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Weight for sure, it's much better and easier in every way, only downfall is cost, you can get a good scale for twenty bucks on Amazon.
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Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
This video covers most everything you need to know to get started with mixing by weight.
The easiest way to get your feet wet making your own DIY e-liquids is to simply purchase the Liquid Barn DIY Starter Kit. Everything you need to make 1,400 ML of e-Liquids for around $60 with a coupon code. All the beakers, cylinders and syringes plus bottles. Once you establish your technique then you can move on to other flavor manufacturers and more. But everything in one box that will last you for years with nothing going to waste.
I jumped right in with mixing by weight. But having concerns with my tremors, still picked up some pipettes and different size syringes just in case. I tried one pipette (a major fail for me) and the rest and all the syringes remain unopened, unused, and stored away. Mixing by weight works best for me, but to each their own. If going that route, other then your ingredients and bottles, the only other necessity should be a scale.
Also with mixing by weight, a tiny funnel can be helpful! This is overkill, but I wanted a stainless steel funnel for my diy, AND I wanted to replace my crappy ancient plastic kitchen funnel, so I got this (linking to US amazon, but I got mine from amazon.de) with several sizes plus an insertable filter for the larger.
The smallest size of that set is fairly tiny, and perfect for my little 20-60 ml glass bottles. It does not fit into my plastic needlenose bottles that have an opening of maybe 6-7 mm, but I don't use the plastic for mixing, just for filling some atties (and even if it fit, it would probably be a bit top heavy for such a small lightweight soft plastic bottle).
As I say, overkill if you are just looking for a teeny funnel for mixing, but not a bad choice if you want to replace your kitchen one(s) too.
For mixing, I mostly use my own hybrid method of partially by weight, partially by volume. I put in the concentrate first, measuring by weight. If I make a mistake at this point, the concentrate is unadulterated by anything else (for example, the time I forgot that I had removed the drip cap from my peppermint and ended up accidentally pouring half a bottle into my mixing bottle). Then I usually add my nic measured with a pipette (because of that time I forgot to "tare" between adding the concentrate and adding the nic, and wasn't really sure how much I had added by the time I realized, and before I could stop and do the math, the scale turned off). Then I either add the pg/vg by weight, or I just eyeball it if I am filling up a bottle, because I use premixed 50/50 and don't have to measure them separately, and I know where on the bottle the full level is.
In other words, everyone has their own most comfortable routine; once you've explored a bit, you'll find what feels right for you. Have fun!
The smallest size of that set is fairly tiny, and perfect for my little 20-60 ml glass bottles. It does not fit into my plastic needlenose bottles that have an opening of maybe 6-7 mm, but I don't use the plastic for mixing, just for filling some atties (and even if it fit, it would probably be a bit top heavy for such a small lightweight soft plastic bottle).
As I say, overkill if you are just looking for a teeny funnel for mixing, but not a bad choice if you want to replace your kitchen one(s) too.
For mixing, I mostly use my own hybrid method of partially by weight, partially by volume. I put in the concentrate first, measuring by weight. If I make a mistake at this point, the concentrate is unadulterated by anything else (for example, the time I forgot that I had removed the drip cap from my peppermint and ended up accidentally pouring half a bottle into my mixing bottle). Then I usually add my nic measured with a pipette (because of that time I forgot to "tare" between adding the concentrate and adding the nic, and wasn't really sure how much I had added by the time I realized, and before I could stop and do the math, the scale turned off). Then I either add the pg/vg by weight, or I just eyeball it if I am filling up a bottle, because I use premixed 50/50 and don't have to measure them separately, and I know where on the bottle the full level is.
In other words, everyone has their own most comfortable routine; once you've explored a bit, you'll find what feels right for you. Have fun!
Call me lazy or whatever but I just pour out of the beaker right into the bottle. Very rarely do I miss and it might be from all the years of working in the automotive field pouring without a funnel. Many of my bottles only have a 10MM or less opening! (Did Not Measure ID)
On a budget and time no problem, syringes are easy and simple.
Money no problem and short of time, Scales (good idea to have two).
"where to buy it?"
Might want to try the search function in upper right hand corner of this post. Could type in " buying syringes" or" buying weight scales".
Ah, sorry, SteveS45. I actually didn't mean to suggest that you, specifically, should use a funnel for anything. I only meant that for some people -- not you! -- it can be helpful.
