Vape juice serves as a kind of fuel to your vape device, which upon heating, produces vapor and flavor. When it comes to vape juices, you find thousands of different brands and flavors to choose from, but it’s important to pick your e-liquid wisely and intently. There are a lot of factors and elements that can alter the quality and taste of your e-liquid, some of which could be directly linked to the manufacturing, packaging, and handling, while others on part of the user and how they utilize it.
Factors That Can Affect the Quality of Vape Juices:
1. Production Facility
It’s extremely important for e-liquid brands to employ professional manufacturers and fillers to get their e-liquids made. The facilities should be ISO/GMP certified, along with product liability insurance. In order to check the quality of ingredients, the manufacturers usually perform nicotine and diacetyl testing on their products. When you’re buying a good quality e-liquid, the brand must ensure that it was made in the best environment with a team who understands ISO/GMP and are timely audited. The product should be manufactured in a quality and temperature-controlled environment and must be tested rigorously before being available in the market.
2. Handling of E-Liquids
Handling and proper storage of e-liquid both on part of the manufacturer and user, and can affect the quality of your e-liquid. Vape juice is sensitive to light, heat, and air, and if it gets exposed to any of those factors it could lose its flavor. The nicotine in your e-liquid could also get oxidized if it’s not stored properly. Nicotine is highly reactive with the oxygen present in the air, hence it’s extremely crucial to store your e-liquid in a safe place, where it’s not left unprotected from any of the factors mentioned above. In general, your e-liquids should in placed in a cool and dry place.
3. Steeping
Steeping refers to the process that allows the development of flavor in e-liquids by letting them sit for a span of a few days. It lets the PG, VG, and flavor concentrate in your e-liquid to blend well with each other and develop potency. Usually, the flavors that have a higher amount of flavor concentrates and sweeteners require a longer steeping time. It is because each of the ingredients in e-liquids has a different level of viscosity and due to this, some ingredients, such as VG which is more viscous, sit at the bottom. Steeping allows all the ingredients to homogenize and blend well. Dessert-flavored e-liquids generally take longer to steep, because they have more concentrates and sweeteners, while monotone and simple fruity flavors require the least amount of time to steep.
Factors That Can Affect the Taste of E-Liquids:
1. The Ratio Between PG and VG
PG and VG are both food and pharmaceutical-grade ingredients that are used in the manufacturing of a variety of food, cosmetic, and skin care products. PG in e-liquids is mainly responsible for developing flavor and throat hit, whereas VG serves as a catalyst for vapor production. The ratio between PG and VG should be equal in order to strike a balance between flavor and vapor production, but it can vary based on your personal preference. However, if you are getting a harsh throat hit or subdued flavor, it’s important to tweak your PG/VG ratio, to correct the imbalance.
2. Nicotine Strength
Nicotine has an extremely distinct and nuanced taste of its own and having a higher level of nicotine in your e-liquid can alter the flavor of your e-liquid to a great extent. A higher nicotine level is also responsible to give a harsh throat hit, and it is generally preferred by people who smoke heavily. Reducing your nicotine level can make way for better and more pronounced flavor and you can easily find your sweet spot to vape. lower nicotine strength is also recommended for sub-ohm vaping, which is more oriented toward flavor and vapor production.
3. The Wattage Power of the Vape Device
Wattage is how much electricity your vape device is supplying to the atomizer. Generally, more wattage means more electricity, which means a hotter coil and more vapor and flavor. Different vape juices are completely different at different wattages, builds, and airflow levels. Also, VG and PG ratios can make the same flavors come together in completely different ways. You can run more wattage than the coil is rated, though it will burn it out a lot faster. For simpler flavors and devices, it’s difficult to hold up under the onslaught of massive power and high heat, and doing so would produce gunk in your coil and reduce its longevity. Providing the optimal level of wattage to your device is imperative.
4. Flavor of E-Liquids
There is no common consensus when it comes to the matter of flavor. The flavor is an extremely important element in e-liquids and having no flavors removes the joy out of vaping, and poses a risk of falling back on cigarettes for some people. But the matter of flavor is extremely subjective and varies from person to person. Some people might prefer a single tone and flat flavor profile, while others a subtler and nuanced one.
For a brand, coming up with a truly excellent blend only takes time and countless reiterations. A lot of premium e-liquid brands, combine a complex extraction process that pulls out a spectrum of flavor compounds to better mimic the real-life counterpart of that flavor. in the end, it’s a matter of trial and error before you find an e-liquid that works best for you.
Final Note:
When buying e-liquids it is important to consider all the factors mentioned above in order to get the best product for the price you’re willing to pay. But it’s also important to not get hung up on only one of the elements mentioned above. As much as taste matters for the vaping experience, the quality of e-liquid also has a huge role to play in improving that experience. Hence, choose intently and do your research, and don’t worry about making mistakes or getting the wrong e-liquid on your first attempt at purchasing.
