Churning – What is it in Vaping?

Definition

Churning is the rapid, rhythmic drawing technique used to saturate a coil and cotton with e-liquid before the first puff or after a refill. By taking several short, sharp draws without firing the device, the vaper creates negative pressure that pulls juice into the wick, preventing dry hits and extending coil life. Think of it as “priming the pump”: the motion mimics the way a boat propeller churns water, hence the name. Beginners often overlook churning, yet it is the simplest way to ensure flavour-rich, consistent vapour from the very first activation.

Technical Details

Churning relies on Pascal’s principle—each quick 0.5–1 second draw drops tank pressure by 5–15 kPa, forcing e-liquid through the cartridge or tank ports at 8–12 mg/s. The ideal sequence is 3–5 churns, spaced 0.3 s apart, followed by a 30 s rest to allow full saturation. Variations include “pulse churning” (two-draw bursts repeated three times) for high-VG juices and “reverse churning” (gentle exhales through the drip-tip) for closed pod systems. Mesh, standard round, and Clapton coil builds all respond, but lower-density cotton (Scottish-roll or 100% Japanese organic) wicks fastest. Temperature-sensitive vapers note that churning lowers initial coil ramp-up by 8–12 °C, smoothing the transition to vapour.

Usage & Tips

• When to churn: After filling a new pod, changing flavours, or if the device has sat overnight.
• How: Keep airflow wide open, take sharp ¼-second pulls until you see tiny bubbles rise—this signals saturation.
• Problems:Gurgling? You over-churned; clear excess by firing once at 40% wattage while blowing gently through the mouthpiece.
• Safety: Never churn while firing; it can flood the coil and spit hot liquid. Always wait 30 s before pressing the button.
• Cloud chasers: Pair churning with spaced Clapton coils for denser vapour and fewer dry hits during extended cloud chasing sessions.

History & Context

The term surfaced in early Australian vaping forums (2012) when rebuildable tanks first hit the market. As cotton replaced silica, vapers needed a quick, coil-friendly priming method; churning became the go-to slang. Today, most manufacturers’ manuals recommend the technique under “priming,” but Aussie vapers still say “give it a quick churn” before sharing a device.