E-cigarettes: research - experiments - ideas

Jones said:
Apologies if I'm being daft or have missed it - does that mean you soak the tobacco in water first to remove the nicotine and then soak the residual tobacco in alcohol to remove the flavour?
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No, the nicotine extraction starts and ends with water. The details are in above post #29
The residual tobacco is discarded.

Flavour extraction is an entirely separate process with fresh tobacco and alcohol. Details also in post #29

Flavour extraction is not a must. One can vape liquid without flavour. It is for people like me, with a tendency to frivolities and love of tobacco flavour.
 
Yas said:
I was thinking about using a rebuildable coil, but I find it kind of hard to understand the compatibility with some of the devices. It seems to me that for more compatibility, you have to spend a bit more on the device, is that right?
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The rebuildable mesh atomizers are not necessarily expensive. Here is a link to Aliexpress:


They can be screwed on all kinds of batteries(except pod systems) with adjustable power. The diameter of the atomizer should be taken into account - 24/25 mm in most cases. I use an Eleaf iStick rim.
 
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Mari said:
I opted for a simple version for start 😅 until I get a grip of all of this.
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That's a good way to go IMO.

Mari said:
I bought this one XROS Pro Cross the Limits for Pro Vaping | VAPORESSO and there was absolutely no assembly required apart from filling it up and figuring how to adjust the strength. The top part is a container with the coil and it is super simple to replace it.
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That was my second option, there are plenty of good reviews about it.

Now that my wife takes my XROS Cube like it's her own :lol:, I'm planning to buy a Vasporesso Gen Fit 40 (just like Yas). Ideal for MTL, with a bigger tank and battery, and replaceable coils. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
 
I found this list of how to stop the coil from burning out too quickly.

9 Easy Ways To Stop Vape Coils From Burning

Having problems with burnt out coils? You're not alone. Burnt out coils cost time and money. Here's 9 ways to stop it from happening to you.
www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk

Also I was researching the best way to use the vape so I get more nicotine kick from it.
I‘m (more less) a chain smoker and apparently that doesn’t work with vapes; in the article above it says that vape needs time so the liquid soaks in.
So I‘m researching how to get the max nicotine in fewer puffs.

I made a first mistake and bought 6mg liquid as I though to start easy and work my way up.
Wrong. I don’t feel the nicotine at all. 🙄

In this article it says how to adjust for maximum nicotine

How To Get More Nicotine From Your Vape Device

Want to increase the nicotine hit from your vape device? Here are our best tips and devices for getting maximum nicotine.
www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk
Basically it says low coil resistance and more power.
But the first article says that more power reduces the life of the coil. 😵‍💫

Also, if I increase the strength (0,4 ohm coil and 30 W power), my throat itches. 😵‍💫 If I open the air vent completely, it is a bit better but it still only irritates my throat and no kick. So I’m back to 15-16 W with fully opened airflow. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I anyway have to order more coils so I‘ll order nicotine salts as well; they should be better - not itching and more nicotine.
It‘s a forest of products out there so thanks @Luis Miguel for mentioning the salts. Let’s hope they work better and will due until the mixing begins. 😅

Currently, I’m flip-flopping between vape and cigarettes; after vaping I have to roll a real one. 😅
 
For those of you currently vaping, do you prefer MTL (mouth to lung) or DTL (direct to lung)?

The only ones I’ve ever tried are MTL (which is typical for the disposable types). @Scottie and @Chu and anyone else, have you tried a higher ohm coil, like 0.8 or higher, for mouth to lung inhalation? And have you tried adding your own natural flavors, or do you prefer unflavored?

To explain what on earth these acronyms mean for people reading the thread: my understanding is that MTL (mouth to lung) is similar to cigarette smoking in that you inhale into your mouth first, like drawing from a cigarette, and then inhale into your lungs. This tends to be favored by smokers for that reason, and is much easier on the lungs. For this, you need to buy 0.8+ ohm vape coils (1.2 seems to be the average) rather than the sub-ohm variety. This method uses much less e-liquid and battery draw on your vape. In terms of liquid, the general recommendation is 50/50 VG/PG, but 70/30 also works fine. Apparently, you need a bit of PG to thin out the liquid and deliver enough flavor when using lower wattage MTL devices. It seems that you can use 100% VG, but you might struggle getting enough flavor and vapor.

The DTL (direct to lung) method, on the other hand, is what old-school vapers prefer. You inhale for 3-5 seconds directly into your lungs. It produces huge clouds of vapor, and consequently uses a lot more e-liquid. It can take some getting used to, especially if you’re a smoker. Most people vape direct-to-lung if they perform tricks, “cloud chase,” or enjoy the flavor profile of an e-liquid on exhale rather than inhale. You need sub-ohm coils (under 1.0) and high-wattage vape devices. It also uses your battery up fast. This method is less reliant on PG though, so a completely VG/distilled water solution is just fine.

Devices such as the popular one that Scottie mentioned, the Vaporesso Luxe XR Max, can handle any wattage and have a toggle on the side to switch between MTL and DTL. They also offer a range of coils for both, ranging from 0.4 up to 1.6 ohms. As long as you buy the right coils, you can vape with your desired method.

(A note to Australians, these products are on the TGA list, so the online pharmacies will start stocking them. One has already claimed their intent to. And as @987baz mentioned, nicotine solutions are already available. 100mg strength bottles contain nicotine benzoate 10%, propylene glycol 90%. In a 30ml solution, you might end up adding 1-3ml, depending on your desired strength of nicotine.)

