New coil and eliquid going brown or black within hours

[Seb Johnson]

Hello cloud chasers!

I'm here because I've googled this so many times and nothing I try seems to work. I'm going to explain EVERYTHING and hopefully someone here can help

My main problem is that my eliquid and coil just doesn't seem to last. I have been vaping for a few months and didn't have this problem at first but now can't seem to prevent it. I use pre-built coils because I don't have time to keep making my own. I'm okay changing them roughly once a week, although I'd prefer them to last longer. My biggest concern is that within hours or a couple days the flavour goes off and within a couple days it's pretty bad.

This is my mod spec:
Smok Morph 219 mod
Smok TFV8 Mini V2 Tank
6ml Bulb Glass
Current coil: A3 0.15ohm triple coil: 80-130W (best 100-120W)
Previous coil: S1 0.15ohm single mesh coil: 40-80W (best 60-70W)

SixLicks Truth or Pear - Strawberry Pear & Lime 120ml shortfill
15ml of Nicshots (about 2mg)

When I change my coil I get OCD and spend at least 15 minutes cleaning juice off everything so it's fresh. Then I prime my coil and put it all back together and let it sit for 20+ minutes to soak up the juice. I do chain vape but I go very easy on it after changing my coil by vaping on a lower wattage. I love big rich clouds and found my previous coil which was recommended for 70-80W would burn out after a few days and taste nasty. I opted for a larger coil with a higher recommended wattage of 80-130W. Most of the time I vape at about 100W or a bit less. I never got higher because it seems to hot for my preference and can taste burnt or dry on the first hit.

I have tried many different flavours but my consistent favourite is SixLicks Truth or Pear. As a bit of background I do have asthma. I used to smoke but found even 1 cig a day negatively effected me too much. Now I don't even dream of touching cigarettes and low how I can vape at home all day everyday. My asthma did cause me trouble at first because it makes me sensitive to a lot of flavours and vulnerable to coughing. I've got my technique down and now comfortably breathe in lung-fulls without coughing most of the time. To help reduce the chance of coughing I only use 1.5 bottles of 10ml nicshots to lower the nicotine down from 3mg to around 2mg. That also helps keep the juice flavour as concentrated and strong as possible. Usually I have the air fully open to keep each hit as cool as possible. The flavour I use is 70VG:30PG to reduce throat irritation.

As far as I can tell, my routine is not unusual or extreme. Yet I find, after just a few hours my coil is going brown or black and all the liquid sitting in the mouthpiece is the same colour. After 1 day it's already not far off being black. The pictures I've included show my coil after 5 days but it can look this dark after just over a day, and the liquid coming out can look that dark even quicker.

I read loads of things about nicotine oxidizing and being very reactive. That's part of the reason I lowered the amount of nicotine I used. To prevent the condensation in the mouthpiece and chimney contaminating the coil and constantly clean it out with a tissue so it doesn't run down onto the coil. On my old S1 coils Id clean the surface of the mesh with a q-tip every day too. I try and avoid letting the tank get too hot by chain vaping, but it still goes black very quickly. I am aware this particular coils air flow may not suit my chimney but many others available for the TFV-8 Mini are similar and none seem to prevent a build up of condensation.

It's important to note the liquid in the tank stays pretty clear and it's not the juice going off on its own. It's all caused by the coil or juice after it goes through the coil. It's also important to note the coil doesn't seem gunky like a lot of people complain about. It seems more watery.

I even got really careful with how I mix my juice. Since reading that nicotine oxidizes because it's quite reactive, I tried filling up my shortfills really quickly before putting the lid on it. I tried shaking the bottles up so the juice is well mixed and has no high concentrations of nicotine at the top or bottom of the bottle. I also tried not shaking it up and just swilling it round gently, or stirring it to stop it forming air bubbles. I also tried 10ml 3mg bottles so I don't have to expose them to the air outside the bottle. I tried several different brand of nicotine to make sure it wasn't just one brand that didn't mix well with certain shortfill flavours and ingredients. All of this would vary my results slightly, but overall it didn't stop my coil producing a bad taste quickly, or produce consistent reliable results.

