How Can The PG/VG Ratio in Your E-Liquid Affect Your Vape Tank?

At one time crafting e-juice from scratch was a hobby I enjoyed that taught me a lot about what goes into the juices we vape. From the flavorings to the nicotine to the PG/VG ratio, composing a good juice was about understanding the role these substances played and balancing them according to personal preference and purpose. Whether it's clouds or flavor, pen or sub ohm tank, the ratio of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) form the basis of the effectiveness juice can have on the user's experience. With this knowledge, I would like to help you understand the difference in PG and VG, and how the ratio of the two can affect flavor and clouds depending on what type of device is being used.

Propylene glycol is a man-made chemical developed for use in everything from soaps and deodorant to inhalers and nebulizers. Very few people suffer a mild allergy to the substance and for this reason look to juices that have more VG. However, the FDA has labeled the substance to be "generally recognized as safe" for use in food, having anti-fungal and antimicrobial properties that help to balance the organic nature of vegetable glycerin. Its solubility makes it the ideal base for the flavorings used in e-juices, and nearly all the most popular flavorings that companies use come pre-mixed into a solution of PG. For this reason, PG is known as the flavor carrying agent in e-juices, as it has a smaller molecular structure that allows the molecules in the flavoring itself to be more easily integrated. The amount of PG you want in your juice depends on what type of tank used and the desired experience. Flavor chasers will look for a juice that contains an equal balance of the two. In tanks that produce less vapor such as the smaller skinnier vape pen tanks, a thinner more flavor-heavy juice is needed to offset the lack of cloud production and wicking capability. Propylene glycol itself does not adversely affect Pyrex or plastic tanks, but it should be noted that acidic juices with higher amounts of PG will contain a stronger concentration of flavor and could potentially crack the tank. The thinness of PG allows these tanks to properly wick the juice.

Vegetable glycerin is naturally derived from plants and is the substance that works to produce clouds. While it does have flavor carrying capabilities, it is less effective to this end. For those of us who chase clouds, less of the flavoring agent is required as the amount of vapor big sub-ohm tanks produce have the volume necessary for flavorful hits. On setups designed for cloud production, a mix with too much PG will be so thin that spit back may occur as the wick becomes over-saturated too quickly. Generally, those looking for cloud production go for a juice with the highest amount of VG possible. MODs equipped with bigger tanks have the power and wicking ability to handle juices heavy with vg, and these larger tanks provide enough room for the thicker liquid to disperse. Most large tanks are made with Pyrex or glass, neither of which will be adversely affected by VG. However, some of these are being coated with cheap paint that can chip off, so avoid using these altogether. Beware of juices claiming to be 100% VG as the flavorings themselves are based in PG, so achieving a pure vg mix is nearly impossible. But depending on the amount of flavoring used some juices can have as much as 90 percent vegetable glycerin in their mix.

Understanding these properties should help you to more accurately choose the ratio of PG/VG you need depending on the type of tank and your preference of cloud vs. flavor production. Remember that not all juices and tanks are the same so your personal satisfaction relies on properly balancing the two to achieve the desired experience.

3 Methods For Having A Proper Sub-Ohm Vaping Session

Sub-ohm vaping is the art of vaping with coils that have a resistance of below 1 Ohm. This type vaping is popular among seasoned vapers who are looking for enhanced flavor and a greater vapor output. However, for them to achieve all the perks of sub-ohm vaping, there are certain things that need to be done. For those who are ready to enter this realm, here are 3 methods to ensure that you have a fulfilling sub-ohm session once you have the MOD picked out that is sub-ohm compatible (Note: if the MOD itself is not sub-ohm compatible, it will not perform properly below 1 Ohm and even worse, damage the device and possibly cause injury, too) 

Direct Lung Vaping

When getting into the sub-ohm vaping world, it is important to understand that the right technique for this type of vaping is the direct lung vaping. You must learn the art of inhaling directly into your lungs instead of inhaling to your mouth first. One of the greatest benefits of this method is stronger a throat hit as you exhale.

