Do all blends need to be steeped?

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OzarkTroutBum

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So far the only experience I've had is with prefilled V2 cartos and 2 small bottles of Dekang 50/50 555 and Mango. Found the Dekang to be fragrant and muy delicioso.

Ordered from a reputable US blender last week. Not mentioning names because plenty ppl are happy with them. Simple stuff like 555, some strawberry and a watermelon flavor. I did up the VG so I got a 20/80 PG/Vg.

I got the vapemail today and popped it open first thing I noticed was no fragrant whiff when opening. I filled a new clearo and the stuff tasted like ...! The vape was smooth as expected but it didn't even resemble the fruits in the slightest. On the strawberry I even got an extra flavor shot to see if it was stronger than the other.
I even cleaned the clearo and tried the other flavors, the 2nd fruit tasted exactly like the first and the 555 out of the bottle at least smelled sorta like it should but again tasted like ... with 555 and pepper on it. All of it had a distinct peppery taste but not really pepper. Whatever it tasted like it wasn't what it was supposed to be

I read about steeping to improve flavor but this stuff is apparently going to take awhile. Website said up to 2 weeks!

My questions are, by going with such a high VG is it completely overpowering the flavor so much that it completely disappears?
Will steeping improve that? Who wants to wait weeks to even try the product?

Are all US blenders going to be the same and require extended steeping time in order to get a vapable product?

Why is it that the Dekang 50/50 worked so well on day of arrival? Should I try a different blender and less VG?

In the meantime I'm having to revert to V2 prefills waiting for more Dekang. I was hoping to be able to use a less expensive US blender but not really sure what to expect and don't want to blame a company for not liking what I asked them for.
 

HauntedMyst

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No. Some do, some don't. Atomic Cinnamon, Wintergreen, plain menthol to me are as good as they are ever going to get when they arrives. Others need lots of steeping. In answer to your question "Who wants to wait weeks to even try the product? " You don't have to wait weeks. You can vape any juice right away but some will get better, some much better with time. Many wines, tobaccos and cheeses are the same way. Some things are worth the wait.
 

OzarkTroutBum

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In answer to your question "Who wants to wait weeks to even try the product? " You don't have to wait weeks. You can vape any juice right away but some will get better, some much better with time. Many wines, tobaccos and cheeses are the same way. Some things are worth the wait.

Fact: spaghetti and chili are always better reheated the next day.

That said, this juice is unusable in its present state. I'm not sure what raw base tastes like but if anyone ever asks me this is what I'll describe to them. I'm convinced the blender made a mistake though theres 3 bottles so maybe it was a bad morning or a hurried afternoon. Crap occurs.

I'll probably try some different blenders and maybe revisit this one in the future. In the meantime this juice will occupy a cool dark place in the cabinet for a few weeks just to see if there is any improvement.
 

SilentVapidity

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The topic of "steeping" is a sore spot to some vapers. There are many who believe that things should taste great right out of the mailbox and that vendors should plan for that. If you have a search for threads that have the keyword STEEPING you'll get a lot of info. More than you bargained for! You're not aline in your opinion.

In my experience a high ratio of VG does make flavors pretty subtle if no adjustments were made by the seller. I like a 70/30 VG/PG blend so I'm used to the flavoring being a hint. Over time I've gotten into a rhythm where I'm ordering and planning 3-4 weeks of steeping time. But it's tough to do that at the beginning, when trying to stop smoking and being excited about vaping and being disappointed in an order AND not running out of juice. It was a juggle for me to that until I got the hang of it.

So did you get a bad batch, will things improve with time, or did the vg/pg ratio erase the flavor? No way to know right now, I don't think. But keep trying new things and hang in there, because when you get your setup and flavors right, and things work consistently, vaping is satisfying and rewarding. Super magic sparkle pony. Guaranteed.
 

OzarkTroutBum

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So did you get a bad batch, will things improve with time, or did the vg/pg ratio erase the flavor? No way to know right now, I don't think. But keep trying new things and hang in there, because when you get your setup and flavors right, and things work consistently, vaping is satisfying and rewarding. Super magic sparkle pony. Guaranteed.

