Wednesday, November 19, 2014

2014 Inductee into the Dictionary: 'Vape'

 In Honor of 'vape' being inducted into the dictionary, which is pretty cool...i guess.  Right in there with 'selfie'  'twerk' and other such pop culturtards...


 

Monday, August 4, 2014

THE VAPE BREW REVIEW


The electronic cigarette market has grown exponentially in the past few years, like an atomic bomb exploding onto the world market.  Watching this quiet phenomenon, is like watching the running of the bulls.  Like a stampede it has made big tobacco sweat its cancerous tar sticks, eagerly trying to get in the game that is far beyond what they are willing to do.
Take Blu Ecigs. Big Tobacco's attempt at breaking into the market.
However, they are doing it without their own juice recipe, which is outsourced to a fantastic, albeit a bit expensive, ejuice company.
photo:G.Partridge x Hemlock&Keystone


Johnson's Creek brews the juice for Blu, however thru genius negotiating and business tactics, they have managed to maintain their copyrights, remaining it's own company, outsourced by Big Tobacco. Sure enough listed on the box of a Blu ecig is the Johnsons Creek emblem.
So if you like any of the flavors that Blu offers, now you can step out of the $10 gas station and step into the plumes and Ill show you how much money I saved over the years in a later post.  Johnson's Creek comes in 2 lines, the Red Oak line is all VG, and the Johnson's Creek is the original PG line. 

First things first, $20 is too much to pay for ejuice, just like $10 is too much for a throw away ecig. unless its pure gold, top notch, next level. Considering a 30ml bottle at Local Breweres,  Mt. Pocono Vapes is about $10 and will last a moderate Vapor a month or more, from 1 bottle!
Yes Johnson's Creek makes delicious juice available in PG or VG, but $60 for 3 bottles as per their discount is still far too much money.  The ecig market is large, dangerous, and full of halfwits and bandwagoneers, however the good does outweigh the bad.  Just don't get caught in the trap of being restricted to your local store that sells unrateable and unmentionable juice and hardware.
You have to find the best and not settle.  I promise there is something out there for everyone, smoker or non-smoker, many companies offer 0 nicotine to 24 mg for pure vaping pleasure of the seasoned smoker and never-in-my-life-have-i non-smokers.
Weeding out all the non sense takes time and if you find a site that you like, youll find another, kicking yourself for paying $x more for juice or hardware.  Here are my identifiers when purchasing ejuice and by no means is it full proof.  It is directed more for purchasing ejuice in a non-ecig boutique, where you can hold the bottle and see the juice.

photo: G.Partridge x Hemlock&Keystone
 Design and Presentation---look at the print quality of the label.  Are there obvious mispellings of words and piss poor grammar.  This should set off a warning light immediately.  Is the logo and layout of the label difficult to read, even though the logo and letters are HUGE. There should be no more than 7 ingredients in a Vape Brew.  As Vape Brewers won't put their recipe on the bottle, as far as how they achieved the flavor, that's their secret.  However, the label should clearly read  1.PG, VG, or the ratio of PG to VG, 2.the % of nicotine solution, 3.distilled water.

The label should also alert you to the fact that nicotine, if consumed it is poisonous.  So dont drink it, dont put it on a cigarette or joint, dont put it in a pipe. dont burn it....Just enjoy and  amaze your friends with the clouds of vapor that you exhale like a volcano emitting gasses before it erupts, while they hack up a lung smoking a cigarette.  To each their own, I was trapped by the grips of big tobacco.  THERE IS A WAY OUT!

The PG and VG are specifically used as a vehicle for the flavoring and nicotine solution, as they produce the vapor, and thus VAPORIZED.
Now that said, dont pass on a simple label.  SIMPLE IS ELEGANT.  And 9 times out of 10 that bottle was made with passion and love for the Art of the Vape Brew, not for a massive wholesale distributor like those found at most tobacco shops, Proudly Made in China with god only knows what and shipped to our sheepish country for the growing, but still mostly ignorant masses to consume.  So pay close attention to the label, it speaks volumes.
Consistency
Color
Smell
When ordering online, its always a craps shoot when trying something new. Our goal is to help shave the odds on the craps shoot, so that you don't have to be stuck with extra bottles of garbage flavors. 

Below is store bought Crown ejuice which has a consistency like water and the flavor(less) juice has a strong chemical taste, heats up very quickly, and produces very little vapor.


Notice the graininess and bleeding of the logo.  This happens when a crappy printer is being used,  the print out is then laminated while the ink on the label hasn't fully set causing a blow out effect.  Although the logo seems to look sharp and attractive looking, looks are decieving in this one.  This is a wholesale juice, with no care or attention paid to its production, only to the volume being produced.
A few other store bought brands.



