Thought I was just being snobbish about the "vapo-water" smell, and surprised to find how many others have noticed this! Compared to the combustion days, it seems like many of our tastes have evolved, our flavour perception has shifted and become more finely tuned.
I say that because the vapo-water smell is like 5% as bad as combusion-water. Yet, many of us used to smoke dirty combustion bongs on a daily basis and didn't think it smelled that bad. Nowadays, I can't stand the smell of a used bong, to my nose its exactly the same smell as the cigarette-butt filled ashtray down at the local pub. The vapo-water just smells slightly bitter.
I always thought this smell is a chemical reaction. Like, when the essential oils and weed dust mingle with warm water and oxygen, it causes a very fast process of oxidization and the oils become rancid in hours. But if concentrates don't cause this smell like people are saying (I don't have enough experience with concentrates to confirm this myself), it seems like the oils are not the source of the smell. It has to be something that is removed in the concentrate process (chlorophyll, waxes, plant matter etc). Either that, or the concentration process changes the molecular structure of the oils which reduces the smell (Kinda like decarboxylation - but wouldn't that also reduce the flavor? I don't know. Plus, some concentrate processes don't use heat)
Personally I don't believe the smell is caused by additives/pesticides, or from sub-par weed that hasn't been cured properly. I've vaped around the world, thousands of samples from thousands of growers, in multiple continents. Everything from Ugandan bush weed to American top shelf, commercial, homegrown, "private collection" from growers, stuff has been cured for 3+ years, I've even vaped stuff that is freshly cut from the plant minutes earlier. it all makes the same vapo-water smell in my experience.
I say that because the vapo-water smell is like 5% as bad as combusion-water. Yet, many of us used to smoke dirty combustion bongs on a daily basis and didn't think it smelled that bad. Nowadays, I can't stand the smell of a used bong, to my nose its exactly the same smell as the cigarette-butt filled ashtray down at the local pub. The vapo-water just smells slightly bitter.
I always thought this smell is a chemical reaction. Like, when the essential oils and weed dust mingle with warm water and oxygen, it causes a very fast process of oxidization and the oils become rancid in hours. But if concentrates don't cause this smell like people are saying (I don't have enough experience with concentrates to confirm this myself), it seems like the oils are not the source of the smell. It has to be something that is removed in the concentrate process (chlorophyll, waxes, plant matter etc). Either that, or the concentration process changes the molecular structure of the oils which reduces the smell (Kinda like decarboxylation - but wouldn't that also reduce the flavor? I don't know. Plus, some concentrate processes don't use heat)
Personally I don't believe the smell is caused by additives/pesticides, or from sub-par weed that hasn't been cured properly. I've vaped around the world, thousands of samples from thousands of growers, in multiple continents. Everything from Ugandan bush weed to American top shelf, commercial, homegrown, "private collection" from growers, stuff has been cured for 3+ years, I've even vaped stuff that is freshly cut from the plant minutes earlier. it all makes the same vapo-water smell in my experience.
Its mild, compared to combustion water. But compared to vaping dry, the vapo-water still smells a little.
