Anyone using the Robart hobby paint shaker to shake juice?

[soupy1970]

Wondering what your thoughts are on the Robart hobby paint shaker to help steep juice? I actually just got one and really can't tell if it is doing anything. I don't see any change in the appearance of the juice after 1 minute run time. I can shake it by hand for a 2 seconds and see air bubbles, but using the side to side motion that the Robart machine uses, I don't see any change at all.

I'm wondering if it's just a waste and I should return it, or if it is actually working and is better since it doesn't create air bubbles. I don't like that it can't do bottles larger than 50ml. I tried a 120ml bottle on it and it barely moved and looked like it was putting a lot of strain on it, so I turned it off immediately. I'm probably going to return it, but would like to hear from folks who have used it.

Thanks,
Ken

 

[Boletus]

In my experience, heat with occasional shaking makes a lot more difference than just lots of shaking.

 

[soupy1970]

In my experience, heat with occasional shaking makes a lot more difference than just lots of shaking.

I'm waiting for the rest of my supplies to start DIy juice making. My plan is to mix up my batches in a beaker, than use a drink mixer to give the juice a quick mix. I then plan on using my Harbor Freight UC (I already own the 8 min heated UC) to steep for a few hours. I just thought the Paint shaker would come in handy for a few shakes in between, or for just routine daily shaking of juice. I'm just concerned since I can't physically see any difference after using it on a few bottles I have. All the you tube videos show it mixing hobby paint, and nail polish just fine though. It must be doing something if it's taking paint that has separated and mixes it to be like new again.

Here is a link to a quick video of the drink mixer. I paid under $7 shipped on eBay and it looks better than a normal milk frother. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1LEHXpJVPY

 

[Boletus]

Sounds like the paint shaker minimizes turbulence, which makes sense because bubbles in you paint would be a problem. I would expect it works, but might require a longer time than something that provides more vigorous mixing. Some say you should minimize the amount of air incorporated into you juice during mixing, others say the more the better, so take your pick and see what works I suppose. I just shake by hand, but I found that putting my juice into a food dehydrator at 140-150 deg F for a few hours and taking it out and giving it a good shake every hour or so does the job for me, whereas I can shake until the cows come home at room temperature and it does not accomplish much.

Dannyv45 has a good blog on steeping that compares a few methods. If you have not seen it, it is worth checking out:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...you-wanted-know-about-steeping-then-some.html

 

[soupy1970]

Thanks! I will read that blog in a minute. Hopefully he discusses magnet stirs too. That is another option I was contemplating. I have enough old computer parts laying around that I could build a nice 4 beaker stir plate. The single stir is the downfall I see when making several batches of juice at once. But I am thinking of taking a old desktop PC and mounting 4 fans facing up with magnets. I can use a 4 fan fan control made for the computer to control all 4 fans. I can easily jump the PC power supply to work without a motherboard so it would really be just a matter gutting a PC and drilling fan mounts. The power supply would put off some heat, but I doubt it would be enough to help. Maybe I could just toss my food dehydrator in the case with the cord coming out the back .

 

[soupy1970]

I just read the blog and it had good info. Thanks again for that link. Sounds like all I need to do is mix it real good with the drink mixer tool, taste it, then carry the beaker right over to the UC and run it for 5 hours. My UC does keep it's heat after it gets up to temp so I will just run the heat function for 10 minutes or so. Now I just need to figure out how to bypass the timer. It's going to take me 37 resets to run for 5 hours.

 

[Boletus]

That's starting to sound a little scary, but if you are experienced working with electronics, I will say no more. Also, maybe you have been mixing for a while and already know exactly what you want to make, but if not, do small batches first to make sure the recipes are suited to your taste.

 

[soupy1970]

That's starting to sound a little scary, but if you are experienced working with electronics, I will say no more. Also, maybe you have been mixing for a while and already know exactly what you want to make, but if not, do small batches first to make sure the recipes are suited to your taste.

