What is E Liquid
E Liquid
If you are new to vaping, you may be wondering what all this talk is about e-liquid. In the world of electronic cigarettes, we use this liquid in vaporizers to produce the vapor we inhale. It is a combination of two syrupy liquids, flavors, and sometimes nicotine. Together, all of these ingredients make up a liquid that produces a tasty cloud of vapor that, unlike smoke, does not carry carcinogens or tar. For that reason, millions of people have switched from burning tobacco to vaporizing e-liquids.
People refer to e-liquid by a variety of names. If you are familiar with the vaping industry, chances are you have heard these terms before. Whether it is e-juice, vape juice, vape oils, or just juice. People threw the term “oil” around more during the rise in popularity of personal vaporizers, but it has since become quite rare. Though one of the main ingredients in e-liquid is derived from plant oils, the liquid itself is not considered an oil.
E-liquid first made its appearance on the market in 2006. A pharmacist who was trying to quit smoking created the first vaporizer, one much simpler than the ones we have today. His e-liquid contained two simple ingredients: propylene glycol and nicotine. Though he probably did not know it at the time, his invention would lead to a massive international market of vaping technology.
Since then, the craft of mixing the best vape juice has grown into an art. Individuals and companies alike have strived to find the best combination of ingredients for this liquid. In today’s world you can find thousands of differently flavored e-liquids on the web and in stores. Despite all these flavors, almost all vape juices have basically the same ingredients as they did when they first came out.
VG vs PG - What is in E-Liquid
You may be wondering what exactly is in an e-liquid. After all, we plan to inhale the vapor put off by this juice. How do we know it is safe? During the rise of vaporizers, there was a lot of misinformation regarding what people used to mix vape juice. However, the ingredients in e-juice are found in a huge variety of foods and body care products that we all use, including ice cream, beer, shampoo, and lotions.
Vapor Cloud Production
When it comes to cloud production, vegetable glycerin has propylene glycol beat hands down. People looking to blow out vapor clouds that would rival a dragon often use a high or pure VG juice. However, PG is not without its own advantages. Though it may not produce mammoth sized vapor clouds, PG is what gives e-liquid that “throat kick” you feel when you inhale. People, especially those quitting smoking, enjoy that feeling as it is similar to inhaling tobacco smoke.
VG vs PG
There are two primary ingredients in vape juice: vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol – VG vs PG, for short. Seasoned vapers have taken to calling these ingredients by the acronyms VG and PG. In general, e-liquids will have a combination of these two ingredients. Though in some cases, a juice may only contain vegetable glycerin, or propylene glycol. Each ingredient carries its own benefits when it comes to flavor and vapor production. Though a vape juice can have only one or the other, combining the two makes for a more balanced vaping experience.
Propylene glycol was the original ingredient used in the very first vaporizer. It was also the most popular ingredient during the rise of vaping. PG is much less viscous than VG. This gave it an advantage when all we had available were small, single wicked coils. The wick in the original cartomizers was able to absorb PG much faster than VG.
Vegetable glycerin is much thicker than propylene glycol. People began making VG a primary ingredient in their e-juice when the technology behind coils began to evolve. Vaporizers went from small simple coils to the larger coils we have today. These newer coils contained a better wicking material, usually cotton, that could absorb vape juice more easily. The coils were able to handle much more heat, meaning they could give off a lot more vapor.
Flavor
Vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol also affect the flavor of e-liquids. In general, VG provides a sweeter flavor to e-juice than its counterpart. When shopping for a sweet, desert or candy juice, most companies recommend a high VG juice. This will make the sweet notes of the juice’s flavor stand out on your taste palate. Conversely, if you are using a small coil, it may have trouble absorbing the liquid if there is not some PG mixed in as well.
On its own, propylene glycol does not offer any notes of flavor. The advantage of PG is that it does not affect the flavors you combine with it, making it the ideal choice in some cases. It is a much runnier liquid, and it produces a moist vapor that you can feel in your throat as you inhale. While VG is sweeter, it does not offer much, if any, feeling when you inhale. Because of this, most e-liquids contain some amount of propylene glycol.
Standard mixes of these ingredients vary. Most e-liquid manufacturers will list how much VG or PG is in a juice on the bottle. You may see a label such as: 80% VG, 20%PG on the vape juice container. If your coil has trouble keeping up with high VG juices, you may have better luck switching to a higher PG liquid.
