Do you have to "Steep" juice?
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Truth be told - steeping is up to each individual vaper. Some flavors almost require it - the ones with multiple flavor makeups that just need time to blend good and others not so much, but some people will swear by it and others just vape away... But many flavors do change their taste as they steep so you may find you want to steep or you may find you like them just the way they are.
You will learn to each that you try as you proceed forward in your venture with vaping.
You will learn to each that you try as you proceed forward in your venture with vaping.
It depends on the flavor of the juice. Fruit flavors don't really need any steeping. However, Vanillas, Custards, Creams, and Tobacco's definitely improve with time. Really, it comes down to you. If you like a juice, then there is no use for you to steep your juice. However, if you feel like there's something your juice needs, give it a steep.
Steeping is required if too much flavoring was added. I usually add flavoring slowly until it tastes good to my preference. Then in time it starts to fade. So then I add more if I made a big bottle of that particular flavor. Flavoring is tricky. Some are stronger, or more subtle. Tobacco's taste weird at first. They take longer to get that earthy taste and texture to develop. Creams take a good month, even at low doses. They usually have a spoiled milk taste at the beginning of the mix. Inawera flavorings are the best for not fading. I usually get a burning sensation on my tongue if the flavoring is too much. I'll then let it sit for a week. If it still burns, I dilute it.
I find that budget flavors such as MBV, HHV, Vape Dudes, ECBlend, etc (basically any vendor that sells more than 15 juices with pretty basic flavor profiles) will often require steeping. This is especially true of any vendor that sells variable VG/PG levels and offers ridiculously high amounts of nicotine (greater than 12mg).
The best premium juices with more complicated blends do not come with adjustable VG/PG. They are perfected at the best level for both maximum flavor and maximum vapor. They also don't come in greater than 12mg nicotine max (3mg is most popular). This is because these great flavors start to be destroyed with higher nicotine levels and because the vapers using them consume much higher volumes of liquid. Just like a master chef is not going to serve you a steak that still needs to be cooked, these juices are also ready to vape out of the bottle.
But, basically, if you see a flavor and it is adjustable VG/PG and comes in a 24mg variant, this juice is cheaply thrown together and not perfected for anybody. It will often improve a little if set aside for awhile.
The best premium juices with more complicated blends do not come with adjustable VG/PG. They are perfected at the best level for both maximum flavor and maximum vapor. They also don't come in greater than 12mg nicotine max (3mg is most popular). This is because these great flavors start to be destroyed with higher nicotine levels and because the vapers using them consume much higher volumes of liquid. Just like a master chef is not going to serve you a steak that still needs to be cooked, these juices are also ready to vape out of the bottle.
But, basically, if you see a flavor and it is adjustable VG/PG and comes in a 24mg variant, this juice is cheaply thrown together and not perfected for anybody. It will often improve a little if set aside for awhile.
Steeping a bit overrated. 
Your juice will steep no matter where you keep it, but all juices should be stored in cool, dark places. And you don't want to add any oxygen to your juice.
Light, heat and oxygen will speed up the process of nicotine oxidation, so you don't want your juice exposed to light, heat and oxygen.
My general advice is to try every juice you receive right away, out of the box--if you like it, vape it. If you don't like it, stick it in a drawer and wait a week or two. It may get better, it may also get worse.
Unless you DIY or vape very complex NETs, don't worry too much about steeping.
Good luck and welcome!
Your juice will steep no matter where you keep it, but all juices should be stored in cool, dark places. And you don't want to add any oxygen to your juice.
Light, heat and oxygen will speed up the process of nicotine oxidation, so you don't want your juice exposed to light, heat and oxygen.
My general advice is to try every juice you receive right away, out of the box--if you like it, vape it. If you don't like it, stick it in a drawer and wait a week or two. It may get better, it may also get worse.
Unless you DIY or vape very complex NETs, don't worry too much about steeping.
Good luck and welcome!
Do you HAVE to steep juice??? NO, BUT!!!!!!!!
I find that most of the juices I get a local shops, tend to not benefit from Aging. A few days of venting alcohol, YES. I don't buy from my local shop except for emergencies.... They tend to NOT have the types of juice I vape, NETs, and are completly ignorant of anything other than what is the latest FAD in vaping.
I use most juice from MyVapeJuice and NET.com. Every juice I have used from both of these vendors, was good right out of the mailbox. That never happens, with local B&M juice. MVJ has a pre-steeped line of juice. Vaping a bottle, Now, I got last week, bottled in November. I find all the juices I use get better with age.. I only wish I was rich enough to let them all fully age. Maybe when I start doing some DIY mixing I'll be able to properly age my juice.
I find that most of the juices I get a local shops, tend to not benefit from Aging. A few days of venting alcohol, YES. I don't buy from my local shop except for emergencies.... They tend to NOT have the types of juice I vape, NETs, and are completly ignorant of anything other than what is the latest FAD in vaping.
I use most juice from MyVapeJuice and NET.com. Every juice I have used from both of these vendors, was good right out of the mailbox. That never happens, with local B&M juice. MVJ has a pre-steeped line of juice. Vaping a bottle, Now, I got last week, bottled in November. I find all the juices I use get better with age.. I only wish I was rich enough to let them all fully age. Maybe when I start doing some DIY mixing I'll be able to properly age my juice.
