newbie questions I can't find answers to...

[TheRealHex]

hey guys.. still new here and I've tried searching and browsing a bit but so far haven't been able to find answers to a couple specific questions I've come up with recently..

1. I'm still new so I'm currently experimenting with A LOT of different flavors (with many more on the way) just trying to make sure I find what I like w/o missing out on anything. that said, I'm wondering what's the best way to do this? I've recently figured out that dripping on an atty, trying a liquid, then dripping a couple drops of something else isn't the way to go. I "wasted" 8 sample bottles of different menthol flavors (which tasted pretty close to the same) my first 2 weeks of vaping, now I'm thinking that's because I used the same atty for them all. I have a stock of new, unused attys, but I'm hesitant to break them out just to sample new liquids. this past week I've been cleaning my attys (repeatedly) after each liquid by blowing out old liquid, running them under hot water, and doing several dry burns on my standard 510 batteries, then repriming them with the next liquid in the queue. I guess it's working fine.. but it's time consuming and I'm not sure if I'm ruining the atty or if i'm getting the true flavor of the juice during my "taste-test" today, I just rinsed a couple attys with hot tap water and dried them. I'm looking for the best (and quickest) way to test several liquids at once so I'm ready for my next real order.

2. does it ever end? with so many hardware options and so many liquids (flavors, blends, suppliers, etc) is there ever a point when you find something you're completely satisfied with and don't feel the need to experiment further? not that I'm complaining because I like trying new things.. which explains why every order I make includes 20+ different flavors. I'm currently very satisfied with my standard 510 and eGo PT, though I'm going to be ordering a 510-t upgrade with my next liquid order. the liquid is where I'm having my problem right now.. I've ordered almost everything my choice vendor has to offer and I've found a few that I will be ordering again. but knowing that I don't like chocolate from this vendor and maybe someone else offers a chocolate I'm going to like.. I wonder if I'll ever figure it out

3. back to serious questions.. as I mentioned above I'm going to be ordering a pack of 510-t tanks and a single atty for now until I decide if I like it. though I'm sure I will because I've read such good things about it on here so far. kind of the same question as #1 above.. I'm unfamiliar with the way the tank systems work so I'm wondering if it's the same as with the standard attys as far as changing flavors. do the flavors get stuck to those attys as well? easy method of cleaning them?

4. I have some liquids (basic liquid from cignot) that list alcohol as an ingredient. what does this mean exactly? is that like adding a couple drops of vodka to thin it out?

5. I have heard of liquids with caffeine in them. is this real? where is such a liquid sold?

btw, regarding #1 & 3 above, eventually when I find my 'regular' liquids, I'll have a dedicated atty or 3 for each.. I'm asking about trying different liquids with just a few attys (currently I have 4 in use, 2 for testing)

thanks guys, I think that's it for now. any help/advice would be much appreciated!

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

I think vapor renu allow you to add caffeine in your juices, along with vitamins,etc.....
You will just have to try you flavors out, sometimes you will mix flavors in your atty and maybe find you like it...dunno, ymmv
all atties can be cleaned and re-used...some use just hot water and soak for a while, then shake and blow out liquid and let dry.....some use an ultasonic cleaner, such as one that it used to clean jewelry.....
everyone is different, you will just have to figure out what's best for you,

 

[dormouse]

1. You could buy a bunch of cheap attys, clean them all of primer and have them waiting next time you want to test juices. I noticed juices testers who do Youtube reviews often seem to have a lot of attys

2. No it never stops

3. yes flavors can get stuck on any atty. That is one of the many reasons why lots of people prefer cartomizers. I recommend Boge 510 soft-cap cartos and you need the standard resistance (not LR or HV) ones for slim 510. Cartos are no good at all for testing juice because it is very hard to clean and dry a carto - they are meant to be disposable.

4. alcohol (pure grain or vodka or gin) is sometimes used to adjust the flow of a juice, mainly high VG juices. In addition, certainly flavorings can only be dissolved in alcohol and that includes menthol crystals, ethyl maltol crystals aka cotton candy flavoring (a popular sweetener for some types of flavors), and oil-based flavors like citrus, cinnamon and almond

5. No idea (or desire)

Re regular liquids. The liquids I like the most earn cartomizers. First I do drip testing. Then the ones I think I like get extended drip testing or a cart (on 510 for dripping/cart I use a standard resistance Joye 306 atty and 306 cart I cut blue foam stuffing for). The best earn a cartomizer and a place in the 6 slots of my PCC.