I'm all out of ideas. The first hits on a new coil taste great and are exactly what I want, but it just doesn't last. It's frustrating because I don't have time to build my own coils and can't afford to keep swapping in new pre-built coils more than once a week. So for a few days I have to live with a worsening taste and brown liquid until it gets disgusting. Then I change my coil and realize how good it should taste again. It's also worrying me because my girlfriend pointed out my teeth looked stained. They're not serious and I can scrape the worst off with my nail, but I'm worried over time this is going to stick since you could see it on my teeth after vaping on and off for a few hours.

I have tried different coils with higher recommended wattages but they don't last me any longer. It's seems like I'll never be able to vape big clouds with a rich flavour for more than a few hours of strictly looking after it. I have to constantly make sure I'm not chain vaping too much. I even put my vape in the fridge once to try and prevent the coil getting hot. It just doesn't seem realistic to have to avoid every single thing that could be causing my coil to go brown, when it still does it so quick anyway.

So can any body help me with their own experiences?

I've tried giving as much background as possible so you guys can understand all the usual fixes that haven't been successful with me, and what things I can't change. Such as strict new coil care, priming my coil, using low amounts of nicotine, not chain vaping and keeping the temp down, very frequent cleaning etc. Then how I can't go to a lower PG:VG because of my ashtma and throat irritation, and I really like this flavour, but it happens with others too which don't have sweeteners.

I just want to be able to sit at home or in a pub with my friends and take big puffs off my vape with a great taste that lasts at least nearly a week. I don't find satisfaction from tiny clouds. Whatever I do doesn't seem to prevent the coil going dark quick and my liquid flavour going bad.

According to my Smok Morphs puff counter, I have roughly about 100-200 puffs a day because I am currently stuck at home and realize this is more than a lot of people might. I expect my coil to go off after a week and will be tasting worse towards the end of its use, but it shouldn't be tasting bad after just 1 day.

So I'm looking for advice and recommendations for what you guys may have done to avoid this or what I should do?

Can you recommend any eliquid brands that do shortfills that mix well with Nicshots and do similar flavours to SixLicks Truth or Pear (Strawberry Pear & Lime) flavour?

I'm especially interested in recommendations from you cloud chasers out there who may have had this problem. What tanks and pre-built coils would you recommend for someone who likes big rich flavourful clouds and chain vaping that perform well at roughly 80-100W and last a good amount of time?

I don't want to spend a lot of money testing new tanks and coils, but at this point I don't feel like I'm getting my moneys worth. My vape still drinks juice but doesn't even taste good. So I'm willing to consider a new mod pre-built coils combination that handle high wattages well and last but also don't mask a good flavour. Baring in mind I have quite a large tank and don't want to refill it all the time.

Hope one of you guys can help, thanks!

 

[onion]

Sounds like you’re burning the coils out and the blackness is the colour leaking out from the coil.

when you put a new coil in do you start at a lower wattage and then gradually build up the wattage?

have you tried to see whether you have the same problem with a different juice?

 

[BULLDOG1964]

and to the planet.
Sorry i cant help you much as i dont use stock coils myself but i can recommend a company that do very good juices and that is Prime Vapes a lot of us on here use their own brand of juices take a look and hopefully you might find something you will like.

 

[MrDJ]

Hi @Seb Johnson and welcome to the planet.

years ago smok were ok until they started flooding the market with a new mod or tank almost every week. since then their QC when down the pan and coils for the past couple of years have been hit or miss and some lucky to last a day. last tank i used was tfv4. i did buy the tfv8 and gave it away within a couple of days.
there are also shit tons of fake coils out their so best never worth buying from ebay or amazon unless they are linked to a well know shop.

if your juice is quite sweet and has a lot of sweetner in it then that would be the only other thing that would make the juice go dark especially at the wowza wattage you are using.
i have many coils that are rated 80-120watt but im quite happy using them at 50-60watts and get plenty of flavour and cloud. even at this wattage the coil is black after a day or two.