The little funnel in that set will fit into a bottle with a 10mm opening. (But I don't mean this info for you, SteveS45)
The little funnel in that set will fit into a bottle with a 10mm opening. (But I don't mean this info for you, SteveS45)
@tazzle I did not think you meant to single me out I was just stating how I do it! No offense taken in the slightest! Yasoo!
I find funnels slow me down. Like Steve I'm pretty good when free pouring. That's not to say funnels are a bad thing and many here do use them. I in fact use them when filtering my home made nets. I find they make great filter holders.
Well, I guess I'm a third group then, because money is no problem, time is no problem (but I'm fast anyway), and I use syringes to measure by volume.
I use 2 syringes and 3-4 blunt needle tips to measure only the flavorings and the nic base...directly into the mixing bottle. The plain PG and plain VG are then just poured into the bottle to certain lines, and I'm done. Made 5 different 50mL recipes for the neighbor and 2 50mL ones for myself in less than 20 minutes. Was fast enough for me, for making all of those different recipes. Cleanup took me about 2 minutes for the syringes and blunt needle tips.
In the longrun, whatever method works the best and is the most comfortable for you personally...is the one you should use, IMO.
I use a Beaker for the volume to be mixed and a graduated cylinder for over 5 MLs and a syringe plus the mixer. Fast for me with no major clean up and working well with not pesticides created for use in the vegetable garden.
I started with direct pours into the Boston Rounds bottles on the scale and eventually bought a set of SS funnels. Since I use a dropper for nicotine, the flavor bottles are droppers, and I use squeeze bottles for PG and VG, there was no problem ringing the neck on the 60ml glass bottle, but funnels just make the target larger.
A paper clip with one leg bent out and inserted into the bottle before the funnel lets the pressure buildup out and makes pouring easy.
A paper clip with one leg bent out and inserted into the bottle before the funnel lets the pressure buildup out and makes pouring easy.
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How do you maintain your proper VG/PG ratio if you are making different recipes? Do all your recipes have the same exact amount of flavor and exact same amount of nicotine so your lines remain accurate to maintain proper ratio? What if your neighbor wants 60/40 and you vape 80/20? How do lines in a bottle work that way? Do you have every bottle marked? Wouldn't that take a bunch of time to measure out and put lines on each bottle so some how they don't get smudged off. I really don't understand how this could work and be accurate?
I'm sure there will come a time when I'm shaky. I have my funnels and I'll use them then. As for now, they're actually more cumbersome than helpful. I mix my base in standard HDPE 500 ml bottles and direct-pour VG and PG into them from wide mouth gallon bottles. When I'm close to how much I need I have 2 120 ml twist spout bottles that I use to top off. It's fast and easy for me. Having experience pouring high viscosity liquids from gallon bottles into small filler necks in cramped engine bays helps a lot, probably.
My nic is easy to measure (for me) because it's stored in 120 ml bottles in the refrigerator. It's so thick that it pours very slowly. I direct pour that as well, and don't have a problem maintaining a .10 ml margin of error. I used to use a syringe, but got tired of standing there all day waiting for the cold VG based nic to draw up into it.
I generally mix my eliquids into those 30 ml PET and HDPE bottles with very small necks. No problem pouring into them from my twist-spout 500 ml base bottles as long as I keep it slow and steady.
I only use syringes occasionally to transfer flavors from my few remaining large non-pour spout bottles into smaller bottles, unless I'm refilling the nice wide mouth 13 ml Capella bottles, which I can pour directly into.
I don't buy flavorings from re-bottlers who use non-dropper bottles, regardless of size. The few I got from a certain vendor have all been transferred to dropper bottles.
My nic is easy to measure (for me) because it's stored in 120 ml bottles in the refrigerator. It's so thick that it pours very slowly. I direct pour that as well, and don't have a problem maintaining a .10 ml margin of error. I used to use a syringe, but got tired of standing there all day waiting for the cold VG based nic to draw up into it.
I generally mix my eliquids into those 30 ml PET and HDPE bottles with very small necks. No problem pouring into them from my twist-spout 500 ml base bottles as long as I keep it slow and steady.
I only use syringes occasionally to transfer flavors from my few remaining large non-pour spout bottles into smaller bottles, unless I'm refilling the nice wide mouth 13 ml Capella bottles, which I can pour directly into.
