How do you make more vapour?

To produce a large amount of vapour with your e-cigarette, it must be equipped with a sub-ohm clearomizer, in which the resistance is less than 1ohm, and the e-liquid used must contain a vegetable glycerin ratio greater than or equal to 50%. You then need to adopt the Direct-To-Lung method, which consists of inhaling vapour directly with your lungs. Please note that this technique requires you to take heed of certain precautionary and safety principles.

The right weather conditions

It might seem strange, but the first point to consider when vaping and trying to make more vapour consists of the weather conditions of your location. Because propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin capture water molecules and your atomizer then vaporises them into fine droplets, your e-cigarette will not make the same amount of vapour if you are in the middle of the desert or in a high mountain range under rainy conditions. The humidity, i.e. the amount of water contained in the air, will have a major influence on vapour production. The drier the air, the less vapour you will produce. To make more vapour, wintertime is best!

How you vape

The second point to consider if you want to produce more vapour with your e-cigarette is how you are going to vape. As we explain in your article on how to vape, if you hold vapour in your lungs for longer when inhaling, you will exhale less vapour. This is due to the lifetime of vapour in air. As such, it is advised to blow the vapour out quite quickly after each puff.

How you inhale will also play a major role in making more vapour. A distinction is made in vaping between two types of inhalation: Direct Lung Inhalation (DL) or Mouth-To-Lung Inhalation (MTL). The latter inhalation technique is the most widespread and is equivalent to the standard technique used by most smokers when they pull on their cigarette; the mouth inhales, and then the lungs take over. Direct-To-Lung inhalation, on the other hand, uses the lungs from the very start of inhalation (just like breathing air). This technique increases the volume of air inhaled considerably, and hence the amount of vapour that you will be able to store in the lungs.

By way of comparison, a standard puff using the Method-To-Lung method will produce between 60 and 80 ml of vapour, as opposed to 1000 to 1500 ml using the Direct-To-lung method. As such, this technique, popular with cloud chasers (see below), consumes 4 to 5 times more e-liquid than a standard puff, naturally resulting in a larger amount of exhaled vapour. However, it is important to note that higher e-liquid consumption also equates to higher exposure to toxins potentially contained in e-cigarette vapour (such as aldehydes), even though the levels of these substances are considerably lower than those found in conventional cigarette smoke.

Another vaping method consists of using the “double puff” technique, i.e. having two puffs one after the other in order to build up the volume of vapour inhaled. The first puff may serve to preheat the resistance coil to reach a temperature perceived as optimal.

Get the settings right on your e-cigarette

Another important point to consider when looking to make more vapour with your e-cigarette consists of the device settings. Most of the Mods currently available on the market offer customisable configurations, that the user will be able to adjust according to their needs. The most relevant settings in vapour production are the power (calculated in Watts) and the voltage (calculated in Volts). Variable-power Mods allow you to adjust the voltage automatically according to the resistance coil fitted in the e-cigarette atomizer, so we are going to take a closer look at this value.

If your resistance coil does not heat adequately, the e-liquid soaked in the wicks of your atomizer will not vaporise properly and the vapour will therefore be reduced. On the other hand, if your resistance coil overheats, vaporisation will take place correctly, but with the risk of abnormal production of toxins derived from the thermal degradation of your wick, which will no longer contain enough e-liquid to cool it (see our note on the term dry hit in the glossary). In this way, it is necessary to find the right balance so that the resistance coil heats the e-liquid with the right inertia and the right temperature.

Simply put, the resistance coils fitted in atomizers for general use are somewhere between 0.5 and 1 Ohm. A power setting between 10 and 30 Watts would be perfectly adequate to generate satisfactory vapour if the wick on your resistance coil is supplied with the right amount of e-liquid. This final point is very important: always make sure that your atomizer contains an adequate level of e-liquid. If you detect the slightest abnormal or burnt taste or hint of bitterness in the vapour, stop vaping immediately and check your settings and the e-liquid supply level in your atomizer.

Vegetable glycerin content in e-liquid

The e-liquid composition also plays a role in vapour production and particularly in vegetable glycerin content. As this substance is different in nature from propylene glycol and more viscous, it helps create thicker vapour. However, vegetable glycerin does not render flavours as well as propylene glycol, and has a higher boiling point (255°C) than propylene glycol (188°C). This is the reason why e-liquids with a high vegetable glycerin content (known as Full VG) are popular with cloud chasers, vapers on the hunt for the biggest possible vapour clouds. The practice, which has gained considerable popularity on social media such as Instagram, has even given rise to competitions organised in some e-cigarette trade shows. Cloud chasing is frequently mentioned alongside another more artistic practice, that of cloud tricks, or the art of making rings of vapour and other stylistic figures which also require considerable vapour production.

Vaping gear

As seen above, the settings on your device will determine for the most part its ability to generate more vapour, but you also need the right equipment. While there is a clear marketing trend towards ever-increasing vapour production, not all e-cigarettes will allow you to produce thick vapour. This is particularly the case with cigalikes, mini-e-cigarettes shaped like traditional tobacco cigarettes, or first and second-generation  eGo models having the shape and general proportions of a pen. To make more vapour, you will need to opt for Mods which allow for different settings, and for high-performance atomizers allowing optimal hydration of the wick accompanying the resistance coil.

The must-have items in terms of wick hydration are drippers. These rebuildable atomizers allow you to make your own resistance coils, and also pour the e-liquid straight onto the wicks without relying on the venturi effect conventionally used in atomizers and the wicking properties of the wick to supply the resistance coil. However, after a few puffs, the vaper fitted out with a dripper will need to pour more e-liquid onto the wicks by removing the top cap sealing the atomizing chamber.

Rebuildable atomizers equipped with tanks will also allow you to build your own resistance coils and select a resistance wire and a wick whose properties will have a major influence on vapour production. As a general rule, the lower the resistance, the quicker the heating rate. Similarly, the larger its surface area, the greater the quantity of e-liquid that can be heated. For example, some rebuildable atomizers allow you to mount two or more resistance coils, thereby increasing the vapour production capacity of the atomizer.

Conclusion

Now you know everything, or just about everything. Bear in mind that more vapour goes hand in hand with greater e-liquid consumption. Vapers seeking to produce as much vapour as possible generally reduce the nicotine content contained in e-liquids, as they can sometimes be overly irritating if the vapour volumes increase too much. Nicotine, at the doses administered by the vaper or the smoker, does not pose any major health risks. If you reduce the amount but you increase the volume of e-liquid consumed per day, you will expose yourself unnecessarily to the production of toxins naturally present in the vapour (or abnormally generated depending on the conditions).

Let us know what you think

Been successful in increasing the vapour volume from your e-cigarette and want to share your experience with us? Leave your comments below so that other readers can also benefit.