Still getting harsh throat hit, im running out of ideas.

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spc13m

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Nov 15, 2014
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Okay, so I started experiencing the harsh throat hit when I was using my Wizard Labs nicotine. Some folks on here pointed me in the direction of Vaperstek nic, which I bought. After mixing with this nic, the peppery note is all but gone, however the only thing that still persists is the harsh throat hit. Its so strong I cant even vape it, hurts my throat and gives me the hiccups. I seriously dont know what im doing wrong, ive tried different flavors, different concentrations etc... etc... im using nothing but VG, flavor, and nic in a VG carrier. ( Nic is 100mg/mL and I only vape at 3 mg of nic) I make sure the mixture is well blended before use. I dont know where the hit is coming from, so im hoping someone here does. Heres a list of what im using, I can provide more info upon request.

VG: Wizard Labs VG
Flavor: loranns super strength raspberry, watermelon, and strawberry.

The flavor apprentice: french vannilla creme, blueberry wild, and blueberry extra.

Vaperstek nicotine in vg.

Note* im experiencing this TH with all the flavors I have listed.
 

dannyv45

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Okay, so I started experiencing the harsh throat hit when I was using my Wizard Labs nicotine. Some folks on here pointed me in the direction of Vaperstek nic, which I bought. After mixing with this nic, the peppery note is all but gone, however the only thing that still persists is the harsh throat hit. Its so strong I cant even vape it, hurts my throat and gives me the hiccups. I seriously dont know what im doing wrong, ive tried different flavors, different concentrations etc... etc... im using nothing but VG, flavor, and nic in a VG carrier. ( Nic is 100mg/mL and I only vape at 3 mg of nic) I make sure the mixture is well blended before use. I dont know where the hit is coming from, so im hoping someone here does. Heres a list of what im using, I can provide more info upon request.

VG: Wizard Labs VG
Flavor: loranns super strength raspberry, watermelon, and strawberry.

The flavor apprentice: french vannilla creme, blueberry wild, and blueberry extra.

Vaperstek nicotine in vg.

Note* im experiencing this TH with all the flavors I have listed.

It would also help if you posted the recipe including details about your base mixture.
 

dannyv45

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Here is some helpful reading.

My blogs will give insight into all aspects of DYI, from steeping to what supplies to have on hand to a basic walk through mixing your first E-juice.

E-Cigarette Forum - dannyv45 - Blogs

Then read hoosier's blogs. These blogs concentrate on fine tuning your mix and give insight on additives.

E-Cigarette Forum - Hoosier - Blogs

Then read Boletus's blog's. These blogs concentrate on formulation of nicotine baces regarding proper calculations methods for figuring Nicotine concentration as well as safety.

E-Cigarette Forum - Boletus - Blogs

Then read Ginger's book "E-Cigarettes 102: DIY E-Liquid". It is a book which I've contributed to that delivers an in depth easy to follow guide in the art of DYI.

E-Cigarettes 102: DIY E-Liquid


I recommend viewing VPLive Vape Team Episode #82: DIY Safety and bookmark it for future reference. It explains safety in all aspects of DYI.

VPLive Vape Team Episode #82: DIY Safety

then read the stickies at the top of the page.

this will explain a lot of the how's and why's.
 
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dannyv45

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Please read my last post so you understand the basics. You give very little information. If your base is not correct your mix won't be correct. If your flavor combinations and percentages are not correct your mix will taste bad. If you don't steep that will cause problems. If you don't set up your hardware correctly this will cause problems. Your not giving enough information for us to help you. So I suggest you do some research to better understand the process. I've provided this material in my last post. In my very first blog that comes up it discusses how to determine what is causing harshness and how to tame a harsh base.
 
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JD1

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Just guessing here, but my guess is the super strength flavor at 10% is the culprid. Anyways, vape some of your base by itself to eliminate it, then try some flavor at 2%, then up from there. Process of elimination. I have no experience with those flavors but if they are alcohol base and they haven't cooked off the alcohol from the manufacturer, then that could well be the problem.
 

yardbyrd

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CAW! I saw your OP and just HAD to ask: What kind of setup are you using to vape this DIY? If, for instance, you are using a 26650 mod and RDA, at under .5Ω it would contribute greatly to your problem. I suggest examining your setup and trying other types of RDAs, RBAs, or tanks at various voltage and wattage if possible too. Just a passing thought....I hope it helps! CAW!
 

spc13m

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Nov 15, 2014
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Please read my last post so you understand the basics. You give very little information. If your base is not correct your mix won't be correct. If your flavor combinations and percentages are not correct your mix will taste bad. If you don't steep that will cause problems. If you don't set up your hardware correctly this will cause problems. Your not giving enough information for us to help you. So I suggest you do some research to better understand the process. I've provided this material in my last post. In my very first blog that comes up it discusses how to determine what is causing harshness and how to tame a harsh base.

