Vision Stone 2 Funky taste - Is there a mod I missed?

[sailorman]

I've had my VS2 for a day now and I really like it so far. I'm using it with Flux Nectar Peach-Pineapple and it seems to be wicking o.k.. I did open up the little channels in the plug for the wick a bit. So far my only wicking issue is that the slits in the cup are awfully tight, making it impossible to "fluff" the wick without forcing something, which I'm hesitant to do at this point since it seems to be doing a decent job of keeping the coil wet.

The problem is, I get a distinct nasty taste when the inner plug is in place. I've been taking it in and out to make sure it isn't my imagination or something. I've tried tilting it and waiting several minutes between pulls on the theory that the coil might not be wet enough and is burning too hot But nothing short of removing it seems to make that taste go away, so I don't think it's a wicking issue, though I could be wrong. It doesn't tast burnt or harsh when the plug is in, just bad.

One other thing helps somewhat and that is to vape at 3.0-3.2V. (Using a Lavatube). The taste is still there, but it doesn't overpower the juice. Needless to say, at 3.2V the vapor production is not what it should be.

Was there some mod I missed? I can't find any other mention of this. Is it just me? It doesn't appear possible to put any distance between the plug and the coil as with a Fluxomizer. Will this problem just go away after awhile? I don't think I can vape this taste much longer. Should I (have) washed or pre-treated that plug somehow?

Any suggestions are appreciated. This is the best tank I've tried so far, except for that nasty taste.

 

[samsun]

Hi, I have two of the Stone 2's an had know problem with the taste. I think that you my want to try to wash that piece really good, and hopefully it just needed a cleaning An gives u know more bad taste. I have got nothing but great flavor from mine. Good luck

 

[burns_erin]

Someone could have popped in and told you I was going to say this, but try soaking the plug in peroxide overnight. Peroxide works for me for lots of things. Also, check to make sure the coils aren't contacting the bottom of the plug. if they are, you will likely see a scorch mark on the bottom of the plug. You can trim that bit out if need be.

 

[Aubie80]

Ive noticed with fruit vapes at higher voltages tend to taste on the burnt side, just thought Id throw in my opinion.

 

[sailorman]

Thanks all. I'll try the soak in peroxide thing. I was on a peroxide kick awhile back and got a gallon of 32% food grade, LOL.

I don't think the coil is contacting the plug, although that's a weird looking coil. Seems like it's super tight and it looks to my feeble eyes like it has a separate pigtail of wire that runs above and parallel to the it. I pushed that little pigtail down a bit, but it must've made contact with the coil and the thing wouldn't fire until I pulled it back up. Scared me for a minute. It doesn't look like that little piece is getting hot anyway. It's just there.

It does taste great without the plug in there.

 

[sailorman]

Ive noticed with fruit vapes at higher voltages tend to taste on the burnt side, just thought Id throw in my opinion.

Yeah, me too. I'm trying to vape this stuff at 7.5-8W. That seems to be the sweet spot. I tried it at 8.5-10W. Yuk.

 

[burns_erin]

Thanks all. I'll try the soak in peroxide thing. I was on a peroxide kick awhile back and got a gallon of 32% food grade, LOL.

I don't think the coil is contacting the plug, although that's a weird looking coil. Seems like it's super tight and it looks to my feeble eyes like it has a separate pigtail of wire that runs above and parallel to the it. I pushed that little pigtail down a bit, but it must've made contact with the coil and the thing wouldn't fire until I pulled it back up. Scared me for a minute. It doesn't look like that little piece is getting hot anyway. It's just there.

It does taste great without the plug in there.

Oh, jeez, 32%? I just use standard 3%. I have absolutely no clue what stronger peroxide would do. If you use stronger, you'll have to let me know what happens. I am generally accounted the peroxide queen around here

 

[sailorman]

Oh, jeez, 32%? I just use standard 3%. I have absolutely no clue what stronger peroxide would do. If you use stronger, you'll have to let me know what happens. I am generally accounted the peroxide queen around here

I never use 32% full strength. It's pretty powerful stuff. I dilute it to various strengths depending on what I want to do. In this case, I diluted it to 5:1, or about 6.5% and soaked that plug for a couple hours. I also enlarged the wick slits again. It tastes a lot better but, unfortunately, since I didn't approach it very scientifically, I'm not sure if the better wicking or the cleaning was responsible for the improvement.

