Where is the flavor???? :(

[chess77]

So I now have about 10 different bottles of samples sitting on my kitchen counter. I have some from alien (100%VG) and some from Blue Mist vaping (I believe it's 70/30). I don't have my cartomizers yet (they just shipped yesterday..yea!) so I have been using my carts that I bought and filling them/cleaning them/filling them. I think my taste buds are dead. I seriously cannot taste any of the e juices! When I first got my kit, I had ordered some menthol, and I can taste that just fine, but all of these samples, nothing. I sometimes THINK I can taste the flavor, but I am not sure if I am tasting flavor or a burnt taste. I can smell all the different flavors, so I know not ALL of my senses are dead!

What in the world I am doing wrong? LOL

 

[HeadLikeOrange]

Are you getting vapor? Maybe your atty died or is dying. If you are getting vapor, give up on those cartridges and try dripping.

Also, you get a lot more flavor from low-resistance atomizers. I always use LR cartos but last night I put in a standard resistance carto and could barely taste a thing.

 

[chess77]

I am getting plenty of vapor! Do you think my atty could be all gooped up? (but then would I still get vapor?) My LR cartos should be here hopefully tomorrow or Monday, but I don't want to use them until I find a flavor I really like.....which is a problem since I can't really taste them! LOL

 

[CaminoDiablo]

I would just try a new atty, that has to be your problem because with all them flavors you would think that something would come thru on the flavor.

 

[Sedateme]

If your kit is still new, your atty just might need some more break-in. Keep using it and see if it improves.

 

[HeadLikeOrange]

If the atty was gooped up, you would still taste something. I would suggest dripping. I also find that the fruit flavors are very subtle to me, I can barely taste them. I have to stick with dark (tobacco/caramel/vanilla) flavors to get anything. I haven't tried menthol.

But give up on those cartridges. Sometimes they don't wick well. Sometimes the dump too much juice and flood the atomizer (if you hear a gurgling sound, you've flooded the atty). Either of these things can cause flavor loss.

If you just drip, you take the guesswork out.

 

[chatter97]

Did you fill the carts till they were slushy? What pv are you using?

 

[chess77]

Hmmm, gurgling sounds are not good. That could be my problem!!!! I always hear gurgling sounds!!!!

Chatter..I am using an Ego (not the T)

 

[chatter97]

Is it gurgling or sorta a shhhhh sound, gurgling would mean your attie is possibly flooded. Are you dripping onto the attie or only filling the carts? Have you charged the battery recently (these drop in power pretty quickly over time).

 

[chess77]

It was more of a gurgling sound. I just took everything apart and blew out the atty and am going to try dripping. I just put my new battery on. I was only filling the carts, but I am thinking I had better just give up on the whole cart idea until my cartomizers get here! I didn't like the idea of dripping, because I was paranoid I was going to burn up the atty by NOT putting enough liquid in. I know the rule of thumb is 3 drops, but how long does that normally last?

 

[carpedebass]

It takes a bit for your sense of taste to really return after abusing it with analogs. Give it some time.

 

[HeadLikeOrange]

Hmmm, gurgling sounds are not good. That could be my problem!!!! I always hear gurgling sounds!!!!

Chatter..I am using an Ego (not the T)

Forgive me if this is too elementary, but I remember my first few days with the eGo and wished I could just get a straight answer from this forum sometimes:

Blow out the atty -- remove the cartridge, unscrew the atty from the battery, wiped off the threads, and put your lips around the threaded end (tight) and blow into the threaded end while holding a paper towel up to the other end. Keep blowing (hard, like blowing up a balloon) until no more juice is coming out. While you've got the atty off, twist some paper towel into a tight cone and jam it into the battery end and twist it around to clear out those threads in the battery (you'll need to remove the "cone" that goes around the atomizer).

Now re-attach the atty and drip 2 drops of juice straight onto the atomizer (I stand the eGo on end, so the silver disc edge is on the table and it is upright). Attach the mouthpiece that came on the atomizer (just a cartridge with no filler -- if you don't have this, take the filler out of a cartridge and use that) and vape. Are you getting anything?

 

[HeadLikeOrange]

It was more of a gurgling sound. I just took everything apart and blew out the atty and am going to try dripping. I just put my new battery on. I was only filling the carts, but I am thinking I had better just give up on the whole cart idea until my cartomizers get here! I didn't like the idea of dripping, because I was paranoid I was going to burn up the atty by NOT putting enough liquid in. I know the rule of thumb is 3 drops, but how long does that normally last?

