Info needed on DIY mixing

[Shatter]

Hi Everyone

Been searching the forum but could not find what i'm looking for. Did my first ever diy e juice today and made 4 10ml samples with different PG\VG\Nic levels, even one with just VG and VG nic unflavored. Now my question is about steeping, all the samples i made are straight forward single flavors, not being mixed with other. Is it still needed for steeping for a week or more? Or just give it 24hours and shake regularly? Or is it a trial an error process?

Regards

 

[Andre]

Depends on the flavours. Straight up fruits can mostly be shake and vape, whilst creams and custards needs some curing. Tobaccos need the longest time.
Remember to shake the hell out of that VG nic before mixing. Shake concentrates too before mixing.

 

[Shatter]

Luckily i read up a lot on this forum about mixing and on youtube I gave everything a good shake to get it mix again and to avoid hot spots. All the flavors i used is pretty much lemon and the other strawberry. Will leave it for tonight and give it a shake and vape tomorrow. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Huffapuff]

Hi @Shatter! Welcome to the wonderful world of DIY

You'll find that most DIYers (possibly not @Viper_SA as he seems more disciplined than the rest of us!) will cheat and have just a small sample after a bit of a shake - just to check y'know

But as @Andre mentioned, the different types of concentrates require different step times.

Have fun!

 

[Shatter]

it is very tempting! But i learned my lesson about patience back in the days when i started beer home brewing.. Bottled too soon and ended up cleaning exploded glass amber bottles, full of still fermenting lager, from the corner cabinet in the kitchen.. was not a very pleasant sight or smell for days haha.

 

[GregF]

Hi @Shatter! Welcome to the wonderful world of DIY

You'll find that most DIYers (possibly not @Viper_SA as he seems more disciplined than the rest of us!) will cheat and have just a small sample after a bit of a shake - just to check y'know

But as @Andre mentioned, the different types of concentrates require different step times.

Have fun!

Thats true @Huffapuff but I believe @Andre is another one that can mix something and bottle it weeks on end without tasting. I don't know how they do it.

@Shatter on your steeping question. It's true what @Andre says, it depends on what you have mixed. From my experience and from what you have said, mixing single concentrates, then I cant see any reason to steep it. Taste it now and admire your new creations. It cant do any harm, and you will get a feeling of what you have made.
If they taste like chemicals or perfume then you have either put too much in or the bottle needs to stand open for a while to breath (depending on concentrate).
Basically steeping allows all the different concentrates in a recipe to blend together and allows the mix to "mature"
If you want to taste it before it has matured then go for it. You might get a few sharp edges or something is too strong, then let it sit for a few days and taste again. Generally it smooths out.
Steeping can make a lot of mixes taste better but I have never had a horrible juice get better after a steep.
If it is k@k then it will still be k@k after a steep.

 

[Silver]

Good question @Shatter

Guys, wouldnt it be a good idea to try any DIY juice straight away and then after every few days or so to see when and how it improves?

 

[Huffapuff]

Good question @Shatter

Guys, wouldnt it be a good idea to try any DIY juice straight away and then after every few days or so to see when and how it improves?

With standalone flavours or simpler recipes I'll make about 5-10ml and drip a bit every few days to see how it's going. With more complex recipes I'll mix up about 15ml and test over a month or so.

it is very tempting! But i learned my lesson about patience back in the days when i started beer home brewing.. Bottled too soon and ended up cleaning exploded glass amber bottles, full of still fermenting lager, from the corner cabinet in the kitchen.. was not a very pleasant sight or smell for days haha.

Lol! This experience will certainly help you with DIY

 

[PsiSan]

And take notes, and I mean on everything. From how its steeped, at what PG/VG ratios, what mode/temp/power you tried it on and your build etc. Nothing more frustrating than wanting to replicate a flavour and you cant remember how you did it.

Coming back to steeping, generally what I found is creams take a decent steep to reach full potential, while fruits will be a good shake and vape (even if it is abit perfumy), and most nutty flavours mellow down with steeping.

 

[PsiSan]

@Silver , most definitely. What I did at the start was, try and make profiles for what you looking at, for example (with a fruit profile):
1) Is it fresh fruit/artificial
2) If its fresh at what stage in its life time is the flavour / if its artificial what else tastes like it (think yogurt brands)
3) Any other high/medium/or back notes can you taste.

