I'm totally confused here and pretty sure I'm missing something, but what exactly does adding food coloring to VG/PG and noting that it does dissolve/darken prove, exactly? ....
... I must be the only person missing what is going on Greybeard, to me a far more meaningful test would be of two identical testers one UC and one not and then tasting periodically and noting any differences.
@stols001, didn't mean to cause any confusion, quite the opposite in fact. The original researcher [Nik-o-tine] made an assertion on YouTube that using a UC was pointless when it comes to mixing juice, built I believe on faulty logic. Just because 2 liquids don't mix in a particular plastic container in a UC bath, doesn't mean they won't mix in another medium, e.g. glass. I tried to replicate his experiment as closely as I could, but the lack of a soft plastic bottle and liquid food colouring meant I couldn't duplicate it with 100% accuracy.
What it proves [and the second experiment really surprised me with it's effectiveness] is that a UC is extremely good and very quick at mixing PG and VG solutions. I expected it to take at least 5-10 minutes due to the natural viscosity of VG, and as I didn't turn on the UC's heating element. I'm so impressed with it, I'll use this method for my next set of 10ml samples, albeit in glass bottles. Larger volumes I think are more suitable for the magnetic stirrer. So far so good.
What the experiment doesn't address, as you rightly say, is any
qualitative improvement in the ejuice, or to ask the same question in a different way - "Will a UC steep my juice better/quicker?" etc. The best we can answer at this point without further tests is "maybe". Which is a lot more encouraging for those who use a UC bath than the original assertion that no mixing equates to no steeping.
One of the tests that seem to be a good indicator of how well the juice has steeped is the colour, and when I get some more kit I intend to make a batch of juice both standalone and in the UC then compare the developing colour over a time period. I think this will be a much more objective test than my very subjective taste buds - it will be very interesting to see the results.
So much of the whole steeping/maturing debate seems to revolve around what works for individual people, yet there seems to be little understanding as to
why a particular method works. Which is fair enough, if a particular method works for you and you are happy with the results, no problem. For a newcomer though, it is really confusing, as there are so many conflicting opinions and little hard theory or proof. About the only common factor I can see most people agreeing with is time. Yet, there are those that swear you can shorten that by any number of methods.
I didn't quite realise the can of worms I was opening here, but I really want to document my DIY progress and findings for the benefit of all. I don't have access to a research budget, or even much kit for that matter. What I will try and do is be as scientific and empirical as I can, and maybe dispel a few myths and make a few discoveries in the process. What I really don't want to do is fall into the trap of confirmation bias, where I've effectively made my mind up before the results are in.
