eLiquid Steeping

[DustyZ]

I have 2 30ml bottles of complete yuck from MB that wouldn't get better if you steeped them for a year.

I'm really starting to think the entire concept of steeping is just something made up by vendors who don't want to take the time to mix their juices before they sell them to you. Both PG and VG are pretty thick substances and are very different from each other, so shaking them up doesn't really mix them well. I've been experimenting with DIY and what I found it this. Put it in a beaker and use a glass rod to stir it. If you don't have a beaker or a glass rod use whatever just as long as it's clean (pg has anti-bacterial properties so there's not much to worry about as long as what you use is clean). If your juice isn't "steeped" pour it into a small open faced container and get a spoon or whatever and simply stir it vigorously for about ten minutes. Then put it back in the bottle. If it doesn't taste good after doing that there isn't anything that "steeping" it is going to do for it. That's my anyway. The only reason I can think to leave the lit off and let it sit for a while is to let alcohol or water evaporate. But mixing is mixing, so if it needs to be mixed, unlike James Bond, better stirred than shaken.

Geeez, well yet again you are incorrect! Why bother replying when all you seem to want to do is to slam MBV, and yes most require aging and do mature and aging freshly made juices does improve the flavor immensely.

 

[Mikie]

I started ordering from MBV a few of weeks ago. A couple of the flavors I got where fine out of the mailbox. The rest are sitting in a box right now. I haven't vaped any of the new flavors yet, but by the smell alone I can tell they are getting stronger. The first day they all sorta smelled the same, a week or so later and I can tell a distinct difference between them. They are still seeping and i ordered a few more flavors from MBV tonight, just so they can get in line. I have a local shop that I get my main juice from, and it is steeped for a month before he sells it, but he is pretty expensive so I am trying to get away from buying from him. In the new year, I will do DIY juices, but I will need a stockpile while I figure all that out

 

[Portertown]

MT Baker is a great supplier for juices. I have two 16 oz bottles at the present time. One is Blueberry and the other is Hawk Sauce. They were made on the 7th of November and the Blueberry really started tasting great about a week ago. The Hawk Sauce is about ready now. I store them in a dark cabinet in my Kitchen and removed the caps for a couple of days. The reason for this is to let the solvents in the flavorings evaporate. I shake them daily. The reason for this shaking is the juice is not a true "solution". The different ingrediants will separate. A true solution like eye drops will stay mixed once they are mixed at the factory. PG and VG will not stay in solution and therefore need shaking.
Some juices will taste ok early on, but will get much better tasting with some time. Some juices have to have time for the flavors to work together.
I have nine 15ml bottles of different flavors from MTBaker setting the cabinet now that I purchased on Black Friday. When they get ready I will sample them and order the ones I like in larger bottles.

 

[Cobar]

Lately I have been letting my MBV juices sit for awhile, maybe a week. I just drip some in a little 510 atty and see how it goes. Any that seem to be missing something I let go for a few more days. I don't have any system for how long to do it.

I do know that I get an apple pie flavor from a local place (Mountain Vapor) and it is great right away. I finally just said what the heck and bought a 4 oz. bottle of it today. Well it must have sat in the display case awhile because it is dark and tastes even better than the fresher stuff i have been going through.

I have no clue what is happening chemically, but I do know that it changes over time. It is not something you have to do, but if you want to it is nice.

 

[poetic_injustices]

I love watching YouTube videos of folks shaking their juice, as if that cross-country trip to their door in planes and trucks and conveyor belts wasn't quite enough to get it mixed thoroughly.

And you gotta put it in a dark cabinet. I don't know why, but you gotta do it.

Oh I can actually answer that one. Light breaks down nicotine. It's not the juice that's affected but the nicotine. Thank you, college. I knew you'd pay off one day!

 

[poetic_injustices]

@Dusty

No disrespect to CJ, but that's the first time I've ever heard someone say steeping is pointless. And chemically speaking, it makes sense. This might sound a bit ignorant and a gross generalization but many products of the world must age to appreciate full taste so I'm inclined to believe that steeping helps. Whether I have the patience to wait for that to happen is another issue. Once I get a few flavors on the shelf and a head start, I think I'll be okay. I just need to moderate my vaping enough to make sure I don't inhale 'em all before the next lot arrives!

