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Basically steeping is a way of letting the ingredients in the your juice mix up properly.
There are a lot of different methods to steep ejuice and everyone has a different approach to it...
I'll just tell you about a few of them that i know...
1. Letting the liquid sit in a dark cool place with no sunlight and shaking it vigorously for 10 15 seconds every 24 hrs or so.
2. Putting it in one of those ultrasonic cleaners that are used by jewelers and letting the mix stay in there for a few minutes to a few hrs depending on the ingredients used. This helps in mixing the components at a molecular level.
Some people really vouch for this method.
3. Some people like to let the liquid "breathe" for a while too... Just open the cap and let it sit for a few minutes.
There are a lot of different beliefs about steeping and it varies from person to person.
Basically you steep a liquid depending on the flavors used in it.
Some flavors might need a few days some might need a few weeks and some need a few months.
There are also recipes that are called "shake and vape" and you can just mix it all up and vape directly without waiting and it tastes good.
Steeping usually enhances the flavours and might even completely change the taste and smell of the juice from when you just mixed it.
There's no such fixed duration for steeping because as i said it depends on the flavors and the taste of the person vaping the juice.
Most of the companies that sell juice, sell it pre steeped which means it's ready to be vaped when you get it but that's not always true.... Sometimes they might mention an amount of time that you need to steep and even if they don't some people just like to steep to enhance the quality of the mix.
There's very limited number of recipes that spoil with over steeping... Usually all the juices get better with time but then again better is very subjective... Some might like a particular mix after a day of steeping some like it after a month.
There are a lot of threads on this forum about steeping I'd recommend you to check them out.
They're very informative and helpful.
HTH.
There are a lot of different methods to steep ejuice and everyone has a different approach to it...
I'll just tell you about a few of them that i know...
1. Letting the liquid sit in a dark cool place with no sunlight and shaking it vigorously for 10 15 seconds every 24 hrs or so.
2. Putting it in one of those ultrasonic cleaners that are used by jewelers and letting the mix stay in there for a few minutes to a few hrs depending on the ingredients used. This helps in mixing the components at a molecular level.
Some people really vouch for this method.
3. Some people like to let the liquid "breathe" for a while too... Just open the cap and let it sit for a few minutes.
There are a lot of different beliefs about steeping and it varies from person to person.
Basically you steep a liquid depending on the flavors used in it.
Some flavors might need a few days some might need a few weeks and some need a few months.
There are also recipes that are called "shake and vape" and you can just mix it all up and vape directly without waiting and it tastes good.
Steeping usually enhances the flavours and might even completely change the taste and smell of the juice from when you just mixed it.
There's no such fixed duration for steeping because as i said it depends on the flavors and the taste of the person vaping the juice.
Most of the companies that sell juice, sell it pre steeped which means it's ready to be vaped when you get it but that's not always true.... Sometimes they might mention an amount of time that you need to steep and even if they don't some people just like to steep to enhance the quality of the mix.
There's very limited number of recipes that spoil with over steeping... Usually all the juices get better with time but then again better is very subjective... Some might like a particular mix after a day of steeping some like it after a month.
There are a lot of threads on this forum about steeping I'd recommend you to check them out.
They're very informative and helpful.
HTH.
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Thanks Cf11! Very helpful info to clear some things up!
Cf11 did an excellent overview about steeping. 
As he said, most commercially prepared e-liquids do not require any steep time unless they were mixed with an alcohol base. If this is so, it is advisable to uncap the bottle overnight to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Most commercially prepared e-liquids have been sitting on a shelf in a warehouse for at least a few days prior to shipping to the consumer, so between that and shipping you've got about a week's' worth of steeping before it arrives in your mailbox.
Brick-and-mortar vape shops who mix up their own flavors at time of purchase may or may not require steeping, depending upon the flavor(s) or complexity of the recipe. The more complex the recipe, the more likely it will need steeping. Flavors like tobacco, coffee, some deserts, or complex fruit flavors may need steeping. Simple flavors generally will not. This goes for DIY mixers, too.
I personally use Mother Time to steep flavors. I may try it upon arrival and if tastes good, I vape it. If I think steeping will probably improve the taste, I will let it rest in a cool dark area for a few days, and try it again. Steeping will not improve a bad flavor or bad recipe.
Think of steeping like this. Imagine that you are making a delicious pot roast for dinner. You've got your meat and veggies cooked, and it tastes pretty good on the first day. But that same pot roast is going to improve over the next 2 - 4 days because all of the ingredients are going to be "steeped" for optimal flavor and taste enjoyment.
