Nicotine Comparisons

[Cool_Breeze]

So I take it you're volunteering to compile the results?

Yes, for the 10 items I've listed plus 0 to 10 from you on Color & Clarity.

The two preferences that are not scalar are to establish whether most think those items contribute positively or negatively. That may effect the way I chart them.

Those offering 5th, 6th and more nic tests might send those to me under separate cover from the 4 already selected. : )

 

[JeremyR]

Yep I will keep the other 5 I'm comparing seperate and do a full round comparision including all 9 of them if I can keep my taste buds straight!

Right now I can tell there's very little difference between a few of them that I already have.

 

[JeremyR]

That's kind of what I've been thinking. My supplier buys a big batch of nic - if I buy some shortly after they received their shipment, it's fresh and has little color, odor, or flavor. I buy again 6 months later, and it's from the same batch, which has been sitting in a warm warehouse or whatever - and now it has more color, odor, and flavor. Frustrating.

As mentioned.. I think your correct, age and oxidation is the biggest change in the nic. So suppliers will vary by age of product.

I have noticed if I make say 30ml in a 120ml bottle, with all that air space, that when I check back on it a few weeks or month(s) later there is a strong smell that develops that wasn't there before... I take it its oxidizing in the open air.?

 

[yo han]

Yes, the more oxygen above the solution, the more it can oxidize.
I'm using an old trick which we were using to preserve developer fluid in the photo laborotary where I was working years ago:

Before closing the bottle, put 2 drops of pure grain alcohol in the bottle and let it sit for a minute. Then close it.
This works as follows:

The alcohol floats on top of the liquid and starts evaporating. Since it's lighter than air it rises and pushes the air above it out of the bottle. After about a minute the air has been pushed out and the empty space above the liquid is just alhohol vapor. You then close the bottle and there's hardly any oxygen above the liquid.

 

[tierrataz]

Being a visual learner, I like the graph Jeremy.

I do have a question regarding how you are defining pepper. As the actual taste perception? As stinging sensation? Over the years it seems "pepper" has been a descriptor for nose hit rather than a taste. I have had nic of both types. Neither are preferable to me but the actual taste of pepper is most offensive of the two.

Yo Han, thanks for that tip!

 

[JeremyR]

To me it was a taste sensation and with it came th.... I'm not sure I'll detect any since they have gotten so clean.. I have a high tolerance for pepper. I use the spice on everything.

Last time I actually tasted a peppery nic, I could detect, was over two years ago..

What about nose burn level on saturated hits.. This runs along with the lines of throat hit maybe.. How should the out the nose burn be classified?

Purely as throat hit, burn, pepper, or chemical?

 

[Cool_Breeze]

I think of pepperiness as somewhat of a taste, perhaps separate from that of 'pure' nicotine and as a sensation distinct from taste...a 'feeling' in the mouth. I've found the pepper sensation that I am familiar with stays in the mouth after extended vaping, not as a taste per se.

Those wanting to qualify 'nose hit' aspects might do so in textual posts.

PS 'Sneeze factor' has been important to me, but the nics I've had lately don't seem to have much of that. Perhaps that's an effect more of flavorings than of nic...I don't know.

 

[NGAHaze]

Just a quick check in ... I am following along and progressing with my tests, well to be honest, I've only mixed up the test batches so far but more to follow soon!

 

[mhertz]

I've witnessed pepper as a distinct sensation in the nose during exhale and a little on the tongue, but never as an actual pepper taste like eating pepper, just the feel of eating pepper. Of course I haven't tried all nics out there, and also i've only vaped for 2 years so maybe I have missed such nics

Btw, I have said previously that e.g. nicselect tasted/smelled like tobacco, but actully it's more of a nutty or almondy odor/taste, which also many report about there nics. I then read a vendor stating that nic smells wood'en and like damp-tobacco leaves, and for me that hits that smell/taste right on the money - Best description i've heard yet imho

Sometimes i'm thinking about if the ultra-pure smelling/tasting nics that don't really have any odor in 100mg, if they have been ph-adjusted with citric-acid ? I dunno, as always

 

[NGAHaze]

Sometimes i'm thinking about if the ultra-pure smelling/tasting nics that don't really have any odor in 100mg, if they have been ph-adjusted with citric-acid ?

