Cotton turning really really gross after less than a day of use with homemade ejuice. (first timer here)

submitted almost 10 years ago by Sloanosaurus-Nick

So I started making my own ejuice about a week ago. Things are going awesome! It's a lot of fun and I love being able to fine tune my juice to my own taste. I can definitely see this becoming a new hobby for me.

My problem right now is that after less than a day of use the cotton in my RDA is turning a really gross brown color and the flavor is turning really fast. I pretty much have to change out my cotton every day at this rate. I've never had this issue with store bought ejuice and even with heavy use I have been able to get at least 3 days out of wick.

Here's a pic of said cotton. This wick was in use for less than 24 hours.

The juice I'm using is a 70/30 3mg "Green Apple Jolly Rancher" flavor. I'm using a 36mg 100% VG nic base. I bought all my supplies at Wizard Labs and the recipe is a follows:

10% Apple Candy (TPA) 8% Super Sour (Wizard Labs) 2% Sweetener (TPA)

It's rather tart but I really enjoy the flavor. Am I using too much sour? (I came up with this recipe through trial and error and haven't really looked into other jolly rancher recipes. 8% might be a crazy amount but I love the flavor.) Or is it the quality of my ingredients? A friend recommended Wizard labs to me but I perhaps didn't do my homework.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

Comments

15 points

by skiddlzninjaalmost 10 years agoThat one moderator. You know, the honey guy.

8% super sour is extremely, entirely, unequivocally too much. It's melting your coils, causing your cotton to get gross. Drop it down to 1% and try again.

Wizard labs sells the same flavors that other vendors do, they are a fine vendor(as long as you don't mix by weight.)

7 points

by tranceinatealmost 10 years agoMixologist

8% of a 40% malic acid solution dear baby jesus

OP, you need to be using that at 1 drop per 60ml unless you dilute the fuck out of it.

2 points

by LOL_OMGalmost 10 years ago

Why if not mixing by weight? No droppers on the bottles?

2 points

by skiddlzninjaalmost 10 years agoThat one moderator. You know, the honey guy.

Negative. All glass mini vials.

2 points

by LOL_OMGalmost 10 years ago

Ahhh I hate those!!!

1 points

by famaskillralmost 10 years ago

Not all. I have lots of 4oz plastics and 1oz plastics. Now peanuts inw only come in small vials. Things like pear and banana come in glass.

5 points

by Sloanosaurus-Nickalmost 10 years ago

Ah, looks like I made it to "Rookie Move #1".

Thanks for the quick and thorough responses guys! I figured it was the sour that was doing it. I'm going to start fresh with WAY WAY less sour. Is there any technique to coax out more tanginess out of flavoring without destroying my shit? I'm a goddamn sour fiend I guess.

2 points

by tranceinatealmost 10 years agoMixologist

You need to be using .1 - .15 % of a 10% Malic Acid solution. Your super sour is 40% malic acid. You should be using roughly one drop per 60mls to hit .1% final solution. Malic acid mutes flavours faster than Citric over .1 - .15%

3 points

by Sloanosaurus-Nickalmost 10 years ago

Well, I guess the good news is that the 30 ml bottle of super sour that I bought is literally going to last me forever.

1 points

by tranceinatealmost 10 years agoMixologist

pretty much, lol. I still have EM from over a year ago. I got 20% solutions of malic & tartaric acid from a local BM for like, $2 and change per 5ml. Haven't diluted yet so ive been using 1 drop & 2 drops, respectively, until I do dilute. Shits gunna last forever.

3 points

by Eizoozalmost 10 years agoProud Sidebar Reader!

This is like the most wick destroying recipe I've ever seen. Apple candy and sweetener are gonna rape your cotton by themselves but the sour at 8% is gonna take the whole thing to a 10

2 points

by PalefaceVaperalmost 10 years ago

I've yet to fully figure out Apple candy myself. It smells nice, drop on the finger taste nice... But I've gone Hail Mary a few times with mixed I thought were gonna taste good, but end up tasting like soap.

Normally TFA flavors are pretty weak compared to other companies, but I'm beginning to think this one might be one of those exceptions. I'm still prey new though myself. Old enough to at lest let the mix steep though, lol.

1 points

by trecentersalmost 10 years ago

You may not be tasting flavor because of using too much. Happened to me several times up until I learned this.

1 points

by Trailmagicalmost 10 years ago

Ethyl matol is a good alternative sweetener that won't gunk your coils. Others already addressed the rest

1 points

by SenorPierrealmost 10 years ago

damn son. ease back with the citric acid, haha.

some flavors will do that. I personally have been using the same build and wick for a week and a half and it still looks mint. it all comes down to what flavorings you use.

0 points

by firebolt0777almost 10 years agoMixologist

The sweetener is what's causing it

0 points

by DrMclovensalmost 10 years agoThe Mad Alchemist

> 8% Super Sour (Wizard Labs)

Refer to "Citric Acid" using the search bar and learn up on it. one thing to note is that it is one of the big two coil gunkers. you are way above suggested %'s

>2% Sweetener (TPA)

Please Refer to "sucrose" VIA the search bar. one thing to note about it, is that it is the other "Big Two" for coil gunkers and again, you are over the generally suggested %'s (but not nearly as over as you are with Citric Acid)

hope that helps :)

2 points

by tranceinatealmost 10 years agoMixologist

.....Sucrose is sugar. Table-sugar.

You mean Sucralose.

0 points

by queuetuealmost 10 years agoProud Sidebar Reader!

Nah, me and the Doctor both snort straight cane all day. All the cool kids are doing it.

1 points

by tranceinatealmost 10 years agoMixologist

it only counts as straight cane if you snap the sugar cane right then & there