As he said, most commercially prepared e-liquids do not require any steep time unless they were mixed with an alcohol base. If this is so, it is advisable to uncap the bottle overnight to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Most commercially prepared e-liquids have been sitting on a shelf in a warehouse for at least a few days prior to shipping to the consumer, so between that and shipping you've got about a week's' worth of steeping before it arrives in your mailbox.
Brick-and-mortar vape shops who mix up their own flavors at time of purchase may or may not require steeping, depending upon the flavor(s) or complexity of the recipe. The more complex the recipe, the more likely it will need steeping. Flavors like tobacco, coffee, some deserts, or complex fruit flavors may need steeping. Simple flavors generally will not. This goes for DIY mixers, too.
I personally use Mother Time to steep flavors. I may try it upon arrival and if tastes good, I vape it. If I think steeping will probably improve the taste, I will let it rest in a cool dark area for a few days, and try it again. Steeping will not improve a bad flavor or bad recipe.
Think of steeping like this. Imagine that you are making a delicious pot roast for dinner. You've got your meat and veggies cooked, and it tastes pretty good on the first day. But that same pot roast is going to improve over the next 2 - 4 days because all of the ingredients are going to be "steeped" for optimal flavor and taste enjoyment.
Thank youCf11 did an excellent overview about steeping.
As he said, most commercially prepared e-liquids do not require any steep time unless they were mixed with an alcohol base. If this is so, it is advisable to uncap the bottle overnight to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Most commercially prepared e-liquids have been sitting on a shelf in a warehouse for at least a few days prior to shipping to the consumer, so between that and shipping you've got about a week's' worth of steeping before it arrives in your mailbox.
Brick-and-mortar vape shops who mix up their own flavors at time of purchase may or may not require steeping, depending upon the flavor(s) or complexity of the recipe. The more complex the recipe, the more likely it will need steeping. Flavors like tobacco, coffee, some deserts, or complex fruit flavors may need steeping. Simple flavors generally will not. This goes for DIY mixers, too.
Think of steeping like this. Imagine that you are making a delicious pot roast for dinner. You've got your meat and veggies cooked, and it tastes pretty good on the first day. But that same pot roast is going to improve over the next 2 - 4 days because all of the ingredients are going to be "steeped" for optimal flavor and taste enjoyment.
And you did a great job about explaining some things that i missed and a great example
Should clear it up for the OP.
Keep up the great work buddy
> Is it necessary?
Depends on flavour, but basicly yes.
> How long do I steep?
Depends. Some flavours require overnight steeping, some - one month and more
> Is it only if mixing my own juices or do all juices have a steeping time?
Do you think they use different components to produce "industrial" liquids?
The liquids from vape-shop usually are stocked for some time by the seller\maker, it adds to steeping process.
> Can you steep for too long?
Ad nauseam
In reality depends on many factors - some flavourings may introduce some bad or reduced flavour over the time, some not. Nicotine is prone to oxidise is there is enough air in the bottle. And so on and so on - practice more to make your own decisions.
Most interesting part
> an overview of the steeping process
I assume you are not good with chemistry, right?
I'll try then to describe it in quite simple way.
The molecules of a solvent - PG or VG - tend to form large conglomerates - several molecules stick to each other.
When initially you add flavouring to the solution and mix it, the mix looks like microdrops of the flavouring surrounded by these huge guys - solvent conglomerates.
Over the time the mixture becomes more homogeneous - smaller portions of flavouring surrounded by smaller conglomerates of PG.
What's wrong with the initial mix?
Well, that's where the chemistry and biology meet each other
The sensors on your taste buds are specialised molecules, trained to recognise specific substances. When the flavour molecule is enclosed in a huge bubble of PG molecules, it just cannot reach the sensor, poor thing.
When it has less guards, it has more chances to reach the target.
It's a bit more complicated in reality, but the overall picture is pretty much like this.
err..I think your fingers played a trick on you:
UV cleaners was most certainly meant to be ultrasonic cleaners (and not UV as light... )
(just to prevent confusion.. as you can get UV light devices that is meant as a bacteria/virus sanitizer/cleaner)
Urgh... My bad. Sorry [emoji14]
Thanks for correcting it and avoiding confusion
I'll edit it in the post so that if someone else reads it they don't get confused by it.
Again, thanks for pointing it out
Urgh... My bad. Sorry [emoji14]
Thanks for correcting it and avoiding confusion
I'll edit it in the post so that if someone else reads it they don't get confused by it.
Again, thanks for pointing it out
NP.. and great post btw, you covered pretty much everything.
The only item I'd add would be stirrers (magnetic or other.. heck I use a milk frother, as shaking bottles results in air bubbles, which can oxidize the nic and some flavour (but some flavour benefit from oxidation, so it's touch and go))
And then this relates to the shelf life that can depend on this oxidation.
So many details...
