

 

[csaba]

Thank ya'll for the feedback ... while it seems it is going to take some time before I catch up with all of this (I must admit .. do not understand all of the advice I have just been given) ... a few things are obvious to me:

1. This (vapeing) seems to me as another addiction but healthier than analogs
2. I never switched from Marlboro reds to "Summer Rose" but that can happen vapeing
3. People here seems to pick up things quick, so there is hope for me as well

I already broke my rule about not ordering anything until the last order comes in ... how could I not, there are so many good advice in this thread.

I am in trouble .... but loving it