Why does an electronic cigarette taste bitter and how to fix it?

Despite their short history of existence, electronic cigarettes have become very popular not only among men, but also among women. Many people are stopping using traditional tobacco products and switching to safer vaping products. Its advantages are obvious: ease of use, the ability to be used repeatedly, a large number of flavors to choose from, reducing the harmful effects of smoke from electronic devices on the body of the smoker and his loved ones.

But over time, some vapers may complain of a characteristic bitterness in the mouth or even a burning sensation from an electronic cigarette. Moreover, such a problem can apply not only to cheap vapes, but also to more expensive devices, so a high price for a device cannot guarantee uninterrupted operation for many years. Let's try to figure out what to do if the electronic cigarette tastes bitter.

Why does an electronic cigarette taste bitter?

The reason for the appearance of bitterness when vaping can be mechanical in nature, but more often it lies in the composition of the liquid or the smoking style - too intense puffs can cause an unpleasant aftertaste.

To understand why this effect occurs, you need to understand the design and operating principle of an electronic cigarette. The liquid enters the spiral through a special thread or wick. After contact with the hot coil, it evaporates, and the same vapor appears that the smoker inhales. If there is a lot of liquid (the user inhales too much), then it may not have time to evaporate and burns to the coil, which causes a bitter taste.

Smoking too intensely leads to a bitter taste

If your new vape tastes bitter

The bitterness of vapor when vaping for a certain time is an absolutely normal and expected phenomenon that every user of this type of device has encountered at least once.

But for what reason does a new vape most often taste bitter? Some of the main reasons are an incorrectly selected evaporator and incorrectly set power of the device. New vape models have the ability to regulate the power with which the heating element will heat the coil, and, accordingly, the wick with liquid.

If you apply excessive power to an unsuitable coil, you are likely to burn the wick and get a burning smell while using the device. For example, if the coil in the atomizer is small, the thickness of the wire from which the winding is made is also small in diameter, and the power of the electric current that the vape supplies to the coil exceeds 150 W, the liquid will not even have time to start evaporating before you smell the burning smell.

Another reason for a burnt taste in vaping is an incorrectly selected liquid in terms of PG/VG. Previously, we already touched upon the issue of the percentage of glycerin and propylene glycol in the liquid. The PG/VG marking indicates the amount of these substances in a liquid. The more there are, the thicker the liquid, since both substances have a viscous structure. On the other hand, the more there are, the tastier and richer the taste of the vapor will be during the operation of the vape and the more vapor there will be.

The greatest influence of the density of the liquid and its composition on the quality of vaping and the presence or absence of a burning taste is noticeable in the cold season. In cold weather, the liquid in the tank thickens even more, which increases the risk of burning when it is vaped.

If you purchased not a new device, but a new atomizer for it, which, logically, should also not emit burning, but the bitter taste is still present, it may be that you did not place the wick correctly.

Another reason for burning in a vape when using a new device may be haste. If you fill the tank with liquid and immediately start vaping, the likelihood that it will taste bitter is extremely high, since the wick needs time for the liquid from the tank to saturate it properly. Therefore, after filling the tank with liquid, it is better to wait 5-10 minutes and only then turn on the vape and start vaping.

Finding the reason

If bitterness occurs during smoking, the first thing to consider is the characteristics of the liquid.

1. The composition is too thick - this most often happens if the liquid is made independently. Due to its consistency, it does not have time to evaporate and burns to the coil.
2. Poor quality of nicotine - if the liquid is cheap, then the substances included in its composition are not of high quality and can burn.
3. If the composition does not contain distilled water, or there is not enough of it (typical of Chinese compositions), then the wick dries out too quickly and provokes bitterness.

The “wrong” liquid is a common cause of a bitter taste when vaping.

If you inhale steam too often, this can also cause burning. The reason is simple - the wick does not have time to become saturated with liquid and begins to burn.

According to experienced vapers, taking a puff more than once every 10 seconds is wrong.

There are also constructive reasons for the appearance of bitterness during smoking.

1. Old wick. If it is used for a long time without replacement, then over time it becomes disheveled and is not properly saturated.
2. There is debris on the coil.
3. The evaporator operates with low resistance, which leads to overheating of the coil - you need to either replace the element or adjust it.
4. There is dirt on the coil - this is caused by smoking for too long without a break.
5. Winding is done incorrectly - this often causes burning and the appearance of an aftertaste.

Winding the coil by a beginner can be done incorrectly, and the vape will taste bitter

Causes of the phenomenon and their elimination

When used correctly, the vape does not taste bitter, there is no unpleasant taste in the mouth, and it does not burn in the throat. If an electronic cigarette emits smoke, there may be various reasons for this phenomenon - they are presented in the table below. There are also ways to eliminate them.

It is worth noting that for Eleaf ijust s, ijust 2, products from Joyetech and other companies, due to the general operating principle of their steam generators, the reasons for the appearance of a burning taste are the same.

If the vape starts to taste bitter with a new evaporator, then this indicates the low quality of the chosen device.

