Heat Steeping

[TheBoom]

Been into DIY for some time mostly diluting existing liquids to bring down the nic content.

I use mainly VG to dilute hence the mixtures aren't at their best straight after dilution.

Did some research on steeping, didn't really like the idea of waiting 1-2 weeks so I've been doing heat based steeping methods mainly.

However I've just read that heat kills off the nicotine pretty quickly? Is that true?

Also I've noticed members talking about steeping their juices in incubators? Is that really effective (or does it lower the nic content significantly) ?

Deciding whether I should get an incubator (not an advanced scientific type just a home use or yogurt maker type of incubator) or not, any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[randomhousegir]

What you need to be looking for is not an incubator but an ultrasonic cleaner. They are used for jewelry normally. If you buy an incubator but don't plan on making yogurt or raising chickens you'll be wasting your money.

Also, side note. The reason your diluted flavors don't taste right is because if you dilute with a non-flavored liquid you are diluting the flavoring as well.

Hope those both help.

sent from my phone via tapatalk 2 because I can't stop reading and posting on ECF

 

[SuperLuckyLady]

Yep, what you need is an ultrasonic cleaner.

However, unless you're using heat for long periods of time, you're probably not hurting much. Moderate heat for a relatively short period will not "kill off" the nicotine, but heat will always speed up any chemical reactions - like nicotine degradation. Or plastic absorbtion/degradation if you're using plastic bottles.

 

[dannyv45]

+1 on UC steeping and there is really no concern about heat unless you plan to store your mixes longer then a year.

 

[Calivapr123]

For those of you guys that have used the UC: has anyone actually made an experiment that splits up the very same "fresh" juice from the very same bottle, let one steep normally and the other put in the UC cleaner; and then after some time in the UC, vaped both juices, from the same kind of vaper and tank, with the very same wattage, and vaped side by side, been 100% convinced that the UC does, in fact, make a significant difference in alteration/improvement of the taste?

I've ready many threads about people using the UC, but have not come across anyone that has actually made the side by side distinction. If you know of one, please provide the link... thank you!

 

[dannyv45]

I have and the difference is very slight. The mixes continue to steep after UC but the UC will bring it 80% of the way there. I steep my fruits for 90 - 120min, 1 flavor tobaccos 2 - 3 hours, Multi tobacco, creams and complex mixs 4 - 5 hours. The only mix I found that did not UC steep was TFA's black honey tobacco.

 

[Calivapr123]

Thanks Danny...

So while you find that there may be a slight difference right after the UC Time, the use of the UC would be more significant in a situation, where, for example, if a juice would take 2 weeks to steep normally, having used the UC would lessen those days? I would love that if that were true, if it does in fact significantly shorten normal steep time.

 

[TheBoom]

What you need to be looking for is not an incubator but an ultrasonic cleaner. They are used for jewelry normally. If you buy an incubator but don't plan on making yogurt or raising chickens you'll be wasting your money.

Also, side note. The reason your diluted flavors don't taste right is because if you dilute with a non-flavored liquid you are diluting the flavoring as well.

Hope those both help.

sent from my phone via tapatalk 2 because I can't stop reading and posting on ECF

I agree and understand what you mean by flavour dilution but i add other flavours to the mixture to ensure it isn't bland. But what usually happens is one flavour gets muted out and only after vaping half a tank it resurfaces. Which to me seems like a steeping issue.

Thanks for all the response anyway. Might have to look into getting a ultrasonic cleaner.

 

[randomhousegir]

I agree and understand what you mean by flavour dilution but i add other flavours to the mixture to ensure it isn't bland. But what usually happens is one flavour gets muted out and only after vaping half a tank it resurfaces. Which to me seems like a steeping issue.

Thanks for all the response anyway. Might have to look into getting a ultrasonic cleaner.

Harbor freight if you want a cheapy but the time it runs the cleaner is only 8min so if you want to invest the extra you can get some with just on and off switches or longer timers

sent from my phone via tapatalk 2 because I can't stop reading and posting on ECF

 

[Gaspar74]

I have both incubators and ultrasonic cleaners at work. I plan on trying both methods to see what works best. The incubator is at 60c normally and ultrasonic I can just leave on as long as I want. Hmm I also have some magnetic mixing doo hickeys ( forget actual name). Lol

 

[JD4x4]

Harbor freight if you want a cheapy but the time it runs the cleaner is only 8min so if you want to invest the extra you can get some with just on and off switches or longer timers

sent from my phone via tapatalk 2 because I can't stop reading and posting on ECF

I posted in the Ultrasonic thread a while back that my cheap HF cleaner will stay on forever if a rubber band or something is constantly pressing the button. I use a HF timer set to 15 min on/15 min off and a rubber band to hold the switch down.