Still, true DIY eLiquid might be good to learn about in the face of a ban, though, because I think I'll fall to pieces if someone tries to take this away from me now haha!

 

[poetic_injustices]

I buy from a local B&M and several sites like MBV, my steeping method for all is the same. They all steep for as long as it takes for me to get them home and use them. Could be a day, could be a couple weeks, all depends on existing stock

Yep, I have a feeling this is going to end up my process as well ha. At least at first. New and exciting things kind of kill my sense of restraint and I need to wait for my crazy to, well, steep in its own right. My first eliquid, and the only one I have right now, is a pineapple peach I got when I ordered the setup. I like it quite a lot. Obviously I don't know much about flavors yet, my palate being totally unrefined as it is, but I think the citrus-y flavors probably override the alcohol right out the gate and are strong enough to be well appreciated without much steeping. I don't think it tastes too chemically but, like I said, what do I know? All I can say is I like it. Which tells me I need to grab a couple of citrus varieties to hold me over until I've allowed the others to steep. But, you know, not holding my breath on that one.

 

[vaperature]

Geeez, well yet again you are incorrect! Why bother replying when all you seem to want to do is to slam MBV, and yes most require aging and do mature and aging freshly made juices does improve the flavor immensely.

Dusty why do you bother me every time like this? I'm not bashing MB, they sold me some lousy juice that's not good. What do you WANT me to say, that is IS good when it's not? And dear mods, don't worry, I'm not going to get into it again with this guy, that's all I had to say to him.

 

[Mikie]

"Check out my review of the iClear MVP 2 here: "please tell me you will edit your sig to put an "&" in there. I can't tell you were it needs to go, that is helping too much


as far as juice goes, it is all personal what we like. I find steeping really helps bring the flavor out. Doesn't mean a flavor I don't like is going to get better tho. A friend gave me a flavor he din't like, has had it for 2 months sitting in his juice box. Nope, i don't like it either lol. I am not going to mention the vendor, or the flavor because it is all subjective.

 

[vaperature]

"Check out my review of the iClear MVP 2 here: "please tell me you will edit your sig to put an "&" in there. I can't tell you were it needs to go, that is helping too much


as far as juice goes, it is all personal what we like. I find steeping really helps bring the flavor out. Doesn't mean a flavor I don't like is going to get better tho. A friend gave me a flavor he din't like, has had it for 2 months sitting in his juice box. Nope, i don't like it either lol. I am not going to mention the vendor, or the flavor because it is all subjective.

Not following you about the &.

I have yet to have ANY juice miraculously get better with steeping. The MB juice that I mentioned has been sitting there for going on a month now. It's the same as it was the day I opened it. When's it suppose to get better? LOL. I just made my first two DIYs and mixed them with elbow grease and they are fantastic. Yes, I can see how allowing alcohol or water or other impurities evaporate from the juice can help the flavor, so leaving it with the lid off or letting it sit for a while after you mix it is probably a good thing. But seriously, if you mix your juice manually for ten minutes like I suggest and the flavor is still not there, it's not going to magically appear because you put it in a drawer and wait a month. It's pg / vg / flavoring and nicotine. Just mix it and vape it.

 

[Derick Samuale]

Some good comments here.

Yes, steeping is very much required for the best taste. Some vendors pre-steep their e-Juices and are still fresh and have a long expiry.

Steeping is easy, I usually let it sit for one night without the cap, then another few weeks with the cap in a dark drawer. Fruity falvours really only require a few days, but the more complex they are - the longer they can benefit from. Tobacco and darker named flavours need more steeping. ie, coffees chocolates etc. Some fruits can benefit from longer steeping also, like peaches.

 

[Mikie]

you may just not like the juice man, doesn't mean MBV is a bad company or that others may indeed like it. This is your experience, it doesn't make it true, everything is relative.

the & goes between "iclear" and "MPV2"... iclear is a tank, the MPV2 is made by innokin... it looks as thought you think the MVP2 is made by iclear, which is weird for a person sharing their experience....

done.

 

[DustyZ]

Dusty why do you bother me every time like this? I'm not bashing MB, they sold me some lousy juice that's not good. What do you WANT me to say, that is IS good when it's not? And dear mods, don't worry, I'm not going to get into it again with this guy, that's all I had to say to him.

