What is PG supposed to taste/smell like?

[myc]

So I just switched to the tornado tank atomizer after getting sick of the Ego mega cartomizers dying after a week of use or less.. I loved how it work so far, however it doesn't do well with my home made 100% VG juices.

I just got a free sample of what I assumed was PG based ejuice because it was more viscous than what I'm used to. It worked great, and tasted good too. So I purchased some PG (gallon) from an online retailer 1 Gallon Propylene Glycol [propgly] | DudaDiesel Biodiesel Supplies. And it tastes just awful. It smells and tastes salty and musky. Kind of what a ferret or rodent smells like.

What did I do wrong? I tried it first with 100% PG, then 70/30 now I'm doing 70%VG and it still tastes bad.

 

[Rosa]

mmmm. Strange. No, my PG (from a bottle that I bought from one of the ECF approved vendors) doesn't smell or taste like anything at all (that I know of, maybe I'm just used to it).

Does it taste like that if you use it by itself or just when you use it with your flavors? Because VG is sort of sweet and sweetens the flavor of your e-liquid. If that's all you know, then switching to PG will remove some of the sweetness that you are used to. If you vape it plain and it tastes strange like that then I'd probably get a bottle from one of the approved vendors and see if that's an improvement. I get mine here: FreedomSmokeUSA

 

[dormouse]

You need USP Propylene Glycol - the kind certified for human consumption

 

[myc]

You need USP Propylene Glycol - the kind certified for human consumption

It is USP, check the link I posted.


And it smells like that before I add anything. The only reason I bought from them as opposed to the "big box" ecig retailers is they seem to over charge for their PG and VG. I got a gallon of VG a few months ago for ~$40 whereas the ecig sites charge that for like 16oz..

 

[Oxyfast]

Thats really strange. When I first read this I was thinking "oh of course, you much have acquired a low quality or low purity PG. Or even, heaven forbid, industrial grade." But this is of course not the case. The website at least claims the quality is USP food grade.

Here are my only other possibly theories:

If the PG was produced through a typical industrial process one possible leftover contaminant is acrolein which would taste salty but would smell unpleasant and slightly sweet.

Another possibility is if the PG was produced through a bio diesel type process excess glycerol in the end product could go stale and cause the PG to have an odd flavor. Stale glycerol will have a smell much like butter that has been left out at room temperature for a very long time (musty I suppose).

I would not continue using it however. I also wouldn't buy it from some e-cig supplier who will charge out the ... for it. Try to source it through a high quality scientific supplier. Food grade USP should be fine (but apparently wasn't) but you may be able to locate either analytical or pharmaceutical grade PG that would be guaranteed pure and probably still cheaper than whatever some e-cig supplier would charge you.

 

[Oxyfast]

After reading more about that company you sourced your PG from I think that my theory that a bio-fuel based PG synthesis was used resulting in a high glycerol component in the end product PG you received sounds even more likely. If the PG you received was manufactured long before it ever arrived to you (and you wouldn't know either way) and had a high glycerol component (even .1%) that could very well be responsible for the qualities yours is displaying.

~Ashleigh

 

[Oxyfast]

I would try this:
Propylene glycol, 99%
That is a analytical reagent grade PG for organic and pharmaceutical synthesis.

You need to be careful when purchasing the PG based on a USP indicator as some of the PG advertised as food grade is for use as an antifreeze or as "FOOD GRADE / FOOD CHILL" are NOT necessarily safe to consume, they are designed to serve as a chillant for food products, never to be consumed on their own and often will contain additives to help serve that purpose.

Also, to answer the question of what PG is supposed to appear, taste and smell like:
PG should be perfectly clear and viscous, virtually odorless, and very faintly sweet to taste. It should NOT smell acrid at all, any smell or taste similar to old lard or bad butter is indicative of nasty contaminants that may be common in industrial grade PG.

 

[myc]

I would try this:
Propylene glycol, 99%
That is a analytical reagent grade PG for organic and pharmaceutical synthesis.

You need to be careful when purchasing the PG based on a USP indicator as some of the PG advertised as food grade is for use as an antifreeze or as "FOOD GRADE / FOOD CHILL" are NOT necessarily safe to consume, they are designed to serve as a chillant for food products, never to be consumed on their own and often will contain additives to help serve that purpose.

Also, to answer the question of what PG is supposed to appear, taste and smell like:
PG should be perfectly clear and viscous, virtually odorless, and very faintly sweet to taste. It should NOT smell acrid at all, any smell or taste similar to old lard or bad butter is indicative of nasty contaminants that may be common in industrial grade PG.

I'd buy from them, but their cheapest shipping is $58 for 7 business days o_o

 

[oldsoldier]

You can buy PG from your local feed store or Tractor Supply Company (actual store name). TSC sells it for about 20-24 bucks a gallon. You can also get it from a vet supply house or almost any livestock supply house. Just watch the pricing

 

[Astronomer]

I get no taste at all from the PG I got from Blue Mist Vaping

VG tastes a little... waxish to me.... PG tastes like nothing at all.

 

[Descente36]

according to wikipedia, it's odorless with a faintly sweet taste

 

[DaveP]

I have read numerous DIY posts that talk about using the USP grade PG from Tractor Supply Company. If there's one in your area, I'd try that. Online to them might be a possibility. All Farmers buy it and use it to carry medicines in suspension for injection into farm animals.