 

[TheRealHex]

well I've apparently mixed flavors in my atty before now and have liked the outcome. that being said, 2 weeks ago I declared a favorite liquid and ordered a big bottle I've been using it all day today on a fresh atty and while it doesn't suck, it's not that great. though I am finally getting th from it, which I didn't get 2 weeks ago.. I'm just not finding it as enjoyable as I did on day 1.. maybe that's because for the past 3 days I was vaping something else that I now really like and can't wait (literally, I can't) until more comes in. I only had a 5ml sample bottle and now I'm ordering 2x 20ml bottles. surprised I like it at all since it's more regular tobacco flavored than anything, and I'm a menthol smoker. but it's really good (imo, of course)

@dormouse - mind sharing your method of testing new liquids? I'm cleaning my attys and dripping 3 drops (after priming with 5 drops) and if I don't like something I immediately rinse the atty, do a couple dry burns and move on to something else. should I give it more time? (i.e., vape it for a day, see if my opinion changes.. as is the case with the liquid I just mentioned above that I didn't like at first and now have 40ml ordered) I noticed the other day after trying a vg chocolate liquid it wasn't too bad (not much flavor, however) at first but after a couple hours of using it my throat felt like it was closing up. I switched back to my normal liquid and felt fine a few hours later. normally I'd think this was the 'brand' or something, but most of my other liquids are from the same manufacturer.

anyway.. i'm kinda ocd about things like this.. I just want to have the perfect method down. just wait, I'm still trying to perfect my method for actually using my pv. I have yet to figure out how to put it down for more than 30 seconds at a time. nic levels to be reduced next order!

another thing.. I noticed that after only pulling, refilling, and inserting a cart only a few times it starts to become much looser than it was when it was new. do they really wear that quickly? any way to fix that besides wedging something in there? or what's a good rule of thumb for how often to order new carts? that said, I really only use carts when I'm on the go as I discovered on day 2 of vaping that I enjoy dripping much more. cartos are great, but I haven't quite gotten around to reading how to clean/refill them properly. the one I attempted to refill was cracked (prior to shipment) so it leaked all over and I haven't used one since. I've got another 5 on order so if I can use something other than menthol with them would be great

 

[NicLiq]

Love the phrase "earning a cartomizer" dormouse.

I would like to have the perfect method down too, but I think what happens is that you figure out several methods, and if one isn't getting the results you want, you try another.

The quest for "your" liquid is something that could change constantly. I started on something and thought it was heaven and several days later, I couldn't stand the smell of it (still can't). I've had about 5 "favorites" in the last 4 weeks. Today, I couldn't tell anyone what my favorite is, and at one point I had an idea that I should just vape flavorless liquid so I'd quit driving myself crazy.

I'd never want more stuff put in my juice/liquid and going into my lungs, so I'll drink my caffeine and eat vitamin-rich foods. Being hopped up on nicotine puts caffeine use to shame.

 

[dormouse]

Only some people are successful and cleaning and drying and reusing stuffing-type cartos. Some flavors never come totally out, sometimes they don't dry right and get mildew, sometimes they never flow right again. When I finish with a stuffing type carto I put it in a bag and some day I might try to clean them. I figure if I got 4-7 or sometimes 14 days use out of something that cost $2 then I am satisfied.

Re testing juices - sorry - I am very sloppy at testing juices. The Joye 306 atty is a lot easier to blow out - it's a tiny little thing with a decent size hole in the bottom. I do not recommend it on auto batteries because if you get too much juice in a 306 atty then it WILL dump it on the end of your battery.

So I use a Joye 306 atty and 306 drip tip. I blow out the atty. I line up the juices I plan to test in a reasonable order. Anything with a clingy flavor goes last. Most delicate flavors first. I drip 3 drops in the drip tip, shake down slightly, sort of puff at (rather than into) the drip tip (puffing into it will send the juicer through to the battery haha). Wait a bit, start vaping it. I may do another 3 drops after I vape off the first 3. By then the flavor is pretty true I think. Then I blow out the atty well. Start again with another flavor.

The flavors do mix a bit especially right after the switch. But i try to blow the little atty out well. I do retests of the ones I like. If I still am on the fence about a flavor or think I might only want to vape it occasionally, then I clean the 306 cart and its blue foam, dry them, and fill the cart with that flavor. The 306 atty + cart together are the same size as a Boge carto. So I can put that in my PCC and try the juice at work too.

 

[TheRealHex]

thanks for the input. I guess that's kinda what I'm already doing, so that's good. I just worry if I like something on one atty and order 100ml of it and it completely sucks on a fresh atty.. I guess that's the fun of this though, right? so that's basically what I'm doing.. using a 'cleaned' atty to try new flavors and if it's something I like I'll break one of the new attys out of the package. right now, however, I only really have sample size of anything so I don't want to use the new attys until I know what I'm going to be using.. just in case. I understand about the cost of attys or cartos.. from cignot, cartos come out to 1.60/ea which isn't bad compared to the $6/day cigarette habit I've been without for a month so far.

well like I said, just wanted to know if I could tweak my method a bit to get more mileage but I guess with the disposable nature of the 'parts' I'm doing the best I can.

on a side note, I cleaned the atty I was using with my dk-tab last night and put in some whiskey flavored juice to try it out and I loved it. really expected not to be impressed. I thought it had a tobacco taste to it with slight whiskey kick to it. turns out, I was still tasting my beloved dk-tab in there. today the whiskey flavor isn't bad, but it's certainly not as good. uggh.. long way to go still!