E-Liquid - types, flavours and strengths

Hello all.

Having been a smoker of between 5-10 cigarettes a day, weaned down to just a few i have finally made the switch - at first a semi disposable, menthol flavoured to start putting a distance between that tobacco smell and the desire, need, urge to smoke one.

This when pretty well overall, so i decided to buy a kit for £30 (around 45$). A carry case, a tube to hold the vapeing device and space for 4 bottle of e-liquid. Im not sure if dropping brand names is allowed so i will say this - a reasonable quality, lasting one thats easy to clean and has cheap replacement parts is easily done for the price in the uk of 3x 19 packs (they took one out of the 20 to save the smokers..... life i guess nothing to do with more tax or anything of course). I bought a spare battery so theres always "one on the go", and one to charge up and put in the case, for which theres a compartment in my zip lock kit box - which resembles a glasses case in size and style.

I have been experimenting now with it for one week and im stunned at the transformation of my breath, my ease of breathing, THE COLOUR OF MY TEETH and of course that all day lingering odour of stale smoke that only fellow smokers can ignore, and pure bred non/anti smokers twisted gargole face of "eugh is that smell you?!" which beings me to a second parter to this thread, read down in #2

Vape "e-liquids" are a mix of Propylene glycol (majority) and vegetable glycerine, the rest making a few % of the remaining is nicotine and flavourings (some are natural some are not) and also some water, not really much as depends on the flavourings.

Ive noticed that the liquids that use a higher amount of veg glycerine (typically 20% low to 50% high) vapes with a much thicker cloud that heavy smokers are used to, so ive been going for the lighter versions of just 20% veg and 70% PG.


After just a week i have paid for all the kit, 10 different flavours to be able to change out to with a quick rinse and wipe, actually those little pouches that contain lens cleaners for glasses for great for making electrical contacts clean and conductive as well as dissolving any sticky e-liquid which may find its way into threads of the various parts.

If i were to smoke like i was something 5-10 real cigarettes - worth in vape liquid what i have now would last the best part of a month if not longer. Of course with all the designs available "asking for a light" [aka recharged battery] might put a distance between you and your nicotine source, but thats all part of the process.

I quite enjoy this new tool, i used to like to smoke but hated all the many bad things that came with it, the main stinger being paying HUGE tax for the chance to get lung cancer, yes i realise thats why the tax is high, to treat those that do - my goal is to cut down to the smallest nicotine percentage and narrow a small handful of my favoured flavours - and then one take i will say, "ive run out of e-liquid and ive lost my charger, oh well thats that done away with then.

I dont earn much, while this 'on the day' cost of a kit, spare parts and e-liquid, it is showing me an ever easier way to get away from tobacco and actually enjoying smoking again.

Okay name drop time [Mods please dont execute me if this is against the rules] the best solution i have found for my is "eShish" in small black and gold plastic capped clear glass bottles.
PG: 80%~
veg glycol: 20~
nicotine 1.1%
natural and artificial additives for the delightful flavours. My current, absolute favoured flavour for the evening as its rather sweet is "peach and passion fruit" - its like smoking a fruit corner yoghurt, only made of vapour.

I shall take a few pics and scrub out and brand names and post them as an edit to this post shortly.

To those wondering if they should literally burn £10 in as long as it takes you to smoke 19 cigarettes and instead invest in a kit (perhaps try a friends, or perhaps a show model in the shops that are springing up) I HIGHLY recommend you give it a go.

#2 The location and use of e-cigarettes are in most places subject to the same laws rules and regulations as real tobacco, you must be over 18 to own/carry nicotine, you must not smoke or vape in in closed spaces [and for cinemas this makes hyper realistic sense]. *true story 3 weeks ago* I was buying food at the supermarket and got an AWFUL smell of ammonia, after a few directional sniffs i noticed it was the old man standing at the checkout next to me, who just stank of dried urine or perhaps a leaky catheter. This got me pondering, if there a common decency rule for odours as well as gas and toxic chemicals. Smoking was banned not to due to the passive effect, but the carbon dioxide,monoxide and laundry list of other nasty stuff in a paper rolled tobacco cigarette. The main negative effects for vaping inside would be vision, clearity of view due to vapour particles in the air - if the vapour was too thick, the nicotine passively being inhaled by other patrons - tiny amounts probably not much greater than "fresh air" - the +'s are a pleasant fragrant smell of a person whos chosen to look after their body by switching to e-cigs for cost, health or just a general approach to cutting the habit in any form out of their life.