In general
People tend to prefer a balanced 50/50 vape juice. Those who use sub-ohm coils or RDAs will often stick with high or pure VG liquids. Though the throat hit with PG is pleasant to a lot of people, when using a powerful device, it can prove to be too much. Even just a small amount of PG can provide a pleasant throat kick while using these advanced vaporizers.
E-Liquid Flavors
If you have ever shopped for e-liquids, you may have found yourself overwhelmed by the number of different flavors there are available. In today’s world, it seems there are as many vape flavors as there is with candy, drinks, foods, and desserts. Choosing a flavor can be a timely process, and chances are if you have a guilty pleasure snack, there is a vape juice flavor to match.
When vaping first started to spike in popularity, the number of flavors available were few. Most liquids were designed to taste like fruit and candy. There were also liquids flavored like tobacco and menthol for those trying to quit smoking. But as more and more people began switching to vaporizers, the need for more and more flavors grew.
You can get e-liquids that tastes like all your favorite foods and drinks. Whether it is birthday cake, strawberries and cream, breakfast cereal, gummy bears, or warm apple pie. There is seemingly no limit to the number of flavors of e-juice on the market.
To make an e-liquid taste like something specific, manufacturers add artificial flavoring to a VG/PG base. The ingredients are then mixed and left to “steep” until they are ready to be vaped. Steeping is the process of letting the flavors combine with the juice, and usually takes a few days to a few weeks. If you vape a juice before it is finished steeping, it may taste off or not like it is labeled to taste. Many commercial juices come pre-steeped and ready to vape. However, lots of businesses make their juice when you order it, that way you can choose your own flavors and PG/VG amounts.
Today, there are a lot of popular flavors. These include fruit custards, cakes with icing, strudels with cream, milk and cereal, as well as simpler flavors like berries and cream, cotton candy, and fruity menthol. When it comes to finding a flavor you enjoy, it is best to start with what real life treat you enjoy. Chances are, there is a flavor of vape juice to mimic it.
Some flavors are better than others based on how well they can be translated into vapor. Simple sweet flavors are often the most accurate tasting. Though some places have nailed the tastes of complex foods. The bestselling flavors on the market are desserts, fruits, candy, and cereal.
How to Vape E-Liquids
Now that you know what e-liquids are, you may be wondering how they are vaporized. The process is simpler than it may seem. All vaporizers work more or less the same way. There are a few key components to a vape which are a battery, mouthpiece, a tank, and a coil.
The tank houses the coil, usually at the bottom. When you squeeze your liquid into your tank, the wicking materiel, usually cotton, inside the coil soaks some of it up. Then, when you activate the battery, it sends electricity to the metal coil. This causes it to get very hot, and turns the e-liquid in the cotton into vapor.
As you vaporize the juice, the wicking material continuously absorbs more and more liquid. If there is no more juice to absorb, the coil will burn the cotton and putt off a burned taste, which is why it is important to keep some juice in the tank.
Many batteries like the EVOD vape pen, allow you to adjust the power/watts. The watts put off by the battery dictate how hot the coil becomes. Small coils can only safely handle a small number of watts. While thicker coils can handle incredibly high watts. The more watts a coil can reach, the more vapor it puts off.
There is about as many different vaporizers on the market as there is flavors of e-liquid. These include simple cartomizers or ego-style batteries, to box mods with sub-ohm coils and powerful RDA devices. These days, many vape enthusiasts seek out batteries and coils so they can produce large full-bodied clouds. The SteamCloud Mini 2.0 vape is a highly popular vape given how long the battery can last, plus wattage control.
The more vaping has evolved, the more people have shifted from using it as a tool to quit smoking, to a type of craft. Medical reports have shown that switching to vaping leads to healthier lungs and an overall healthier person, however there are reports that would contradict that as well. A large group of people use vaping as an expression. These people host competitions where contestants use the latest and strongest vaporizer designs and see who can blow the best clouds. This also involves “vape tricks” where people blow fancy smoke rings and manipulate their vape clouds with their hands.
Best Temperature for E-Liquid
The temperature supplied to the coil varies greatly between each vaping device. Many recent devices even let you control the temperature with your battery. Finding the “sweet spot” for e-liquid can be a challenge, as no two e-liquids are the same. The best temperature for a high PG liquid won’t be the best temperature for a high VG liquid.