Thanks again! No I have not mixed anything yet, but feel I am up to the task. I have acquired some recipes from some of the DIY recipe sites that look like they would be something close to what I usually vape. I am hoping I will learn how to make adjustments and come up with my old recipe's once I get a feel for what each flavor taste like. I ordered about 100 flavors (some same flavor, but from different manufacturer). I have some here, but still waiting on measuring tools to arrive.

My ideas can be a little scary sometimes . I really need to just stick with my plan and worry about trying other ideas later down the road. I came across some stir plate threads and thought, It would be so simple to make and I have everything here. I build computers, but I really need to just focus on making my first batch using the UC for now. The stir plate would be more for the fun of making it, but it's not like I won't be busy making juice. Thanks again!

 

[Boletus]

It is really, really easy to make something using a recipe you found somewhere and have it taste awful to you, even if 6 other people on the internet claim they like it. That is why small test batches are essential before mixing up a large batch of anything. Here is a blog I wrote with some general pointers that might be very helpful:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blogs/boletus/6859-general-tips-new-e-juice-diy-ers.html

 

[soupy1970]

Thanks, just finished reading those. Is there any blogs, or even a worksheet explaining which notes/information is important to know for each flavor. Like, does it contain any bad ingredients, is it a tank cracker, what % is recommended for testing etc. I can make one, but it would be nice to know if I am forgetting anything important to note about flavors in my possession. This is a project I might try to work on tomorrow so I know more about my flavors before using them. I plan on trying to go to the manufacturer's websites and note anything I can about each flavor I have purchased. I know some off the top of my head are considered bad, but I bought a few to try so I have something to compare the replacement to, such as CAP Vanilla Custard and CAP Vanilla Custard v2.

 

[dannyv45]

I just read the blog and it had good info. Thanks again for that link. Sounds like all I need to do is mix it real good with the drink mixer tool, taste it, then carry the beaker right over to the UC and run it for 5 hours. My UC does keep it's heat after it gets up to temp so I will just run the heat function for 10 minutes or so. Now I just need to figure out how to bypass the timer. It's going to take me 37 resets to run for 5 hours.

I would just shake it by hand for 30 seconds to get the ingredents mixed up and UC it. Shake it after every hour of UC until it's done. It seems to me that using a paint shaker is more a hastle then anything else.

 

[dannyv45]

But I am thinking of taking a old desktop PC and mounting 4 fans facing up with magnets. I can use a 4 fan fan control made for the computer to control all 4 fans. I can easily jump the PC power supply to work without a motherboard so it would really be just a matter gutting a PC and drilling fan mounts. The power supply would put off some heat, but I doubt it would be enough to help. Maybe I could just toss my food dehydrator in the case with the cord coming out the back .

It sounds like an involved project but if you have the talent to make a heated stir plate it will work very well for steeping. I saw the comment you left in my blog and as I mentioned the important thing is to make sure it maintains a temperature of 150F. Keep us posted on your progress and good luck.

 

[soupy1970]

It sounds like an involved project but if you have the talent to make a heated stir plate it will work very well for steeping. I saw the comment you left in my blog and as I mentioned the important thing is to make sure it maintains a temperature of 150F. Keep us posted on your progress and good luck.

Building a 4 beaker stir plate out of a PC would be super easy. Everything is there except for the fan control and maybe adding a couple more fans (which I have a box full). Those controllers that control 4 individual fans are around $15 and will slide right into the slot the dvd drive is. Super easy project and all the wiring is done. The hiccup in my plan is the $5 candle warmer I just took apart will not work because the warming plate is highly magnetizable. The heating element could be taken out and mounted directly to the PC case but I the heat would no longer be pinpointed to the beaker and would just heat the whole PC case. Still I think I have a good plan for someone that would want a 4 beaker stir plate without heat. Maybe when I have more time I will see what I can come up with for heat.

