Can I microwave my ejuice to speed up steeping?

[Bigdaddi]

Update 2: mixed another batch today with yet again another modification to the process. This time I did 6 blasts, with the first 4 blasts for 15 seconds and 3 minutes rest in between, then the final two blasts for 20 seconds and 2 minutes rest before the last blast, then the rest is the same after the last blast. Another change to the process is the liquid layering, still starting off with the nicotine, then followed by the PG this time, then the flavors and finally the VG. No juice popping this time, and using a completely clean glass bottle ensuring that the plastic ring under the bottle neck was removed and added back later after the bottle had cooled down.

Reason for mixing the 2nd 30ml bottle is due to a friend's request who loved the juice so much that he asked me to make him some!

Will keep sharing updates.

 

[ChelsB]

Update 2: mixed another batch today with yet again another modification to the process. This time I did 6 blasts, with the first 4 blasts for 15 seconds and 3 minutes rest in between, then the final two blasts for 20 seconds and 2 minutes rest before the last blast, then the rest is the same after the last blast. Another change to the process is the liquid layering, still starting off with the nicotine, then followed by the PG this time, then the flavors and finally the VG. No juice popping this time, and using a completely clean glass bottle ensuring that the plastic ring under the bottle neck was removed and added back later after the bottle had cooled down.

Reason for mixing the 2nd 30ml bottle is due to a friend's request who loved the juice so much that he asked me to make him some!

Will keep sharing updates.

Thanks, you are an asset to this thread. I appreciate all the updates!


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[IDJoel]

And on direct to lung vaping, that's actually how I vape as well. What I meant was instead of the usual DTL method of vaping, try inhaling a bit of air right after having the Vape (just like with MTL vaping however on a DTL) and let me know whether you notice any difference in flavor with the same juice being used.

Got ya. Doing as you described; I only notice a slight dilution of the overall flavor profile. It is similar to the effect of not sealing my lip tightly around the drip tip as I inhale. Thereby, allowing a seepage of fresh air to be drawn in at the same time as the vapor. Still not a lot (if any) during the inhale and a slightly diluted exhale.

 

[Bigdaddi]

Got ya. Doing as you described; I only notice a slight dilution of the overall flavor profile. It is similar to the effect of not sealing my lip tightly around the drip tip as I inhale. Thereby, allowing a seepage of fresh air to be drawn in at the same time as the vapor. Still not a lot (if any) during the inhale and a slightly diluted exhale.

Exactly the trick is, I found the difference to be massive with max.VG juice! If you have any on you, give it a try and let me know what you think.

 

[IDJoel]

Exactly the trick is, I found the difference to be massive with max.VG juice! If you have any on you, give it a try and let me know what you think.

I don't do max VG anymore. I chased clouds for a short time but the high VG left me with chest congestion and was not conducive to my scuba diving. 40P/60V seems to be about my max these days. I don't mean this to sound snarky (which is the way it reads... I'm sorry) but is there a point to this? Is there something in particular I am supposed to be noticing? I don't ask to be argumentative; I just don't understand where you are trying to lead me.

If it is that airflow affects flavor, I appreciate the experimentation, but that is why I use tanks with large bore drip tips, and generous adjustable airflow. This allows me to fine tune airflow to each specific recipe as my taste buds dictate on any given day without having to alter the way I inhale. If it is something else I am all ears.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

I just tested a modified version of Visus' modified version (yes, I modified the process for the 2nd time - see Visus' 1st modification to his thread stated in one of my earlier posts, which can be found in the 2nd page of the thread and posted by Visus himself obviously ), and I believe it's important to document this over here and share the outcome of my test results. This is probably a beginning of a series of posts with updates along the next 3-4 days (as I'll probably still vape the juice regardless of a particular concern that I'll mention later in this post).

Input:-
- Microwave Power:- 1400W.
- Microwave Power Adjustment:- Down to 60% ~ 840W.
- Bottle:- 30ml Glass, with the plastic ring right underneath the bottle neck/cap included, and a glossy label glued on the bottle (important to remember - you might have probably figured out why already ).
- Juice Blend:- 60VG/40PG - 6.15% flavor (4 flavors - all PG based - 3 of which are FlavourArt flavors with one of them a tobacco flavor, and the 4th also another tobacco flavor) - 4.5mg PG based nicotine.

Process:-
1. Mixed the juice by placing the layers of liquid over each other. Took note of the order of liquid added:
1.a. Added Nicotine.
1.b. Added VG --> this could be my first mistake. Explanation will follow after the process.
1.c. Added Flavor.
1.d. Added PG, which started blending with the color of the flavor already --> again related to potentially my first mistake mentioned above.

