New to forum, keep getting burnt taste

[Sarracenia]

I am fairly new to vaping. My friend gave me his old starter kit after he upgraded a few weeks ago. I quickly upgraded the stock tank to an aerotank mini, I like the airflow control. So everything worked fine until last night. I opened the tank and topped it off (only about half empty). When I closed it back up and waited a couple minutes it tasted really burnt. So I thought maybe its the coil going bad and replaced that. Still burnt, so I read up on priming coils, which seems to be a bit more for top coils. I played around with a few things and go no new results.

So I went to the vape shop this morning. The guy tried my tank on his battery and it worked fine. Back onto my battery it was burnt after 3 draws again. So he suggested that the battery was misfiring and boiling rather than vaping the liquid, or I think more likely overpowering and burning the coil faster than it can wick. So I got a new battery, something I was meaning to do anyways. I grabbed a Spinner II VV battery and tossed the aerotank mini on it. It worked fine for a while. Then all of a sudden, burnt again.

Back to the internet, I replaced more coils from a different pack. I went back out and grabbed an aerotank v2, also something I've been wanting to grab recently. I lowered the voltage, cleaned battery contacts. Anything I could find online basically. Nothing worked. So I called up the shop, he suggested the coils were duds until I explained that they were from different packs and they all did the same thing. At this point everything within the device was replaced and brand new. Tank, coils, battery. The only thing the same was the juice. It is a 50:50 PG:VG, 1.8mg blend that I got locally. He said that it could maybe be a bit too thick so I cut a tank full of the juice with a few drops of pure RO/DI filtered water. Still no change, plus I used about 1/3 of a 30ml bottle with no issues. So now I'm just frustrated and almost out of ideas.

I still think it is a wicking issue though. Everything in the device is brand new and replaced. When it sat overnight it worked briefly in the morning before being burnt again. I am give ample time in between draws for the coil to cool. My last idea is to try a different juice, I have one here that I'm not overly fond of but will test it just to see if it helps. I still would like to know the cause though if that does do the trick.

 

[Susan~S]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Glad to have you here!

If you are getting a burnt taste (we call those "dry hits"), if usually means your wick cannot pull the eliquid fast enough to keep up with your battery. There are a couple of things you can do:

1. Dial down your voltage. This will vaporize the eliquid at a slower rate (if your battery allows you to do this)
2. Decrease the airflow, if your tank has adjustable airflow. The decrease in airflow will increase vacuum inside the tank's atomizer, which should increase the flow of juice to the wick..
3. Take a sharp draw (or two) on your drip tip (without engaging your battery). This will pull more eliquid into the coil so that it will be available when you press the battery button and take a draw.

You will get the feel of this over time and develop a sense of how often you will need to do this to avoid "dry hits". The PG/VG ratio of your eliquid also comes into play, as VG is thicker than PG . If you use high VG try adding a few drops of distilled water to your tank to thin out the eliquid. You could also install a higher ohm coil.

 

[sparkky1]

Did you buy your new gear from a shop ?

 

[Sarracenia]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Glad to have you here!

If you are getting a burnt taste (we call those "dry hits"), if usually means your wick cannot pull the eliquid fast enough to keep up with your battery. There are a couple of things you can do:

1. Dial down your voltage. This will vaporize the eliquid at a slower rate (if your battery allows you to do this)
2. Decrease the airflow, if your tank has adjustable airflow. The decrease in airflow will increase vacuum inside the tank's atomizer, which should increase the flow of juice to the wick..
3. Take a sharp draw (or two) on your drip tip (without engaging your battery). This will pull more eliquid into the coil so that it will be available when you press the battery button and take a draw.

You will get the feel of this over time and develop a sense of how often you will need to do this to avoid "dry hits". The PG/VG ratio of your eliquid also comes into play, as VG is thicker than PG . If you use high VG try adding a few drops of distilled water to your tank to thin out the eliquid. You could also install a higher ohm coil.

Thank you for the quick response! Definitely a dry hit, thanks I'm not really great with all the terminology yet.

Unfortunately I did try all 3 of those things, they were all in the research I did online. Dialing down the voltage only made less vapor and lessened the intensity of the taste. Decreasing the airflow and drawing without engaging the battery didn't help.

The distilled water didn't seem to help but I think it might be towards the right solution. Also I'm running a 1.8 ohm coil. Isn't that sort of already on the higher side?

Did you buy your new gear from a shop ?

Yes the new Spinner II battery and new aerotank v2 as well as the coils all were purchased locally.

 

[EBates]

Welcome aboard
Have you tried tightening the draw by decreasing the airflow?
All tanks rely on vacuum to bring juice to the wick and coil, by decreasing the airflow you will create a higher vacuum and increase the juice supply to the wick.
Decrease the Voltage/Wattage?
Excessive power will cause the wick to dry out and create burnt taste.
Are you taking excessively long and/or repeated draws (chain vaping)?
The wick can only hold a finite quantity of juice.