So while i will as i always do, stick with the law and smoke my e-cig outside i think new rules and regulations need to be in place, its not this, its not that, its a new thing. How long would you let a man who stank of urine in a 3 meter radius before asking him to leave, hes broken no laws.

Okay pics up soon, please let me know how you have been getting on with yours, any helpful tips or tricks i can do or use to make my kit and parts last longer - and eventually making my own e-liquids for further saving along with a cap with solar panels that can charge my spare battery in my bag etc. *Yes theres rumours of battery's exploding, catching fire, these are all well within expectations of human error and small manufacturing processes which are improving all the time.* Yes! Enough rambling, on with some pics!

Feel free to express your opinions, even if its "i love my tobacco since i was 12 and im 98" - i ain gunna stop you, you are within your rights to do so. If paying for terrible diseases/tumours/cancers/blood problems/heart problems - costs a lot of money for somthing YOU want to take the risk and pay the price till the law says otherwise, im right behind ya, actually my battery's dead, you got spare ciggy there bowy?"







Final EDIT 3 probably... I did not mention the wick, this part sits between the chamber/mouthpiece and the battery, as the power comes through this as the button pressed down, the liquid absorbed by the wick heats to high temperature but with no oxygen no flames or smoke can occur and the rapidly cooling vapour drawn back up through an internal pipe to the exit of the mouth piece - cunning huh?

If you're serious about vaping get a really good rig to start with. I promise, speaking from my own mistakes, I went through about 5 or 6 in a couple years till I learned more and found a decent rig. You don't want to be without when you're first quitting. I vape 50/50 but that's a preference thing. Whatever floats your boat. Heartland vape really great prices on liquid, premix or mix your own, 50 bucks for 3000 ml. Very fast delivery. I've been vaping for 4 years in Dec. it has changed my life for the better.

a reply to: Biigs

Glad you made the switch

In regard to liquid I'm old school , I enjoyed smoking so mainly use tobacco flavour liquids , currently liking Totally Wicked's Golden Tobacco at 1.4 %

I think more and more "old school" smokers are trying to quit and seeing vaping as a great alternative. I smoked for 35 years and switched to ecigs, then on to a box mod, in Feb of this year and haven't looked back. You get the hit of nicotine, without all the other nasty stuff and you can reduce the nicotine level gradually, till you get to zero. Much better than going cold turkey off tobacco cigarettes.

Gortex- try Charlie Noble Admiral's Reserve in either "Pistachio" or "Tripoli" Both are tobacco flavor with a very slight twist. Just enough to enhance the flavor, but not overpoweringly sweet, fruity or.... well, you know what I mean. Not those weird flavors.

a reply to: Biigs

Thanks for the essay dude!

I packed in smoking for maybe 7 months in 2013/14 thanks to running and wanting fitness. It was a doddle until I decided on having 'one cig' a day with colleagues after work. One turned to three and now it's between four and seven a night depending on how I'm feeling.

Sooooooo after reading that booklet-length OP of yours, I'm gonna go and buy a vapor-cig today. Thanks for swinging me over

originally posted by: Kandinsky
a reply to: Biigs

Thanks for the essay dude!

I packed in smoking for maybe 7 months in 2013/14 thanks to running and wanting fitness. It was a doddle until I decided on having 'one cig' a day with colleagues after work. One turned to three and now it's between four and seven a night depending on how I'm feeling.

Sooooooo after reading that booklet-length OP of yours, I'm gonna go and buy a vapor-cig today. Thanks for swinging me over

I wish you the best, a replacement is not a solution, but it doesnt kill you slowly and painfully so id consider that a victory.

I hit my post letter limit, i forgot to mention id been a smoker for around 20 years.

MMMMMMM Cherry cola from my so-far favourite brand, it may not beat that cool peach and passion fruit, but im sure it'll be heavenly.

a reply to: Biigs

Just been looking on Amazon for the eShisha to get an idea of prices. Tenner seems about right.

If this now £40 setup deteriorates, malfunctions or supply's for such run out i will consider a larger investment in a more advanced unit, with a bigger higher power battery.

Also another thought hit me, what if one end on the e-cig has a filter to remove particles from the vapour - thus rendering it 'indoor friendly' (i think know we all know that vaping has microscopic passive effects, just to appease the "We hate the things you love, party")

Dibs on e-liquid tax, nicotine is a luxury like alcohol or book - Tax must be installed at 90% or somthing stupid, because 40% on fuel and 20% VAT+16.5% on tobacco.