2. Starter using the Microwave with my 2nd adjustment to the process, with the bottle cap off:
2.a. Adjusted the power as described above ~ 840W.
2.b. Used 20 second bursts for 6 times.
2.c. Left it rest for 3 minutes between bursts.

Observations on Step 2, repeating sub-steps 2.b. and 2.c. [CAUTION: EXTREMELY HOT BOTTLE. USE AN OVEN GLOVE OR FOLD A TOWEL AND USE IT TO BE ABLE TO GRIP THE BOTTLE]:-
1. Bottle heats up above warm levels ~ warm-hot. Left to rest for 3 minutes.
2. Bottle now on the hot side as far as temperature is concerned. Liquid reaches high closer to the bottle neck than its height when first layered in the bottle. Left to rest for 3 minutes.
3. Liquid pops once within the last 3-5 seconds of this Burt. Bottle now extremely hot with smoke starting to form - bottle label and plastic ring underneath the bottle neck deforming, leaving me under the impression that the formed smoke may not be just the liquid's smoke. Left to rest for 3 minutes.
4. The rest of the label (or what's left of it) fell off the bottle and started burning! And the plastic ring underneath the bottle neck completely soft. Had too much smoke with unpleasant odor inside the microwave. Left microwave door open, brought the bottle out of the microwave, forced airing the inside of the microwave to get the smoke out using my hand, took off the rest of the really soft plastic ring using a knife, and placed the bottle back inside the microwave. Left to rest for 3 minutes.
5. Burst and rest for 3 minutes.
6. Burst for 13 seconds - 3 second check - burst for another 7 seconds. Left to rest for 10 minutes.
7. Brought bottle out and put the cap on - liquid still not all mixed as VG seems to be too heavy to blend with whatever's on top of it, hence the 1st mistake I mentioned above. Here's a photo (p.s. Blurriness on the bottle in the picture is from the remaining glue after the label melted (generating smoke)/fell off/burned (also generating smoke)).
View attachment 649653
8. Left to rest for 30 minutes to become warm (checked after 20 minutes and decided to leave it for 10 more minutes).
9. Gave the liquid a decent shake (not light, but not hard).
10. Loosened the cap and placed the bottle in a dark cool place (for almost an hour now).

Will taste tomorrow and let you know my thoughts. What's worth mentioning though is that I've changed the juice's recipe a bit this time but can already imagine what the juice should taste like, as I've only inscreased the percentages of a couple of flavors just a little bit.

Doesn't the heat destroy the nicotine? We have always been told that. Would it be better if you waited until all the processing was finished before putting it in?

eta just read your 2nd post where you do mention the nic. Did you test its strength?

 

[DaveP]

We all have our favorite ways to mix, steep, and otherwise improve our juices. I guess I'm old school. I mix it, shake it, and set it in a window sill over the kitchen sink where it's out of the way in a backlit position where it doesn't get direct sunlight. That lets me view the color and clarity over time and do a daily shake. After 2 weeks to a month (tobaccos) I start testing small samples in an atomizer. Once it's vapable I transfer it to LDPE and it goes into my ready to vape box.

PS: I don't whiz my juice, either! I think Whisk might have been the term a previous poster was looking for. I do shake the heck out of it, though.

 

[ChelsB]

Doesn't the heat destroy the nicotine? We have always been told that. Would it be better if you waited until all the processing was finished before putting it in?

eta just read your 2nd post where you do mention the nic. Did you test its strength?

How would one test the strength other than vaping it and having it satisfy your nic craving?


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[ChelsB]

I have decided that I'm going to take one for the team and actually try steeping I'm the microwave. I plan on not doing more than 5 seconds at a time . In a glass bottle, with the top removed


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[Sugar_and_Spice]

How would one test the strength other than vaping it and having it satisfy your nic craving?


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There are chemical test that some vendors sell. Wizard labs is one that come to mind.

Nicotine Test Kit

 

[ChelsB]

There are chemical test that some vendors sell. Wizard labs is one that come to mind.

Nicotine Test Kit

Oh, ok. I see what you mean. Why else would someone need that? Should I be testing my nic?


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[Sugar_and_Spice]

We all have our favorite ways to mix, steep, and otherwise improve our juices. I guess I'm old school. I mix it, shake it, and set it in a window sill over the kitchen sink where it's out of the way in a backlit position where it doesn't get direct sunlight. That lets me view the color and clarity over time and do a daily shake. After 2 weeks to a month (tobaccos) I start testing small samples in an atomizer. Once it's vapable I transfer it to LDPE and it goes into my ready to vape box.

PS: I don't whiz my juice, either! I think Whisk might have been the term a previous poster was looking for. I do shake the heck out of it, though.

I have tried using one of those frothers. Don't really care for them, as they do leave residual bubbles at the top that never seem to disappear....I will stay the old fashioned way.....good ole time....