Sorry I didnt provide much info, kinda wrote that in a hurry.
Im not sure how to explain this, so I'll start at the beginning. Typically when I make a juice, regardless of what flavor I use, everything generally turns out fine, good flavor no throat hit. However, in the morning when I pick up the bottle and drip, this horrid throat hit just comes out of nowhere. This happens with ALL of my flavors (I use tpa and loranns). Take this for example: last night I made a juice, the recipie is as follows.
30ml bottle.
3 mg of nic, 0.9 ml of nic (Vaperstek)
26.1 ml of VG
3 ml of tpa blueberry extra.
Mixed with drill, not shaken.
Mix turned out fine, nice and smooth. Morning comes, I drip, take a hit and its like all hell has broken loose on my throat.

Now I understand theres plenty of factors that have come into play, and ive taken the time to do some of your suggested reading danny. Tested the VG: all good
Tested VG with Nic: still all good.
Cant really see if the th stems from the flavoring.
When I mix, I use measuring syringes, not droppers. I use 10 ml, 1 ml and 0.5 ml syringes. I also use the ejuice me up calculator.

My hardware is a Manhattan mod, 38 amp imeran battery, mutation x v2 atty with 20 gauge, dual coil running at .07 ohms. Id also like to add that with this current build ive never had any issues with juice I didnt make myself, stuff like premium e liquids, and juice made in house by some local shops. That leads me to wonder something else. A lot of local
Shops make their own juice, and their in house creations are so good, that ive tried to get them to crack on how they make it, but so far all ive been able to pull out of them is that they use the flavor apprentice, as well as loranns. But seriously the stuff they make is PERFECT. Their mixes never require steeping, they're always smooth, never had a throat hit issue with any of them, but I just can't understand how they do it. You go in, fill out an order form for exactly what you ask, and they create it in like ten minutes (when I fill out the form I ask for as much vg as possible, they tell me that they can do a % 100 vg mixture and even from them I do 3 mg of nicotine). Ive tried countless research methods, and I just cant get to the bottom of it. Like I said, never had any issue with the stuff on my current hardware, I just dont understand why its so smooth. And my mixes arent. And if it helps, I usually purchase, fudge brownie, cinammon apple pie etc etc, but my favorite of their juices is blueberries and cream, seriously one of the finest things to ever touch my taste buds. With my liquid it doesnt matter what I do, once the horrid throat hit is there, its there for good, and no ammount of steeping I try is ever good enough. I know theres something im missing, there must be something im overlooking, I just cant figure out what it is. Could it maybe be the sources from I purchase my flavorings? Because I order them directly from manufacturer. Please, if theres any tid bit of information I left, please give me an idea of what it could be, and I'll gladly provide it.
 

d4gger

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Try mixing your current mix(10 percent flavoring, if I read right) at ten percent of total volume into a fresh vg/nic base. Ie use your current mix as a flavor concentrate. Mix it up, of course, and let it sit overnight with the cap off. To me 10 percent sounds like tons of flavor, and it won't hurt to try less:)
 

dannyv45

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Mix turned out fine, nice and smooth. Morning comes, I drip, take a hit and its like all hell has broken loose on my throat.

My hardware is a Manhattan mod, 38 amp imeran battery, mutation x v2 atty with 20 gauge, dual coil running at .07 ohms. Id also like to add that with this current build ive never had any issues with juice I didn't make myself, stuff like premium e liquids, and juice made in house by some local shops. That leads me to wonder something else. A lot of local

That's odd that when you first make the mix it's fine but come the morning it's very harsh and you say it's the same way with all your mixes. It would indicate to me a hardware issue. Now I know that's not want you want to here but I had a kayfun that did almost the same thing. It would work just fine all day but the first 5 or so minutes I would get a burnt harsh taste. What I found was that for some reason the RBA was loosing it's vacuum over night and I would almost have to prime it to make sure the wick was saturated. I found I used to much wick material was the main cause but my o-rings were not very healthy. After I corrected these issues the rba was fine. Now you say you drip so I would experiment with higher ohm builds and voltages.
 