..I use a very simple rule ..if the juice tastes like horse apples right off fresh from the mailbox, I let it steep for at LEAST a week in a cool (not the frig) dark place. Some folks advocate taking the lid off, but I have small kritters afoot who get into everything..and that would be bad if they got into that! (Also I tend to have more senior moments these days! and forget I took the lid off...so I just leave the lid on and put it where the little ones can't get at it (like a locking filing cabinet). A bottle with a dark glass...like brown..is good, cause it helps keep out the light. Depending on the supplier's steeping recommendations, usually 2 weeks should do it. I've gone as long as a month...after that...usually a few drops of ejuice sweetener will help you finish off just about any flavor you don't initially like. Not too much though, as I've noticed that adding MORE is not better for ejuice sweetener..for me, too much tends to dull the original flavor.
Wow! Y'all are awesome! so much info! I think I'll steep some and vape some and see how it works out. Thanks I'll be asking a lot of questions.
I've never had steeping even remotely change the flavor of any juice I've tried. But still, if it tastes like ... then I'll let it steep lol. But it's never changed anything.
When my daughter and I started vaping, around 3 years ago, we had no idea about steeping. Luckily for us, we were using a vendor whose eliquids tasted good to us right out of the mailbox using the equipment we had. We would place a monthly order, trying to estimate how much each of us needed to last until the next order. Some of the eliquid naturally steeped by the end of the month.
Then I discovered ECF, and found out about steeping. Due to a strict budget, we still ordered eliquids the same way - try to estimate how much would last us both for a month, and vape what we wanted when we wanted. We started trying new vendors, and continued as above.
We have no "hard and fast" rule for steeping for our vaping pleasure. When we are trying a new flavor from a trusted vendor, or trying a new (to us) vendor, we will usually try the flavors right out of the mailbox. If we like the flavor "as is", we continue vaping. If we think it still needs something, we let it steep. Our extremely complicated steeping method is to put flavors we want to steep, or that we are not ready to vape immediately, into the el cheapo toolbox I got from Walmart special for vaping supplies, leaving the caps on (we have dogs and cats). I mark the date I receive a shipping notification from the vendor on any eliquid bottles that do not have a "born on" date, so that I have some idea how long I have had the eliquid sitting around.
Then I discovered ECF, and found out about steeping. Due to a strict budget, we still ordered eliquids the same way - try to estimate how much would last us both for a month, and vape what we wanted when we wanted. We started trying new vendors, and continued as above.
We have no "hard and fast" rule for steeping for our vaping pleasure. When we are trying a new flavor from a trusted vendor, or trying a new (to us) vendor, we will usually try the flavors right out of the mailbox. If we like the flavor "as is", we continue vaping. If we think it still needs something, we let it steep. Our extremely complicated steeping method is to put flavors we want to steep, or that we are not ready to vape immediately, into the el cheapo toolbox I got from Walmart special for vaping supplies, leaving the caps on (we have dogs and cats). I mark the date I receive a shipping notification from the vendor on any eliquid bottles that do not have a "born on" date, so that I have some idea how long I have had the eliquid sitting around.
I've found it to be a catch 22... The flavors usually taste better the longer they sit, but the nicotine starts to taste like a wet dog after too much steeping. That's why I tend to buy zero nic juices and add my own nicotine directly into the tank when refilling.
I've just started making my own juice. I have found then if I've made a new flavor, if I fill my subtank and leave in the car during work, when I come out the flavor has improved greatly. In the future I intend on using my heated stir plate in order to accelerate the process.
Steeping helps to develop flavors. As was mentioned, Custards and Creams benefit more from this than others, and Tobaccos usually require it. Steeping helps to take off harsh edges and mellow out the flavor. Currently, I let juice steep for a week or two. I'll usually vape a couple mL's first though, just because I can't always restrain myself.
Steeping can be accomplished using several methods:
1) TIME. Let the juice sit for a week or so in a cool, dark place.
2) HEAT. Put the juice in a glass bottle and cap it. Place it in a hot water bath i.e. crockpot for several hours. I've heard this should not be done with juice that contains nicotine. Does anyone have information to expand on this?
3) STIR PLATE. Put the juice in a large vessel and drop in a magnetic stir bar. Place uncapped bottle or beaker on the stir plate and run for 15-30 minutes. This short period of time should be equivalent to a week of steeping.
4) ULTRASONIC. Place capped bottles in an ultrasonic cleaner for one cycle, test. Repeat as necessary.
I am making a DIY stir plate, as store bought can be pricey. I just found this link with instructions for a sophisticated home-made stir plate: http://www.teklalabs.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/magnetic_stirrer_betarelease_V01.pdf
Steeping can be accomplished using several methods:
1) TIME. Let the juice sit for a week or so in a cool, dark place.
2) HEAT. Put the juice in a glass bottle and cap it. Place it in a hot water bath i.e. crockpot for several hours. I've heard this should not be done with juice that contains nicotine. Does anyone have information to expand on this?
3) STIR PLATE. Put the juice in a large vessel and drop in a magnetic stir bar. Place uncapped bottle or beaker on the stir plate and run for 15-30 minutes. This short period of time should be equivalent to a week of steeping.
4) ULTRASONIC. Place capped bottles in an ultrasonic cleaner for one cycle, test. Repeat as necessary.
I am making a DIY stir plate, as store bought can be pricey. I just found this link with instructions for a sophisticated home-made stir plate: http://www.teklalabs.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/magnetic_stirrer_betarelease_V01.pdf
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