Why 15 on/15 off? Maybe it's just cheap, but the UC action itself raises the bath temp with or without the top closed and I thought it best to give it a periodic rest to keep from killing the machine. Best of both worlds if you want heat and UC mixing? lol

 

[TheBoom]

After a little more of research i feel that the ultrasonic cleaner seems to be a safer option. With an incubator you'd probably have to leave it on for hours (6-8 hrs) to make any difference and at that rate i think the nicotine would be affected to a significant amount?

 

[TheBoom]

I posted in the Ultrasonic thread a while back that my cheap HF cleaner will stay on forever if a rubber band or something is constantly pressing the button. I use a HF timer set to 15 min on/15 min off and a rubber band to hold the switch down.

Why 15 on/15 off? Maybe it's just cheap, but the UC action itself raises the bath temp with or without the top closed and I thought it best to give it a periodic rest to keep from killing the machine. Best of both worlds if you want heat and UC mixing? lol

So usually how long in total do you keep it on?

 

[JD4x4]

I mainly only do tobacco flavs, and have had great results with 3 to 4 total hours (1 1/2 to 2 hrs total on time). ymmv

For sure HF won't kill your wallet though. I use their cheapo manual-set plug timer.

edit- nothing complicated in my mixes.. 1 or 2 flavs max usually.
edit, edit!- And oh yeah, I mix thinnest first, thickest last. Flavor, then PG, then VG, then nic base last. It just seems logical to me, and after a Greek flavor vendor mentioned it in a post on another forum.

 

[dannyv45]

Thanks Danny...

So while you find that there may be a slight difference right after the UC Time, the use of the UC would be more significant in a situation, where, for example, if a juice would take 2 weeks to steep normally, having used the UC would lessen those days? I would love that if that were true, if it does in fact significantly shorten normal steep time.

A UC makes it more then vapable in a few hours I would say it's 80% steeped. And when I say vapable I mean If a mix takes 4 - 5 weeks to steep naturally after 4 - 5 hours in the UC you would think it has steeped for 3.5 to 4 weeks. It's that close. I find steeping more then 5 hours makes little difference so there is no advantage to steeping more then 5 hours as the mix has reached it's UC steeping limit. But what you will notice is as it sits right after UC steeping it may take from 3 - 7 days to reach full 100% steeped maturity.

 

[Scotsman6783]

I found a little UC on ebay for six bucks. Its meant for cleaning dentures. Battery powered. Was thinking about picking it up. Anyone have thoughts on if this would sufficient?(small batches of course)

 

[Chas_L]

After reading several post about steeping juice in a warm car (prtotected from sunlight ) I did some surfing and found a test conducted by a chemist (so he claimed) that concluded that 8 hours at 140 F was equal to 4 weeks at room temperature. I had a 130 to 140F hot air warmer on had so gave it a try and the results were great. TFA Black Honey Tobacco at 10% in 60/40-12mg. after 8 hors vaped like it had steep in a closet for four of five weeks and the color shift was close to same also.

 

[dannyv45]

I found a little UC on ebay for six bucks. Its meant for cleaning dentures. Battery powered. Was thinking about picking it up. Anyone have thoughts on if this would sufficient?(small batches of course)

Inexpensive is not usually the best choice. If it's the one I'm thinking of on ebay. It's to small to be any good. Maybe you can do a 5ml bottle in it. Also think of the inconvienence of turning it on every 3 minutes. You can find non heated units with 30 minute timers that can hold up to 15 1oz bottles for like 30 - 40 bucks. You need to read the ultrasonic cleaner thread then think about it before you purchase. It boils down to convienence or cost.

 

[dannyv45]

After reading several post about steeping juice in a warm car (prtotected from sunlight ) I did some surfing and found a test conducted by a chemist (so he claimed) that concluded that 8 hours at 140 F was equal to 4 weeks at room temperature. I had a 130 to 140F hot air warmer on had so gave it a try and the results were great. TFA Black Honey Tobacco at 10% in 60/40-12mg. after 8 hors vaped like it had steep in a closet for four of five weeks and the color shift was close to same also.

Recommended steeping temperature is no hotter then 121F so be careful not to burn the juice.

 

[Chas_L]

Recommended steeping temperature is no hotter then 121F so be careful not to burn the juice.

Recomended by who?

Unless someone who is a experienced / commerical juice producer then like many bits of web knowledge may mean very little.

Some recomend water baths jut below boiling point, which I agree is to hot.

read Day 3 here:

STEEPING eliquid, juice, vape juice, ejuice, e-liquid, 101



One here says 5 minutes and done:
http://realdealvapors.com/E-Juice-Steeping.html

Snip:

NOTE: A quicker way to steep your e-juice is to take the bottle and put it in a sealed plastic bag, then put that bag inside another bag, then run it under hot water for about five minutes.
Then take it out of the bags and shake it. Bingo your done!

FYI I steeped TFA Black Honey at 10% , FW Vanilla at 20% both for 8 hours at 130-140 F and they taste great to me.