Why Does My Vape Taste Burnt?

Nothing puts a lousy start to your day than whipping out your vape lighting it up and taking a long drag only to realise the taste is not the same. The taste of your vape juice is gone! All you have left is a bitter, charry taste that tortures your taste buds. In vaping circles, that's what is referred to as a burnt taste.

Several reasons lead to this unpalatable experience. You need to find out what the problem is and fast.

1. Chain Vaping

There are two main culprits behind premature coil burning which causes the burnt taste when vaping. Chain vaping is a habit where the vaper takes a number of hits without taking breaks. It is more common than you would expect especially among the starters.

Chain vaping does not give the wick time to absorb the e-juice and as a result, the coil dries and burns out. It is a guaranteed way to bring your coil to premature death. Luckily, you don't have to be tied down to this habit. With a few changes to your routine, you can improve your vaping experience and the life of your coil kit.

How to stop chain vaping  

Ideally, you should leave about 30 seconds between puffs to give the wick enough time to soak up enough e-juice before you hit the ignition knob. The 30 seconds might seem negligible but, for some vapers, especially those that were smokers, waiting is usually tricky.

For those that were smokers, the rapid vaping could be to make up for a nicotine deficiency. If that is the case, a simple fix would be to go for an e-juice with a higher nicotine concentration. If you get a better hit on your first puff, you won’t find it hard waiting for the next one.

Why not read: When to Change Vape Coil?

You could also opt for a rebuildable dripping atomizer. It allows you to drag rapidly before giving the RDA time to re-drip. It will help you cut on the waiting time without harming the equipment.

2. Priming the coil before use

The second most common reason for the burnt taste is using unprimed coils. If you find that a fresh vape has a burnt taste after one or two puffs, this could be the reason why. It can be annoying and you might even think you got yourself a bad bottle or that your coil is failing.

All you need to do is prime the coil. Start by checking that you have the right coil for the right gadget and also confirm the watt limit. Saturate the wick with the fresh juice before placing the coil inside the tank. You should make sure the wick is inserted correctly. For coils that have two holes on either side, the wick should be seen through both holes. You can also use the holes to saturate the wick.

Once saturated, you can replace the coil in the tank and let it rest for some time. There is no set time as to how long the coil should be left to rest but anywhere between a few minutes to a few hours is acceptable.

3. High power vaping

One of the most important factors to understand before igniting your coil is the right wattage. When you exceed the required watt setting, the coil is roasted easily. Even though the higher temperatures vaporize the juice faster, it also robs the wick time for it to saturate.

Even for devices with variable voltage or wattage, you have to keep it at an average. It is difficult to fight the urge to try the next higher setting but for the sake of your coil and your experience, stay within the average temperature range.

4. You’re running low on vape juice

You’ll be shocked how many vapers get so immersed in the experience that they forget to check the levels of the e-juice. In some cases, some vapers love milking their tanks to the very last drop. While it's a great way to maximise on every drop of your e-juice, it takes a toll on the coil. The wick is left without enough e-juice to absorb which is why you get the burnt taste.

You can tell your vape juice has gone below the required level if it doesn’t conceal the input holes on the coil. If you continue vaping past this level, you get burnt and dry hits.

5. Choice of Vape juice

This is mainly with cheap vape juices which can result in blockage.  Also, varieties that have a high VG concentration and those with a high sugar content are at fault for coil failure resulting in vape burnt taste. 

VG liquids are denser and stiffer. They are harder for the wicks to soak up which causes the failure of the vape pens. It also happens that VG juices are easily burned because they have a higher sugar concentration hence the unpleasant taste.

You can try opting for options that have a lower VG concentration. Anything below 70% should offer you a pleasant experience without making the coil bend backwards to provide you with the much-needed vapour.

6. Not Cleaning the Coil

Sometimes, the bad experience is a result of your negligence. All coils need to be cleaned every few days to keep them performing at their best and remove the gunk and dirt that collects in the coil. Without proper cleaning, the gunk on the coil burns and chars resulting in the burnt taste.

Not cleaning the coil will also cause the coil to burn prematurely. Cleaning your coil regularly will not only improve your experience but, it can also save you a bit of money.

7. Too Much Cotton on the Coil

The wick is an integral part of the vaping experience. You need just the right amount of wick in the coil for the right experience. If the wick is too small, you will have a poor vaping experience and you might even notice some leaking. If the cotton is too much, the wick will not saturate properly because of the increased amount of surface that needs to be covered by the liquid.

Not only do you get a bad taste in your mouth, but you will also have to wait longer in between vapes to give the wick enough time to soak up the e-juice.

There you have it. These are some of the reasons your vaping experience might not be as good as it was yesterday. It could be any one of these reasons. If you have to troubleshoot, start with the simplest reasons like liquid level and move your way up.