About 8 good puffs. When the juice is gone, you'll still get vapor but the taste will be awful -- you'll know it when it happens.

 

[chess77]

Thank you!!! I got a lot of juice out of the atty when I blew on it. Put the two drops on it, cap on and holy burnt taste!!!!!!! Is that normal???????

 

[chatter97]

If you are dripping, then you need to put 3-4 drops onto the coil. Wait 30 seconds then add 2-3 more drops. Cap it and vape it. The burnt taste means the attie is still too dry. Also, this is the taste you will get when it dries after vaping the drops you put in there. Dripping will take some trial and error. When the vapor is pretty reduced, or the taste dissapates quite a bit, about 10 -20 puffs then you will need to put another 2-3 drops. If you get the burn taste, put three more drops on the coil and wait about 30 seconds then you are good to go. keep a napkin or paper towel available as this can get messy till you get better at it. Every time you change a flavor, blow it out and reprime it with the new flavor. The old one will linger a little and might take 2-3 refills before it is pretty much gone. Also, when you have the attie off of the battery you will want to take a qtip and wipe around the inside of the connector.

BTW some of that might have been primer that is usually added into the attie and should be blown out.

Hope this helps, I am pretty new myself.

 

[HeadLikeOrange]

Thank you!!! I got a lot of juice out of the atty when I blew on it. Put the two drops on it, cap on and holy burnt taste!!!!!!! Is that normal???????

We are getting there. I bet you got a lot more vapor, too. Add another couple of drops, and stand the eGo w/ atty on end for a few seconds before hitting it.

 

[chatter97]

And make sure the other battery is charged. The Ego's tend to get a little sluggish after a couple hours of dripping in my experience, of course you are probably not using LR atomizers. Who was your juice from?

 

[Michael Curry]

Wait a sec... A couple drops into a cart and you vaped it? Or straight onto the coil?

Also - A lot of people experience a loss of taste for a short time after quitting analogs. All part of the recovery process. It was weird, lasted a few days, and when I started tasting things again it was only certain things at first. If I remember right, it was about three days of weirdness.

 

[dormouse]

1. VG dulls flavor and TH (and as well is thick - for standard cartos I recommend 20% or less VG though 30% will work - I just can feel 30% degrade the drag and my cartos don't work well as long with 30%)

2. they are not food. this is vapor.

3. the flavor is in your nose

All your tongue can taste is sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami (MSG). All other flavor is aroma. Food adds the cues of visual and texture but you don't have those with eliquid. So for example, a cherry vapor should put a suitable amount of sweet and sour on your tongue and that is all. It is not cherry unless you smell it. You have to smell the vapor and ecigs won't dump it all over you like cigs do - you have to remember to inhale or exhale some vapor through your nose.

4. Some things that can dull flavor or aroma
Lots of nicotine, wind or fans preventing you from smelling the vapor, drinking hot drinks or alcohol, food or drink flavors in your mouth, other aromas around, vaping the same flavor over and over.

 

[chess77]

1. VG dulls flavor and TH (and as well is thick - for standard cartos I recommend 20% or less VG though 30% will work - I just can feel 30% degrade the drag and my cartos don't work well as long with 30%)

2. they are not food. this is vapor.

3. the flavor is in your nose

All your tongue can taste is sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami (MSG). All other flavor is aroma. Food adds the cues of visual and texture but you don't have those with eliquid. So for example, a cherry vapor should put a suitable amount of sweet and sour on your tongue and that is all. It is not cherry unless you smell it. You have to smell the vapor and ecigs won't dump it all over you like cigs do - you have to remember to inhale or exhale some vapor through your nose.

4. Some things that can dull flavor or aroma
Lots of nicotine, wind or fans preventing you from smelling the vapor, drinking hot drinks or alcohol, food or drink flavors in your mouth, other aromas around, vaping the same flavor over and over.

I think I am finally tasting vanilla mint!!! Since switching over to my "flavored" e-juice from the plain tobacco that came with my kit, all I had been "tasting" was burnt metal. I thought there was something wrong with me (well, there was, I had no clue how to use my Ego! LOL) I guess I will stick with dripping into my cartomizers get here, which is a pain, but it's better than burnt metal when trying to use and refill the carts!