 

[Bassnorma]

Hi Sarracenia Welcome to ECF!

What is your voltage or wattage set to and what is the ohm rating of your coil?

In my experience, three things can cause this.

The first is that you have the device set too high for the ohm rating of your coil.

The second is that your battery does not handle power cleanly. Some of the less expensive devices we like are not all that consistent with power and can be off as much as 1 volt. This can scorch a coil.

The third is a little odd. It happened to my adult son with cartomizers. Many short little vapes with no breaks in between tend to get the coil hotter than one nice long draw and a pause in between. If you were a smoker this analogy might help. Have you ever had a half lit cigarette that you were trying not to re-light with a lighter? You probably took a few fast small puffs and it lit. The physics is not really the same but small puffs with no time in between keep the coil hot. One long vape heats the coil, delivers more vapor and then has a chance to cool down.

Let me know the ohm rating and voltage when you get chance...

 

[sparkky1]

You need to march yourself right back to that guy and have him explain it to you why it's not working or sell you something that does work for more than a day !!
It's not your juice 50 %PG / 50 %VG does not need to be cut at all.
If in fact you are spending the time to prime them before you fire them and change the coil again to no avail, I personally would think you need to buy something different.

 

[Sarracenia]

Welcome aboard
Have you tried tightening the draw by decreasing the airflow?
All tanks rely on vacuum to bring juice to the wick and coil, by decreasing the airflow you will create a higher vacuum and increase the juice supply to the wick.
Decrease the Voltage/Wattage?
Excessive power will cause the wick to dry out and create burnt taste.
Are you taking excessively long and/or repeated draws (chain vaping)?
The wick can only hold a finite quantity of juice.

I keep it fairly low to begin with, only 1 or 2 of the 5 holes are exposed on the airflow control. I read about the overheating coil from chain vaping. I don't tend to do this but even with a 10 minute break to cool down it will still taste burnt from the first draw.

Hi Sarracenia Welcome to ECF!

What is your voltage or wattage set to and what is the ohm rating of your coil?

In my experience, three things can cause this.

The first is that you have the device set too high for the ohm rating of your coil.

The second is that your battery does not handle power cleanly. Some of the less expensive devices we like are not all that consistent with power and can be off as much as 1 volt. This can scorch a coil.

The third is a little odd. It happened to my adult son with cartomizers. Many short little vapes with no breaks in between tend to get the coil hotter than one nice long draw and a pause in between. If you were a smoker this analogy might help. Have you ever had a half lit cigarette that you were trying not to re-light with a lighter? You probably took a few fast small puffs and it lit. The physics is not really the same but small puffs with no time in between keep the coil hot. One long vape heats the coil, delivers more vapor and then has a chance to cool down.

Let me know the ohm rating and voltage when you get chance...

I had the voltage set to 3.8, I did try lowering it to the lowest setting though which is 3.3V, still burnt. The coil is a kangertech 1.9ohm dual coil.

Is the Spinner II one of these batteries you referred to? I wouldn't think $30 is exactly breaking the bank as far as equipment prices can go. But this problem did start with the old battery that my friend gave me initially. I believe its what you would call an eGo style but again terminology is mostly beyond me still.

Also for the third thing like I said above, I was aware of this and I don't believe I do it, definitely not the short draws. If anything I may not leave enough time in between some of my long vape draws, but even with 10+ minutes the problem occurs from the first pull.

 

[Sarracenia]

You need to march yourself right back to that guy and have him explain it to you why it's not working or sell you something that does work for more than a day !!
It's not your juice 50 %PG / 50 %VG does not need to be cut at all.
If in fact you are spending the time to prime them before you fire them and change the coil again to no avail, I personally would think you need to buy something different.

I did that already. There is a reason I purchased the new battery and tank today and tossed the old one that my friend gave me from his starter kit. I would like to properly source the problem before demanding a refund from the store.

 

[Bassnorma]

I keep it fairly low to begin with, only 1 or 2 of the 5 holes are exposed on the airflow control. I read about the overheating coil from chain vaping. I don't tend to do this but even with a 10 minute break to cool down it will still taste burnt from the first draw.



I had the voltage set to 3.8, I did try lowering it to the lowest setting though which is 3.3V, still burnt. The coil is a kangertech 1.9ohm dual coil.

Is the Spinner II one of these batteries you referred to? I wouldn't think $30 is exactly breaking the bank as far as equipment prices can go. But this problem did start with the old battery that my friend gave me initially. I believe its what you would call an eGo style but again terminology is mostly beyond me still.

