vaping unflavored juice

[donnah]

There's been mention here and there where someone posts that they vaped unflavored juice. I wanted to tell my story and the benefits I found in it.

A few months ago I was getting tired of my favorite (store bought at the time) juices only lasting a day or two before the flavor turned stale and funky. It was getting expensive using a carto or two every day. And since I'm cheap, I would go another day, trying to stretch it out and not enjoying it much. Then I read where someone would vape plain PG to clear out their atty (changing flavors). I decided to do an experiment. I designated one carto, a smoktech LR dcc, to be my guinea pig... I would vape only unflavored juice in it and see how long it lasted. So I mixed up some juice (I had gotten into diy by that time) and did not add any flavoring.. none, no sweetener or anything other than the PG based nic , some straight PG and straight VG at a ratio of around 75%PG and 25% VG. I was surprised! It wasn't bad at all.. in fact it was quite good. It had a fresh clean taste. That carto lasted over 5 weeks before I decided to retire it and I only quit using it cause the carto itself sorta petered out.

Something else I noticed, since I had a base line (so to speak) for flavor, I was more able to tell what I could add to it to get the flavor I wanted. I noticed that using very little flavor and maybe a drop of sweetener was giving me better flavor than using it as 20% of my mix. So I started adding just a little flavor. The only vendor juice I buy anymore is KBV warm sugar cookie, it's good and carto friendly (how this happens still baffles me...it has to be heavily sweetened) I once ran out of PG and my supply of unflavored (won't make that mistake again!) and had to vape the warm sugar cookie for a week and got so sick of it! I couldn't wait get my PG in and mix up some unflavored and it was like AHHHHH! relief! I didn't vape the wsc for at least a month after that!

Anyway.. I got away from totally unflavored. I didn't use a lot of flavor but I was adding some. A couple weeks ago I went through that dreaded "can't taste my juice" syndrome. Nothing tasted right, everything tasted just blahh. I couldn't get a carto to taste good and it was even worse after a couple days in a tank. Even my wsc didn't taste good, it was OK in a fresh carto but then it too started tasting "off" after a day or two in a tank. I had gotten to where I was adding some flavoring to my unflavored base so I mixed up more and vaped it with no flavoring for a few days and it was again a relief! AHHH! To me, unflavored juice has a fresh, clean taste.. it's not really without flavor on it's own, it's a bit sweet actually.

I can taste my flavored juices again. The unflavored "reset" my (whatever you want to call it) and I am satisfied again. My cartos are lasting again, with no drop in performance or funky taste. The last couple days, when I fill my tank with unflavored, I add about 10 drops of the wsc ( I won't use it full stength anymore) and it's nice and flavorful. So I don't vape it exclusively, I do like flavors too. But I've found that unflavored has a very important place in my vaping life. And my favorite juice that used to turn stale in a carto after one day... I've found that if I use just a little bit mixed in with the unflavored.. sorta using it like a flavoring itself, it is just as good as full strength (maybe better) and won't ruin a carto after just one day.

Another benefit is it's very inexpensive (and easy) to make. So I'm not spending so much on store bought juice. I did buy 2 bottles of wsc but only adding a few drops per tank will make it last a lot longer.

So the benefits for me are longer carto life, resetting my taste so I can taste and enjoy the juice that I do add flavor to and helps me stretch out my precious store bought juices. All this adds up to reduced cost and more enjoyment. I haven't had to buy any flavoring in months.

I know that there are others out there who don't use flavors for one reason or another. What is your story? Why do you vape it? What are the benefits you get out of it?

I didn't know which forum to post this.. it's not really a diy topic, nor is it a 100% juice topic (because it has diy and cartos in it) so I figured it might be a general topic of diy, juice, carto longevity and how to maybe get over the dreaded flavor loss that strikes all of us every once in a while.

 

[DancingHeretik]

I recently started using unflavored because I wanted to sneak a quick vape in the bathroom at work and people had commented that I smelled like coffee (Caramel Macchiato had been my standard vape before that).

I had some PG, VG, and Nic already mixed, ready to add other flavors to. So, I just tried vaping that.

I have been pleasantly surprised. You're right, it isn't really flavorless. It's just very mild and a little sweet. And, it's perfect when other flavors just aren't cutting it. A much cleaner taste. And, like you, it seems to reset my taste buds. Other flavors taste much better after I've used flavorless for a little while. What a wonderful discovery!

 

[LucentShadow]

Good thread. I've had a bit of a hard time getting into vaping, because it seems that I'm sensitive to many things commonly used in vaping. It's not just a taste issue with me.

I started with a 21st Century model bought at a smoke shop. A battery, 2 cartos, and charger for about $21, which isn't bad. I thought the refills were a bit steep, but decided to try it anyway, as I had done enough research at that point to know my options.

I was pleasantly surprised at the experience, at first. It was satisfying, tasted good, and worked well. After using it for about 2 hours in such a way as to replace four cigarettes, I started feeling terrible. I was at work, supervising a shift, and I had a terrible sore throat that had started to develop after the second use, my breathing was more difficult, I was getting a headache, I was feeling tired, and my awareness was even altered. It's hard to describe the last point. I was having trouble concentrating on anything, and felt very 'spacey', I guess.