I am not bothering you I came in this thread to try and help someone asking for some information, the fact is it just seems that anytime someone post anything related to MBV you have something not nice to say or try and make it out to be that MBV juices do not need to be steeped.

If you have such a dislike for MBV and the fact that you are unwilling to listen to reason, why post in a thread that deals with MBV, I am not bothering you, it's the fact that you post something that has not validity concerning this particular subject and if someone doesn't agree with you have an issue.

You are free to like what you like and patronize any vendor you like etc, the problem comes about when you tell someone something that is not based on fact with this particular vendors juices. That is what I have an issue with. You seem to think it's fine to make a derogatory statement and then take issue when you are called on it. That is what bugs me!

Again, everyone's taste is different, but the fact is that Aging a juice does improve it over time. I shall not proceed with this any further as this just goes back to when you were asking for steeping opinions and you didn't like the answers.

 

[vaperature]

you may just not like the juice man, doesn't mean MBV is a bad company or that others may indeed like it. This is your experience, it doesn't make it true, everything is relative.

the & goes between "iclear" and "MPV2"... iclear is a tank, the MPV2 is made by innokin... it looks as thought you think the MVP2 is made by iclear, which is weird for a person sharing their experience....

done.

Once again I was just using MB as an example of how I got some juice that will never get better with steeping. I don't want to turn this into a MB thread because it's a thread about steeping. I guess I'll just post the link that somebody is upset about and leave it at that so I don't contribute any more to getting this thread off topic.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-liquid-reviews/494190-mt-baker-meh.html

As far as steeping though, ok, I can see a good flavor becoming better with steeping. What I can't see is a flavorless juice suddenly having flavor with steeping or a really horrible tasting juice suddenly tasting good with steeping. It's not rocket science. There are four ingredients that need to be mixed to create the flavor. Sure, whiskey is aged, but that's just to make it taste better. You can drink it the day after it's made and it's going to taste good but not as good as if you let it sit in a barrel for eight years. But creating juice isn't rocket science. It's more like making Kool Aid basically. Vendors just don't want to take the time to mix their juices because they want to pump them out at lightning speed to make more money. This blackberry crumb cake that I invented on my second DIY try is so good and flavorful I think I like it better than my entire shelf of store bought stuff.

(thanks for clearing that up about the &, I actually meant to write iTaste not IClear)

 

[Mikie]

lulz. why would you post a link to a thread you created where you got made a fool?

so you think the MVP2 is an iclear product? you know, the IClear MVP2 like in your sig?

Check out my review of the iClear MVP 2

lulz again

 

[vaperature]

OK, I'm off to watch Lilyhammer. Happy vaping everyone!!

 

[Mike Anthony]

I leave the lid off for a day and try to shake it 4 to 5 times. After that once a day for a week with a massager really shakes it up.
Mike

 

[carrielsal]

I don't like fruits or tobaccos, so I can't comment on them.
There is a cinnamon juice I buy from All About Vapor called Austin Heat that doesn't seem to change flavors. It's good the day it's mixed.
In my experience, vanillas are a different story. The first NT Frenilla I ever tried was sent to me by another forum member and had already steeped a couple months. It was wonderful, so I ordered more from NT the first chance I got. The flavor on the new mix wasn't nearly the same. It was harsh, so it has been moved to the back of the cabinet for a month or two.
I am vaping Bryce's Vanilla Creme Custard right now that's probably about 2 months old. This is one of my new ADV's, and it just keeps getting better as it ages.

 

[Butch]

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I posted that to prove my point. Steeping is not a sience, it is more of an art. All the things talked about here will work, but just letting it sit will too. There are bottles on that shelf that are 2 years old. The older they get the better they get. Steeping does work & yes sometimes it will even make a juice that is horrible taste good. Sometimes fantastic. There are no hard rules here. So try things out & do what works for you.


That is advice from someone who has been where you are. Try something, you'll like it.

 

[kelli]

i have juices that were disgusting when i got them that are wonderful 2 or 3 months later.

anyone who says that steeping doesn't improve the taste of juice either is just being contrary or their taste buds are wacked. just sayin'....