It's O.T., but have you ever read the study by the microbiologist that showed a surface sprayed with a 5-10% peroxide solution, then with vinegar ended up cleaner than any commercial anti-bacterial spray cleaner, bleach or even alcohol? And it's a lot safer. I started using it to sanitize equipment when I raised parrots. Cages, incubators, syringes, food cups, etc. Never had a sick bird. I also used it some years ago when I grew mushrooms. If something wasn't clean and sterile there, you'd know it in a hurry. There are a lot of uses for it that require a stronger solution than the 3% you get in the drugstore. Some people even ingest it, thence "food grade". I never went that far. Too much of a good thing and all.... Although it makes a good mouthwash and laundry additive if it's diluted properly. You have to handle 32% carefully though. It'll oxidize the top layer of skin right off your fingers, turning them temporarily white. 8-o

 

[burns_erin]

I never use 32% full strength. It's pretty powerful stuff. I dilute it to various strengths depending on what I want to do. In this case, I diluted it to 5:1, or about 6.5% and soaked that plug for a couple hours. I also enlarged the wick slits again. It tastes a lot better but, unfortunately, since I didn't approach it very scientifically, I'm not sure if the better wicking or the cleaning was responsible for the improvement.

It's O.T., but have you ever read the study by the microbiologist that showed a surface sprayed with a 5-10% peroxide solution, then with vinegar ended up cleaner than any commercial anti-bacterial spray cleaner, bleach or even alcohol? And it's a lot safer. I started using it to sanitize equipment when I raised parrots. Cages, incubators, syringes, food cups, etc. Never had a sick bird. I also used it some years ago when I grew mushrooms. If something wasn't clean and sterile there, you'd know it in a hurry. There are a lot of uses for it that require a stronger solution than the 3% you get in the drugstore. Some people even ingest it, thence "food grade". I never went that far. Too much of a good thing and all.... Although it makes a good mouthwash and laundry additive if it's diluted properly. You have to handle 32% carefully though. It'll oxidize the top layer of skin right off your fingers, turning them temporarily white. 8-o

It's why I use peroxide to clean EVERYTHING. I found or about it when my allergies and chemical sensitivities bloomed. But I've always stuck with standard because I'm way too clumsy to handle the strong stuff. It's also a better shower cleaner, nothing gets rid of and keeps rid of mildew better.

 

[Katatonik]

H2O2= Scourge of all things unclean

 

[mwa102464]

@ sailorman, take your silicone ceramic cover off, take an exact'o knife and cut the small lip of the round part off that goes into the ceramic cup, just that little 1/64" little lip,,, sometimes I found what your explaining and removing this little piece has solved my issue, I noticed it after some time I got a small burn mark there, so I removed it, you can also take a small pair of tweezers and lift up on your wicks just a little bit raising them up in the ceramic slits, dont worry you wont mess anything up just be gentile when you do it. Then try it and let us know if this works for ya

 

[sailorman]

@mwa, I'll try trimming that silicone lip because I do still get some bad taste, just not as bad as before. I tried to lift the wicks, but they're in there REAL tight. Also, the wicks seem to be coated with some hard substance, like superglue, near the slits in the cup. They're very hard and stiff for about 1/64" on either side of the slit. I was really afraid that I'd lift the whole cup and post clear out of the base. I'm not sure how this thing is built exactly, so I don't know if that's possible but I didn't want to risk it.

Thanks for the tips, I'll let you know how it goes. I wish they'd get some of those innards in stock soon. I'd feel a lot more comfortable prying around on those wicks.

 

[burns_erin]

@mwa, I'll try trimming that silicone lip because I do still get some bad taste, just not as bad as before. I tried to lift the wicks, but they're in there REAL tight. Also, the wicks seem to be coated with some hard substance, like superglue, near the slits in the cup. They're very hard and stiff for about 1/64" on either side of the slit. I was really afraid that I'd lift the whole cup and post clear out of the base. I'm not sure how this thing is built exactly, so I don't know if that's possible but I didn't want to risk it.

Thanks for the tips, I'll let you know how it goes. I wish they'd get some of those innards in stock soon. I'd feel a lot more comfortable prying around on those wicks.

Realized my question was stupid.

 

[sailorman]

Well, I trimmed the lip off the plug and it pretty much got rid of that last bit of foul taste. But, that lip evidently seals the cup from the juice, so now I'm getting gurgling and occasional light flooding and leaking. I can live with that. It's better than the bad taste. This is a real balancing act. Next time, I'll trim the lip but leave the slits in the plug alone, or only slightly enlarge them. Thanks for all the suggestions. Cumulatively, they provided the solution.