Its only $25 worth of liquid so if its bad its no big thing. I just let myself get in a tight thinking the 2nd company would be usable out of the box. I followed up last night on an order with what I know works and today ordered another $20 sampler from a different company.

So much for being cost neutral with analogs for awhile! I SOOOOO don't want to go back. So far I've figured out I don't like 100% PG at all. 50/50 was pretty good and then I liked the "texture" of the higher VG from the new order but the bad taste was a complete deal breaker.

It will be interesting to see what develops with the bottles I have and I'll try another order again in a month or so as so many others appear to be extremely happy with their product.
 

SilentVapidity

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Cool. I'm not sure if you've been to Alien Visions, AVEJuice.com? They have a nice selection of high VG juices. I like their Massive Chocolate Mint and vape it right out of the mailbox. With some of their juices the only PG is what is contained in the flavoring (I read that somewhere on their site). I think that Vaperite has a nice selection of VG, but I haven't been there for a while. I do like a high VG as well, but there can be downsides, like longer steeping time due to the thickness of the VG, etc. Hope things work out for you, and I hope that $25 investment improves with time!
 

Zipslack

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Keep in mind that VG will smooth/mellow/mute the flavors a little bit. Also, try a hot water steep with the top off to evaporate any alcohol and other non-pleasant aromatic stuff. That should at least give you an idea if the juice is heading in the right direction. Peppery taste may be the nic - did you get a higher mg than previously? Some people say that some nic extracts have more of a taste/pepper than others.
 

OzarkTroutBum

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Cool. I'm not sure if you've been to Alien Visions, AVEJuice.com? ~~~~~~~~~
Hope things work out for you, and I hope that $25 investment improves with time!

I've hit quite a few sites checking out who has what and at what price. Haven't really tried too many flavors yet just trying to find a reasonably priced tobacco flavor to lay in a decent supply. The Dekang 555 hits that spot but US vendors selling twice as much product for half as many shekels is too tempting especially with so many in the forums happy with their orders.

Zipslack said:
Keep in mind that VG will smooth/mellow/mute the flavors a little bit.

The 555 definitely had a "I'm not finished" type, 2 part taste. The other 2 fruits were so muted as to be non existent of flavor. I read that muting could happen on high VG so I even extra flavor shotted one to see what the difference was. There was none so far, we'll see what happens with them in a week.
I did warm them under tap water a bit before a vigorous shaking and then just let them sit. I'll check on them in a few days to see what I have.

I'll have part of my answer by the end of the week anyway as more US blended liquid is on its way.
 

KimchiMonger

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I got the vapemail today and popped it open first thing I noticed was no fragrant whiff when opening. I filled a new clearo and the stuff tasted like ...! .

With the incredibly wide range of flavors from fine tobacco blends to, believe it or not, dill pickle and even beer, did you check the bottle to insure it wasn't "..." flavor?

Can you give us specifics on drops or percentages used on these flavors?

I've found among my favorite flavors (carmel,roasted marshmallow, egg nog, 555, Cpt. Black, Tobacco Absolute, Black Honey Tobacco etc.) that ALL taste FAR BETTER after steeping for several days. I only ordered concentrated flavors which once blended will require steeping. They also have a change in color/tint over several days. So, something is evolving during that wait period. I'm mixing 25PG/75VG - 24%Nic and using Ejuice calculator with a few taste bud adjustments. Once mixed, hot water steep, sit in closet with caps off for a week, and then a sample vape. Also, make sure to literally write down your mixing recipes and ongoing additions. I toss these 10ml bottles into divided clear storage case with sticky note and recipe. As I adjust with drops of this and that I write in changes. Every other day I enjoy giving them each a 5 min hot water steep, shake and back in case. None of it is work for me as much as a new hobby. However, it may very well be way more effort than some are willing to invest. I'm just not going back to paying $6-$10 per bottle of mixed favorites. I'm making them now for around a dollar per 10ml bottle.

As a newbie, I've narrowed experimentation down to a few awesome recipes and will be mixing a few of those recipes into 30 Ml bottles next month. From my own experience, I'll just be in the habit of steeping everything before trying to enjoy the efforts. I don't even sample anything right away as I know it won't be as polished following several days steep.

Keep reading the DIY E-liquid topics as they've taught me a great deal and helped in preparing for better results. You had enough interest to order your flavors so keep on keepin' on.
 
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Mike Sheda

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There is a huge difference between Dekang (huge batch production line made months ago) and most US Vendors (custom made as ordered right before being mailed).
There are others that do a little of both. Ahlusions has their custom line, and their express line. The Express line is pre-made and pre-steeped for you. BUT you can't customize it, you order what they have (which is usually OK) but if you want a different PG/VG ratio, or extra flavor shot, or different Nic than they pre-make, you're into custom blends and steep times.

With Custom Made, it's usually best to leave the top and dripper off for 24 hours. Then close it up and forget about it for a few weeks. It does take patience for some of them.

Others are good right out of the mail, just depends on the flavor, and the PG/VG Ratio etc....
 

OzarkTroutBum

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1 week steep and not much changed with the fruit flavors. Been shaking daily and turning bottles over in between. The 555 has gotten darker but it all still has a funky smell.
No desire to fill up a tank of it based on the smell. The fruit flavors still don't have any fruit smell, definitely wont be tanking any of that. Even the sample bottle they tossed in as a bonus is funky.

On another note, I ordered from another US blender and their 50/50 PG/VG product was good to go right out of the mailbox but could use some steeping. The main difference is that the flavors smell like what they are supposed to be with a hint of the base instead of the other way around.
Also got some of the Dekang that I started with and it was great too.

I suppose that I just got a bad shipment or was expecting too much from high VG blend. In the meantime I'll stick with the 2nd blender and limit it to 50/50.
I'll post up what I find after another week steeping and maybe tank some of it try the taste.
 

OzarkTroutBum

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There is a huge difference between Dekang (huge batch production line made months ago) and most US Vendors (custom made as ordered right before being mailed).
There are others that do a little of both. Ahlusions has their custom line, and their express line.

I figured that was the case with Dekang. I ordered a few bottles of that and then I'm going to let the new guys stuff sit a week and if all goes well get a decent supply of that.
 

vjc0628

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I started with halo which is presteeped only take the caps off overnight for the alcohol to evaporate
there good flav's
and good to have around while you sampling other suppliers
IMO most of the best (not all) tobacco vapes require steeping for 2-4 weeks
so make sure you have a supply
the most expensive time to vape is in the beginning trying dif flav's clero's and devices
but once you have a good setup it's easy and cheap
 

OzarkTroutBum

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IMO simple flavors like "watermelon" cantaloupe" don't need as much, if any steep time. More complex juices need time to blend.


-Lord

Pretty much what I was thinking. I just went through my new sampler and uncapped them all and gave them a sniff and was pleased with all the aromas. I'm going to give them a fair shake (everyday) and let them steep a bit before I get into them.

Picking an analog was much easier. My favorite was always OP's.
 

OzarkTroutBum

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the most expensive time to vape is in the beginning trying dif flav's clero's and devices
but once you have a good setup it's easy and cheap

Tell me about it. Trying really hard to stay cost equal/negative with what I was spending on analogs. So far I haven't managed that but I'm damn close and starting to feel really good. You can't put a price on that.
 

Mr.Mann

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No amount of attribution to flavors, ratios or nic quantities will have any real basis in whether or not you will have to steep, or how long you will need to steep if in fact you do. One of the biggest things to ask about steeping should be based upon vendor, not the liquids per se. However, a specific line in a vendor's repertoire also can be different than their other lines (so that should be taken into consideration), but it is still about the vendor and how they make their liquids, e.g., natural flavors, house extracted, PA, TFA, big batches, made to order, etc.
 

k3vin

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I make a DIY strawberry cheesecake. A killer one if I say so myself. It took me over 3 weeks to master it because it was always good the first day, then by the end of day 2 the strawberry would totally disappear for over a week, it wouldn't pop for at least 7-10
Days but when it did.. Cheesecake with strawberry creaminess..
Some need steeping some dont..
 

OzarkTroutBum

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then by the end of day 2 the strawberry would totally disappear for over a week, it wouldn't pop for at least 7-10
Days but when it did..

My strawberry disappeared all right. Based on an initial taste and smell of the new stuff its a very light flavor to begin with. I was thinking Jolly Rancher strawberry. I guess I should be shopping in the candy aisle and not the produce section.
 
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