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Oh, ok. I see what you mean. Why else would someone need that? Should I be testing my nic?


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I would only think on the rare occasion when you mixed two different strengths together if you are unsure of your results OR the VERY rare occasion when a nic vendor messes up. We all had quite the scare a few years back(with a company now out of business due to it) when a vaper received nic that was labeled 100mg and it was MUCH higher than that(real scarey level). Believe me when I say that you will know when something is wrong with a nic level that is way too high, either by smell or by vaping, Preferably the former and not the latter.

 

[ChelsB]

I would only think on the rare occasion when you mixed two different strengths together if you are unsure of your results OR the VERY rare occasion when a nic vendor messes up. We all had quite the scare a few years back(with a company now out of business due to it) when a vaper received nic that was labeled 100mg and it was MUCH higher than that(real scarey level). Believe me when I say that you will know when something is wrong with a nic level that is way too high, either by smell or by vaping, Preferably the former and not the latter.

I just ordered one!


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[Sugar_and_Spice]

I just ordered one!


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Always good to have one on hand.

 

[DaveP]

I have tried using one of those frothers. Don't really care for them, as they do leave residual bubbles at the top that never seem to disappear....I will stay the old fashioned way.....good ole time....

Me neither. I usually have enough steeped juice around to last a month or more. When I get down to 100ml or so I make some more. Some of what's left at that point may not be my favorite, but there's always a sufficient amount of unflavored left to vape. Unflavored can be extremely satisfying and it can be quickly turned into flavors that don't require much steeping.

 

[Bigdaddi]

but is there a point to this? Is there something in particular I am supposed to be noticing? I don't ask to be argumentative; I just don't understand where you are trying to lead me.

Hi IDJoel. Sorry for not being able to reply earlier as I've been too busy with work lately. Actually there isn't any point to this. Just figuring out if it was just me who finds the taste of the liquid to be better. I believe it's worth mentioning though that the massive difference (to the better) in taste that I found was when vaping on a DTL RTA as if it's a MTL one using one particular max. VG juice only. I've tried the 50/50 blend of the same juice from the same vendor but found the overall flavor to be a bit too intense for me. Maybe with the same characteristics of the overall taste but very intense to an unacceptable level for me.

use tanks with large bore drip tips

I feel you I'm rocking iJoy's Limitless XL and I'm loving it! In fact I use its single coil deck and am able to wick it like an RDA, and the flavor I get out of it is even much better to me than the flavor I get out of the Ammit RTA! I'm actually thinking of posting a separate thread about that!

eta just read your 2nd post where you do mention the nic. Did you test its strength?

There are chemical test that some vendors sell. Wizard labs is one that come to mind.

Nicotine Test Kit

Hi Sugar_and_Spice. Thank you for sharing the URL of the nicotine test kit! I would've definitely tested if I had it or was able to order it. It's too bad that I can probably never normally/legally receive an order of that kit in Egypt (i.e. via ordering online and shipping overseas) due to the usual implications with the customs over here, not to mention the crazy difference in price if found in Egypt as it would probably be brought in illegally if actually found in the first place.

How would one test the strength other than vaping it and having it satisfy your nic craving?

In fact that's exactly how I tested it In fact right now I'm on a fresh new wick (and a new wire - doing 316SS 26GA 0.90 ohms on temperature control) and vaping on the same juice that I nuked and shared its process outcome with you guys, and I'm still enjoying the taste and find it to be still exactly how it tasted 9 hours after completing the process.

I do have one concern though which I believe could be serious. I'm still having doubts about whether the extra sweetness I'm tasting is because of the increase of one of the flavors in the mix that I added for this batch as a modification to the recipe, or if it's because the juice steeped better than the previous batches I made, keeping in mind that I never naturally steeped that recipe and so I cannot tell how a fully steeped version of it would taste like unfortunately. This leads me to sharing the same concerns that you previously mentioned, quoting:

I'm now concerned about reaching over 150 degrees and having the sugars crystallize, as I vape sweet juice

 

[Bigdaddi]

I have decided that I'm going to take one for the team and actually try steeping I'm the microwave. I plan on not doing more than 5 seconds at a time . In a glass bottle, with the top removed


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That's exciting! How did that work for you?? ? ? Details please!

 

[ChelsB]

I haven't done it yet. I'm waiting for my son to go to bed


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[Bigdaddi]

I haven't done it yet. I'm waiting for my son to go to bed


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It's four in the morning where I am and my 3 year old monkey (umm, son) just woke up!! Gotta take him back to bed or else I'll end up with the samurai version of my wife. Of course you can imagine the rest with an unhappy samurai girl in the scene, and I'm sure you don't want me to stop posting about this lovely topic just yet!