Please Help! Bitter taste...

[enrogae]

Hey guys,

I am pretty darn new to vaping and I loved it at first! I have been having a problem for a few days now, however, that has finally started making me want an analog again -- and I'd rather not go back if I can help it. I have invested far too much time and money into vaping to go back to analogs and have it wasted.

So here's the deal... I am now consistently getting a very bitter taste when I vape. I have 4 different flavors of juice, from 2 different vendors. I also have 2 models of e-cig. The bitter taste is on every flavor and both models.

I have had some help from a member or two in troubleshooting this. As a result I have cleaned the atomizers, cleaned the polyfill, tried various different amounts of polyfill to try and stop the atomizer from touching it as much. I have even tried using tea bags instead of the polyfill and I had poor results with that -- still had the bitter taste and the atomizer used up even less of the cart (which it doesn't seem to use all of anyways). I have even tried dripping directly onto the atomizer to see if it was the polyfill causing the bad taste. For about 2 puffs the first time I did it I thought it was better. I don't know if it's in my head or my taste buds are just revolting against me -- but even dripping on the atomizer tastes bitter now.

I have had both e-cigs for over a week now... I should think if there was any primer it would have burned off by now. In fact, I do not remember any bitter taste in the beginning...perhaps there was no primer to begin with?

I am very new to this...but I LOVED all of my juice flavors in the beginning. Now it's getting where the taste is so bitter I can barely stand to vape. It's really getting me down! Any and all help would be appreciated. (I have tried, for two days, to search and find an answer on my own..but have come up short.)

Please help!

 

[Willowsong]

Just curious... did you stop analogs altogether (or down to just a couple/few a day)? If so, how long has it been?

 

[effigi]

Have you tried dripping on the atomizer without filler in the cartridge?

 

[enrogae]

The first day (a week ago Saturday) that I started vaping I had 3 analogs. Sunday (the next day) I had none. I haven't smoked another analog since Sunday (8 full days, according to my sig, without any analogs at all).

I did try dripping on the atomizer without a cart. Sorry I forgot to mention it at first (it's now edited into my original post).

 

[SpitfireSMS]

I really have no idea..

So youve tried your different models.. with different atomizers on them?
Or do you only have 1 atty each?

All i can think of is.. its all in your head lol.

If you find out, Id really like to know

 

[Willowsong]

I ask because a few days after I dropped to a set 3 analogs per day, EVERYTHING tasted like burnt plastic. It lasted for a couple of days. When I dropped analogs altogether, a few days later it happened again, to a lesser degree. I can't help but wonder if it might be new and healing taste buds.

 

[enrogae]

Hmm... maybe it is just my taste buds healing. I wish they'd hurry the hell up and heal already! I only have 1 atomizer for each model...but I have more ordered and on the way. I thought maybe the atomizers were sucky or something...I dunno. I'm open to almost any possibility at this point.

 

[effigi]

Is it possible to try using only PG or a mix of VG to see if there is still a bitter taste?

 

[Angela]

Silly point, but one often overlooked.... you're aren't vaping too fast are you?

If you take too many draws in quick succession, you won't be allowing sufficient time for the juice to flow down into the wick, resulting in a dry atty and a 'burnt' taste.

Remember, you haven't got to finish it before it burns away any more! This is a much more leisurely experience!

(Not trying to treat you like an idiot here, but I still have to stop myself from doing this. I smoked an analogue 'fast and hard' and so that part of the transition has been the hardest - resulting in the burnt taste on several occasions!)

 

[D05GTO]

What models are you using? I have a J306 *Janty Minifogger* that had the worst taste *strong burnt plastic*. Looked like their was some hot glue on the atomizer that was burning off. Well, I puffed on it like crazy and finally burned off what was in there.

 

[enrogae]

I'm only using PG. I haven't given a VG a try yet.

I don't *think* that I'm vaping too fast. I usually go pretty leisurely. I will try to keep that in mind, however, and see if going slower helps any. I wonder if the atomizer is going bad anyways...it no longer burns the entire cart and sometimes I have to struggle to get a good hit...except on the first few. If it is going bad, could that cause the bad taste?