Much like the rise of the microbrewery, There are so many great juices out there and in every flavor you can think of, some you never thought of, and some that you never would want to think of.
But there are many ejuice companies doing it right.  Making juice with the best possible resources, organics, and medical grade PG/VG and nicotine solutions.

Flavor creators are working in sterile, medical grade labs, making sure that the juice is top notch, the flavor is out of this world, and the throat hit rivals that of an analog cigarette(and this is without next level hardware that turns that juice into PLUMES of vape that fill the room....We will get to that)

First things first...PG and VG are terms thrown around that if you have no idea what is being referred to, then it is easily mistakable for some new sexual position or STD caught from said new sexual position.

So what does PG and VG stand for?What is their purpose?What the fuck is it?

PG stands for Propyl Glycerine, a very common additive used in food
VG stands for Vegetable Glycol, a very common additive used in food

Visual Characteristics:
-PG is considerably thinner liquid and to me has less of a flavorful smell and vape.
-VG is thicker, has a gloriously strong smell and flavor (but can also make it difficult to get good pulls in tanks, just dab the wicks, do a quick dry burn...back in business.  More to come on this in the Easy Breezy Tips & Tricks section)
-PG/VG Ratios are a perfect mix of flavor and consistency, allowing custom juice without making your own.  I recommend finding a Vape Brew Company that you trust and enjoy, otherwise whats the point! 

The Basics:
PG-the original base for ejuices back in the day, all of 4 years ago.
Often times horror stories about ejuice associated with anti freeze go alongside this historically pivotal point of the industry.

Both are used in the same manner in food, however when applied to electronic cigarettes make vaporous plumes with tremendously satisfying flavor.
PG is known for providing more of a throat hit.  People began to notice negative affects like tightness in the chest and anxiety, which is ultimately attributed to the tightness in the chest.

Well the Genius' in the lab mixing delicious potions began using VG for those that had such reactions to PG.
Thus flooding the market with a new product.  A version of a product that produces massive amounts of vapor and flavor.  Its consistency is much thicker, its flavor stronger.  And has taken the art of Vape Brewing to vaporous plumes.
And then the Genius' got smarter and combined the 2 for the 1-2 Punch of the throat hit and plumes of vapor.  Fuckin' Right!

photo: G.Partridge x Hemlock&Keystone
Which leads me to my current EBrew Company of choice. A Pennsylvania Local Vape Juice Company that is spreading like a fire in a paper factory.  Mt. Pocono Vapes are Top Notch, Made to Order flavors, that involve 3-7 days of steeping, (video coming soon)that's how fresh it is.
The good reason for what seems like an annoyance, is that the juice in that bottle is fresh.  You can see that all the ingredients haven't settled yet, but when the steeping time is over...the flavor, consistancy, smell is out of this world! http://shop.poconovapes.com.

Hands down the best Tobacco I have come across is in their Premium Tobacco.  Its my All Day Vape (ADV)!...I cant get enough of it and every other juice fails miserably in comparison, so I'm hoping to be surprised in this next order, in finding a second ADV.  Note, this is not a traditional tobacco, taste-like-a-cigarette flavor, it has sweet nods of brown sugar and vanilla, with a fine tobacco finish on the exhale.
And to top it off, It is always an honor to support local business'...and when their juice is next level, its even better!
Reviews coming soon, however don't sleep on Mt Pocono Vapes....when the dust settles, you'll be begging for a bottle.

MT POCONO VAPES



THE VAPE BREW REVIEW
...to be posted in the next 3-7 days.
 8 BREWS from MT POCONO VAPES
Premium Tobacco
MYSTERY FLAVOR
Cowboy Blend
Tobacco
Bubblegum
Brown sugar
Candy Caramel

 A Pennsylvania Local Vape Juice Company that is spreading like a fire in a paper factory.
Visit their website
MT POCONO VAPES
http://shop.poconovapes.com.

 As well as the  Mid West E juice company
FLAVORZ BY JOE
RY4x4
Cracker Jacked
Brown Sugar Peaches and Pears
Coffee and Cream
Second Base












*Ratio of PG to VG is 50/50 on all these bottles with 18% Nicotine
To be Vaped on
"The StingRay" MOD Clone w EFest 18650 battery
Black Omega ReBuildable  Atomizer (RBA).( Ohm unknown, came coiled and wicked.)
Set Up from 2Vaped.com.  They have an AWESOME build your own MOD section, including batteries, charger, and everything you need to vape as soon as your order arrives!  Not to mention, another PA LOCAL Company.