For now, I will just use the UC method. Which I have a question while I have your attention. Normally I would breath a freshly made bottle of juice for a few hours. If I put the beaker straight into the UC before bottling leaving it open will the 5 hours in the UC be like having a bottle open for a couple weeks steeping? Or will the UC not speed the breathing aspect up at all?

 

[Boletus]

Regarding flavors with ingredients you may want to avoid, here is a thread that is probably a good place to start. Although many here feel the concern is overblown, others feel like why take risks you can avoid, so again check it out and decide for yourself.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...s-may-contain-diacetyl-there-really-many.html

There is a thread here somewhere with recommended percentages for a lot of flavors. I don't have time to find it this morning, but you could search for it. Vendors sometimes list % ranges, and for specific falvors, you can post a question here (be sure to include the brand and the name). Make the thread title as specific as possible.

Regarding breathing, not all flavors need it and for those that do, 12-24 hours at room temp is usually enough, a warmer temp will reduce that. Best approach for that is to test right after mixing and then again a few times during the process. Same for steeping too; not every flavor benefits from steeping at all, and some are best freshly mixed. Record your findings for each flavor. In fact, record everything you can think of during the mixing, steeping, breathing, and testing processes. You can always ignore info you don't need, but it is easy to forget important details.

 

[dannyv45]

Building a 4 beaker stir plate out of a PC would be super easy. Everything is there except for the fan control and maybe adding a couple more fans (which I have a box full). Those controllers that control 4 individual fans are around $15 and will slide right into the slot the dvd drive is. Super easy project and all the wiring is done. The hiccup in my plan is the $5 candle warmer I just took apart will not work because the warming plate is highly magnetizable. The heating element could be taken out and mounted directly to the PC case but I the heat would no longer be pinpointed to the beaker and would just heat the whole PC case. Still I think I have a good plan for someone that would want a 4 beaker stir plate without heat. Maybe when I have more time I will see what I can come up with for heat.

For now, I will just use the UC method. Which I have a question while I have your attention. Normally I would breath a freshly made bottle of juice for a few hours. If I put the beaker straight into the UC before bottling leaving it open will the 5 hours in the UC be like having a bottle open for a couple weeks steeping? Or will the UC not speed the breathing aspect up at all?

Worst comes to worst you can always buy one from ebay. This one here is a nice one and cost about the same as what you would invest building it yourself.

Magnetic Stirrer with Hot Plate SH 2 | eBay

 

[soupy1970]

Regarding flavors with ingredients you may want to avoid, here is a thread that is probably a good place to start. Although many here feel the concern is overblown, others feel like why take risks you can avoid, so again check it out and decide for yourself.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...s-may-contain-diacetyl-there-really-many.html

There is a thread here somewhere with recommended percentages for a lot of flavors. I don't have time to find it this morning, but you could search for it. Vendors sometimes list % ranges, and for specific falvors, you can post a question here (be sure to include the brand and the name). Make the thread title as specific as possible.

Regarding breathing, not all flavors need it and for those that do, 12-24 hours at room temp is usually enough, a warmer temp will reduce that. Best approach for that is to test right after mixing and then again a few times during the process. Same for steeping too; not every flavor benefits from steeping at all, and some are best freshly mixed. Record your findings for each flavor. In fact, record everything you can think of during the mixing, steeping, breathing, and testing processes. You can always ignore info you don't need, but it is easy to forget important details.

I seen the thread with recommend % for for flavors, thanks. I need to figure out a system to index my flavors. I went overboard and ordered around 100 flavors. I didn't mind spending the money and figured once I'm setup, the savings will come later. Anyway, I may start a new thread about record keeping tips. I'm not sure if I should start a Rolodex of the flavors with the info, or if I should make a worksheet to print out for each flavor and put in a binder where I would also store recipe's. Maybe there is an app for my android base tablet that would work too.

I bought some of the flavors I already know are viewed as unsafe by some. I feel I've already been vaping some of these anyway in store bought liquid. I just want to see for myself if say Capella's custard v1 is worth the risk over say Capella's Custard v2. Maybe I will find the v1 is a million times better tasting which I may save that for an occasional treat and vape it modestly.

