PG, VG, and Flavor. Does it really matter?

[Eskie]

This is not a simple which vendor is best so please bear with me. When I started vaping, it was a high ohm, high nic, high PG juice that worked well for me. Over time I was tempted into the lower ohm, higher VG world and currently vape ~70 VG at 3-6 mg nic depending on the tank.

While I really like my current vape, and shockingly even the two flavors I have down pat, I am stuck with lots of cloud from the VG. This is fine around the house, driving, or outside, but when I travel I like to go bit more stealthy. I have gone back to using my high PG premixed in the past for just that use, but one, I'd rather not use as much nic as it contains, and two, as I'm now mixing, why buy premixed just for that purpose as it's easy enough to do myself.

Here's my dilemma. Generally, in DIYer experience, will significantly changing the VG/PG ratio from say 70/30 VG to 30/70 VG alter the flavor sufficiently that I should make test batches to be sure my recipes do not need adjustment, or can I just make some up and have a reasonable expectation it will work without all the little test batch mixes? I know this is generally, not guaranteed, but I'm just trying to figure the mindset I need to have a high PG backup.

 

[Hoosier]

My mixes don't see a difference with various PG/VG ratios, except for feel, but I have read that others do.

I'm exceedingly picky though and spend huge amounts of time perfecting a recipe.

 

[Eskie]

Thanks, and that's pretty much what I thought. I can accept it's not going to feel precisely the same. For one, I's use it at lower wattage with a different coil, so that right there will make a difference, probably greater than the recipe. Obviously my recipes, other than the calculations, don't taste any different with differing amounts of nic, but I didn't know what to expect with a large PG difference. I'll probably only make up one bottle of 30 ml anyway as it will not be a matter of daily use, and if it's way off I'll try to correct it, but I didn't want to go down the "let's make 10 ml 5 different ways to compare them" road.

 

[glasseye]

Pretty much what Hoosier said for me too. I've noticed it takes less time for everything to meld together with higher PG, but I don't do any (steeping) method other than shake and time, no matter the ratio.

 

[Hitmetwice]

I add PG to storebought juices that are high VG regularly.
Due to a VG sensitivity I cannot vape most liquids available today.

If I find a liquid I really want to vape I'll buy a 30ml. bottle at twice the nic I want and add 30ml. of PG to cut the VG level in half.

Sure it dilutes the flavour some but PG carries flavour so well that, for me at least, it works just fine. (and I get twice the juice!)

Much less flavour is needed in high PG liquids in my experience.


Forgive me if I misunderstood your question OP. Cheers.

 

[440BB]

VG tends to mute flavor a bit, so you may need to reduce your flavoring to offset that. You may also have to reduce your juice flow a bit as PG runs thinner than VG in general. I've been steadily mixing at a 1/3 VG 2/3 PG ratio for some time, and it produces nice plumes instead of thicker clouds.

 

[DaveP]

My normal juice preference has always been 80pg/20vg, but I've varied that here and there, but not as far as the OP did. I'm fairly new at DIY from a ground up standpoint that starts with a scale. Prior to Deeming I would just add drops of flavors to weakly flavored juices as needed. Hangsen Tobacco was my favorite juice to play with since it's very lightly flavored.

I made my last batch of DIY at 60pg/40vg and informed the Ejuice Me Up calculator that my nic base was 75pg/25vg. It all came out as expected, but with a little more VG I found myself producing more clouds than normal. Like the OP, I like to stealth vape when I'm out of the house, especially when walking around in Walmart or in a restaurant.

My 60pg/40vg mix was a little less flavorful than my usual 80pg/20vg mixes, but not all that noticeable. The big difference was lots more vapor production. I'm going back to 80pg on the next mix to compare. I like my VG better in the 20 to 30 range.

FWIW, most say that PG dries out the throat, but enhances flavor slightly. VG produces more clouds, but can result in more phlegm production. Finding a balance between flavor and vapor is the end game for most of us. Few vapers will agree on every aspect of the perfect ejuice.

 

[dannyv45]

Percentage of flavor remains the same regardless of high PG or high VG. Only difference is steeping time. High VG takes longer to steep. The thicker viscosity of VG slows the movement and break down of flavor molecules throughout the base so a more vigirious shaking and more steep time is required.

 

[DaveP]

Yep. That's my go-to site for recipes. You can even store all of your flavorings and it'll tell you what you can make with them.

That's exactly what I need ... something that narrows DIY recipes to a point where I have what I need. I've been ordering as I find out what I'm missing and I've accumulated 30 different flavorings and additives.

I'm finally getting to the point where I have what I need for an array of Tobacco flavors.

 

[dannyv45]

I've been ordering as I find out what I'm missing and I've accumulated 30 different flavorings and additives.

I'm finally getting to the point where I have what I need for an array of Tobacco flavors.

Only 30 come on your not trying hard enough I'm close to 300

 

[DaveP]

Only 30 come on your not trying hard enough I'm close to 300

As I figure out just what I need that number will grow! I have tendencies toward overkill when I get into hobby mode ...

Right now, I'm loving me some FA Virginia that I made three days ago at 2% - 70pg/30vg. It's really good tobacco flavor with just a touch of very faint underlying sweetness. This one will be a staple base for experimentation.

After 6+ years of vaping and not smoking I'm still partial to at least an underlying tobacco flavor in my juice. Sweets just get old before a tank is empty, although I do like a change to things like ButterNut and English Toffee here and there. I've been know to go on a Key Lime kick occasionally. I always find myself heading back to tobacco flavors and when I add something sweet it's usually added to a tobacco flavor base.

So many recipe lists are bakery and candy related. I find that odd, but everyone to their own.

 

[dannyv45]

"Overkill" you say that like it's a bad thing

 

[DaveP]

"Overkill" you say that like it's a bad thing

Overkill is part of being ready ... backups are important. I have an estimated 18 years of nic base. I'm hoping for all other accessories being available after FDA, but I'm buying up lots of hardware and accessories like it won't be. One can never have too much of something important.