Whether you’re trying to get healthy and avoid the nasty contents of the ashtray above,
whether you're supplementing your smoking supplies, or you’re just looking for something
a little different to break up the monotony of your smoking regime...
These little babies, are the way to go.
Using a bud tincture for some of the math we're doing here, but I would really recommend
a hash tincture for e-cigs, as it's generally much, much more concentrated and contains fewer
plant waxes and chlorophyll.
It’s basically very simple, just so long as you follow a good tincture recipe… be on the look
out, I’m posting mine shortly. If done right, 3 - 5ml tincture taken sublingually (under the
tongue) will knock your socks off, but when vaped via an electronic cigarette, I find it
takes only about half that to get me where I need to be.
With hash tincture however, you can pack a lot more punch in your glycerin, minus the plant
waxes and clorophyll that you get when using bud tincture. Vaping 2ml bud tincture in a larger
machine is fast and easy, but in an e-cig you're going to want something more powerful and
condensed, .5ml is about 15 drops, and should be more than enough to keep you going throughout
the day. Hash tincture is easier on your atomizer as well.
Bud/herb tincture is much better if used with a larger more powerful personal vape, and it will retain
more of that 'weed flavor' people expect to taste which is, when the bud is good, a good thing.
An electronic cigarette is made up of several pieces. I’m using a 3 piece 510 model, some
of the older models had more pieces, some of the newer ones have less.
Your basic components are: your cartridge, your atomizer, and your battery.
- The cartridge, is where you insert your tincture drop by drop. One end attaches to the
atomizer, the other end goes to your lips.
- The atomizer, is the heated element that turns your liquid hash tincture, into vapor.
- The battery is the longer portion of the electronic cigarette, some are manual as seen
here, some are automatic. The difference between the two being, whether or not you need
a button to begin ignition (manual), or simply the ‘draw’ of your breath (automatic). I
prefer manual, as the autos are still a bit finicky.. they can go off in your pocket from
noise, and from wind.
Some newer models now contain ‘cartomizers’, or, carts that you use for your liquid and
the atomizer, all in one piece. These form the 2-piece models. I have nothing against
them, I just prefer the three piece at the moment.
What we’re using today, is a simple, no-name 510 model. It’s a great starter piece, but
I’d recommend that you upgrade to the thicker eGo, which is still very handy and portable,
for the battery life. Or even better for home or even vehicle use, one of the various
electric cigars, which are larger and less convenient, but generally have even greater vapor
production, as they are the e-cig equivalent to the analog cigar.
There are several companies available, they’re all basically the same, however there are
fakes and knock-offs being sold within the US, and world-wide. Nearly all e-cig
components are made in China, so don’t go thinking you need to avoid their parts,
because it can’t be helped. They make the best e-cigs and the worst. It’s certain local
vendors, that you need to be careful of. They come and go, so it’s best to check with the
manufacturer to be sure who you’re buying from.
My suggestion would be to find a reputable brand (Joye/Riva etc), and use one of their
licensed vendors. Buying from an unlicensed vendor can get you cheap e-cigs, and some
of them may certainly be healthy and functional, but there are many that look almost
exactly like the legitimate copies, made with inferior (dangerous) metals and components
which can burn and emit smoke, rather than producing vapor exclusively from your chosen
liquid.
- To apply liquid you’ll want to take either a new cartridge, or clean out an old one as I’ve
done here.
- Using tweezers, you can easily remove the core material to clean. The first few times I
just press it between some paper towel, later on when it’s messier I run it under hot tap
water, and finally, you can also give it a quick Iso wash followed by a hot water rinse (this
is also recommended when switching flavors, otherwise you’ll have a blend between the
last flavor and the new flavor).
- Boston Cream is the flavor we’re sampling for the tutorial.. it’s my own blend (more on
flavor blends will follow). It has hints of mocha/cocoa, none of that cheap chocolate taste,
and a more dominant, rich creamy vanilla taste and almost-caramel flavor notes.