I don't buy flavorings from re-bottlers who use non-dropper bottles, regardless of size. The few I got from a certain vendor have all been transferred to dropper bottles.
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I usually have six 60ml Boston Rounds bottles sitting in the kitchen window where I can judge tint and clarity and see how steeping is coming along. After 2 to 4 weeks of steeping and testing a couple milliliters here and there, the glass bottles go into LDPE bottles and I do another batch.
My best flavor with tobaccos seems to be around the 4 week to 2 month range. It's surprising how much flavor develops over time. It's probably the reason that I saw so much variance in the flavor of most vendor juices. You never know whether you are getting something that sat on the shelf after mixing for 2 days or a month before it gets put into a box and shipped to you.
My best flavor with tobaccos seems to be around the 4 week to 2 month range. It's surprising how much flavor develops over time. It's probably the reason that I saw so much variance in the flavor of most vendor juices. You never know whether you are getting something that sat on the shelf after mixing for 2 days or a month before it gets put into a box and shipped to you.
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First, this is long, which is why I didn't post it on another discussion before, and asked people to PM me if they'd like to know about it. But, here's how I do it. Hopefully it'll answer your questions above. If it doesn't, just let me know.
Neighbor's eliquids are all made so his finished ratio is 50PG/50VG and 3mg nic.
I use 100mg/mL nic base in 100%VG for all eliquids, his as well as my own.
I use flavorings that are 100%PG based, except for a couple from OSDIY that I like...which are 57%VG/43%PG based.
The below applies to the eliquids made with 100%PG based flavorings.
I'll use the neighbor's finished PG/VG ratio and Nic mg to explain how I do it.
His finished 50mL bottles of eliquids contain:
50% PG ingredients = All flavorings + Plain PG
50% VG ingredients = Nic base + Plain VG
For making HIS eliquids...I have a line drawn on a 50mL "master" bottle at the 25mL mark (level for PG based ingredients), and another one at the 50mL mark (level after VG based ingredients are added, too). I've put a piece of clear tape across those lines. I use that master bottle and an extra fine tip permanent marker...to transfer those 2 lines (about 1/2" long) onto however many 50mL bottles he wants made during that mixing session. (It's simple to lay them down next to the master bottle that's marked and transfer the lines to them using a ruler. Takes maybe 5 seconds to mark each bottle.)
For each recipe I'm making for him, I have the recipe card in front of its 50mL mixing bottle:
1. I draw out the flavorings (in PG) and squirt them into its respective 50mL bottle.
(If I'm making more than 1 eliquid for him, I do the flavorings for ALL the recipes first.)
2. Then pour/dispense the plain PG up to the bottom line on each 50mL bottle.
3. I draw out his nic base (in VG) and squirt it into each 50mL bottle.
4. Then pour/dispense the plain VG up to the top line on each 50mL bottle.
Done! Put the dropper tips in and the caps on each bottle.
Mine are done the exact same way, except my 50mL bottles will be marked (using the "master" bottle for my own 40PG/60VG ratio) at the 20mL level and the 50mL level.
He always wants 50mL bottles made. However, I make some 30mL, some 50mL, and sometimes even 100mL bottles for myself. So I have 1 master bottle for me...marked for 30mL batch on 1 side, and for a 50mL batch on the other side. Also have 1 100mL master bottle marked for me.
This method works for anyone's final PG/VG ratio and nic mg desired. Just last Thursday I met with another ECF member in Orlando, who vapes 70PG/30VG at 18mg nic, (using PG based flavorings, and 100%PG based nic)...to show her how I do it. I'd already marked "master" bottles for her, based on her PG/VG ratio, using PG based flavorings, and 100%PG based nic. She made 3 different recipes while we were there. Another ECF member who lives about 20 miles from me (vapes 20PG/80VG ratio and 3mg nic, uses PG based flavorings, and nic in 100% VG), is also using this method, instead of by weight, as he'd originally planned. He'd even already bought a scale, but now only uses it for weighing out portions of deer meat, etc. for deep freezer storage.
It may not be a method for everyone. But it works well for the people I've shown and/or told about it in person and/or in PMs, and for myself.
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That sounds soooooo much simpler than drip, drip, tare.
But, if it works for you, saves you money and keeps you off smokes then it is all good!
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