Is this a reasonable plan for trying samples?

[Ancient Hermit]

OK, well it seems we probably had some angry dolphins (or cross porpoises)! (sorry, terrible joke I know!)

I am more looking to road test samples, not a quick tasting as you might do with a wine perhaps.

When I said trials I really meant over a few days or even weeks perhaps. Finding out how these things behave over a time, like it might be in normal use.

I want to discover the rather more considered details.

What's it like to vape it for a day?

What's it like when it's a few days older maybe?

Does it keep well if left on the shelf for a while?

I've seen loads of reviews often by folk who are much younger than I am, I've got no problem at all with that, quite the reverse in fact, but it's all over and done with at a pace I no longer live at. I am an older chap and I don't generally do this "wham bam ty mam" stuff anymore, I'd much prefer to take my time to get to know something better, and in more detail, to really understand what it may be able to offer over a little longer timescale. I think there could be room for that sort of info as well as the instant gratification hit that most reviews offer at present. I would also like to give each sample a chance to give the best account of itself that it possibly can. I can't see how the flavouring part of this market can hope to properly mature unless it has someone go down that route and encourage it.

I say this as it seems to me that I found my favoured brands of tobacco to smoke over time, not in a blinding flash, and even my own preferences evolved over time too.

I suppose I'm looking for the longer term growth of vaping and how that could look as it unfolds.

Having said this, I am glad to have learned about dripping or direct dropping and the other ways to go there, and I am sure I will find that handy as I try all of this wonderful new experience which is vaping! Thanks for the help - good stuff to know about I suspect!

[digicig]

The Simplest and cheapest way i know that gives a good idea of a flavour - buy a pack of Kanger Bottom Coil cartomisers - remove the filler and tube - and use them as a dripping atomiser.
Then just rinse under a tap and 'Dry Burn' and reuse.

Maybe get a 'cleaner' flavour but works well enough for me and the general juice and 'misers' i use - but flavours never been as important to me as the Shape of the Vape

And Smoke Rainbow do an excellent variety of juice samples

[Gavster]

Jun 29, 2013 20:30:19 GMT Perpetua said:

Buy a couple of Bauway 306 atomisers and drip tips and you're sorted to be honest:

www.vapeescape.co.uk/Vaping-Spares/Atomisers--Cartridges/Bauway-306-LR-Atomiser.html

www.vapeescape.co.uk/Vaping-Spares/Drip-Tips/306-Drip-Tip.html

I agree with Perps on this one.
I have a couple of Bauway 306's and they are excellent for drip testing flavours. 
3 drips should give you about 4-5 decent draws, which is more than enough to tell the flavour.

[Ancient Hermit]

Jun 30, 2013 7:44:31 GMT Gavster said:

Jun 29, 2013 20:30:19 GMT Perpetua said:

Buy a couple of Bauway 306 atomisers and drip tips and you're sorted to be honest:

www.vapeescape.co.uk/Vaping-Spares/Atomisers--Cartridges/Bauway-306-LR-Atomiser.html

www.vapeescape.co.uk/Vaping-Spares/Drip-Tips/306-Drip-Tip.html

I agree with Perps on this one.
I have a couple of Bauway 306's and they are excellent for drip testing flavours. 
3 drips should give you about 4-5 decent draws, which is more than enough to tell the flavour.

Thanks for the thought, I can't see how I would manage a "how does it vape all day" trial doing it that way, I'd be doing almost nothing else but filling the thing. That's really not going to be practical for me and my dodgey fingers in my view. As I said earlier I'm not just trying to "tell the flavour"; I'm wanting to look in greater detail at each and every sample.

I am interested in the dripping and dropping thing one, day just to see how that works out too.

[Ancient Hermit]

Jun 29, 2013 22:43:33 GMT digicig said:

but flavours never been as important to me as the Shape of the Vape

And Smoke Rainbow do an excellent variety of juice samples

That's an interesting link about shape etc.

Also good link for samples, I had so far only seen samples come in 5ml too. I felt a bit lost in there but once I find my feet a bit more I shall go have another look I am pretty sure!

Thank you!

[mya]

Hi ancienthermit.