No two atomizers are the same and each one will have a specific tolerance to temperature. Most times, a coil will say on it or its packaging just how many watts it can sustain. If you go over that threshold, the coil may burn out and no longer be useable. It is a good idea to check what your coil’s limits are before adjusting the watts or temperature. As a rule of thumb, you should start with low watts and work your way up a little at a time to avoid a burn out.
If you are vaping a sweet e-liquid, such as custard or candy flavored, you may find it tastes better at a higher temperature. If you are vaping a more savory or tobacco flavor, you may have better results at a lower temperature.
Overall, the best temperature for vaping e-liquids is based on your own personal preferences and what style vape you are using. Some people prefer a warmer vape and will run at higher temperatures, while others prefer a cooler inhale and run at lower temperatures.
Best Vape Pen for E-Liquid
Like with temperature, the best vape pen for e-liquids is based off your own personal preferences. Some people prefer smaller vaporizers that do not stand out in the crowd and do not produce massive clouds. Others seek out vaporizers that are large and produce vape clouds that could block out the sky. There are even vaporizers that fall in-between those two extremes.
If you are looking for a vaporizer that combines functionality and size, a box mod is the best option available. These vapes have a battery enclosed within a box along with a circuit board that allows for various controls. These controls let you change the watts and temperature supplied to the coil. They can autosense what gauge wire your coil is and display it on a screen. When looking for the ultimate vaping experience, having control over these things is a must.
SteamCloud Box Mod for E-Liquids
When you think of box mods, you may think of them as being big. The SteamCloud Box Mod is anything but. It combines all the functionality of a large mod into a small, sleek box. The SteamCloud works with a huge number of attachments, including wax atomizers and herb atomizers. It allows you to adjust the temperature or watts, depending on your attachments.
The SteamCloud, though small, packs a lot of power. It is popular in the vaping community because of its size and versatility. If you are looking for a feature-rich mod but don’t want to stand out, this box mod is a solid choice.
How to Choose the Right E-Liquid Atomizer
Finding the best atomizer is based on your preferences and needs. Many people are happy with small atomizers that produce moderate sized clouds. People who vape throughout the day often choose one that holds a lot of liquid and produces larger clouds. There is also price to consider, as higher quality atomizers are more expensive than their counterparts.
A high-end atomizer will likely be made of real glass and strong metal. It will also include a good quality coil that will deliver large and consistent clouds. A lower-end atomizer may be made more of plastic, hold less juice, and have a weaker coil. In today’s world of vapes, nearly all atomizers will work on every battery or box mod. If you want to avoid filling your atomizer multiple times throughout the day, it is a good idea to go with a larger capacity tank.
Some atomizers have distinct features, such as adjustable airflow, that allow you to optimize your vaping experience. With adjustable airflow, you can change how full your vapor is, how large your clouds are, and how warm or cool you want the vapor to be. Some also have a “top fill” option so that you do not have to unscrew your atomizer from your battery or mod to refill it.
Q Tank Atomizer for E-Liquid
The Q Tank Atomizer is a prime example of the middle ground when it comes to atomizers. It features a sub-ohm coil for large clouds, but it is also small and discreet. The Q Tank also has adjustable airflow and a top fill design. When you combine the Q Tank with the SteamCloud Box Mod, you have the smallest, most discreet, yet powerful vaporizer available.
The Q Tank is not for everyone, however. Those who vape heavily may find themselves refilling it quite often, as you would expect from such a small tank. The Q Tank still rivals many of its larger counterparts with the added bonus of just how small and powerful it is. It is a great tank for beginners or those not looking to stick out.
Where to Buy E-Liquid
The popularity of vaporizers has sky rocketed, and today you can buy e-liquid online or in various stores. Chances are, you can find vape juice for sale at a gas station in your home town. As vaporizers grew more mainstream, the craft of mixing the perfect juice also exploded. Manufactures of e-liquid have been rising up from all over the world, bringing with them a huge selection of flavors.
It is a tricky task trying to decide where to buy your e-liquid. Your focus may be on price and quality. Though gas stations sell vape juice, the quality is likely going to be lacking. In many places, you may have the option of buying at a vape shop -- a store that specifically sells vaping equipment and juice.
If you are looking to save money, shopping for e-liquid online may be better. Many of these retailers sell juice in bulk for cheaper prices. Some may even make juice to order, so you know your e-liquid is fresh. Whichever route you choose, there is certain to be a large number of flavors to select from.