Also for the third thing like I said above, I was aware of this and I don't believe I do it, definitely not the short draws. If anything I may not leave enough time in between some of my long vape draws, but even with 10+ minutes the problem occurs from the first pull.

Thanks! You have a great target voltage for that coil.

Ego batteries on an oscilloscope don't perform all that well as far as consistency goes. When you get the scorched taste does dialing back the voltage help any?

 

[Sarracenia]

Thanks! You have a great target voltage for that coil.

Ego batteries on an oscilloscope don't perform all that well as far as consistency goes. When you get the scorched taste does dialing back the voltage help any?

Dialing it back lessens the intensity of the burnt taste but it is definitely still there, and overwhelming. I don't really even taste the juice at all if its being wicked even a little.

EDIT: I think all it really does it lower the amount of vapor produced.

 

[Bassnorma]

Dialing it back lessens the intensity of the burnt taste but it is definitely still there, and overwhelming. I don't really even taste the juice at all if its being wicked even a little.

EDIT: I think all it really does it lower the amount of vapor produced.

This is always a tricky issue because with most of these coils once the wicking is burnt it can't be unburnt... So sometimes you can catch it beofre the burn is irreversible and other times the wicking is just too far gone.

Airflow can also be a factor as others have said. I find I get less burning with more airflow but then I build my own atomizers so I have a sweet spot for the amount of wick vs. airflow. Try a new coil and keep it a little lower so that bursts don't fry the wicking? Say, 3.4 to 3.6? That might be a little anemic for you but try and see if it works for you.

 

[Sarracenia]

This is always a tricky issue because with most of these coils once the wicking is burnt it can't be unburnt... So sometimes you can catch it beofre the burn is irreversible and other times the wicking is just too far gone.

Airflow can also be a factor as others have said. I find I get less burning with more airflow but then I build my own atomizers so I have a sweet spot for the amount of wick vs. airflow. Try a new coil and keep it a little lower so that bursts don't fry the wicking? Say, 3.4 to 3.6? That might be a little anemic for you but try and see if it works for you.

In my understanding more airflow should have a cooling effect on the coil. I felt that it dulled the taste a bit though thats why I was keeping it lower. I'll try adjusting that along with a new coil and voltage. I also just changed the juice.

 

[Bassnorma]

In my understanding more airflow should have a cooling effect on the coil. I felt that it dulled the taste a bit though thats why I was keeping it lower. I'll try adjusting that along with a new coil and voltage. I also just changed the juice.

I hear you. Personally, I like an airier draw but that does not appeal to everyone. Good luck! Let us know how it all turns out....

 

[sparkky1]

Dialing it back lessens the intensity of the burnt taste but it is definitely still there, and overwhelming. I don't really even taste the juice at all if its being wicked even a little.

EDIT: I think all it really does it lower the amount of vapor produced.

REALLY,
So all you guy's / gal's think this is what you should have to do after leaving your vape shop with your new purchase ????

 

[Sarracenia]

Well its still burning, turned the air open and voltage down with a new coil, good for a while and then all of a sudden it was burnt again.

REALLY,
So all you guy's / gal's think this is what you should have to do after leaving your vape shop with your new purchase ????

The fact of the matter is the problem existed before I purchased any of the equipment you are referring to. This means that the problem could lie elsewhere. Trust me if it persists I will be back in the shop looking for either a fix or refund.

 

[Rsunderl]

One question I haven't yet seen asked is how hard are you drawing? A gentle draw when vaping is all you need and a hard draw can sometimes lead to dry hits.

Just a thought, and hope you find the solution.

 

[Bassnorma]

REALLY,
So all you guy's / gal's think this is what you should have to do after leaving your vape shop with your new purchase ????

What is your point?

 

[Sarracenia]

So I let it sit for about 1.5 hours with a new coil. Then I got about 15-20 decent draws and the taste started to fade. Then burnt again. This was at a lower voltage, 3.5-3.7V I still think it sounds like wicking, I know everyone is focused on the gear and voltage but is it not possible that the liquid isn't drawing into the wick fast enough?

Can temperatures affect e-juice. I kept these in my backpack for a bit and it was left outside in the car in the cold temps for at least several hours. They've had ample time to come back to room temps but could the cold have ruined the liquid?

Also I'm not drawing on it any harder or more frequently than I ever did and it was fine for two weeks. I take long slow drags. I'm not entirely new to vaping so I am familiar with the proper technique to take a hit.

I know there are people out there that vape much more heavily than I without issue. If I'm not able to solve this I don't see the point in continuing vaping. I'm not going to waste money on something that I need to leave for an hour so I can use it for 30 minutes and not even at a recommended setting.

 

[Sarracenia]

I'm using Steam Co. e-juice. The gentlemans reserve and the second one I have is their moment 37, I don't know if that could make a difference to anyone.