Choosing an E-Liquid

To have a great sub-ohm vaping experience, you must choose the right e-liquid from Crystal Canyon Vapes. With sub-ohm vaping, even if you were a heavy smoker, you will not need that much nicotine to get the satisfaction needed. A good rule of thumb is to go for anything that is below 6mL. Remember, with this type of vaping style, you draw power directly from the batteries. For this reason, papid vaporization of e-juice happens, leading to the production of vapor at the same time. Therefore, you will only need a small amount of nicotine. Any amount above 6mL will lead to a harsh throat. Additionally, when selecting the liquid to use for this, you need to check the PG/VG ratio. PG is responsible for carrying the flavor, hence, a great in throat hit. But because better throat hit is the reason for sub-ohm vaping, you will not need a lot of PG. What you will need though is a VG ratio of above 70%. Vegetable Glycerine is viscous and is responsible for the production of massive clouds, which am sure is what you are looking for.

Batteries

Sub-ohm vaping uses a lot of power. Therefore, you must be willing to invest in a powerful battery. Sure, there are cheap batteries out there, but they are not worth it. They will not support the performance of your MOD(s), and you must keep changing them. And in the worst-case scenario, they might explode and cause you injuries and damages. So, always go for sub-ohm batteries from a reputable manufacturer. Also, ensure that they have a high-power output of about 200 Watts. Let no one deceive you into buying MODs with cheap pre-built batteries. Most of the cheap sub-ohm devices use low-quality lithium-ion batteries, which become vulnerable to exploding.

Seeing vapers chasing clouds will get you wishing that you could do the same, and the only way to do so is through the art of sub-ohm vaping. However, to get a great sub-ohm experience, you must observe safety, use the right e-liquid, have the right batteries and MODs, and know the right vaping technique for doing this.

Keep Your Coils Last Longer with These 3 Methods

Coils play a vital role in enhancing your vaping experience. Once ramped up, the coils heat your e-liquid to produce vapor and flavor. Therefore, if you want to get the most out of your e-juice, your coils must be in proper shape. In a good amount of cases, you should change the coils every week or two. However, this is entirely up to you and how you take care of your coils.

You can lengthen the life of your them through the following 3 methods: 

Priming Coils
Priming your coils is a clear-cut method of increasing the lifespan of them. Imagine that when you get that burnt hit from your old coils, your instinct is to change them and continue with your vaping session. The lack of patience is what will ruin your coils. If they are used before they are ready or expanded rapidly, they will give in too quickly. To avoid this, once you have screwed your new coils and put your wick in, ensure that you saturate the wicking material with your e-juice. Give the wicking material time to saturate and prime the coil before you can fill up your tank and begin vaping. Then, once you begin vaping, ensure that you take a few short hits, for at least the first few minutes. This will help the coil expand gradually and be ready for use. From there, you can vape as normal.

Go Slow on the VG
If you are into cloud chasing, a high VG ratio is a must-have. The high Vegetable Glycerine content is great on cloud chasing, but will not spare your coils. Vegetable Glycerine tends to be thicker than its counterpart, Propylene Glycol. As such, the coils will need to heat more to effectively vaporize the VG. Heating up your coils too much will cause them to thin out too quickly and give a burnt taste. Therefore, if the goal is to reduce the number of times you replace your coils, you have to choose an e-liquid that has lower VG concentration.

Don’t Take Dry Hits
Dry hits will blow your coils out before their due time. Avoid waiting until your tank is completely dry until you can refill with a new flavor. If you want to try a new flavor, simple pour out the old flavor, clean and dry the tank and coils, then add the new flavor. Also, don’t wait for your wick to dry out before changing it.

As you can see, lengthening the life of your coils requires that you take care of them. From the time you screw them to your atomizer through to the time you get rid of them. This will save you money in the replacement of coils. Also, you will enjoy an overall, flavorful vaping experience.