 

[Boletus]

I seen the thread with recommend % for for flavors, thanks. I need to figure out a system to index my flavors. I went overboard and ordered around 100 flavors. I didn't mind spending the money and figured wants I'm setup, the savings will come later. Anyway, I may start a new thread about record keeping tips. I'm not sure if I should start a Rolodex of the flavors with the info, or if I should make a worksheet to print out for each flavor and put in a binder where I would also store recipe's. Maybe there is an app for my android base tablet that would work too.

I bought some of the flavors I already know are viewed as unsafe by some. I feel I've already been vaping some of these anyway in store bought liquid. I just want to see for myself if say Capella's custard v1 is worth the risk over say Capella's Custard v2. Maybe I will find the v1 is a million times better tasting which I may save that for an occasional treat and vape it modestly.

Sounds like you are on the right track. But starting out with 100 flavors could be rough. The more variables an equation has, the harder it is to solve. If it were me, I would take 10 of those to start messing with and hide the rest for a while. But I am a minimalist by nature.

 

[soupy1970]

Worst comes to worst you can always buy one from ebay. This one here is a nice one and cost about the same as what you would invest building it yourself.

Magnetic Stirrer with Hot Plate SH 2 | eBay

I thought of that, but I have a feeling I will be steeping more than one juice at a time sometimes. The UC seems to be the most cost effective for steeping more than one at a time. Unless I can figure out a way to build the 4 stir plate with heat for under $100. I don't know enough about the heat to feel comfortable. Maybe down the rode I can start a thread with my ideas and bring others on board to help with the design to come up with something feasible. I might build the 4 stir without heat when I have moire time because it will be really easy and cheap since I would only need to buy the fan control. This would give a design to work from and hopefully get others interested. I first need to work on getting experience with making juice first though and stop sidetracking myself with these ideas . I just got most of my supplies in today. Enough to make something with what flavors have shown up. Maybe later tonight I will try a simple one flavor test batch. Might do the Cappella's apple pie v1 and v2 comparison at say 10% just to see what I come up with.

 

[soupy1970]

Sounds like you are on the right track. But starting out with 100 flavors could be rough. The more variables an equation is, the harder it is to solve. If it were me, I would take 10 of those to start messing with and hide the rest for a while. But I am a minimalist by nature.

I watched some videos on making the juice and read up on the warnings of using NIC. Once I got over the fear of using nic (I'm starting with 48mg/ml) I thought to myself this is going to be super easy. I now know this isn't going to be super easy. At first I thought I will just start making all these clone recipes and I will find some great juice. I have a feeling after reading both of your blogs, along with a couple others that this will probably not be the case. I'm not afraid to fail though, and if I waste some juice, so be it. I can't tell you the amount of juice I have bought online that is just sitting here going to waste. This DIY has to be cheaper in the long run.

 

[Boletus]

I watched some videos on making the juice and read up on the warnings of using NIC. Once I got over the fear of using nic (I'm starting with 48mg/ml) I thought to myself this is going to be super easy. I now know this isn't going to be super easy. At first I thought I will just start making all these clone recipes and I will find some great juice. I have a feeling after reading both of your blogs, along with a couple others that this will probably not be the case. I'm not afraid to fail though, and if I waste some juice, so be it. I can't tell you the amount of juice I have bought online that is just sitting here going to waste. This DIY has to be cheaper in the long run.

You will come out ahead for sure, if you stick with it. IMO, one of the big problems for some people is their expectations, so starting slowly with things that are likely to work is what I always recommend. And I have said this before elsewhere and likely will again; you can't buy patience and a willingness to learn from less than complete success, but they will serve you well if you can find them. And someone else said it before me, but there is no such thing as a failed experiment, just unexpected results to learn from.

But don't be discouraged by any of that. You can make good juice coming out of the gate, as long as you do not expect to make something exactly like a specific juice you got somewhere else.