As you can see, the list of reasons is quite extensive. The appearance of bitterness is mainly due to the formation of carbon deposits on the filament coil, the use of unverified brands of mods and liquids from unknown manufacturers. Problems can often be resolved without the help of specialists.

How to get rid of bitter taste

If your e-cigarette tastes bitter, you should take the following steps:

• wash the atomizer in cold water - it will help remove carbon deposits;
• after washing, shake it out and wipe with a lint-free cloth to clean the coil;
• the atomizer is connected to the vape battery without a cartridge;
• blow several times until auto-on is activated;
• liquid for smoking is poured;
• it is checked whether the burning taste has been eliminated.

Flushing the atomizer is one of the ways to get rid of bitterness

Why bitterness may occur

Many smokers experience a bitter taste from the iJust electronic cigarette. To solve this problem, it is important to accurately determine its causes. The main reason for the appearance of an unpleasant aftertaste is the combustion of cotton wool placed in the atomizer (the part of the electronic cigarette in which vapor is created). Bitterness may also appear due to improper use of this device due to inexperience of the user. The reasons why iJust 2 is bitter are listed below.

The evaporator is not sufficiently saturated with liquid

The cotton filler of the evaporator may not have time to become saturated with liquid. This often happens if you are using an iJust e-cigarette for the first time or have just replaced the vaporizer. The bitterness is especially strong when you start vaping immediately after installing a new evaporator.

The evaporator has reached its service life

The new vaporizer in iJust 2 and S vapes will last about a month, after which carbon deposits will accumulate. Replacing the evaporator will help fix this, and if this is not done, in the future there will be nothing left except a burning taste. When you buy a low-quality or defective part, it happens that its service life expires faster.

Unsuitable liquid

An e-cigarette may not handle e-cigarettes containing high glycerin (VG) content well. Due to the thick consistency, the composition does not have time to wet the cotton wool well. In this case, when vaping, it begins to burn. As a result, an unpleasant burning taste appears.

There is not enough liquid in the atomizer

When less than 10% liquid remains in the atomizer of the iJust series vape, a burning taste begins to be felt.

Other ways to fix the problem

If the above recommendations do not help, then there are a number of other actions you can take.

If the aftertaste is caused by a dry wick, and the vape has a top coil, you can tilt the device before vaping to properly wet the wick.

If this does not help, then you can consider the second option - the coil has become unusable due to too much time. If you use the vape for a long time and do not change the parts, it may well cause a bitter aftertaste. Replacing the coil will help get rid of it.

Sometimes the bitterness problem is caused by the operating temperature of the vape. In this situation, it is worth buying a mod with temperature control. It is not very expensive, but often solves the problem. It is better to choose a mod whose coil is made of steel, nickel or titanium.

Mod with adjustment

Sometimes the bitter taste in an e-cigarette is eliminated by reducing the power. High power can cause the coil to burn out, which in turn causes bitterness. Experienced vapers recommend experimentally choosing the power at which the vapor turns out to be as tasty as possible, and sticking with it.

If the methods described above do not help, you should try removing the carbon deposits.

What causes a burnt taste in the first place?

The most common reasons are:

Excessive power

If you apply a current charge of 150 watts to the microcoil, then the cotton on the evaporator, no matter how well it is wetted, will begin to burn before the liquid turns into steam. The result is logical - you will catch the “garik”. To avoid this, just start vaping with low power, slowly increasing the indicator to comfortable values. In the case of replaceable evaporators, everything is much simpler - the manufacturer indicates the power range directly on them. Just follow the recommendations.

The wick is not wet

This situation most often happens in winter. Low temperatures cause the juice to thicken and cannot properly saturate the evaporator. Therefore, for the cold season, it is better to select e-liquids with a higher content of propylene glycol (PG). It increases the flow rate and the liquid is evenly absorbed.

Incorrect placement of cotton wool

This is a common occurrence with serviceable atomizers. If you pack the cotton very tightly, it will prevent the liquid from being absorbed. If you are greedy and thread too thin a piece of cotton into the coils, the liquid from it will evaporate in a split second and the cotton wool itself will begin to burn. To avoid this, pinch off a good piece of cotton wool, which will be threaded into the spiral slightly resting, and after laying, try to fluff the cotton a little. To do this, you can use tweezers or a needle.

Rush

Some vapers are eager to start vaping immediately after filling the tank. It is better not to do this, since the liquid should have time to completely saturate the wick. Wait 3-5 minutes, and no bitterness will bother you. By the way, there is one life hack: as soon as you install a fresh evaporator and fill the tank with liquid, we recommend waiting 15-20 minutes. Then the taste will subsequently be brighter, and the evaporator itself will last much longer.

Neglect of coil hygiene

This is also true mainly for serviceable atomizers. Some vapers regularly change the cotton wool, but do nothing with the coils, and deposits also accumulate on them. Sometimes you can see coils that are completely black with soot. To prevent this from happening, you need to do the following from time to time: remove the cotton wool from the coils and thoroughly heat the coil, then dip it in a glass of water. Don’t be afraid, nothing bad will happen (unless, of course, you drown the entire mod), repeat the procedure 2-3 times - this will save you from soot.

