Complete DIY novice questions

[Withdrewandi]

Ok so as the title says I am a complete and utter DIY novice in fact I am only just gathering my equipment together to get started. I have a a couple of questions that I would like to ask ( even tho I know you will have answered them a million times lol)

1) what's better a higher pg or vg mix, I have only used b&m varieties they all seem to be at least 70% pg so are good "ish" for flavour but not for vapour

2) Steeping seems to be a very confusing subject as from what I have read anything from a minute to a month is right any help on that would be great lol

Now I am sure I will have many more questions in the coming weeks and months but this will help me get started

 

[township]

The great thing about DIY is that you get to answer your own questions. Sure, folks are willing to share their experiences and opinions, they'll even try to steer you in the right direction, but YOU get the final say. If it works for you then that's the right answer.

With that out of the way.

PG or VG?
I like a higher PG mix. VG will produce a lot more vapor, but I don't really care for the taste of VG. I mix around 70pg/30vg. As for flavor, you can mix good flavors at any PG/VG mixture.

Steeping?
Some mixes are good right away and some DO take time. For what it is worth, I have never had a mix that did not improve with time. Some with amazing improvement.

You'll know when you get it right, Good luck

 

[Withdrewandi]

The great thing about DIY is that you get to answer your own questions. Sure, folks are willing to share their experiences and opinions, they'll even try to steer you in the right direction, but YOU get the final say. If it works for you then that's the right answer.

With that out of the way.

PG or VG?
I like a higher PG mix. VG will produce a lot more vapor, but I don't really care for the taste of VG. I mix around 70pg/30vg. As for flavor, you can mix good flavors at any PG/VG mixture.

Steeping?
Some mixes are good right away and some DO take time. For what it is worth, I have never had a mix that did not improve with time. Some with amazing improvement.

You'll know when you get it right, Good luck

Had a feeling this was going to be as subjective as " which mod should I purchase " lol I look forward to making my own mistakes and my own amazing discoveries lol

 

[township]

The amazing discoveries make all the mistakes disappear.

Check out the DIY sub-forum, lotsa great stuff there. At least a thousand "right" answers to your questions.

 

[AttyPops]

Yeah, it's definitely subjective.

Few hints:
1) As a general rule, most of the TH comes from the nic. Some comes from the PG and flavorings though. When in doubt, just try a few ml of VG plain..no nic or flavor, maybe thinned a bit with some water. You'll see how smooth that is. Lots of vapor, almost no "feel".
2) The PG does carry flavor better.
3) VG takes longer to steep than PG (IMHO).
4) Steeping optional, but at least a day helps. Can use a warm-water bath to help speed it up.
5) All VG is usually too think for most setups. It must be thinned.

Good luck!

 

[sonicdsl]

Moved to DIY e-liquid Forum

 

[Withdrewandi]

Moved to DIY e-liquid Forum

Oooooopppppppssssssss sorry wonder why I didn't open it there in the first place lol

 

[Mrdaputer]

Yep it's true its all up to you. For what it is worth my When trying a new Recipe I will make up a couple to a few 5ml with different flavors and ratios or pg/vg ratios. I then pull out my 510 atty and drip them. Sometimes I think they need to steep to get better. Steeping is also a can of worms... The common link is to keep your juice in a cool dark place. Some say take the top off some say no. Some say shake others say just leave it alone. Again for what it is worth Everyday I squeeze out the air give them a good shake and put them back in the cool dark place. After about 3 days I drip them again. This could go on for 3 weeks. What I think everyone will agree on is get a notebook and keep notes. There has been times when I think I will remember that. Only to find out when it is time DOH

 

[Withdrewandi]

Yep it's true its all up to you. For what it is worth my When trying a new Recipe I will make up a couple to a few 5ml with different flavors and ratios or pg/vg ratios. I then pull out my 510 atty and drip them. Sometimes I think they need to steep to get better. Steeping is also a can of worms... The common link is to keep your juice in a cool dark place. Some say take the top off some say no. Some say shake others say just leave it alone. Again for what it is worth Everyday I squeeze out the air give them a good shake and put them back in the cool dark place. After about 3 days I drip them again. This could go on for 3 weeks. What I think everyone will agree on is get a notebook and keep notes. There has been times when I think I will remember that. Only to find out when it is time DOH

Got a notebook and pen all sorted just waiting on the delivery of my equipment now.. Going to start off easy 1 flavour juices little amounts 5 maybe 10ml and make 2 batches of each flavour as you say in different ratios.. Thinking a 50/50 and a 70/30 vg/pg to start with anyway.... As for steeping looks like everyone has a different way or different view so I suppose it's mostly gut feeling lol really looking forward to trying DIY juice but it's gonna make me buy a new mod and topper cos I know it will lead to dripping and my MVP and naut mini tank won't cut the mustard for that lol

 

[Tamer El-Meehy]

Ok so as the title says I am a complete and utter DIY novice in fact I am only just gathering my equipment together to get started. I have a a couple of questions that I would like to ask ( even tho I know you will have answered them a million times lol)

1) what's better a higher pg or vg mix, I have only used b&m varieties they all seem to be at least 70% pg so are good "ish" for flavour but not for vapour

2) Steeping seems to be a very confusing subject as from what I have read anything from a minute to a month is right any help on that would be great lol

Now I am sure I will have many more questions in the coming weeks and months but this will help me get started

Hi Withdrewandi...glad someone is newer than me so that I can show off my lengthy single month or so experience!!!

