DIY Juice... Too much trouble?

[DaveP]

Less is more when you first start mixing your own juices. The tendency is to add flavor on the top end of the recommended percentages. More isn't better and it's harder to work a flavor back down into a lower range than it is to add more once steeping has maximized the flavor. Your juices will blossom as they steep, so hold back on adding more flavor until a juice is 3 to 4 weeks into steeping.

Then, there will be juices you can vape the same day with a little more flavor developing in a week or less. Err on the low side and you will save yourself a lot of time trying to fix overflavored juices.

The best way to play with new flavors is use your unflavored nic mix. Measure small amounts of unflavored nic base into a small 10ml bottle, add flavor, and experiment.

 

[DeloresRose]

Loads of good advice here!

I know it sounds complicated and intimidating. It’s really not too hard. And it does save so much money it’s crazy.

There are some good free juice calculators. Get one. There are several vendors listed above. Try small amounts of everything at first, so you’re not panicking about a big cash investment. I started with cheap Pipettes for measuring, which work well enough until I was ready to get more expensive equipment. I add to the collection and upgrade when I please. Because now, it’s like free money . How much does a bottle of juice go these days? Even if I threw a bottle away now and then, they’re less than a buck a piece, bottle and all!

 

[ilporcupine]

Hi, fellow newbie. I'm just getting started on DIY juice, myself. Really, though, unflavored mixing is a walk in the park to do, even for an old guy like me.
DIYorDIE youtube channel has a video on mixing by weight that should convince you that you can do this in less time than running across town to a vape store.
Flavoring is of course the hardest part, but once you find recipe(s) you like, making them is no harder than whipping up a cake mix.
Just my .02

 

[ilporcupine]

Just a kind of echo to what others have said:
Make a list of the stuff you think you will need. Grab a calculator and add up how much juice you will get from it, unflavored. Throw in shipping cost, if you want.
Divide dollars spent by milliliters it makes. YOU WILL BE SHOCKED...and you will feel so much better about experiments and trying flavors, etc.
Calling the saving substantial is an understatement.
If you could vape unflavored as some do around here, you almost vape for pocket change.
Best of luck to you. And me.

 

[mcclintock]

It can become a "hobby" as defined as something you have a lot of stuff and little bits for. Not "messy" as in liquid but it can sprawl and 50 bottles of flavoring or ejuice does tend to have its smell. It can pack up fairly compact though. Plus, I had a failure pile of bought ejuices starting up anyway and picking them out was also a hassle. Lots easier to decide on a $1.50 bottle of flavoring than a $20 bottle of ejuice. I also really didn't do subtle at vape shop prices, it's been illuminating.

 

[DaveP]

DIY doesn't have to be tedious. Scales make it easier, IMO, but it's also easy to calibrate a glass bottle and mark lines for PG, VG, nic, and flavor, although I'd use a syringe to measure the last two and use marking lines just for the larger volume ingredients, PG and VG.

Most scales we use for DIY are $35 and under for a good scale. It's a one time purchase and once you have scales you just put the bottle on the scale, add ingredients one at a time, and tare to zero in between. Most of us spent more on vendor juice in a few months than it takes to start your own DIY juice setup.

I always have at least six 50ml bottles of flavors steeping or ready, along with a number of LPDE bottles that I've poured up from the last batch of steeped juice. Juice is good for a couple of years or more stored at room temp, so it's easy to create a backup of ready juices.

I average one DIY session every month or two and I do six 50ml bottles each time as well as a couple of 100ml bottles of unflavored PG/VG/Nic. About half the time I'm vaping unflavored. If you happen to create an over-flavored juice you can mix it half and half in a tank with unflavored to tone it down.

 

[Philabos]

Might like to visit:
Flavor Blends | Cost effective and time friendly DIY, shake and vape! --- Known as "E Liquid supply" = FLAVOR BLENDS? ****Does sell PG/VG + NIC in 120 ml. and up containers 0-18mg..
The folks above have a 30% off till the 4th.
Thanks to : @Fidola13 Easter Savings
DIYorDIE Concentrates
One Shot Concentrates
Flavors - Gremlin - Gremlin DIY --- Known as "Gremlin DIY" = one shot?
Shipping Rates
Flavor Cartridge
30 mL

Thanks for this tip!
Looks like even someone like me can accomplish DIY.
I was going to order the scale at another site $5 cheaper but then realized this site is even providing 30% off on the scale!
Bit of a capital investment to start, but considering I paid about $50 for my last order of ejuice totaling 80ml looks like a winner. Now I have to see if I can make something acceptable.