you mention you prime new coil and start at a lower wattage. what wattage is that you start at. for me its at least half the wattage i will finally vape at. in my old crown 1 & 2 tanks i vape at 50watts but start at 25w. you will get no flavour or cloud but the coil is still heating up inside so slowly burning it in. turn up a watt every couple of puffs so it builds up the coil heat slowly and the coil should last longer. most prob will still see dark juice after the first day though.

when you do decide to upgrade one of the best tanks for flavour out there is the freemax mesh pro which a lot on here use and rate highly.

hopefully others will be along to advise soon.

edit

just reread your post. adding nic shots wont oxodize that quickly but you do need to shake the shite out of the bottle until your arm almost drops off. the more shaking the better and then let settle. can take a couple of hours for the bubbles to settle. some people shake the bottle every time they fill their tanks but i dont bother doing that.

edit of edit

even at 50watts i average 30-50ml a day. my main vape is custards but ive got at least 15-20 different makes so even if i vape custards all day ive never had vapours tongue in over 6 years.
i do change to fruits for a few mins every couple of hours and have at least 10 kits with a different flavour in as rotation is the key.

there have been a few posts lately about stained teeth with the majority saying they have never been affected. strangely enough i have and its only my front top and bottom that are affected but a quick brush and its gone. im wondering if toothpaste used can affect people differently. i use a high fluride prescription toothpaste. i think this is a case of no one knows the answer to this one as of yet.

also this may come in handy for future reference POTV Vendors & Recommended E Liquid Suppliers

 

[Deleted member 54254]

Hi @Seb Johnson ,

 

[Mitz]

Welcome to forum.

Have to say; most people come on here with one or two sentences and we have to spend a couple of pages going back and forth pulling more info out of them. Nice to see a post where the effort has been taken to give all the relevant info.

IMHO.... Looking at your pictures it seems you're simply cremating the additives in your juice and burning out your coils. With some juices it's unavoidable at such high wattage. As juice evaporates the colouring and the sweetener becomes more concentrated around the coil and this high concentration at very high wattage results in what you see happening to your coils and it's why you're seeing your juice darken. With some juices it's simply unavoidable at the wattage you're vaping.

As posted above, try Prime Vapes. Their juices are far better at staying clean and clear and not destroying coils like that. Alternatively, vape at a much lower power setting (might require a different tank / coil combo altogether). You certainly don't need to vape at 100w+ these days to produce huge clouds.

I've just ordered a couple of 10ml bottles of your juice just to see how it goes in one of my setups.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Great first post Seb, hope you stick around.

Others have covered the issue with your current tank.

On a suitable new tank I’d say first of all that you are better off with a rebuildable. You can adjust your coil spec to suit and dial in the set up you want. No gunk as you simply dry burn and rewick and if you want to vape at higher wattages and blow big clouds then there is a lot of excellent choice. The steamcrave series is excellent and the trilogy XL is a massive beast for clouds.

If it had to be stock coil you could look at the Uwell Valyrian 2 pro, which is built for pumping it out. I haven’t had a stock coil for ages but the Freemax Mesh Pro is a banger.

Let us know how you get on!

 

[Crispycritters]

From my (limited) experience of Smok stock coils I've found that Smok have a tendency to grossly over-rate the power their coils can actually handle. The last Smok tank I owned was an earlier version of the TFV8 Baby Beast, the 0.4 Q2 coils were rated 40 to 80 Watts - best at 55 to 65, but if you ran them at anything over 55 they would have a really short life.

You mentioned you currently run at about 100 Watts as going higher gets hot and can taste dry or burnt - this means you are already running them at the absolute maximum they can handle (and Smok's 'up to 130W' is a fantasy)As others have already advised, when you change the coil, start low and gradually increase the wattage until you find a comfortable vape - hopefully this will be at the lower recommended range and way below 100W.

If you find you need 100 Watts to get a good vape from it I recommend you cut your losses and shop for a different tank. I'm out of date with stock coil tanks as I haven't used them for a few years but I'm sure others on here will be able to advise.

 

[ADDicT]

Hi and welcome

 

[rew]

Hi and welcome to the community. Hope you find a solution from the suggestions above.