I knew about the dehydration issue with vaping, but i always drink more than I need to, and the onset seemed far too quick for the symptoms to be that. I drank a lot of water after that, and stopped using it. I felt better within a few hours, but the sore throat lasted into the next day. The next day, after a bit more research, I bought some VG from Walmart. After spinning out the liquid in the carto, I refilled it with some slightly watered-down VG, and it was great! Other than the lack of nic, the flavor was still lightly there, and I enjoyed the clean sweetness of the VG without any ill effects at all. I knew that I'd have to get into DIY liquid when I bought my first real PV, so I could better control what was in it.

Since then, I've tried many flavorings in many percentages, and have not been too happy with most. Weaker, PG-based flavors bother me if I try to use them at 20% or so, as most do. Stronger, alcohol-based flavorings are caustic to my airways even at 2%. I've had a few flavorings that bother me even more than the carrier does, too.

Recently, I vape either unflavored or lightly flavored liquids most of the time, and I occasionally will drip heavier flavors for a change of pace. I find that unflavored VG is satisfying enough for me. I like sweet, and it has that. I like the taste of VG quite a bit more than PG, too, which works well for my situation.

Since trying lighter flavorings, and sometimes vaping unflavored, I also find that I don't need the heavier flavors. Those seem to hang in the mouth for a long time, where the light flavoring is more transient. I've also begun trying VG-based flavor extractions to keep the PG and alcohol out of my liquids.

 

[ColKurtz]

A big factor in my initial inability to quit cigarettes completely (i refuse to call them analogs) was the unpleasant taste in all the flavors I tried. Part of my problem was my first 20 juices were Dekang. Eventually I got a Halo sample pack, and I got hooked on Malibu. It was the first juice that, when I got an accidental mouthful I didn't want to hurl. It actually tasted good, like a pineapple dum-dum.

BUT... the flavor stuck with me all day, even when I wasn't vaping. Even a pleasant taste can wear its welcome. I gravitated to Halo Menthol and Truepure, even though I didn't smoke menthol cigs, because there was very little taste. Eventually I settled on BWB Backo as my only vape. It doesn't have much flavor, which I like (smoke doesn't have much flavor).

I have a gallon of VG and PG, and some nic, and tried vaping flavorless. I didn't care for it and still hooked on Backo. But if BWB ever quit selling it, I'd probably go flavorless, as it's the closest thing.

 

[Butters78]

I'm sick of all the flavors I have right now I definitely need a break. What would one need to make 12 mg flavorless. Like 70/30 pg/VG. What site do i order the stuff from? I've never done DIY juice.

 

[LucentShadow]

I'm sick of all the flavors I have right now I definitely need a break. What would one need to make 12 mg flavorless. Like 70/30 pg/VG. What site do i order the stuff from? I've never done DIY juice.

Hi. There are lots of sites that sell unflavored. Usually look in the DIY section, or look for unflavored in the e-liquid section. I've gotten mine from MadVapes and Good Prophets, so far. I liked the Good Prophets better:

VG/PG/Nic Bases

A few other sites that I've had my eye on:

Our Unflavored Smoke Juice (Nic. Juice, Nicotine Juice) - My Freedom Smokes

Liquid Nicotine

Organic Nicotine Extract

Most will sell 36mg/ml, and possibly above, so you'd need plain PG and/or VG to cut it with. Walmart sells 4 oz. bottles of Humco USP VG in the skincare section. TSC sells gallons of PG, I hear. Or, you can usually order them from the nic liquid vendors, which is easy. I use the Humco Glycerin, and I vape as close to 100% VG as I can.

I'd suggest checking out the DIY E-Liquid section here, and reading the stickies. There are several different ways to mix your target juice. The easiest would probably be to get 36 mg/ml 100% VG base and some plain PG, then mix 1 part 36 mg/ml VG with 2 parts plain PG. You'd end up with 12 mg/ml, 66.7% PG, 33.3% VG. Or, you can mix 1 part 36mg/ml PG, 1 part plain PG, and 1 part plain VG for the same result.

Some sites, like Wizard Labs, have more options. There, you could buy 24 mg/ml, 40% PG, 60% VG, and mix it with an equal amount of plain PG, which would give you 12 mg/ml, 70% PG, 30% VG.

You can also easily try different ratios of PG/VG if you buy some of each. It also allows nic strength to be adjusted to any level below the base level. I'd advise staying at 36 or below for a base, as it's safer to work with, and 36 makes 24, 18, 12, 9, and 6 mg/ml strengths with very easy math.

There are probably a few sites that you can get your 12 mg/ml 70/30 mix custom made to order, but I can't think of any. They are usually a bit more expensive. Good luck!

 

[donnah]

I'm sick of all the flavors I have right now I definitely need a break. What would one need to make 12 mg flavorless. Like 70/30 pg/VG. What site do i order the stuff from? I've never done DIY juice.

All packed up and ready to go!

 

[Butters78]

Thanks Donna!

Lucent great info! I'm tired of spending all this money on something I can actually do myself.