bigmouth
Well-Known Member
Ladies and gentlemen... the VAP is back!
My MiniVAP returned from Hermes with the glass core swapped out for teflon and further updated firmware installed. I eagerly fired it up and followed my usual practice of filling the basket and attaching it to the flexicone plus, which I run through the top. There was a perceptible improvement in taste, but still nowhere near the original.
However, I decided to reserve judgment until I experimented further. I began by trying the suggestion of @barnardbarnard and @mmafighterthe25 to load the chamber directly without using a basket. The taste improved, but the setup was messy as the ABV tended to accumulate on the flexicone screen and spill all over the place when I opened the top.
Then it occurred to me. I recently picked up a Crafty, and when I use it, I put a second screen on top of the load to tamp the load down and keep things neat. So I decided to use the small MiniVAP basket as a cap on the filling chamber. I also used the longer Herbie whip to cool the vapor. Et voila, delicious hits with no mess!
The taste is still outstanding, if not quite as full-flavored as the original. Fruity and sweet flavors come through beautifully. Any loss seems to be on the pine/diesel end of the spectrum. Even so, it’s a big improvement over how my replacement unit worked before servicing. To be clear, however, I don’t know if this improvement is because of the substitution of teflon for glass, my change in technique, or some combination.
Currently, I have the Herbie whip connected to the straw and hard cone (which I never used on my old unit). I preheat on pink for about 7-10 minutes, which highlights another positive about the current MiniVAP: the firmware update. It’s a lot less aggressive about powering down the unit when you first turn it on. It also seems the timer resets every time the temperature changes between hits..
After preheating, I load the chamber. Depending on how full I’ve filled it, I use either the small MV screen or the medium Arizer screen as a cap. Then I screw on the top and start ripping. The result is huge hits with the best all-around flavor of any of my current vapes!
My MiniVAP returned from Hermes with the glass core swapped out for teflon and further updated firmware installed. I eagerly fired it up and followed my usual practice of filling the basket and attaching it to the flexicone plus, which I run through the top. There was a perceptible improvement in taste, but still nowhere near the original.
However, I decided to reserve judgment until I experimented further. I began by trying the suggestion of @barnardbarnard and @mmafighterthe25 to load the chamber directly without using a basket. The taste improved, but the setup was messy as the ABV tended to accumulate on the flexicone screen and spill all over the place when I opened the top.
Then it occurred to me. I recently picked up a Crafty, and when I use it, I put a second screen on top of the load to tamp the load down and keep things neat. So I decided to use the small MiniVAP basket as a cap on the filling chamber. I also used the longer Herbie whip to cool the vapor. Et voila, delicious hits with no mess!
The taste is still outstanding, if not quite as full-flavored as the original. Fruity and sweet flavors come through beautifully. Any loss seems to be on the pine/diesel end of the spectrum. Even so, it’s a big improvement over how my replacement unit worked before servicing. To be clear, however, I don’t know if this improvement is because of the substitution of teflon for glass, my change in technique, or some combination.
Currently, I have the Herbie whip connected to the straw and hard cone (which I never used on my old unit). I preheat on pink for about 7-10 minutes, which highlights another positive about the current MiniVAP: the firmware update. It’s a lot less aggressive about powering down the unit when you first turn it on. It also seems the timer resets every time the temperature changes between hits..
After preheating, I load the chamber. Depending on how full I’ve filled it, I use either the small MV screen or the medium Arizer screen as a cap. Then I screw on the top and start ripping. The result is huge hits with the best all-around flavor of any of my current vapes!