Flavor is Lacking, Throat is Sore

[VidaOptimista]

I've been using three Stardust clearomizers on my KGO 1100 mAh with a variety of VaperMates e liquids for the past few days and have noticed that the flavor is severely less than what I had expected. One of the Stardusts is filled with a pure VG liquid (Irish Cream flavor) but it is very hard to vape; I don't even feel the vapor coming into my mouth, and the taste is very muted. The taste is slightly stronger/more noticeable for the PG/VG strawberry banana mix I've been vaping (strawberry is PG/VG and banana is all VG), although the taste has also now become muted. I'm not sure if the PG is what is enhancing the flavor for me, but the downside is that after two days, the throat hit was very rough. And don't get me wrong, I prefer a heavy throat hit over no throat hit. But it's really not pleasant after a while of this.

So I guess I have many questions.

1) Do pure VG juices not yield very much of a throat hit? It's been a pretty lame experience for me so far, so I get the feeling I *need* to have some PG in my juices.

2) Are Stardusts known for muting the flavor more than other cartos/tanks? I've heard several reviewers make this assertion, but I'd like to get multiple opinions.

3) For those of you experiencing throat rawness from using PG juices, has increasing your water intake reduced the soreness?

4) Could the rawness I'm feeling in my throat mean that it's time to clean my Stardust? I used it pretty heavily for about two days.

Thanks in advance!
Heather

 

[ynzr]

1. You didn't mention nicotine concentrations of your liquids so I'll assume it's the same for all of your liquids. PG generally gives better throat hit than pure VG liquids. However, it mostly depends on the nicotine concentration. Moreover, throat hit is highly subjective so experimentation with different concentrations, PG/VG mix is your best bet on figuring out what works best for you.

2. Flavor production from the various methods of liquid feeding is highly subjective. Some people love cartos, some love clearos, etc etc. i think the only thing just about everyone will agree on is that direct dripping is best for flavor production.

3. Some people are allergic to PG so your sore throat may be due to that reason. Do you get the same reaction with your pure VG liquids?

4. The Stardust I had been using saw roughly 12ml of liquid before I switched to a carto tank. I didn't notice any drop in performance and didn't feel compeled to clean it. That being said, it probably wouldn't hurt to clean it.

Hope that helps. I'm sure the veterans will chime in with more info.

 

[Kyi]

I got the sore throat when I first started vaping but it seems to have gone away. If it isn't the PG causing it, you should get juices that are higher in PG. VG liquids are thicker so I believe they are more prone to gunking up. PG liquids will give you more throat hit and taste and VG will give you a smoother hit with more vapor. I personally like 80/20 and 70/30 mixes.

I've read in several threads that the Stardust mutes the flavors a bit, but that doesn't seem to be the case for everyone. Now I'm wondering if that has anything to do with their specific unit or if it's their battery. Either way, I think in time, someone will eventually create an improved version of it that doesn't have all these finicky problems. I really like their look and the supposed convenience, but not if it comes at the price of crappy flavor/hit and spending too much time trying to clean/re-wick it.

 

[njgeek]

My wife gets sore throats from PG, I get sore throats from VG. That can play a major part. VG does have less of a throat hit normally, with more of a thick smooth taste than a harsh hit. PG will dry your mouth out quickly. Stardusts also can deliver a burnt taste here and there if they don't wick, if you're getting that a lot then make sure you always keep those wicks wet.

 

[VidaOptimista]

Hey guys! I just wanted to thank everyone for your responses. I was able to narrow down the reason for my discomfort, and it's the Stardust. I got two 80/20 PG/VG liquids in the mail on Wednesday night and have been vaping them constantly ever since with my Boge LR cartomizers. I gotta admit, I REALLY did not think I was a carto girl at first; I ended up killing off my first two within minutes of using them but didn't know why, and I got very discouraged. The problem was that I wasn't letting the juice soak into the polyfill long enough. But now that I figured it out, I am enjoying the Boges immensely!! The flavor and throat hit is so much better, and it goes down smooth - no sore throat! I have never tried cleaning cartomizers, but even though they seem high-maintenance, I think they'll end up being the best choice for me both for performance AND economically. I'm just SO relieved that the PG doesn't seem to be the problem and also excited that I've found the best set-up for me!

Heather