Aheadatime

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You should try mixing your bases. Vape the VG by itself and see how it tastes. Mix a batch of just straight VG and nicotine, and see how that tastes. If the bases are smooth, then it is undoubtedly the flavoring. I know it sounds like alot of work to mix each flavor by itself one by one at various percentages, but this is pretty much what you're going to have to do if your bases check out. Start at 1% and work up with each flavoring. Either your base is bad, the flavoring are inherently harsh, or you're using too much flavoring.
 

spc13m

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Nov 15, 2014
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That's odd that when you first make the mix it's fine but come the morning it's very harsh and you say it's the same way with all your mixes. It would indicate to me a hardware issue. Now I know that's not want you want to here but I had a kayfun that did almost the same thing. It would work just fine all day but the first 5 or so minutes I would get a burnt harsh taste. What I found was that for some reason the RBA was loosing it's vacuum over night and I would almost have to prime it to make sure the wick was saturated. I found I used to much wick material was the main cause but my o-rings were not very healthy. After I corrected these issues the rba was fine. Now you say you drip so I would experiment with higher ohm builds and voltages.

Perhaps, but im curious danny. You're an expert of this craft, what do you think these local shops are putting in the juice to keep them smooth?
 

dannyv45

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Perhaps, but im curious danny. You're an expert of this craft, what do you think these local shops are putting in the juice to keep them smooth?

A very good question and I would have to say the only thing there putting in there mixes are talent and experience. I'm quite sure there not doing anything different then we are. There just good at it. I don't think there's a silver bullet or some secret ingredent they use that only they know about. I say this because after several years of experimentation I found what works and what don't. My juices are quite smooth and flavorful and in many cases my ADV's are far better then the vender juice I used to vape. If you go back and re-read the thread and try some of what's suggested you will find this to be true. Good mixes come by way of experimentation and experience. The experience part you gain through time.

You say I'm an expert at this craft and I thank you for such a nice complement. You can be an expert as well all it takes is time and work. A great place to start is to read the material I offered you earlier.
 
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sparkky1

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You should try mixing your bases. Vape the VG by itself and see how it tastes. Mix a batch of just straight VG and nicotine, and see how that tastes. If the bases are smooth, then it is undoubtedly the flavoring. I know it sounds like alot of work to mix each flavor by itself one by one at various percentages, but this is pretty much what you're going to have to do if your bases check out. Start at 1% and work up with each flavoring. Either your base is bad, the flavoring are inherently harsh, or you're using too much flavoring.

This is the only real tell tall way to find out exactly what is going on.
Curious to hear if you tried this yet.....
 

corejuice

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Jan 2, 2015
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IF this was answered I apologize, have you tried changing your coil? It would seem certain flavors do have a harsh TH to them. I did a quick google search on your BB flavor and came up with this( http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/520412-tpa-blueberry-extra-harsh.html ) I would get a fresh coil, or remove wick dry burn it and create a new wick. I would also do what Aheadatime suggested. GL

EDIT: make sure you mix the living heck out of the VG based NIC. I've heard people say "once you think it's mixed up enough, mix it again."

*edit :facepalm: sorry I missed the post where you said you tested nic and VG.
 
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spc13m

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Nov 15, 2014
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Hey, sorry its been a while. I did some experimenting and found that the nicotine is the source of the throat hit. I'm confused though, wizardlabs nic was causing me problems, and now i have Vaperstek nic, and it has the horrible throat hit too. I thought Vaperstek was supposed to be the smoothest you can get? Another thing too, since my mixtures are primarily VG, will diluting with Distilled water maybe help with the throat hit?
 

JulesXsmokr

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I get the same harshness when I take a puff or two immediately after waking up. I figure it's either your salivary glands are not awake yet, and that after 7 or 8 hours of sleeping and then a quick vape, a quick reaction to the stale fluids that are in your mouth leaves you with a foul taste.

This is why "most" everybody brushes their teeth and mouth in the morning after they wake up.

2nd could be what's talked about above, your juice sitting around unused in cotton that is in contact some with a burnt or coated coil, and the juice has picked up some nastiness.
my3cents..........;)
 
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