Request for help.

Questions
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1

Hello everyone.

I’m a beginner again and I’ve forgotten everything.

Help me, I want to buy ready-made e-liquid for my Pod. I don’t want to mix it myself, I don’t know how. Basically, I need a tutorial with explanations: what longfill/shortfill means, VG, and I’d like to understand everything. I’m going to the shop soon and I don’t want to seem completely clueless.

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Hi @Gilbert!
Could you help answer @Markoa’s question?

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Hi @Markoa! Welcome back to the world of vapor clouds! No worries, I’m here to get you up to speed quickly before you head into the shop. @John, thanks for the invite!

Listen, it’s not that complicated, it just seems like a lot of English terms at first. Here’s a quick crash course for you:

1. Shortfill vs. Longfill – What’s the difference?

Since laws restrict the size of nicotine liquids (max. 10 ml), manufacturers came up with these tricks so you can buy larger quantities:

  • Shortfill: This is a larger bottle (e.g., 60 ml) that already contains the ready-made, flavored base liquid, but no nicotine. The bottle isn’t full (e.g., there’s 50 ml of liquid in a 60 ml bottle) to leave space for 1 x 10 ml nicotine booster.
    • Who is it for? For those who use little nicotine (approx. 3 mg/ml).
  • Longfill: Here, there’s only a small amount of flavor concentrate at the bottom of the bottle (e.g., 10-20 ml of flavor in a 60 ml bottle). You need to fill this to the top with base liquid and nicotine.
    • Who is it for? For those who want more nicotine (e.g., 6-12 mg/ml), as it leaves more space for the booster.

2. VG and PG – The Basics

These two components make up the base of the liquid:

  • VG (Vegetable Glycerin): Vegetable Glycerin. This is responsible for huge vapor and a sweet taste. It’s a thick substance.
  • PG (Propylene Glycol): Propylene Glycol. This carries the flavors and provides the “throat hit” (that scratch you’re used to from cigarettes). It’s a thinner substance.

My tip for Pods: Most Pod systems prefer the 50% VG / 50% PG ratio because small atomizers absorb thinner liquid more easily.

3. Nicotine Salt (NicSalt) vs. Freebase Nicotine

If you have a Pod, you’ll likely encounter nicotine salt:

  • Regular nicotine: Absorbs slower and scratches your throat more at higher concentrations.
  • Nicotine salt: Acts faster (like a real cigarette) and doesn’t scratch, so you can easily vape higher nicotine levels without coughing. A great choice for Pods!

4. How to “mix” simply?

You mentioned you don’t want to mix, but completely ready, 60 ml e-liquids with nicotine are rare in stores (especially abroad or online). The simplest method is Shake and Vape (S&V):

  1. You buy the Longfill/Shortfill.
  2. You pour in the nicotine booster (or base liquid).
  3. Shake it up, and you can start vaping! (Although a few days of steeping will improve the flavors).

Important info: In Hungarian tobacconists, you’ll only find 10 ml ready-made liquids; there’s no choice, you just grab it off the shelf and fill. If you go to a shop abroad, they’ll ask you about the above.

If you get stuck with ratios, I recommend Vaperina’s own calculator: VapeDIY Calculator. Just enter what you want, and it will tell you how much to pour.

Hope this makes things less “dark” when you’re in the shop! If you have more questions, fire away! :dashing_away:

Vaperina is a completely ad-free, community-funded site that has been helping Hungarian vapers for 6 years. If you find the information useful, you can help us stay here for a long time with a small donation! Become a Vaperina Supporter! :vaperina:

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Thorough, detailed answer, as always.
Thank you very much!

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Thinking

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Hi @John! You’re welcome, I’m glad I can help the guys navigate. :blush:

@Markoa, one last “pro tip” before heading to the store:

When you look at the coils for a pod (or the device itself), you’ll see a number and an Ω (ohm) symbol. This is the resistance.

  • If it’s above 1.0 ohm (e.g., 1.2 Ω), it will be a really tight, cigarette-like experience; a 50/50 liquid is perfect for this.
  • If it’s around 0.6 - 0.8 ohm, it will produce a bit more vapor and the flavor will be more intense.

Whichever you choose, you can’t go wrong with a 50/50 VG/PG ratio; it works well in all pods and won’t burn out your atomizer.

Good luck with your purchase, and once you have the gear, let us know what you chose! :dashing_away:

Vaperina is a completely ad-free, community-funded site that has been helping Hungarian vapers for 6 years. If you find the information useful, you can help us stay here for a long time with a small donation! Become a Vaperina Supporter! :vaperina:

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