The compare them after a little steeping

 

[Silver]

@Silver , most definitely. What I did at the start was, try and make profiles for what you looking at, for example (with a fruit profile):
1) Is it fresh fruit/artificial
2) If its fresh at what stage in its life time is the flavour / if its artificial what else tastes like it (think yogurt brands)
3) Any other high/medium/or back notes can you taste.

The compare them after a little steeping

This is why I am scared of DIY
I know myself
I can just imagine the ridiculously complex spreadsheets I will come up with

After VapeCon I am trying to simplify things and every time I get excited about DIY my wife (bless her) wags her finger at me

 

[PsiSan]

Hahaha, I do have some "prizes" on my way to me as we speak, so the wife doesnt complain to much. Or I just say it was from the last order months ago.

 

[Soutie]

I know myself
I can just imagine the ridiculously complex spreadsheets I will come up with

Hahahahaha this exactly, you don't even want to see mine, it is ridiculously complex. It goes as far as estimating how much concentrates I have left. I've probably spent more time on it than any sane man should.

@Shatter single flavours are definitely the best way to start. Knowing the flavour profile of the concentrates is invaluable on being able to figure out what goes together. Try out a few simple mixes (there are some really nice ones in the calling all diy'ers thread) and before you know it you will be mixing up a storm.

 

[Glytch]

I started DIYing about 6 weeks ago and I was so excited about mixing that I tried some so-called "Shake and vape" recipes. The one recipe I made with a cream I let steep and tested every 5 days.

I must say that I'm starting to think that shake and vape is a myth. Everything I've mixed (even single fruit flavours) improves with steeping. Flavours do amazing things with steeping and patience is the order of the day. I kept simple notes on e-juice lab about how the juices were coming along and I reckon that even fruit flavours taste better after 4 or 5 days steeping.

The simple strawberry and cream recipe I made tasted great after 2 weeks steeping and even better after 4 weeks. The trick is to make enough of one recipe to test it every 5 days and then constantly after 2 weeks. I made 150ml of the strawberry and cream so I was able to vape it daily from 2 to 4 weeks and it improved every day.

Just my R0.02

 

[RichJB]

I have a problem finishing juices. I don't vape very much, around 6ml per day. My preference for single coils and low wattages means that even my Avo24 and Limitless Plus run like an old Datsun 1200Y. You just gooi in fifty bucks Super and you're good for the month. Added to that, I have four mods/tanks in rotation. So that's 1.5ml per tank per day average, and a 30ml mix will last me around three weeks.

I can understand why the Smok TFV8 users would want a shake-n-vape. They mix up 30ml first thing and, by lunch, it's kaput. So it's a struggle keeping up and they are tempted to crack out a juice before it's steeped properly. I have the opposite. I have six steeping bottles in the cupboard and they're always full. I could buy more steeping bottles but then the bottleneck of me vaping so slowly will just worsen. I'm determined to avoid that. So instead, I do a sniff test on my juices every couple of days. It's not the same as tasting but it does give an idea of how the juice is developing.

I don't have a fancy labeling system like many DIYers. I just stick some masking tape on the bottle with the juice name. I'm thinking I must now add a second piece of masking tape with "Cellar matured for 15 years" on it. Marketing is important, even if it's only to yourself. If I add a blurb about perfection not being rushed, I'm sure I can convince myself that my juices taste like Special Reserve.

 

[PsiSan]

I reuse my bottles (glass), and I have about 6-9 in the steeping process (this excludes my single flavours for notes etc). I do easy 10-15ml on normal work days, and over weekends I can double that. My primary setup is A griffin with dual fused claptons.

 

[Silver]

Hahahahaha this exactly, you don't even want to see mine, it is ridiculously complex. It goes as far as estimating how much concentrates I have left. I've probably spent more time on it than any sane man should.

Im with you @Soutie - all the way! Know exactly what you mean! Lol

 

[Caveman]

I started DIYing about 6 weeks ago and I was so excited about mixing that I tried some so-called "Shake and vape" recipes. The one recipe I made with a cream I let steep and tested every 5 days.

I must say that I'm starting to think that shake and vape is a myth. Everything I've mixed (even single fruit flavours) improves with steeping. Flavours do amazing things with steeping and patience is the order of the day. I kept simple notes on e-juice lab about how the juices were coming along and I reckon that even fruit flavours taste better after 4 or 5 days steeping.

The simple strawberry and cream recipe I made tasted great after 2 weeks steeping and even better after 4 weeks. The trick is to make enough of one recipe to test it every 5 days and then constantly after 2 weeks. I made 150ml of the strawberry and cream so I was able to vape it daily from 2 to 4 weeks and it improved every day.