Removing carbon deposits

To get rid of carbon deposits, you need to clean the incandescent coil . When removing soot yourself, proceed as follows:

• cool the vape;
• disassemble the atomizer;
• take out the spiral;
• place it in an alcohol solution that will dissolve carbon deposits;
• clean the ventilation ducts and other contaminated parts;
• put the device back together.

If the electronic cigarette still tastes bitter, then the steam generator should be rinsed with running water from the tap for 30 seconds. Then it must be dried and connected to the battery (not only the atom, but the entire device must be switched). Next, blow through the evaporator 6 times while pressing the button. After that, the wick is inserted, the cigarette is assembled, and the liquid is poured in.

If all manipulations do not lead to the desired result (which is unlikely), then you will need to contact a service center or purchase a new device.

When the culprit of bitterness is the evaporator

Most often, the source of bitterness is a burnt wick, especially if it is made of organic matter - gauze, cotton wool, etc. But silica also becomes saturated with burnt liquid over time, which affects the taste of the vapor.

Sometimes the wick deteriorates too quickly, after just a few puffs. This happens due to overheating caused by either high voltage or too low coil resistance for a given evaporator.

Unfortunately, not all power sources for electronic cigarettes have a power regulator, but you can always make a winding that will heat up less. Just add a couple more turns or use thinner wire.

Also, an electronic cigarette begins to taste bitter when the filament becomes covered with a burnt crust. Try to burn off the deposits with a turbo lighter or pocket torch and carefully remove them with a needle. But if the spiral has worked for about a month, it is better to replace it immediately.

Recommendations for proper use of a vape

To virtually eliminate the possibility of bitterness, you should do regular maintenance of the device and use it correctly. To do this you need:

• monitor the condition of the filter, replace it if necessary;
• do not hover until the liquid is completely consumed;
• maintain pauses between puffs, or better yet, vape less often;
• inspect and clean the electronic cigarette once a week;
• store the device in an upright position, in a dry and clean place;
• cover the vaping hole with a cap;
• use high-quality liquid and devices from well-known brands;
• When replacing the wick yourself, you should use special cotton wool.

Advice! In order for the electronic cigarette to work properly, the causes of the problems should be eliminated, and not their consequence - carbon deposits. Only if there is a serious defect, the product will need to be replaced. Periodic cleaning and compliance with the operating rules set out in the instructions is a practical guarantee of the durability of the device.

An electronic cigarette, created to replace conventional tobacco products, is not immune to breakdowns. Unpleasant taste sensations can occur when using low-quality vaping liquid, even when using branded products, new electronic cigarettes. But, basically, problems appear over time due to the formation of deposits on the filament coil. The reasons for this phenomenon are various, but regular cleaning will help get rid of bitterness. It is best to minimize the nicotine content in the e-liquid - this will have a beneficial effect on your health.

Bitter repair mistakes

When replacing the wick and winding, users often make mistakes that lead to incorrect operation of the evaporator. And then they wonder why the electronic cigarette, which had not been noticed before in anything similar, tastes bitter.

For example, when the positive pin is inserted into the head of the clearomizer, it slightly pushes the wire out - as a result, the filament stands crooked. This will disrupt the uniform heating and impregnation of the wick, it will quickly char and bitterness will appear.

Even more likely, crumpled or closed coils lead to this result. To prevent the spiral from becoming warped, press it with something while inserting the contact, and then pull the positive end of the wire back a little.

You also need to be careful when making a cotton wick. It is important to maintain a middle ground here: it should be thick enough to absorb a lot, but at the same time not plug the liquid passage too tightly.

After replacing, you need to wait about three minutes until the wick gets thoroughly wet. And needless to say, all work must be carried out with clean hands, otherwise sweat, grease and other dirt from your fingers will remain on the parts of the evaporator and add their own unique notes to each puff.

To hover or not?

With uninterrupted vaping, coils are forced to constantly heat up and do not have enough time to cool down, thereby the cotton wool fibers will stick in the future.

The fleece will burn during steaming. This can be prevented by taking short, brief puffs lasting 1-2 seconds, after which you need to wait a couple of seconds for the coils to cool down. After all, if you don’t do this, you will have to change the cotton wool very often, and this will waste not only money, but also time. If you have a clearomizer installed, you will have to change it completely.

Why does the tank leak and spit?

If your ijust 3 starts to leak and liquid gets into your mouth along with steam, then try the following solutions to the problem:

1. Incorrect tightening, very weak (thus airflow is lost) or, on the contrary, strong without breaks with prolonged holding of the fire button. Try making more airflow using a valve under the tank. Take good puffs. Do not overpress the power button.
2. The tank is not tightly installed, or defective. Leave the tank dry for several hours, and then see if liquid appears underneath it; if so, replace it under warranty.
3. Install another evaporator, the kit also includes a 0.2 Ohm one, very often this is the problem