In Australia, I scooped up a year’s supply from Alkymia E-Juices (they offer 100% VG, and 70/30 for MTL vapers). Their cinammon scroll and coffee flavors sounded yummy. But I’m one of those people who is guilty of enjoying flavor in their tobacco. Toffee or rum <3

Since their e-liquids do not contain nicotine, here’s their recommended nicotine solution, which could be useful:

To get your intended strength you can use the following measurements for adding 100mg strength nicotine to a 30ml bottle of e-juice. Make sure to shake the bottle thoroughly for about a minute after adding nicotine.
  • 1.5mg (Extra-light) - 0.46ml nicotine (approx 20 drops)
  • 3mg (Light) - 0.93ml nicotine (approx 40 drops)
  • 4.5mg (Medium-light) - 1.41ml nicotine (approx 60 drops)
  • 6mg (Medium) - 1.91ml nicotine (approx 80 drops)
  • 9mg (Strong) - 2.79ml nicotine (approx 120 drops)
  • 12mg (Strong) - 3.82ml nicotine (approx 160 drops)
Note that the flavour will develop further and become stronger in time when nicotine is added to the bottle and allowed to steep.
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For those of you looking for flavored premade e-juices with no PG, they do exist. Here’s one I found as an example:

PG-Free Flavors

PG-Free liquids, natural flavors, VG-Based, hand mixed in Tucson, Arizona
velvetvapors.com velvetvapors.com
The vast majority of those flavors are natural or USDA-certified organic.

broken.english detailed his method of flavoring shredded tobacco leaves, but I wonder if natural PG-free flavors can be added to a DIY nicotine/VG solution.
 
nice post Nathan!

Nathan said:
For those of you looking for flavored premade e-juices with no PG, they do exist. Here’s one I found as an example:

PG-Free Flavors

PG-Free liquids, natural flavors, VG-Based, hand mixed in Tucson, Arizona
velvetvapors.com velvetvapors.com
The vast majority of those flavors are natural or USDA-certified organic.
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Do you think we here in Oz will be able to get these through customs? I know they don't contain nicotine etc but given the state of things here, I wonder!? :umm:

I guess with this stuff, there will be a fair bit of experimenting to get the right mixture for everyone and their own tastes/needs.
 
987baz said:
Do you think we here in Oz will be able to get these through customs? I know they don't contain nicotine etc but given the state of things here, I wonder!? :umm:
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Definitely not! Haha. We’re stuck with whatever they sell here (which will likely be PG-based and poor quality), or making our own.

broken.english said:
What do you consider as natural PG-free flavours?
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I’m thinking of natural flavor extracts intended for cooking that are alcohol-free. So their ingredients would be the flavor extract itself, vegetable glycerin, and it might contain xanthan gum or citric acid, depending on the flavor. Would something like this be viable?
 
Nathan said:
I’m thinking of natural flavor extracts intended for cooking that are alcohol-free. So their ingredients would be the flavor extract itself, vegetable glycerin, and it might contain xanthan gum or citric acid, depending on the flavor. Would something like this be viable?
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Only alcohol and vg based flavours are viable.

Please consider the other ingredients mentioned as verboten.
 
We've been doing a 50% VG, 50% water mix. It's very good and all, but I notice that in the morning, it can feel super harsh. And just a little harsher than with the old PG/VG mix from before.

I've started wondering if it may be the nicotine content. A seller at a local shop told us that the more nicotine you add, the harsher it can be on the throat. This solution is a 10mg/ml one. Before, we were doing a 6mg/ml solution. Could that be the reason why it feels harsher? After 2 years of greatly reducing smoking, I'm not even sure I need that much nicotine any more.

One of the reasons I reduced smoking to begin with was a nodule in my vocal chords, which prevents me from singing (which I love, and miss doing!). The reduction of smoking helped a lot, but the vape has REALLY helped. So, I really don't want anything harsh.

My idea: to make a 60% VG, 40% water mix, which would make it 8mg/ml nicotine. Would increasing the VG, thus slightly reducing the nicotine content, make a difference in terms of the harshness? Or, would it be better to do a 60% water, 40% VG solution? (the nicotine content would be 8mg/ml as well, but subjectively, it feels nicer to have a bit more VG, since it's denser and it doesn't feel like inhaling just water). Any advice would be appreciated, @broken.english We want to stay as pure as possible, I know, but if VG is not really an issue, I'm tempted to experiment with a bit more of it.
 
Nathan said:
The only ones I’ve ever tried are MTL (which is typical for the disposable types). @Scottie and @Chu and anyone else, have you tried a higher ohm coil, like 0.8 or higher, for mouth to lung inhalation? And have you tried adding your own natural flavors, or do you prefer unflavored?
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@Scottie will be able to reply more precisely about the coils. I think ours is 0.4. And as for adding flavors, I would rather not. We started off with a tobacco flavored solution months ago, because that was the only thing available locally, but I don't miss having it at all. In fact, the less flavor the better. I can vape pretty much anywhere without anybody noticing. ;-D
 
We tried a 0.2ohm coil this morning, and it really didn't work well. For some reason, the 0.4 at 30W power setting is optimal for both of us. And we typically do DTL, i.e. we inhale directly to the lungs. Haven't tried a high-ohm coil yet.

I noticed that with the 50/50 PG/VG blend, I could only inhale for about 0.5s before it was too much and would make me cough. On the other hand, with the 50/50 Water/VG blend, I find myself inhaling for an average of 1s.

For some reason, it feels very unnatural to vape by MTL (inhale into mouth, then 2nd inhale with added air into lungs).

But, that's just me.
 
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