Who will pay for single parent family's food, clothes, house, bills and "luxury items", like ironical taxed goods like alcohol and cigarettes and the painful wrath of the fuel tax.

Can we vape on a bus? i never thought to ask, i had my driving license taken off me for one year (medical reason) and i havnt actually found out yet.

a reply to: Biigs

I have been experimenting now with it for one week and im stunned at the transformation of my breath, my ease of breathing, THE COLOUR OF MY TEETH

Imagine after a year or so the color of your lungs

i use an e leaf 30w
few different flavors but im running cinnimon now.

i rip all over the place. stores. whatever.

originally posted by: Wetpaint72
If you're serious about vaping get a really good rig to start with. I promise, speaking from my own mistakes, I went through about 5 or 6 in a couple years till I learned more and found a decent rig. You don't want to be without when you're first quitting. I vape 50/50 but that's a preference thing. Whatever floats your boat. Heartland vape really great prices on liquid, premix or mix your own, 50 bucks for 3000 ml. Very fast delivery. I've been vaping for 4 years in Dec. it has changed my life for the better.

Can attest to getting a decent rig.

No point going backwards, and with most cheap kits you regret it because you waste so much...

a reply to: Biigs

Sorry if this adds complexity to your problem.
Rebuildable tanks are pretty great.
You have the chance to buy different type of cotton that makes the taste sooooooo much better.

a reply to: Biigs

Good for you for quitting smoking. I was a 2 pack a day full flavor smoker for 30 years (something I have never much advertised about myself) and I quit smoking a little over a year ago through vaping. Without vaping, I would never have been able to stop smoking.

My health is better, my breathing is so very much better, and I am happier overall.

I cannot offer you much advice other than if you find something that works for you which you like, then stick with it. I personally cannot vape tobacco flavors, it was the sweet flavors that helped me get away from smokes, but everyone is different.

I am currently vaping an 80% vg mix, (although I don't mind max vg either) today's flavor is blueberry buckle! (I prefer to vape my dessert! hahaha)

I am currently patiently waiting for a Smok XCube2 from Smoktech and Smok TVF4 - but until I get that in the mail I am still using an ego. (Yes, I have skipped ALL the rungs in the vaping ladder..) Once I get it I will tell everyone how I like it!

For anyone reading this who doesnt smoke and hasnt tryed vaping, if you have had a go on a shisha pipe, while thats smoke not vapour the taste is remarkably similar.

Im still loving the black cherry, the watermelon grape and cherry and finally peach and passionfruit.

As the poster above said, the best way to get away from your brain triggering that must smoke feeling, is the musty waft from a smoker - this is why ive only chosen sweet or menthol flavours and so far i dont miss the tobacco - actually made me realkise just how horrible i must have been to be kissed - yep lets blame all failed relationships on that too! Vaping is awesome and i bet could beat the hulk in a fight.

To those saying you are replacing one thing with another and still addicted. Yes thats what addiction means, like the ex poker player who plays a scratch card when he has some change after shopping or physical/mental addictions like sucking thumbs, twisting hair, dressing like a slut - they arnt what we want to be but we cant just turn them off instantly. Some people can and those are the lucky fume.

Vapa Las Vapos!


I cant wait till the confectionery company's get their teeth in, ive already seen cola, general hard boiled sweet flavours, bon bon - what about vaping a mars bar or a chocolate gattau.

Some of us are just changing a bad habit we enjoy to somthing less deadly for other selves and those around us, others which to remove nicotine but still help a vape at the end of the day has that same effect of a mothers cuddle - it doesnt DO anything, its just nice.

I recommend to all vapers to dabble around with making your own e-juice, it's actually very simple and much cheaper. Simple google searches will find you several places to buy what you need. The main things you will need are nicotine (I get 100mg strength and cut it down to between 3mg and 18mg), vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, flavorings, a couple beakers, and a couple measuring cups.

Here is a good recipe calculator to use.
Calculator

You search around vaping forums for recipes, or create your own. I started with other people's recipes and eventually started making my own.

I only vape max VG flavors, nothing more than an 80VG/20PG mix.

Health reasons, and More VG = MORE CLOUD

originally posted by: frostie
I only vape max VG flavors, nothing more than an 80VG/20PG mix.

Health reasons, and More VG = MORE CLOUD

Ditto, the only times i go more towards 50/50 the bigger the cloud and a sting on the throat, esspesially with high nicotine formulations.. I the highest of veg gyc is 30% of the plethora of liquids i own and i dont want to go any more than that unless its somthing really special.

