I've never made one, but apparently the first hit is always going to taste terrible, no matter what, just because of residue and such. If you've cleaned out the glaze (isopropyl alchohol and salt) it shouldn't be bad for your health, as all you're heating up is glass and weed, one of which is sterile and the other of which you want to be heated.

Depending on how much vapor you allow to build up, yes, you could be coughing. If you heat all your weed at one go before inhaling, you're getting a lungful of concentrated vapor - and like you noticed, it can feel surprisingly harsh on your lungs. The good news is that you're going to get very, very high.

When getting high, don't measure in hits, measure in the amount vaporized. Personally, I plateau after vaping a bit of weed about the size of two Tylenol - I just don't get higher after that, it's wierd. You'll need to experiment to find the amount you like. And the high will be different too. I don't get a body high, although I can't speak for everyone. It's more of a cerebral high - if I want to do artwork or pretend I know what I'm talking about when it comes to intellectual subjects, I'll vaporize instead of smoking. The upside is that you will almost definitely not be couchlocked.

Happy vaping! :thumbsup: