DIY VG/PG ratio question

[vrtigo1]

I wanted to post this in the DIY forum but don't have enough posts yet

I started vaping a month or so back and want to experiment with DIY juice for the cost savings.

I looked at some of the online calculators to figure out how they work and created my own spreadsheet that will do the calculations for me to make it easier to keep track of my different recipes.

One thing that I am unclear on is how the PG/VG ratios are measured. If a juice says it has a given ratio, is that before or after the flavoring is added? In other words, is the ratio referring to the unflavored base of PG/VG/Nic, or is it inclusive of the flavors as well?

For instance, in my calculator I did an example:
Nic base strength: 48 mg/ml
Batch size: 30 ml
Desired PG%: 40%
Desired VG%: 60%
Desired nic level: 6 mg/ml

Based on that I came up with:
Nic base: 3.75 ml
VG: 18 ml
PG: 8.25 ml

FWIW I'm assuming the nic base is PG based. That's all well and good and results in a 60/40 ratio, but then if I add flavor to it, it'll throw the ratios off. I'm trying to figure out if I need to account for that, or not.

Thanks for any help!

 

[InTheShade]

Yes, if the ratio is that important to you.

Most of this has already been done for you though.

A good calculator (like e-juice me up for example) allow you to input the PG/VG ratio of all flavorings. There is even a check-box you can tick for a zero PG/VG ratio if you either don't care about the effect or are using a different flavor base. Check it out eJuice Me Up - Best eJuice Calculator

There is also a section inside the calculator for recipes.

Most flavorings are PG, if you are adding 15 or 20% of these flavorings, they can have a significant effect on the final ratio.

 

[WillyZee]

welcome to ECF vrtigo1

Yes, you have the math correct ... the flavour will deduct from the PG.

ex: 10% flavour would be 3ml flavour and reduce the PG to 5.25ml

 

[vrtigo1]

Perfect thank you! That is kind of what I figured but I wasn't sure.

 

[rusirius]

welcome to ECF vrtigo1

Yes, you have the math correct ... the flavour will deduct from the PG.

ex: 10% flavour would be 3ml flavour and reduce the PG to 5.25ml

Not totally true. Almost all flavors used are pg based. There are some vg based but if it's not specified you can pretty much bet it's in a pg carrier. For artificial flavors the actual chemical flavoring is generally very small, most of it is pg. So generally it's safe to count the amount of flavoring toward the pg content.