#I hope they never add alcoholic or cocktail recipes (minus the alcohol ofc) Baileys Irish cream liqueur anyone? sour and brown sugar sweet Mojito's?

That rounds on me!

Oh and my non smoker friends dont care where i vape,, like thye poker table, i dont vape in front of infants of youngsters because its an 18+ luxury they can do without it being around them till they are 18.

a reply to: Biigs

#I hope they never add alcoholic or cocktail recipes (minus the alcohol ofc) Baileys Irish cream liqueur anyone? sour and brown sugar sweet Mojito's?

They already make a TON of flavors. Quite a few alcohol drink flavors. Looking at the bottles you have I'm wondering what juice companies you're using. There should be no issue saying that on ATS. Good quality juice makes an enormous difference in flavor, you may enjoy trying some of the better brands out there, some are fairly inexpensive. I'm a big fan of cereal flavored juice, some are astonishingly close to slurping up the milk left in the bowl. I also love custards, even though I'm aware there are some potential health risks. I freaking love Sugar Bear (now Sugar Drizzle) by Cuttwood an obscene amount.

I just got into DIY and think it's the way to go. You save a ridiculous amount of money and can tailor the juice. There are a ton of clone instructions on the internet so you can make a $30/30ml bottle for a couple bucks. All the companies use the same stuff you can get for use in DIY, and the markup is insane. Companies like Charlie Noble, Suicide Bunny, Cuttwood etc. that are well established and have good flavor profiles are charging a ridiculous amount, and you can replicate the flavor and quality and KNOW where the ingredients were sourced for far less money. It's also fun!

I'm personally not a fan of the pen style vapes for the most part. I have an eGo One mini in the off chance I'm somewhere that a mod may be too much, but they just don't offer the same experience. The only time I vape under 50 watts is when I'm using a Kayfun V4 or a nickel build for temp control. Just not quite satisfied with the >1 ohm stuff unless I'm using the Kayfuns or Squape.

I don't knock anyone that's satisfied with the pen vapes (SO much cheaper and less of a pain), but I don't think many people would stick with them if they tried higher wattage, a decent tank (the mid to high end are amazing) or temp control. Temperature control is just awesome, you dial in the temperature you want the vapor, and it stays that way. They're a bit of a pain to build, but the pre-made coils are fairly inexpensive and I've found they work very well. When I'm feeling lazy I run an Aspire Triton tank with nickel coils or the .3 ohm coils. I like to set the temp just under 500 F, and when I'm running the .3 coils I usually set the wattage around 70.



Top fill, really good adjustable airflow, nice flavor, only cons are that it's hard to clean and kinda big. The rebuildable section is sold separately, and works pretty darn well though I've only tried it with kanthal. It's a little different than most rebuildable decks, it's not really a deck, more a rebuildable coil.

I like using RDAs when I'm home, and my favorite so far is the Marquis. I've owned quite a few RDAs, but this one gives me the best flavor, it's easy to build, and I just think it's neat. It's on the more expensive side at around $100, but well worth it. The flavor is outstanding, it doesn't leak unless you over drip, and the build posts really make it easy to set up!



If this hadn't become a bit of a hobby, I would probably be picking up the pioneer4you D2 mod, a kangertech subtank mini, a Royal Hunter dripping atomizer and a Triton. You can basically do everything with that set up, and it's still very small/pocketable. 75 Watts, good temp control, and runs on an 18650.

Since it has become a bit of a hobby (I feel like hobby is the wrong word, like calling video games e-sports) I have got some pretty fun stuff. It was expensive, but I was spending a TON on cigs, at least $15 a day so it's justified in my mind from a price and health perspective. That, and I think it's kinda fun.

Favorites right now in no particular order (all authentic but from what I hear the clones are very close in quality and far cheaper):

-Favorite mods right now are the two SX Mini M class, the Ragnarok mech mod and the Vapor Shark DNA 200 I just got. I'll throw in the iPV 3 Li even though it feels a little junky compared to the others in the hand because the thing is bullet proof and battery life is crazy, it can be had for a reasonable price and it looks good.



SX Mini. It's very obvious this thing is incredibly well designed when you hold it and use the buttons. It's ruined me for most other mods, and I bought 2. Expensive (and right now I wouldn't buy another, since new chipsets are coming). The chipset is amazing, having 5 presets is awesome, having the ability to change the ramp up power to the coil made me dislike other mods. The buttons and feel are just something else. It's a mass produced high end mod. You don't have to get on a wait list for it, and instead of $500 it's $200 (I got sneaky and paid way less).



