Rebuildable Addy - Bitter Taste Help

[AzrielProne]

I have a K100 with an AW 18490. Using an rba head Cobra Clone tank.

I was using the steel wick that came with it and made a coil with 30g kanthal. All was well for about 1 1/2 weeks. Then started tasting flavorless. Using Virgin Vapor at 18mg in various flavors.

So I decided to make a new wick. All went well I oxidized it and prepped it. Made a new coil and now: it tastes Bitter as Hell!

I can't tell what it could be. Please lete know if anyone has any fixes or suggestions on this.

 

[Crash Moses]

Sounds like a hotspot. Even if you have evenly glowing coils one of the legs may be a bit longer than the other which would result in a bad taste. Check for hidden hotspots.

Also, with new wicks sometimes it may take some time for it to "break" in. I haven't experienced this personally but others have mentioned it enough that it is something to consider.

 

[AzrielProne]

Thanks, Crash.

I would assume that it would need a break in, but since I am new I just don't know how long that would be. Also I checked for hot spots and burnt everything with some juice to base a layer of carbon. Just keeps tasting like Bitter Metal. Produces a good amount of vapor but tastes horrible and kills my throat.

I have watched more than a few tutorials and have made coil after coil and at least 5 wicks all with different oxidation and burning methods and they all taste like this Bitter Metallic Horrible taste.

 

[Crash Moses]

It sounds like you've been pretty thorough...I'm at a bit of a loss. I'm just going to toss out a few things; have you tried a different juice vendor? Maybe it's that particular vendor...or possibly a different nic level (nic can change the flavor...try some 12mg or 6mg to see if that makes a difference)? Have you tried Nichrome? I know some people claim to be able to taste a difference depending on the coil (I can't but everyone is different). Do you have a different RBA that you can try using the same wick and coil?

Something else to consider (and I have no way to test this) but my sense of taste changed dramatically for a few months after I started vaping. Juice I used to love when I started I can't stand now. I remember one awesome coffee flavor that I just loved...it tastes like dead fish now (I'm not kidding...dead fish!) still smells good though...sigh.

I don't know how long you've been vaping but maybe you could try some different flavors from a different vendor?

Like I said...just tossing stuff out...lol.

 

[AzrielProne]

I dont think Nic Level or Juice would do it. On Saturday I was at a party and vaped all night. Tasted great, just like the week + prior. Then Sunday it began to taste different....not bad just didnt really taste like the juice. It was sweater but didnt have that coffee taste (I was vaping Kona Coffee Flavor). So I decided to use the new SS Mesh I had and make a new coil and SS Wick cause I assumed that would be the problem.

That is when the real problem began. So now the hits taste NOTHING like the juice it should and it is very very bitter and metallic tasting.

So......I will try some different mesh, maybe I got a bad batch or cheap .... mesh. I will also try some Silica Wick in the RBA Head as I have seen some people do that. See if that fixes it.

Just seeing if anyone has had this issue and knows the culprit or fix.

 

[Thrasher]

metallic taste is a hotspot or a short somewhere, remember even an oxidized wick can be exposed somewhere is you poke and prod and move the coil around adjusting it in set up. the only thing to do is empty the tank and fire the coil until you are sure it is glowing evenly. not one coil first then the rest or some on top and bottom then the middle, evenly-- it should almost glow every coil at the same rate.

also depending on how badly or heavily you oxidize the mesh decides how long it takes to break in, as you are essentially coating it with burnt metal and that adds to the funky taste sometimes


genis are a magical beast sometimes - you can set one up in minutes and it runs fine for weeks then take all night to set it up again, and my fave - runs fine for days then start shorting for no apparent reason other then wanting to be a pain.

 

[AzrielProne]

Ok, Thrasher. Thanks for the info. I did not know that the coil had to be quite perfect on firing that delay would mean a short/hot spot. I also did not know that the taste then signified the presence of a short/hotspot area.

Very good to know. I will have to tinker more when I get home. When it works it works great and hits and tastes wonderful....but this is driving me nutty!

 

[AzrielProne]

So, I decided to try a different tank. I got a AGA-T2 and set it up with 2 SS Wicks with a 30g Kanthal Coil each and running it at 1.0 ohms (tested from the 510 connection on the bottom with a multimeter), and this thing is hitting GREAT! Great hit, thickness in vapor and flavor is Amazing!

Still don't know exactly what the difference was between the Cobra Clone and the AGA-T2 but I am much happier with this one.

Thanks for the suggestions and input guys.

 

[Unforeseen]

Moved to Assorted PV Topics - Rebuildable Atomizer Systems