ThanksNP.. and great post btw, you covered pretty much everything.
The only item I'd add would be stirrers (magnetic or other.. heck I use a milk frother, as shaking bottles results in air bubbles, which can oxidize the nic and some flavour (but some flavour benefit from oxidation, so it's touch and go))
And then this relates to the shelf life that can depend on this oxidation.
So many details...
I actually thought about that, but then I didn't include it because i personally think I'd wanna avoid any external objects going in my liquid considering how they can be contaminated and i don't wanna inhale any contaminants into my lungs.
But you do make a good point. Oxidized nicotine can be bad... Really bad, have had some personal experience with it when i bought a juice with bad nic from a seller and it always made me cough a lot when i vaped it.
Thanks for your tip though, I'll try to use some mixing objects like a frother when i start DIYing and compare it with "unfrothed" liquid.
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Considering that magnetic stirrers are the "must-have" for some DIY lately... where you're dropping a magnetic "bullet/stirrer" and usually do it in open beakers anyways, and unless they have a clean-lab environment.. they will have airborne contaminants.Thanks
I actually thought about that, but then I didn't include it because i personally think I'd wanna avoid any external objects going in my liquid considering how they can be contaminated and i don't wanna inhale any contaminants into my lungs.
But you do make a good point. Oxidized nicotine can be bad... Really bad, have had some personal experience with it when i bought it from a seller and it always made me cough a lot when i vaped it.
Thanks for your tip though, I'll try to use some mixing objects like a frother when i start DIYing and compare it with "unfrothed" liquid.
Plus doing the transfer from one container to another.. there's a thousand ways to end up with a little something in your liquid.
I just get directly from drops into bottles, my base, the nic, and the stirrer's tip which is clean (and stir directly in the bottles). Due to the small hole in the bottle's neck, the odds of contaminant is fairly small, but then, as PG/VG are quite anti-microbial, so I don't worry at all.
For the frother, you need to either get a larger bottle for a steel "spring" tip for large batches, or for direct bottle, you have to get a slim tip (that expands via rotation speed) type. You just keep in under the liquid's surface and no air (or very little) gets in the liquid and it's mixes 100x better than just shaking a bottle.
Just to add..
Some people use blenders, mixers, etc.
And I admit that there's many times that my frother is struggling (anytime I'm over 50-100ml it's an issue), so if I could find a better device to do the mixing, I'd jump on it... a small non-battery powered mixer type that would have a support, and holder for the bottles, and a small tip that could go into bottles.
Trouble is, either we go from the milk frother that are very small and low power, to something like a hand mixer that's 1000x too powerful and no tip that works for this sort of stuff.
I might just end up building something.
EDIT: ARGH.. I just though of something... if it works, I'll follow up with pictures.
Some people use blenders, mixers, etc.
And I admit that there's many times that my frother is struggling (anytime I'm over 50-100ml it's an issue), so if I could find a better device to do the mixing, I'd jump on it... a small non-battery powered mixer type that would have a support, and holder for the bottles, and a small tip that could go into bottles.
Trouble is, either we go from the milk frother that are very small and low power, to something like a hand mixer that's 1000x too powerful and no tip that works for this sort of stuff.
I might just end up building something.
EDIT: ARGH.. I just though of something... if it works, I'll follow up with pictures.
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@Imfallen_Angel Agreed, not everyone has a completely sterile environment to work with.
I'm sure all this is coming from your personal experience in DIYing, so forgive me if I'm wrong in some places because i haven't actually done any DIYing yet. Still waiting on my order from fasttech to come and hopefully will start it soon.
But i don't think for batches that are relatively smaller (for eg a 30ml batch) NEED stirring. Do they?
I mean it should be easy enough to just shake them right?
I suppose batches that are 100ml or so might get a little difficult to shake properly because of the thickness of vg, in those situations it might be optimal to use a stirred or a mixer of some sort as you suggested.
I have seen someone build something with their drills and a hose of sorts and just put the bottle in and rotate it for hours, that might be a good way to shake.
Not sure how to explain it properly... but you get a vague picture.
I'm sure all this is coming from your personal experience in DIYing, so forgive me if I'm wrong in some places because i haven't actually done any DIYing yet. Still waiting on my order from fasttech to come and hopefully will start it soon.
But i don't think for batches that are relatively smaller (for eg a 30ml batch) NEED stirring. Do they?
I mean it should be easy enough to just shake them right?
I suppose batches that are 100ml or so might get a little difficult to shake properly because of the thickness of vg, in those situations it might be optimal to use a stirred or a mixer of some sort as you suggested.
I have seen someone build something with their drills and a hose of sorts and just put the bottle in and rotate it for hours, that might be a good way to shake.