- You can use a syringe, or a pipette like I’m using to get it all in there as neat and tidy
as possible, or when you’re on the go a simple spray bottle will do the trick.. I press the
nozzle of my spray bottles directly to the end of the cart (and I only very rarely make a
mess doing it that way, lol). A pipette is what we’re using here. You can get hundreds of
them for a few dollars at various online shops, so I usually toss them out after each use
to avoid flavor cross-contamination.
- Using your pipette or syringe, you’ll want to sip up a few ml of your modified ‘e-liquid’
tincture (keep reading for the correct dilutions).
- Depending on your cart, it will take between 12 and 20 drops to fill. A fresh, blank cart
on its first filling will take a while, as you need to ‘prime’ the core with some liquid before
it absorbs more quickly. Subsequent fillings will go quicker.
- You’ll know when you’re done filling it when your cartridge begins to pool, or have
standing liquid in the top, settling above the core material. A drop on the inner 'bridge' of
the atomizer itself (below, on the right), will help to get it going.
- Once you’ve put the two pieces together, cartridge to atomizer, you’ll want to give it a
few moments to wick the liquid further into the atomizer. This prevents dry burning, which
can drastically shorten the life of your atomizer... it tastes pretty foul as well.
- - While we wait... Flooding is something you’ll learn to live with, when it comes to
cheaper 510’s. With a 510 I find it’s either a tedious process, or I’m flooding a bit, and I’d
rather flood and wipe (or lick! Remember, ours is edible) the fluid away. Meaning, in my
opinion you’re better off using a bit too much tincture, than too little.
This is another reason I recommend the eGo model, also called the Tornado by one
brand. That model has a cover, that slips over the atomizer, and the atomizer collects the
pooling liquid along a ridge on its side. Much cleaner for the finger tips, and it’s safer for
your battery as well. - -
- Then, you simply twist the cart/atomizer onto your battery, and away you go! They
recommend never to depress the button longer than 5 seconds, but if you don’t have a
knock-off and your atomizers is nice and wet, I go for a good 8-10 seconds.
E-cigs seem to be finicky, as far as 'lasting' or duration of life goes. Most people claim the
parts are only good for about a month or so. But with the proper care and cleaning, they
can last up to 6 months or a year, minus the carts and cores of course.
You can replace the core material with the real stuff for pennies though, and if you have
some expired tea laying around you can even use –some- types of teabag material, and
eventually when the plastic cart itself wears down they’re only a few dollars for 5 of them,
and they’ll refill and last for ages.
tip:
Using a table top vaporizer, that has the ability to reach higher temperatures than the common
e-cig or e-cigar, is a good method of utilizing a failed or premature tincture, when you notice both
eating it, and e-cigging, are not giving you the effects you need.
tip:
'Failed' very often means 'burned', or to a lesser degree under processed (premature, which can be
fixed); a burned tincture can damage your atomizer and wick, and it will sometimes absorb a bit 'iffy'
when placed under the tongue, or even when consumed. But, it can often still be vaped with some
success. A premature tincture, that isn't yet ready for sublingual use or digestion, can be also be
vaped with some success, if done at a high enough temperature. But patience is the better route,
there.
tip:
Although I personally don't really recommend combustion with veg glycerin, you can also use a
failed (or premature) tincture, to make canna hookah shisha, to add some extra kick to your bud,
or to simply make the bud last longer in a hookah or water pipe, without diluting the potency to
any great degree. Veg glycerin is a common component in most store bought and home-made
hookah shisha, just google up a few shisha recipes, and follow as described using your glycerin
tincture, in place of the recommended ratio of plain veg glycerin.
tip:
Basically both premature tinctures, and burned tinctures, will not work with your e-cigs.
Not only will they not work, but they will damage your equipment, as they are far more
delicate and they heat to lower temps, than your standard table-top herb vapes. Only a
table top vape that can reach high enough temps, will be able to more rapidly produce an
effect from a premature tincture.
And that, is what it looks like, when you've done it right
Well, I hope you found this first installment useful! Check back soon for various flavors,
and the proper tincture dilutions.
Edited by BadKittySmiles, 26 November 2010 - 11:04 PM.
adding tips
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