Here is what I learned first hand:

1. Don't use drops, use mls..so get a few syringes to start with. Try to be as accurate and careful as possible, especially with your nic concentration!
2. Nic concentration: we're dealing with poison that can have devastating effects if not handled with extra care and can put lives in danger. So be very careful and double check a zillion times your nic concentration in your base, and in your liquid. That's why you're better off using syringes and mls, not droppers and drops.
3. See no. 2 above
4. Tobacco based flavors take longer to steep. It took my RY4 about a month to become vapable, and 5 weeks to become really enjoyable.
5. See no. 2 above
6. Start off with single flavor liquids. It's simpler and the probability of screwing it up is lower (some flavors don't mix well together)
7. More is not necessarily better when it comes to flavors. I started with Flavor Arts RY4 (currently in my second batch ..around 20 mls..planning to go into mass production if it turns out as good as my first batch). Most people advised to start with 2-5% flavor concentration and I believe they were right. One guy went for 15+% and No one has seen him ever since.
8. See no. 2 above.
9. Even the brightest and most experienced can make mistakes (I'm a genius ..LOL and I did makes a stooooopid mistake with my nic concentration. But I was modest enough to post my recipe here one whole day before I started..and it probably saved my life because some people took the time to scrutinize the figures and percentages I had and alerted me.
10. People have different ways of steeping. There is a consensus that time In a dark cool place is your best friend. But some suggest heat (in the form of a crock pot mainly) and ultrasonic jewelry cleaners to speed up the process. Others suggest warm water baths. For me my cupboard and a bit of painful patience were the right way.

11. When it comes to nic and flavor it is advisable to make the mistake of using too little, than making a mistake of using too much. It's easier to add flavor and nic

Hope it works out fine with you, and do share your experience with us..there's a great deal to be learned especially by me

P.S. Don't forget to see no. 2 above



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Stacy1]

spend as many hours as you can in the DIY section of forum reading and you'll be fine! Everything you need to know to be successful at DIY is there you just have to find it. Main points are to first, get a good understanding of the safety concerns with handling Nic base, 2nd- you can't have too many syringes, blunt tip needles and bottles. With DIY the sky is the limit pretty much. If you aren't a patient person, speeding up the steeping process through use of a crock pot, ultra sonic cleaner, or warm water baths is a really good idea. Not all juices require steeping to be good, but most all are better after steeping

 

[Tom Fuller]

Having a few months of experience DIY for myself and family; my supplies list is down to a few minimum tools.

Gloves
30 ML syringes
10 ML syringes
1 ML syringes
16 gauge or even 14 if can find fill/blunt needle tips
I make 100 ML batches in 120ML glass bottles.

On the steeping thing some flavors/chemicals (so this applies more to artificial flavors than concentrates) will bond when steeped. This can either improve or compliment or it can change completely. I make a melon mix of honey dew, water melon, cantaloupe, and menthol. During the first week or so the melons are more prominent. The following weeks it gets closer and closer to a Hubba Bubba original gum flavor. The why is a total mystery to me. My guess is that the molecules change as they bond making the tongue "read" it as a different flavor. Maybe some of the more knowledgeable than me can explain it better.


Live Long and Vape!

 

[R Coy]

Check out this thread.


http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/602849-measure-weight-not-ml-2.html

I weigh my ingredients, and it is by far the easiest and most accurate way to mix.

I use this scale:

Amazon.com: American Weigh Scale Bt2-201 Digital Gram Pocket Grain Jewelry Scale, Black, 200 X 0.01 G: Electronics

These funnels:

65mm Funnel - Bull City Vapor

And I mix in these beakers:

Plastic Beakers - Bull City Vapor

Use the funnel to fill my vial/bottle and off I go.

 

[amoret]

Check out this thread.


http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/602849-measure-weight-not-ml-2.html

I weigh my ingredients, and it is by far the easiest and most accurate way to mix.

I use this scale:

Amazon.com: American Weigh Scale Bt2-201 Digital Gram Pocket Grain Jewelry Scale, Black, 200 X 0.01 G: Electronics

These funnels:

65mm Funnel - Bull City Vapor

And I mix in these beakers:

Plastic Beakers - Bull City Vapor

Use the funnel to fill my vial/bottle and off I go.

I agree completely, but I take it one step further and just mix in the bottles. I premix my nicotine/pg/vg (I vape between 18 & 24 mg/ml so I just mix it to 25, and the 20-24 I end up at is fine for me) and all that I need to clean up is one large syringe that is used to transfer the premixed base into the bottle I'm mixing in.

 

[JCanaday]

Other then flavors that are bought online is there any other ways I can put flavors in? (Like thing I can buy at the store?) Its just a thought I had.

 

[Withdrewandi]

Just waiting deliveries of equipment now and the journey will begin will let you all know how I get on

 

[readeuler]

I started DIY last week, and my only advice would be to pick a thread centered around a supplier, and stay tuned.

I happened upon the TFA thread, and there are some great juice-minds there. I'm sure there are in the Iwanara (sp?) thread, and all other supplier-centered threads.

Having the right ingredients seems critical to me starting out, and these types of threads have helped me figure out what will take my juice from complete noob, to the next level (beginner!). As much as I'd love to order TFA's complete catalogue, I'll be finding a strong dozen or so for my next order, with the help of all the great folks and recipes in the TFA thread.

 

[Withdrewandi]

First set of DIY juice done gone for my 2 favourite shop flavours... 10ml of bullhorn (red bull) 10ml of green apple both 50/50 14mg nic and roughly 20% flavour cos I am a flavour junkie the stronger the better for my old burnt out tarred up taste buds... Now for the hard part the waiting.. Decided to put them in a box after a very good shake will shake again in 12 hours then at least once a day no idea when to try them suppose when my patience wears out lol