Not sure how to explain it properly... but you get a vague picture.
@Cf11 No, you don't need a magnetic stirrer. Some people like them, especially if they make big batches only and/or certain other instances. All DIY liquids need some kind of stirring, but shaking is perfectly fine if the batch size is shakeable. I've never used a stirrer, partially to avoid exactly what @Imfallen_Angel said about contaminants. Maybe they are actually necessary if you're using NET or something (?) or only make huge batches, but not for small-scale with the overwhelming majority pre-bought flavoring.
As with almost everything vaping related, personal preference.
As with almost everything vaping related, personal preference.
@Imfallen_Angel Agreed, not everyone has a completely sterile environment to work with.
I'm sure all this is coming from your personal experience in DIYing, so forgive me if I'm wrong in some places because i haven't actually done any DIYing yet. Still waiting on my order from fasttech to come and hopefully will start it soon.
But i don't think for batches that are relatively smaller (for eg a 30ml batch) NEED stirring. Do they?
I mean it should be easy enough to just shake them right?
I suppose batches that are 100ml or so might get a little difficult to shake properly because of the thickness of vg, in those situations it might be optimal to use a stirred or a mixer of some sort as you suggested.
I have seen someone build something with their drills and a hose of sorts and just put the bottle in and rotate it for hours, that might be a good way to shake.
Not sure how to explain it properly... but you get a vague picture.
The goal is to have a uniform mix, you're trying to get the flavoring's molecules to both be mixed in the base, but also some flavours will bind together (basically what the steeping does), so the more mixed ... so just shaking, not really that great.
So regardless of bottle/quantity, it needs to be mixed well.
The difference would be that with shaking you have:
- a lot of air bubbles
- you need to do it every day for the first few days
- loss of some percentage of the flavour
- can't be certain of no "hot spots" where nicotine or flavouring might be "bubble up" and not mix well with the rest
Since I switched to shaking to using a frother, I find it much easier (as I can end up doing about 30-40 bottles in one afternoon) on the arm, the "steeping" is reduced by almost half I'd say, some quick recipes are ready within a day or two.
And if you are shaking and the top comes off the bottle (or it slips and breaks)... you will have a mess..
I would never want to go back to shaking bottles.
Thanks for confirming... That's what i thought, i have a few 30ml bottles of juice steeping right now that I bought and I'm hoping that cool dark place with hand shaking would be enough.
The only other reason i can think of for having a "shaker" for small batches is if there's not much space in the bottle to shake( 30ml juice in a 30ml bottle can get a little difficult to mix considering the liquid doesn't have much space to move around).
Oh, I never said you needed one, just that they are quite popular with some people.
They also go with heat plates, etc. which for me is way over the top.
And as far as contaminants... I've never worried about it.. I make sure my desk and all my items are clean, and I've never had an issue about something going "opps" into it.
Heck, I've made a few messes and scooped the liquid back into the bottles with my fingers. But then, I do wash my hands regularly
.But for shaking, see the reply I just did above... there's a "limit" to how well it really does do the job.
Fruit Flavors usually aren't too bad without steeping although some may have alcohol in them so they may need breathed...
Cream and more complex flavors take time to mix, the flavors molecules sort of break down then mix to give you the final flavor, with VG being so thick it takes a lot longer than let say... Mixing a jug of iced tea..
Cream and more complex flavors take time to mix, the flavors molecules sort of break down then mix to give you the final flavor, with VG being so thick it takes a lot longer than let say... Mixing a jug of iced tea..
@Imfallen_Angel No no, you definitely didn't say anyone needs a mixer. Cf asked if "you.. NEED stirring" for smaller batches; I assumed he meant a stirrer, and the answer to need is no. But you have well explained why you might want or prefer one
As for contaminants, I'm sure it's as safe as anything else we use to DIY. I have (actual) OCD, so I'm kind of very obsessive about that stuff. I can't see myself fully enjoying a bottle of juice i've tossed anything like that into, not because of logic but my own broken brain.
As for contaminants, I'm sure it's as safe as anything else we use to DIY. I have (actual) OCD, so I'm kind of very obsessive about that stuff. I can't see myself fully enjoying a bottle of juice i've tossed anything like that into, not because of logic but my own broken brain.
Steeping is um.. not always something I worry about (?)... have I got away with that?
Back in the bad 'good old days' of buying niche liquids made to order, by 4 days to week or so after it was mixed and posted to you, the juice tasted just fine and dandy.
Obviously most liquids get better, but many are shake and vac.
Back in the bad 'good old days' of buying niche liquids made to order, by 4 days to week or so after it was mixed and posted to you, the juice tasted just fine and dandy.
Obviously most liquids get better, but many are shake and vac.
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