Noob's Emesh Technique
If you've assembled & thoroughly checked your kit and ready to test it for the first time, then congratulations! Here's a procedure that's proving very successful for emesh newbies to get up and running.
IMPORTANT This assumes you've cut your mesh to an even width of 39mm x 10mm or thereabouts and bent it into the recommended mushroom shape (e.g. for the Mesh Pro) with a flat horizontal top surface. If you've cut a larger mesh for an RDA like the Iris then be prepared to adjust the Wattage to suit, or if you cut an irregularly-shaped mesh (e.g. for sidewalls) then be prepared for uneven temperature distribution, and to use a higher Wattage to compensate. You are also assumed to be using an extended driptip of 50-60mm length as shown on the emesh videos.
1. Set your mod to 17W power mode, making sure that any power shifting settings like pre-heat, VPC curves, etc are disabled. Load 10mg or less on the mesh, and melt it into the mesh with a few short staccato fire button clicks (see the start of this video for an example). Note point 8 - If and when you use >15mg, use a few more Watts.
2. Check the air inlet vents are set fully open on the RDA
3. Start with a few deep breaths and then with empty lungs, begin your toke and immediately you have an airflow going, press and hold down the "fire" button. Extremely important - start the inhale toke slightly before holding the fire button not after, otherwise the mesh will quickly overheat and produce the harshest possible vapour imaginable!
4. Aim for a timed (e.g. with a clock second hand) 7 second constant slow toke. During the toke, keep your mind on the temperature of the vapour and adjust the toke rate to keep the vapour warm but not uncomfortably hot (the fire button is pressed and held down for 7 seconds (uninterrupted) whilst adjusting the strength of the inhale). Slowing down the inhale rate will warm up the vapour almost immediately and vice versa (cool vapour will likely have little or no effect, irrespective of dose). Hold the mod upright during toking to prevent spillage of molten dimitri. Experience shows that many vastly overestimate their toking duration. Time the 7 secs accurately with a clock etc, not just count in your head
5. During the toke, if it feels overly harsh then stop and go to step 7. The vapour should feel warm in the throat and lungs (or will likely have little or no effect), but If it feels uncomfortably hot then increase the toke rate (i.e. suck a bit harder) and it'll quicky cool. If you think you can take a little more heat, slow down the toke a little. Remember - cool vapour will probably have very weak or no effect, irrespective of the dose
6. As you stop toking, release the fire button, place your mod down and lie back in a comfy position. Hold the vapour in your lungs as long as is comfortable - 20 secs or more if possible (hotter vapour seems to absorb quicker). Then enjoy the love from the universe!
7. If you're a total noob to vaping then your lungs will not be acclimatised and above may prove impossible - harshness and coughing may result. In this case stick with the 17W and 10mg but forget tripping for now. The first job is to get used to the vapour by taking shorter duration tokes, say 2-3 seconds get into your comfort zone. Then gradually work up the toke duration over a couple of weeks until your cough reflex is under control and your lungs seem better able to cope.
8. If and when you use more than about 15mg, if still using a 7 sec toke use a few more Watts to vaporise in the same time with the same toking rate, and more than about 20mg (for the adventurous) - then few more on top of that - I can't be precise on the increase, you'll need to experiment around to find out what works best for you.
FAQ
Damn, the vapour felt harsh! If you're new to vaping then it's expected. I didn't even know emesh could be harsh until I returned from a 4 month break, and the vapour seemed to be eating through my lungs! But after 2 weeks working back up as described in step 7, I was once again able to take huge doses and barely feel the vapour.
Hang on, what's happened to the TC-SS 204°C advice? As a starting suggestion for noobs, temperature control mode is now history. Power mode as described above has massively increased the success rate for the vast majority of noobs, and I actually prefer to use power mode myself for general emesh. Also, almost any mod will be fine to use, there is no need to search out an Original Aegis Solo, or spend a fortune on a DNA box. Plus, even imperfect RDAs will work well in this mode, and much more reliably than TC.
Are there any disadvantages to Power Mode over TC? As far as I'm concerned no, not if you understand how it works and use it correctly. For a full explanation see the emesh update video here (clicking will take you to the correct part - but note the the 13W suggestion is no longer recommended). Some will always prefer to use (or simply stick with) TC mode, and it'll continue to be supported on the Discord for as long as there is interest.
I still have deems remaining on the mesh, even after following the above procedure Are you 100% sure that what remains is really deems? If your spice was even slightly waxy/yellow (as produced by above room temp pulls) then expect a covering of residue left on the mesh following a fire cycle. It's presence is not a indication of incomplete vaporisation. This residue is not noticeably psychedelic and can burned off on 30W power mode for 2-3 secs prior to reloading (make doubly sure to reset the mod to the vaping settings). A lot of lingering smoke (not vapour), and a faint burning hair smell can often be emitted.
The mesh glows red hot on 17W power mode as above, surely that's far too hot for vaping deems? Damn right! But of course you saw this at "no toke" right?, where there's no airflow to cool down the mesh and its temperature quickly rises. In power mode the mesh temperature will mainly be a balance between how many Watts we're putting in versus the airflow which is taking heat out. So basically, the harder the toke, the cooler the mesh and vice versa. This is why it's important to never have the fire button pressed if not toking - any deems on the mesh will be quickly toasted. It's also why it's crucial to be aware of your toking rate. In temp controlled mode, the mod adjusts the real-time Wattage up/down during a toke to maintain a constant temperature to offset the cooling effect of the toke and the temp should never be hot enough to cause a glowing mesh, irrespective of settings or toking rates. For further details, see the emesh update video as linked above.
I've heard about people using 30W and more with emesh, why are you saying use only 17W? Quoting a Wattage is completely meaningless without mentioning some idea of the toking rate, and those who do this are demonstrating to the entire world that they haven't grasped even the basic principles. I've actually used 30W myself once so I speak from experience with this. Note that especially for Power Mode, the greater the airflow during a toke the cooler the mesh, and the cooler vapour will be. So if you wish to use a higher power, then fine, but expect to inhale harder to bring the temperature down to comfortable levels. Also, expect less forgiving margins of error, and greater unpredictability for trip intensities. If that's what you prefer then of course, that's the method for you.
How often do I replace the mesh? It'll normally last many tokes. If the mesh is still in good visual condition then I suggest waiting until the RDA needs cleaning inside. To explain, after many tokes the inside of the RDA becomes splattered with gunky residue, and it also drips into the mesh clamps etc (using waxy yellow dimitri will leave far more residues). The mesh needs to be taken out to clean the clamps and so consider replacing it with a new one as a matter of course. Also the mesh may pick up a few dents in use, so maybe that's another reason to change it. But apart from that I'd just give it a red heat burn at 30W for a few seconds just to smoke off the old residues before reloading, but double and triple check you've set the mod back to your normal vape settings.
Any more questions - ask on the Discord #emesh-clinic (read the rules before posting please!)