You made the trek to your local dispensary to peruse their vape pens. The budtender guides you through the selections as you carefully consider whether you want a particular strain, effect, or terpene profile. Finally, you select the perfect one and head home to get stoned and relax. But as you take that first puff, there is an unmistakably burnt flavor on the inhale.
Your brand new disposable vape tastes burnt. Now what? Is it bad to hit a burnt vape?
Common Reasons for a Burnt Vape
Many of us smoke or vape cannabis for its range of flavors and effects so it’s particularly frustrating when your fancy new vape pen tastes burnt. However, there are plenty of reasons why your vape tastes burnt. The good news is that you can easily remedy them and enjoy that new vape.
Vaping at the Wrong Temperature
Vape pen batteries often have variable heat settings. If you exceed the wattage settings you can certainly expect a burnt or even metallic taste. The high heat causes the coil to burn the wick, so you are essentially inhaling burnt cotton.
Be sure to check the recommended settings on the user guide, and if you don’t have access to that, start with the lowest setting possible and increase slowly. Also, tap into our guide on getting the best vape temperature with every hit.
The Coils Weren’t Primed
Vape coils aren’t meant to last forever, and need to be replaced from time to time. If the coils aren’t primed, you might end up with a burnt vape taste.
Another indicator that it’s time to replace your coil is lack of vapor. Priming the vape coil involves manually soaking the wicks to prevent a dry hit. This only applies to atomizers in a refillable tank, not with a pre-filled vape cartridge.
Taking Too Many Consecutive Hits
Otherwise known as “chain vaping”, taking too many hits in a row can give off a burnt flavor. This is because the coils can easily burn out from overheating. If you take hit after hit after hit, the coils don’t have enough time to cool down, resulting in that burnt taste.
Even if your vape pen has an auto-shut off (many do) it’s best to allow 15-30 seconds between hits so the coil can cool down sufficiently. If you don’t heed this advice, you can permanently burn out the coil and the whole cartridge may be ruined.
Can You Fix a Burnt Vape?
If you found the reason your vape pen tastes burnt from the troubleshooting tips above, there is an easy solution.
- Follow temperature setting guidelines to make sure you aren’t vaping at too high of a wattage. If you don’t know the suggested settings, start with the lower temperature and increase slowly.
- Try changing out the coils if they are old, and be sure to prime them so you don’t dry hit the wick before it’s had a chance to soak up the oil.
- Give the pen time to cool down between hits. Allowing at least 15-30 seconds will often remedy a burnt vape taste.
If you are vaping a disposable cartridge, it’s unlikely that you’ll get a burnt hit. This is an easy solution to continuous trouble with a refillable tank or faulty battery. Disposable pens rarely have issues with taste because the temperature setting is fixed, and you don’t have to worry about priming coils or soaking wicks. However, you should still allow time between hits to let the pen cool down.
If your disposable vape pen tastes burnt from the get go, return it to the dispensary where you purchased it. They will most likely issue you a refund or exchange.
Is it Bad or Unsafe to Hit a Burnt Vape?
It isn’t inherently dangerous to keep hitting a burnt vape, but why would you want to? If you repeatedly hit a burnt vape it might cause you to cough, which can cause a sore throat or lung issues. To vape without coughing, follow the above steps to reduce the chances of hitting a burnt vape. Most likely, temperature setting and taking a break between hits can remedy coughing and burnt vape taste.