Vapor Shark DNA 200. I just got this guy last week. It's insane. The chipset in this thing is amazing. You can program so many different variables into it, it has 8 pre-sets (and that includes settings for different types of wire) you can adjust how the coil will heat, adjust how much power is put in and when after pressing the fire button (make it heat up really fast or gradually in any increment you want) program your own messages and images into it for each pre set, it's made of aluminum and very light, easy to swap batteries, goes up to 200 Watts, knows the ambient temperature, you can set the lighting so it's bright or dim (and that can also be based on whatever profile 1-8 you use) and also when in the cycle the lighting is bright, and even customize the left half of the screen to give info. The buttons are very nice, actually on par with the SX Mini though different, and it's obviously quality when you hold it.



Ragnarok mod. Love this thing. It looks sleek with any RDA I put on top, it's beautifully machined and the button is smooth. It's just a metal tube, but its so much better than just a metal tube. My girlfriend got this one for me, and that makes it even more special. It's timeless, it's incredibly solid, there are no parts that will need replacing.

-Favorite rebuildable tank atomizers are the Kayfun V4, Squape R, and Kayfun Lite+.



Kayfun V4. This is a rather expensive tank if you buy authentic. The flavor is amazing, the craftsmanship is only equaled by a very few manufacturers, and the design and machining are just awesome. You don't have to drain your tank to access the build deck. You can fill it without unscrewing it from your mod. The threads and machining are perfect (a little tight, I've had to put it in the freezer to get it apart). The number of parts are a little intimidating!

-Favorite tanks that use prebuilt coils are the Herakles by Sense and Triton by Aspire.

-Favorite drippers are the Marquis, Vector (doesn't get enough love, it's awesome!), Tugboat and no one believes me but the Mutation X V4.

-Favorite juice companies are Cuttwood, Suicide Bunny, Cloud Alchemist, Stratomyst, Vape Wild, Lost Art, Vapor Shark has a few I actually dig, Cosmic Fog (kryptonite is awesome). For DIY Nude Nicotine, and I tend to Google when I want a certain flavor.

a reply to: Domo1

Great post Domo1, thank you so much for that.


I saw some of these newer "heavy duty, cigarette lighter" type contractions and id certinly like to upgrade my pen type 'cheap' cap unit in a few months.

Do you think, when you got the time of course, come up with somthing mid range price wise, with plenty of options. Even though then umber of makers to going up the parts, batterys', juice -everything still seems to be based around the same threads/fittings.

Id like somthing thats going to work as a kit from the get go, using some bits i already have or some i dont - i dont mind, ive already "made by money back' so to speak over cartons of the death sticks with the unit im using now, but its battery does'nt last that long and the ability to be able to set the coil heat on the fly sounds very appealing to me.

The thread title should have been more about the vaporisers than just the e-juice, as an ex-mountain bike mechanic, motorbike rider and general freak with a tool shed that would level a city bock dropped from a mile up lol - this combines a lot of my favourite things and id consider it a new hobby. Yeah ya to you Domo1 or anyone thats got a fancy setup they'd like to share and why they build it, what they get from it id be extremely glad to to read through what you guys goT!

As someone that likes to be inventive, go my own way and tinker a bit, I have managed to avoid going down the rabbit hole of turning vaping into a hobby. I have other hobbies and just don't have the time.

Beside that, the kit I have now is working perfectly for me. I have two iStick 50W mods, both with 5ml Atlantis sub-ohm tanks I run at 22 to 28W depending on juice and an old MVP 2.0 I run with a Nautilus and Nautilus mini tank as well as some mini viva novas when I want a quick change of flavor. In my sub-ohm tanks, I'm running 6mg nic and 12 in my MVP tanks. There are like four vape shops within 3 miles or so from my house, one with a nice lounge area and another with a pool table and it's fun just to go and hang out sometimes.



I quit cigs cold turkey over a year ago and haven't touched one since My absolute favorite and bestest juice is Lazarus Vintage "Cleopatra". This stuff is good enough to drink (not really). Also partial to Halo Freedom Juice for a tobacco flavor although I usually add a touch of something else to sweeten it up a bit. I prefer high VG juice.

Vaping is awesome ! (and Domo1, we may get to be friends yet! )