Cartomisers are older technology now. Most of us started off on them but few now use them. the ones you have chosen are amongst the best and a good buy if you decide to go that way. Why we don't use them anymore is that the filler material heats up as the coil heats up and the flavour of your juice can be affected by this. The way people combat this nowadays is to use cartomisers in a tank, where they are constantly getting a flow of juice and avoiding the taste changes that occur as your cartomiser material drys out during use.

Once clearomisers came along, we started noticing flavours better. Yes, some say flavours are muted but I'd ask - compared to what? Muted compared to direct dripping, use of rebuildables but other than that they provide a great everyday vape. I mostly vape fruit flavours and never had a tank crack until 15 months in when I made a particularly potent home brew!!! They really are the best way to sample flavours as you describe. If you like a warmer vape, go for top coil ones like CE5's and iClear16's. If you like a cooler vape go for a bottom coil like an evod. Look after them and they will last longer than a regular cartomiser and give you a cleaner flavour. I also found them less fuss than filling a cartomiser - was glad to get rid od having to wait for juice to soak in, filling with syringes, condom method, etc. What a faff. Clearomisers - unscrew and fill. Done.

Good luck on your search!

[Ancient Hermit]

Jun 29, 2013 20:38:21 GMT markm said:

If your going for a consistent vape then a vw mod will work much better
As it will deliver the same power to your device whatever the coil, so evening out
Your results .

Well, ok, but I think that's maybe pushing things a bit given I am not out of week one yet! 

I did go for a VV device already though, so that's a start in that direction. Ordered that 4 days ago, so might see it arrive here in the next two if the vendors carrier of choice is any good.

VWs I have seen and liked were all cost prohibitive. Maybe when the savings made from not buying tobacco start to kick in a bit more! Break even on August 14th or thereabouts, so not going to be that quick really. There's time for some research though! 

[Ancient Hermit]

Jun 30, 2013 19:29:00 GMT mya said:

Hi ancienthermit.

I also found them less fuss than filling a cartomiser - was glad to get rid od having to wait for juice to soak in, filling with syringes, condom method, etc. What a faff. Clearomisers - unscrew and fill. Done.

Good luck on your search!

Yes, agree completely, but this is ONLY being contemplated for trialing 5 ml samples I have ordered and those I will order in future. Would not want to go this route for every day stuff, would make it more stressful than cold turkey I'd imagine! 

I watched Phil Busardo on YT and learned a fair bit about them there, and at a few other places, those boge ones seemed well suited to having a few hanging around to try at odd times over the life of the 5ml samples.

[Karma]

Cartomisers may be old hat, but they work and don't leak in your pocket

[mya]

Jun 30, 2013 19:51:43 GMT Karma said:

Cartomisers may be old hat, but they work and don't leak in your pocket

Hee hee - no offence meant Karma - the man seems sold on them anyways!!

[stewarty]

When I test my home brew juice I normally do a combination of both TBH

1st test to get an idea of taste, vapour, throat hit etc is in a 306 dripper, if it tastes lousy it goes back in the box to either steep a bit more or to blend with other flavours etc

If it tastes promising it makes it to an Evod to see what it is like over a longer period, if it is good it ends up in my protank or iClear 30 for regular vaping, if not so good it's back in the box to steep more / play about with, Evod and base get a good rinse out and fire in a new coil (under a pound each if you buy a few at a time) ready for the next victim.

Maybe not everyones cup of tea but cheap as chips and works for me

[Karma]

Much as I like cartos stewarty your method makes sense. There's no way to wash a flavour from a carto! But it is easier to wash a reasonably new evod head out

[stewarty]

Jun 30, 2013 20:43:04 GMT Karma said:

Much as I like cartos stewarty your method makes sense. There's no way to wash a flavour from a carto! But it is easier to wash a reasonably new evod head out

Hardly worth washing the coil out if it's a strong flavour @ £3.65 for a pack of 5
www.healthcabin.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1179_1180&products_id=8236

And these for 72p each if the seal on the base goes
www.healthcabin.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1179_1180&products_id=8238

The body on the Evod is pretty indestructable under normal use so between these two spares they last forever plus they fit the Fastech bodies too to make it even cheaper

I know the postage is a bit steep from them at the moment but if a few of you club together it still works out a lot cheaper than any uk suppliers and never been hit with vat so far so worth the gamble