Just my R0.02

Shake and vape doesn't mean shake-and-its-as-good-as-it-will-be, just means its decent and fairly good after a good shake. I have never mixed anything that didn't get better with steeping. I have mixed some things that made me almost call in a sick day after shake and vape and turn out very good after a month. Don't take the shake and vape thing too seriously. Its more to say "hey this is pretty good off the bat" and it will get better after that.

Example: One of my ADV's is a fairly modified version of Cutwoods Monster Melons Clone that I have tweaked to my own liking. It's a shake and vape. It's really good immediately, good enough that you could throw it in your tank and be happy. After a few days, it settles and becomes a much smoother taste, after about a week to 2 weeks it reaches its peak where it won't change much after that.

 

[PsiSan]

@Caveman took the words right out of my mouth

 

[mcgeerj35]

This is why I am scared of DIY
I know myself
I can just imagine the ridiculously complex spreadsheets I will come up with

After VapeCon I am trying to simplify things and every time I get excited about DIY my wife (bless her) wags her finger at me

Hehe think i need to tell my girlfriend to do that to me aswell but its too late my diy stuff will arive today so i will take this journey full of surprises and failures but thing is to keep on trying and never to give up on the flavour you are chasing thats why im so keen on diy

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[Greyz]

I started DIYing about 6 weeks ago and I was so excited about mixing that I tried some so-called "Shake and vape" recipes. The one recipe I made with a cream I let steep and tested every 5 days.

I must say that I'm starting to think that shake and vape is a myth. Everything I've mixed (even single fruit flavours) improves with steeping. Flavours do amazing things with steeping and patience is the order of the day. I kept simple notes on e-juice lab about how the juices were coming along and I reckon that even fruit flavours taste better after 4 or 5 days steeping.

The simple strawberry and cream recipe I made tasted great after 2 weeks steeping and even better after 4 weeks. The trick is to make enough of one recipe to test it every 5 days and then constantly after 2 weeks. I made 150ml of the strawberry and cream so I was able to vape it daily from 2 to 4 weeks and it improved every day.

Just my R0.02

Amen!
I been crying foul for every so called Shake n Vape recipe since I started DIY. Every SnV I tried improved vastly after just a week steeping some even better after 2-4 weeks - that invalidates the juice as a SnV IMO.
I found making 10ml testers wasn't working out because I would test/drip my juices every few days and before 2 weeks is up the 10ml is finished. Now testers are all done in 30ml - this way I can drip them every few days and still have enough left after 3 to 4 weeks to enjoy it when it's "ready".

TL;DR Every juice and I mean EVERY will benefit from a steep - even so called SnV

 

[mcgeerj35]

@Greyz 30ml testers i second that hey good idea

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[Caveman]

Amen!
I been crying foul for every so called Shake n Vape recipe since I started DIY. Every SnV I tried improved vastly after just a week steeping some even better after 2-4 weeks - that invalidates the juice as a SnV IMO.
I found making 10ml testers wasn't working out because I would test/drip my juices every few days and before 2 weeks is up the 10ml is finished. Now testers are all done in 30ml - this way I can drip them every few days and still have enough left after 3 to 4 weeks to enjoy it when it's "ready".

TL;DR Every juice and I mean EVERY will benefit from a steep - even so called SnV

Yup my testers are at least 20ml these days also. Problem is I am an impatient bugger and waiting 3 weeks for a new juice seems to get the better of me. I have been steeping in my slow cooker as of late but the results of that are debatable

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[Greyz]

Yup my testers are at least 20ml these days also. Problem is I am an impatient bugger and waiting 3 weeks for a new juice seems to get the better of me. I have been steeping in my slow cooker as of late but the results of that are debatable

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I had decent results with my USC till it just died on me. Now I have a reptile pad coming from Aliexpress and a magnetic Stirrer kit that's at customs now. I'm also trying my best to reduce the dreaded steeping time.
I just wish to half the steep time, bring it down from 2 to 3 weeks to 1 week or so. Because here I'd get to test over that week period and find the perfect steep time.
Some juices are best after 3 weeks but after 6 weeks it might not be as nice. Then these I'd vape within that 3 to 6 week period making sure I get to vape it when it's best.

Best part about vaping is the discovering of juices you like and changing them to your palate.

It's been about 4 months of good DIY'ing and I'm still hunting for that SnV - the hero juice that will allow me to vape while those that deserve a steep get their peace.

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[Glytch]

Anyone tried steeping in the glove box of a car?

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