'Steep' Learning Curve

[Vapcor]

I was reading a thread here a couple days ago about finding juice that doesn't have that artificial taste/wang. I just bought some 'crafted' juices made here in the states for a not so cheap price in an effort to avoid that sort of taste. Funny thing is this has happened to me quit a bit with the gourmet juices. My old cheap 100% pg juices never had that taste and that might be do to the custom tailoring vendors can do with Chinese sourced juice. I used to buy from Awesome Vapor because their china juice was fantastic. I know its not the VG causing that artificial saccharin taste because I DIY with it and sometimes vape it straight to clean an atty.

So now i have this poor tasting juice (to me) but desperately want to salvage my $40 investment. I've heard of steeping but wasn't sure what it meant. We just used to call it aging. I wanted to see if steeping was different than just not vaping it for awhile. Turns out it is a variation of leaving the cap off and putting it in a dark cabinet while covered. I had the brilliant idea of speeding up that process by pouring the juice into a small glass cup, to create more surface area for evaporation and just covered it with a paper towel and put inside a cabinet. One day later I went to test them and... uh oh. The artificial taste did subside but so did the actual flavor itself. I now have really expensive base pg/vg with a hint of flavor and artificial wang. No idea if the nicotine survived the transformation. Im extremely confused as to why this would happen. If i left some vanilla extract out overnight in this same manner i doubt the flavor would just vanish and leave a pool of bland base liquid behind. Maybe it would but i would 'expect' any water molecules to evaporate and actually leave a more concentrated flavor. I would say lesson learned but I need to know why it happened. Would all juices suffer this same fate?

I've decided to just order some Virgin Vapers juice to see if i can avoid this' sweet-n-low' type taste. There was another vendor mentioned that is similar to Virgin but forgot their name. I should still have some DIY stuff lying around so maybe i can salvage this juice somewhat. Just a side note, to anyone else who experiences this saccharin taste in juices and fancy giving the DIY a go do yourself a favor and avoid LorAnn oils like the plague. If you like LorAnns then you don't have our sensitivity to that taste and thats great. Not trying to bash LorAnns but it is the epitome of saccharin aftertaste for many of us.

 

[zidane721]

I wouldn't worry about steeping too much, from my experince steeping will never make a bad juice good but will sometimes make a good juice better.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

There is velvet vapors
Velvet Vapors - Home who does gourmet and vg and natural flavorings.

BTW I have always read not to use 'oils' in diy ejuice. LorAnn has flavors that they mix in pg, those I believe are ok. And i hope that the vendors are not using a saccharin based sweetener. I know some sell sucrose and/or ethyl maltol crystals you mix in pg as a sweetener.

But you probably knew all that. LOL

 

[alisa1970]

Be careful -- Virgin Vapor is touchy on whether you'll like it or not. I happen to, but many others don't. One thing you need to know--ALL freshly mixed juices need to sit for at least 7-10 days before they really taste the way they're supposed to. I agree that steeping won't make a bad juice good, but it will make a good juice better.

Some vendors (including VV) will use ethyl alcohol to thin the VG base--this means you need (or should) let the bottle sit for 24-48 hours uncapped to let the alcohol evaporate. I have found that my VV juices taste best after letting them sit capped for a month or more. YMMV.

Another thing to note about your experiment. It's possible that all the flavor dulled because PG and VG are humectants and absorb moisture from the surrounding area. You may have actually unwittingly diluted your juice by letting it sit out in a dish. This is really just a theory but may explain it.

ETA: Thanks S&S, I meant to mention VCV. Glad you did. I've heard much more positive comments about them than VV lately, so OP--if you try VV and don't like it, give VCV a try. Oh, and also Dripeez, they use NO artificial sweeteners in their juice, which may be what you're tasting.

Good Luck to you--the fun is in the hunt!

 

[Vapcor]

BTW I have always read not to use 'oils' in diy ejuice. LorAnn has flavors that they mix in pg, those I believe are ok. And i hope that the vendors are not using a saccharin based sweetener. I know some sell sucrose and/or ethyl maltol crystals you mix in pg as a sweetener.

But you probably knew all that. LOL

Actually I didnt know about the oils. Not sure what i was using back then but thats prob why im so down on LorAnns. Now I feel bad for saying that. :-( Bought them from a cake supply store. Lol, my bad.

Thanks for the Velvet Vapors heads up.

I didnt mean to imply anyone was using saccharin, just that its the 'flavor' I get from many juices.

Some vendors (including VV) will use ethyl alcohol to thin the VG base--this means you need (or should) let the bottle sit for 24-48 hours uncapped to let the alcohol evaporate. I have found that my VV juices taste best after letting them sit capped for a month or more. YMMV.

Another thing to note about your experiment. It's possible that all the flavor dulled because PG and VG are humectants and absorb moisture from the surrounding area. You may have actually unwittingly diluted your juice by letting it sit out in a dish. This is really just a theory but may explain it.

I did read about the alcohol mix in virgin but i think the "Absolute Virgin" line is alcohol free. I will probably order from velvet first though as i really need vape now juice. Thank you for the warning on virgin! Ill just try them later is all.

If pg/vg absorb moisture then i bet you are dead on with that analysis. It now tastes muted like more base was added and that makes a hell of a lot more sense than flavoring evaporating.

Ill check out dripeez also!

 

[Angiebubs]

I LOVE Virgin Vapors and you are correct-the Absolute line does not need to be steeped. I have tried over 50 of VV's and have had only one I did not care for (Personal preference on the flavor). I have tried over 25 vendors and Virgin Vapors is by far superior IMHO.

 

[Vapcor]

Virgin and Velvet seem like must tries for sure. Also been looking into some Naturally Extracted Tobacco juices from Vermillion, Heathers, and several others I found out about on another thread.

Just an update on my fiasco... while the flavor has subsided more than I'd like one of the flavors has just become absolutely beautiful. That nasty saccharin-like taste is completely gone and it is smooth as silk. The other two are still works in progress but I have high hopes for one to come around as well. The other is an RY4 variant and at its best will still taste like an RY4 so just hoping it will somehow lose that caramel/mollasses/green olive taste they all seem to have. Not a fan of RY4 and wish the seller would have made it clear thats what this really was. For those who find RY4 complex and without description think about the mollasses and green olive angle the next time you vape it. May not seem that way to you but hits my taste buds that way everytime and don't think its complex just weird choice of flavors to put together. What it actually consists of I do not know but thats what I taste in them.

/me prepares for fanatical olive juice fanboy lashback. O_~

 

[alisa1970]

Hmmm...I have a custom RY4 that I love. I do get the molasses, but not the olives.

 

[Vapcor]

lol, im probably the only person who tastes green olive in them, mind you its just a subtle hint for me. The molasses is quite prevalent for me tho.

Being an ejuice manufacturer must be brutal. I have great respect for anyone willing to hone their craft with such a diverse, subjective, vocal, and passionate customer base. One person thinks its a gift from the gods while someone else compares it to motor oil. (or green olives)