Following on from @SthrnMixer post here:
What are your views on how spaced coils affect flavour?
I am interested in this I nearly always build contact coils (unless it is a small coil in a big deck) but I personally cannot tell much difference I will be interested to hear what others have to say.
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I was always in the mindset that the vapor could escape quicker from a spaced coil thus somehow leading to better flavour but never really experimented with it properly
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For me - and it’s possible that it’s just the power of suggestion - but I find better, more consistent flavor with spaced over the life of the build. But there’s more.
First, one thing I quickly noticed once I started using things like Clapton coils is the spacing helps slow the process of wick degradation. This is especially true for the big ol’ builds where you’re throwing gigawatts at the coils. Notice, when building contact coils how the goal is to work them so they glow from the inside out? Well that heating process doesn’t stop just because we slap a wick in and keep it wet. It still gets hot from the inside out. This is most exaggerated when building wider coils with more windings. Something like a 6.5 wrap round wire spaced vs contact the difference is negligible.
That said, I really started noticing my wicks having a shorter life span with contact coils when I would go to rewick and the cotton in the center of the coil would sometimes be burned through, and the cotton came out in 2 pieces from either side of the coil.
That’s really the main difference I’ve found. Flavor - yeah I “perceive” a better flavor with spaced, but in reality it’s not great enough to make that be the reason I space them vs contact.
Oh, one last thought. If you are building contact coils, in particular with round wire, it’s my belief that the centermost part of the coil allows the least amount of juice to flow. Again, this is most pronounced with wider builds. Something like 16 wraps of 24 ga SS. That juiced up wick in the center I firmly believe dries out while the ends continue to remain saturated. Higher power - less juice flowing to the center. Again, just theory.
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In DTL builds I used spaced. I’ve heard the claim that spaced coils produce better flavor. I have no idea. They do preclude having to work out hot spots. In MTL builds I most often use contact coils because of limited space and need for a higher resistance. Both produce decent flavor to my taste buds.
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I fully appreciate where you are coming from with the central heat on a contact coil, you’re on to something there, it makes sense as the heat is concentrated more over those 3-4 strands compacted together rather than spread out like you would get with spaced coils.
I think we must have all experienced that cotton pull at some stage or another where it falls in half and if it doesn’t, the centre of the cotton is always darker and more degraded then the rest.
As the heat is concentrated more in the centre of a compact coil, is the cotton able to dry out completely when vaped in certain circumstances:
- Higher watts
- Inappropriate wicking
And is it more likely to happen on:
- RDA / RTA / Squonk setups
As opposed to pre built coils.
Highlights the importance of good wicking technique and juice flow when using contact coils.
Noted benefits of spaced coils:
- Wick longevity
- More consistent flavour
- Coil longevity - Less chance of build up if any at all?
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Yeah, that is why I prefer spaced over contact coils too.
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I always build and prefer spaced coils. Now I could type out my own reasons but @SthrnMixer stated all of them anyway.
Summarized in a nut shell by @NicotineNinja
In reality the flavour difference is extremely minimal and barely noticeable.
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I typically vape single wire coils, and have done back to back tests (same setup) with spaced/contact, and I never noticed much of a difference. When comparing a single wire to a simple clapton however, I did notice some improvement.
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I basically do the same but i go by wattage, under 30 watts i do a contact coil, i feel like the wires being closer together/touching allows the smaller coil to hold heat a little longer, above 30 watts I’m usually using thicker wire and bigger coils that don’t need help holding heat.
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I prefer spaced with claptons and the like. Like @SthrnMixer, I’ve had a few middle burnouts with non-spaced, and can immediately feel when it happens. Flavor goes to shit.
I’ll do contact coils with some of the smaller single coil RDAs like the Skyfall and Taifun BTD. Most of them like contact coils and taste great.
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This post calls for a poll, even if the results are fairly clear, most prefer spaced over contact… I’m one of them but I’m also one of those mesh fanatics that’s better not start arguing with…
With mesh I tried both coz some atomizers (paravozz and similar russians mesh atomizers) call for contact, the space is so little that’s the only way, but truly, the only difference is when you go from single wire to complex (Yes I’m one the few that uses complex with mesh) chords, chained, juggernauts, probably because they “hold” more juice but at the end flavourwise it’s not that much of a difference, it really becomes a matter of personal taste and choice (we all like fiddling don’t we?)
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Have a go at it 
If you run into any problems you can ask @discobot to help you out 
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Hi! To find out what I can do, say @discobot display help.
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See! I told you 
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I hear that disco guy’s a real jerk 
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That’s why TC was invented
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I always space my coils, every single time, for a few reasons, mainly, because the heat is better distributed along your wick, you’re not concentrating that heat in a small space, so yeah…the wicks last longer.
also, it’s a more efficient use of the heat as the vapor is released from every gap, release the steam!!.
You tend not to get as much build up either.
It’s just a better practice all round I find, I tend to get more vapor in shorter time than with contact coils, plus, you never get any mystery surprise hot spots raising their ugly heads.
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I call bullshit! It was invented to give geeky people a reason to feel their vaping means something 
I keeed, I keeed. I love TC but have gotten away from it for the most part. Back when I first started using TC I needed it. Too dumb to not get dry hits.
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