I'm using a m401....and a different one. I can't talk about the other one...the m401 is my favorite anyways and honestly I am more concerned that it's happening on it. I don't know that it tastes like burnt plastic. If I had to characterize the taste, it tastes more...metallic. You know that metallic/bitter taste you get in your mouth sometimes when you are going to throw up? Disgusting right? That's what it tastes like.

 

[usamare]

There's no way I can be sure, but I would venture a guess that what happened is your batteries went into 'cleaning mode' and started carbonizing the gunk on the heating element, giving you bitter smoke. It's also easy to bring about if you have too much electrical power, like battery mods or usb pass-through.

If that's what the problem is, I usually pull the cart so there's no stuffing to burn, and without inhaling give about 8-10 long draws in rapid succession, just blowing out the fumes (which taste pretty bad). Overall, with that what you're after is to FINISH burning up the partially burnt gunk.
Then drip down the side of the atomizer to re-prime the mesh material and hopefully it's good to go Sometimes it takes a little more effort, sometimes a little less.

Of course, your mileage may vary, but I get a lot of what you described, and that's how I get rid of it.

Good Luck!

 

[enrogae]

There's no way I can be sure, but I would venture a guess that what happened is your batteries went into 'cleaning mode' and started carbonizing the gunk on the heating element, giving you bitter smoke. It's also easy to bring about if you have too much electrical power, like battery mods or usb pass-through.

If that's what the problem is, I usually pull the cart so there's no stuffing to burn, and without inhaling give about 8-10 long draws in rapid succession, just blowing out the fumes (which taste pretty bad). Overall, with that what you're after is to FINISH burning up the partially burnt gunk.
Then drip down the side of the atomizer to re-prime the mesh material and hopefully it's good to go Sometimes it takes a little more effort, sometimes a little less.

Of course, your mileage may vary, but I get a lot of what you described, and that's how I get rid of it.

Good Luck!

Could it still be that, two days later and after washing out the atomizer?

 

[usamare]

Yeah two days does sound like a long time for that, it's really tough if that's not it :-(

 

[enrogae]

I agree. It's driving me crrrrazzzy!

 

[katink]

I think I read that your filling did stick to the atomizer-mesh earlier on? If this is the case, then part of the polyester (or the cart-wall) might have melted onto/into the mesh. You won't be removing that with washing the atomizer...
When you get the new atomizers in, take care to really keep the filling wet (which also means don't inhale too rapidly after each other) so this sticking to the mesh doesn't happen again. I think your problem will have gone then.

I can't rule out the possibility of it being something to do with stopping smoking either (like indeed tastebuds regenerating) but my bet would be the first reason I named.

 

[D05GTO]

Your actually burning your atomizer if your getting the metalic taste. It has some steel wool that is used to wick from the cart to the resister. The wool would be the burning taste. I tend to get this when vaping to hard and the cart is low on liquid. Also, if the cart filling is old it will stop wicking as well and you will run it lean. Not enough liquid on the atomizer. Try to put 1 drop on the atomizer when you fill the cart to prime it.

 

[Mary Kay]

You did wash the cart itself right? Not just the filling. That was my problem and the taste went away.
Another problem I had with a metalic taste is that I lost part of a tooth filling so when I vape I get a metalic taste. Just like when you get a bit of gum wrapping in your mouth. Could this be a possibilty? When we vape we draw a lot of air in over the teeth.

 

[stevej21]

i was getting the same taste and was from the polyfil sticking to the atty. i fill my carts very often now and dont have the problem anymore.

 

[Willowsong]

Eww... electrical burnt taste. I did that on my 901 when I covered the hole in the atty and didn't realize it. The taste never went away. Someone posted on another thread (and I suck at searching here or I'd try to find it) that, that horrible electrical burn is a shot atty. I wish I could remember *why* but it made sense so I ditched the atty that was tasting that way.