E-liquids are the source of life for electronic cigarettes. The liquid solution turns into vapour giving you a unique experience. It may or may not contain nicotine. It is made of vegetable glycerin or propylene glycol, flavour and water. Before you start using e-cigs there are several important things that you need to know so that you are able to choose wisely.
Vegetable glycerin (VG) or propylene glycol (PG)
E-liquids are manufactured using vegetable glycerin or propylene glycol or a combination of both as a base. VG and PG are hygroscopic substances that turn liquid solution into vapour. If you prefer more vapour volume you can choose a VG base liquid and if you want a better throat hit you can choose PG.
VG blends are thicker and they create cool and sweet vapours whereas PG blends are thinner and create hot and warm vapours. If you are a new user you may be able to determine the correct base by trial and error or you can make the choice depending on your smoking habit.
Liquid strength
Choosing the correct liquid strength of the e-liquid can help you compensate for the craving for nicotine of tobacco based cigarettes. You can choose from 0 – 36 liquid strength depending on your individual preference.
If you are a beginner and choose strong strength you may feel discomfort and not enjoy the experience. You need to remember that more is not always good and it is best to start with low strength liquid if you are a light smoker.
Steeping e-liquids
The process of storing e-liquids in a cool and dark place so that the juices of the liquid may mature and taste better is steeping and this is similar to allowing wine to age. Although some liquids may taste great when freshly made, several exotic flavours taste better with steeping.
The time taken for steeping the liquids may be from 2 – 3 weeks. Tobacco flavoured juices may be steeped for 1 – 2 weeks. It is best to store them away from kids and pets. The ingredients mix evenly if you shake the contents of the bottle each day. The taste of VG based liquids may improve significantly when steeped.
Avoiding unwanted vapour tastes
If you want to avoid unwanted vapour tastes like burnt or peppery, you need to ensure that the atomizer or cartomizer is wet. When the atomizer or cartomizer is dry you may experience such unwanted taste. The dryness may not just alter the taste of the vapor but it can also damage the e-cig device. It is best to ensure that the atomizer is wet before use so that you able to get an enhanced taste.
If you are unsure about choosing the right type of e-liquid, you can try the sample liquids provided by most reputed manufactures so that you are able to choose wisely. You can also choose to read reviews about different flavours and nicotine strength from reputed websites. This can enable you to choose as per your individual smoking habits.