Have you heard of any vendors doing this? I haven't personally but it might be a factor to consider if it is being done.

 

[beckdg]

Sometimes i'm thinking about if the ultra-pure smelling/tasting nics that don't really have any odor in 100mg, if they have been ph-adjusted with citric-acid ? I dunno, as always

Nic titration tests are based off of ph. You add acid until the regent turns the color you're looking for. Then calculate from there. If acid was used to neutralize clarity and pepper, then nic "c" would have to be a much higher nic concentration to test out properly.

Beings I'm pretty positive I have a freezer full of nic "c", I'm pretty confident it tests between 97 and 103 mg/ml consistently from any batch within the last year.

That being that I can test it at any time and be within that threshold despite the lack of accuracy of such testing methods.

Tapatyped

 

[Rossum]

Sometimes i'm thinking about if the ultra-pure smelling/tasting nics that don't really have any odor in 100mg, if they have been ph-adjusted with citric-acid ?

Well, all four of our samples have a pH of around 8.5,

That's in the same range as every juice I've ever looked at, except the Juul stuff that IS "pH adjusted" to produce nic salts. That's the bottom one among these:

And here's a previous comparison between 0mg, an older batch of VT nic, and Juul juuce:

 

[mhertz]

Have you heard of any vendors doing this? I haven't personally but it might be a factor to consider if it is being done.

No, I don't know if any does this, but i'll bet that if they did, then they wouldn't tell

I remember reading from Kurt about this, and he e.g. knew for sure that one company did it, because he knew the owner; Vermont Vapor.

When I read that chemnovatic bought nic in india and uk and then did an extra "refinement" in their headquater in poland, then honestly I was thinking a little about what that polish company really could be doing, that the big plants didn't allready do, e.g. the indian nic they use is maybe alchem, which allready dishes out nic at 99.97+ purity and with 30 years experience...

However, I have absolutelly no clue about this and please dont take this as an accusation against anyone, it's merely speculation, nothing else!

Here's a thread from Kurt about this ph-adjustment thing: pH of unflavored nic liquid? | E-Cigarette Forum

If the nic is fully ph-adjusted into it's salt form, then the ph of 100mg nic should be about 6, and about 11 if fully freebase, I believe I gathered from above quoted thread.

Btw, the above thread also shows that a nic can be both low odor and still not ph-adjusted... I just find it really strange... Like Kurt did also in above thread...

 

[Dixie1954]

Has anyone recently tried nicselect from Nicotine River?? Have been told that it is very clear and stays that way for a good long time.

 

[sketchness]

I have a recent bottle from them. I think it is above average as far as clarity and such. It however is not clear it has a slight yellow tint to it

 

[tierrataz]

To me it was a taste sensation and with it came th.... I'm not sure I'll detect any since they have gotten so clean.. I have a high tolerance for pepper. I use the spice on everything.

Last time I actually tasted a peppery nic, I could detect, was over two years ago..

What about nose burn level on saturated hits.. This runs along with the lines of throat hit maybe.. How should the out the nose burn be classified?

Purely as throat hit, burn, pepper, or chemical?

Back in the day, I remember it being described as nose hit. That tingle when exhaling through sinuses. Different from the thump of a throat hit. You are probably right though, nic as gotten quite clean. Last pepper nic I got in a trade was labeled "Levi" and that was at least 4 years ago. The flavor of black pepper was very strong. Enough so that I never wanted more of it.

 

[mhertz]

Crap, I had mailed chemnovatic about where and what source they get there nic, and what processing they do to it themselves and such, but I got a reply back that I needed to send them business details first!

That's of course fully acceptable and professional, as it's a matter of pure nicotine im inquirying about, but i'm just freakin' curious!!

I've read the whole vt thread months ago and even though many asked what that made this nic so special, then we could never really get a propper description, besides "thinking it beeing an extra wash" or something. I can fully understand that it's a trade secret, but then just say so...

Sorry

 

[Cool_Breeze]

I've mixed up my samples and testing is underway. I'm on a break to settle down for a while and return my bodily nic level to typical, whatever that may be.

 

[JohnnyDill]

I got all four mixed down, with zero nic & MFS thrown in. Just getting to the testing. Taking lots of notes.

 

[sketchness]

Got to vape a tank of my last sample before I left on vacation. Will mix down to 6mg max vg for my final notes when I return Sunday.