How do you prefer to mea sure your recipe?

[Zakillah]

Wow, so all those years I spent using a micropipette for delivering µl, and a Mettler microbalance for weighing my µgm I was doing it wrong?

Of course not. Both ways work.
Sometimes by volume is better, sometimes by weight; depends on what you´re doing. But saying you always measure liquids by volume is wrong.

And not that its needed for our purposes, but in general by weight is more precise then by volume.

 

[JCinFLA]

Wow, so all those years I spent using a micropipette for delivering µl, and a Mettler microbalance for weighing my µgm I was doing it wrong?

Bet you had no idea before, did you?

Funny how we who do it by volume are using a method that "has and does work excellent". (Like we didn't know that already.) However, that last shoe always has to drop then, with...it's still supposedly a more difficult, slower, and less repeatable method than by weight though.

 

[Zakillah]

There is nothing "supposedly" about it.
I don't like to throw away syringes every time I mix.
Nevermind others who don't have an endless supply of them and have to wash them everytime after mixing.
Yeah, I am lazy, I like things as easy as possible. I don't like washing stuff either.

Not that mixing by volume is that much of a hassle either, but by weight is cleaner. Have you ever heard of someone who switched to volume from weight? No. The other way around. Yes. Why is that?

 

[Capt.shay]

Wow, so all those years I spent using a micropipette for delivering µl, and a Mettler microbalance for weighing my µgm I was doing it wrong?

Oh Eskie, of course there is a time and a place for different methods, especially in research or clinical situations where the weights are often unknown but, from what I have seen, weight based measurements are dominant in a PRODUCTION lab. We are not doing true chemistry here, we are doing fancy mixology and for that I will continue to say that most will find portioning by weight easier, faster and more repeatable.

it's still supposedly a more difficult, slower, and less repeatable method than by weight though.

Yes, yes it is.

You act as if I have never used volume before. I was doing it that way long before you joined this forum and I mixed hundreds of batches by volume. I have done a lot of both and have the experience to make an informed decision of what works best, at least for me and in all likely hood the majority of mixers.

 

[SteveS45]

Of course not. Both ways work.
Sometimes by volume is better, sometimes by weight; depends on what you´re doing. But saying you always measure liquids by volume is wrong.

And not that its needed for our purposes, but in general by weight is more precise then by volume.

I do not use a scale so how can it be wrong I only and always mix by volume?

 

[OlderNDirt]

Since syringes and pipettes are NOT my friends, I mix by weight. It's still a bit difficult for me and I sometimes have "happy accidents." By any method, is 100% duplication achievable? My goal is just to get really close to that.

I am not a chef by a long shot, but do some cooking. Sometimes I measure, but other times accurate measuring is not possible. When I sit down to enjoy my meal, it may turn out to be a "really good batch" or not one of my better efforts. Either way, I enjoy the meal. So far, my mixing is following that same path. It's all good, some are just better then others. Haven't had to throw anything out yet anyway.

 

[Eskie]

Oh Eskie, of course there is a time and a place for different methods, especially in research or clinical situations where the weights are often unknown but, from what I have seen, weight based measurements are dominant in a PRODUCTION lab. We are not doing true chemistry here, we are doing fancy mixology and for that I will continue to say that most will find portioning by weight easier, faster and more repeatable.

You're correct, this is far closer to mixology than chemistry lab. Then again, I've never measured out 30 gm of rye to mix a Manhattan either.

As long as your juice is tasty, and your mixes give you a consistent outcome, you're fine with whatever method you settle on.

 

[SteveS45]

I don't understand why so many mixers say cleaning a syringe is such a big deal. A few fills and squirts in a cup of water and it is done for me because I am not sterilizing them and no remaining odors from the previous flavor. When I first started I had separate syringes for each flavor but not any more.

 

[Alter]

The biggest part about mixing that I don't understand is that I read people who mix 5 or 10ml samples and use their 100mg nic, have to use a minute amount inwhich a drop extra can ruin the sample and make it harsh or peppery then they blame the nic saying its substandard. I cut my 100 into 48 and use that since its alot more forgiving incase there is a "oops".
I started with syringes, ones I got from our local vet so they are accurate. Reading that there are a lot of cheap syringes that aren't accurate at all just like the cheap beakers. I got enough jars, jugs and attys to clean all the time I got tired of the syringe cleaning so went into weight and rarely use a syringe at all anymore unless I'm removing juice from a atty.

 

[Zakillah]

We are not doing true chemistry here...

