Throat hit and harshness reduction

[mrmolecule]

Hello!

Is it possible to reduce throat hit adding some citric or malic acid?

 

[Letitia]

Hello!

Is it possible to reduce throat hit adding some citric or malic acid?

Welcome to ECF. I am not well enough informed to answer your question. @Rossum may be able to help.

 

[Rossum]

Yes, a bit of citric acid will reduce throat high. I assume it's because it reduces the alkalinity of the freebase nic.

 

[mrmolecule]

@Rossum
Is it safe to use citric acid powder bought in grocery store?
I want to dilute it in pg (10% citric acid, 90% pg). How much should I add this dilution? 1% or more?

 

[Rossum]

@Rossum
Is it safe to use citric acid powder bought in grocery store?

I think so. I used the stuff sold for canning made by Ball.

I want to dilute it in pg (10% citric acid, 90% pd). How much should I add this dilution? 1% or more?

That should work, but it's fairly difficult to get citric acid crystals to dissolve. Crush 'em up first and heat the solvent up some.

The only recipe I can give you is mine: 2ml of citric acid crystals in 30ml of distilled water. I was looking for something with roughly the strength of lemon juice, which I had been been using previously, but I didn't like how it gunked my coils (presumably due to the sugars in it). I used one drop of this per 10 ml of e-liquid. It took the edge off the nic, but it still gunked coils more than straight nic. I've since gone back to straight nic, no acids.

 

[mrmolecule]

@Rossum, thank you very much!

 

[mrmolecule]

Are there any other ways to reduce throat hit?
What else can be useful to reduce throat hit? What about EthylMaltol or MTS Vape Wizzard?

 

[Rossum]

Are there any other ways to reduce throat hit?

More VG, less PG. What nic level are you using and what kind of gear?

What else can be useful to reduce throat hit? What about EthylMaltol or MTS Vape Wizzard?

Dunno, I've never used either one.

 

[Doffy]

Are there any other ways to reduce throat hit?
What else can be useful to reduce throat hit? What about EthylMaltol or MTS Vape Wizzard?

apple cider vinegar at or around 3% or less

 

[mrmolecule]

More VG, less PG. What nic level are you using and what kind of gear?

I mix 70vg, 30pg. I use 100mg NicSelect nic. I add it 1.5% so I get 1.5mg eliquid.
1.5 mg eliquid is always nice, but my last DIY with nic had awful throat hit. It is nice without nice so I want to reduce throat hit

DIY with nic from another vendor has the same throat hit

 

[mrmolecule]

apple cider vinegar at or around 3% or less

Do you mean adding 3% of it or using this one diluted to 3% acidity?

 

[Doffy]

Do you mean adding 3% of it or using this one diluted to 3% acidity?

3% of the total liquid as ACV

maybe less is better, given you vape 1.5mg

some just add a few drops to a tank, for an unscientific smoothing out

 

[Beamslider]

Nicotine Salts have less throat hit.

 

[puffon]

At only 1.5mg/ml, are you sure it's the nic and not the flavors causing harshness.

 

[mrmolecule]

At only 1.5mg/ml, are you sure it's the nic and not the flavors causing harshness.

DIY without nic is good. I vape it on subohm RDA, so 1.5mg/ml is not little quantity of nic

 

[Nikhforos]

Have you been storing your nic in the freezer? Check the expiry date of the nic. 1,5mg/ml should be pretty light.
Also, alcohol in your mixes can cause harshness if you haven't let it breath.

Welcome

 

[stols001]

I don't find nic salts particularly gunky, but they are smooth, almost no throat hit. I do wonder how "sensitive" you must be to harshness and the age and condition of the nic you are using may play a role. Too much PG will also increase throat hit. You might want to try a sample of nic salts from a DIY vendor, most will send a sample for the cost of shipping. They use various methods to convert the freebase nicotine and if you are very sensitive to the harshness of nic, nic salts may help you. I find MVS Wizard to round out my mixes. They aren't harsh but none of my mixes are since I use nic salts, and very little PG as I am sensitive to it. Good luck finding what you need.

Anna

 

[IDJoel]

If you really want to know what is the culprit(s); it is easy to do. Make sure your dripper has a clean coil and fresh wick. Then:

• Drip a little plain VG on the wick. Vape to taste. Vape the wick almost to dry (or dry if using TC mode). This rules out, or identifies VG as an issue.
  
• Do the same thing using only PG. Vape to taste. Vape the wick almost to dry (or dry if using TC mode). This rules out, or identifies PG as an issue.
  
• Now mix a plain PG/VG/nic base to your normal ratio (20PG/70VG 1.5mg/ML; just a couple mL is all you need). Vape to taste. This rules out, or identifies nic as an issue.

If throat hit is noticeable at any of these stages; you know where you might want to make changes. If your vape remains smooth through all three stages; then you will know flavoring(s) is(are) the problem.

Also keep in mind, that temperature/power, as well as airflow, can also influence throat hit. Sometimes, adjusting one or both of these, can make a vape more pleasant.

 

[Vapntime]

I mix 70vg, 30pg. I use 100mg NicSelect nic. I add it 1.5% so I get 1.5mg eliquid.
1.5 mg eliquid is always nice, but my last DIY with nic had awful throat hit. It is nice without nice so I want to reduce throat hit

DIY with nic from another vendor has the same throat hit

Um, I know i'm late here but did anyone notice 'I add it 1.5% so I get 1.5mg eliquid'.

 

[IDJoel]

Um, I know i'm late here but did anyone notice 'I add it 1.5% so I get 1.5mg eliquid'.

Yes?
They also stated:

I use 100mg NicSelect nic.

100mg/mL nic added at 1.5% to a mix will yield 1.5mg/mL nic content. If it were something other than 100mg/mL; then the math would be incorrect. (I grin, because I too had to look twice, when I first read it.)