Hah, yeah. Its a lot more like cooking Chili.
It will always be edible, no matter how much beef/beans/tomatoes you throw in, just like any PG/VG ratio will work.
However if you use too much salt or throw in 10 Habaneros instead of 2, its gonna be harsh. Swap out salt/Habaneros for Nic and flavors.

Look, washing syringes isn't a big deal. I get it. Its still better not having to do it.

 

[zoiDman]

I understand your point, and it's a good one, though if mixing at home in normally the same temp-range, then using a constant like above example will yeild the propper repeatibility anyways. Though not really related to what you correctly stated above either though, so sorry for using your quote for stating a point you already know, and was more ment for others

...

No Problem.

My post was more of a Tongue & Cheek joke with a Veiled reference to Repeatability.

Because if a person used PG = 1g/ml and VG =1.3g/ml for All of their Recipes, wouldn't there Recipes be Repeatable? Or at Least as Repeatable as if they used 1.036 and 1.261?

In fact, does the Numbers used for PG & VG & Flavorings have any Effect on Repeatability if the Same Numbers are used Every Time?

 

[Bigbryantn]

I went from volume to weight because it was easier for me and my way of doing things. The most important thing is that what I do is repeatable everytime. Whether your a volume, weight, or even an eye baller as long as your happy and your recipes repeatable, your good to go.

 

[jpasint]

I don't understand why so many mixers say cleaning a syringe is such a big deal.

Cleaning "a" syringe is not a big deal at all. However, cleaning 30 syringes is.
I often sit to mix 4, 5 or even 6 different recipes at once. What a hassle it would be cleaning all of those syringes. Disposable pipettes are the bomb IMHO.

 

[SteveS45]

I use the same syringe for a mixing session and as I said using different syringes for each flavor is a waste in my opinion. So I clean one syringe for everything even if I am mixing up five different recipes.

 

[zoiDman]

I use the same syringe for a mixing session and as I said using different syringes for each flavor is a waste in my opinion. So I clean one syringe for everything even if I am mixing up five different recipes.

One thing I would Never do is to put a Dropper or a Syringe Tip into a Flavoring that has been in another Flavoring if it hadn't been Cleaned first.

It is Mind Blowing how like little it takes of a Strong Flavoring to alter a Weak Flavoring.

Just like it is Mind Blowing how much Colour change there can be to a Gallon of White Paint when 4 Drops of Dark Blue are Added.

 

[mhertz]

No Problem.

My post was more of a Tongue & Cheek joke with a Veiled reference to Repeatability.

Because if a person used PG = 1g/ml and VG =1.3g/ml for All of their Recipes, wouldn't there Recipes be Repeatable? Or at Least as Repeatable as if they used 1.036 and 1.261?

In fact, does the Numbers used for PG & VG & Flavorings have any Effect on Repeatability if the Same Numbers are used Every Time?

Thanks mate. And for sure your points are correct too.

Steve, I respect your decision, but to me it's not about it's hard to clean syringes between flavors, but more a point of why needing to do that when there's a way that avoids it with no downsides compared to volume. Again, not trying to state one is better than the other.

 

[man00ver]

Oh my....it's a MEASURING CONTEST!

Notice the OP's question was simply "How do you prefer to measure your recipe?" It's easy enough to answer! If you've tried both weighing and volume measuring, then you can offer an informed opinion about which way you prefer. If you haven't tried both...well, you can't, can you?

Of course, if you have some neat trick in the way you measure that you feel is a rare discovery, by all means share!

 

[SteveS45]

One thing I would Never do is to put a Dropper or a Syringe Tip into a Flavoring that has been in another Flavoring if it hadn't been Cleaned first.

It is Mind Blowing how like little it takes of a Strong Flavoring to alter a Weak Flavoring.

Just like it is Mind Blowing how much Colour change there can be to a Gallon of White Paint when 4 Drops of Dark Blue are Added.

I clean the syringes before they are used for a different flavors that is just common sense. As I said I do not find cleaning a syringe 30 times to be a major problem.

 

[zoiDman]

I clean the syringes before they are used for a different flavors that is just common sense. As I said I do not find cleaning a syringe 30 times to be a major problem.

Cool. I figured you did.

But I wanted to throw it Out There because So Many People read these threads who are New to DIY. And that might Not have occurred to a Few of them.

 

[Alien Traveler]

Lab grade pipettes can have both precision and accuracy better than 0.001g (when measuring water). Overkill for e-liquids. But please, do not say that measuring by weight is more precise. More convenient? May be.