Help necessary for someone who just cannot grasp the DIY thing

[the ob]

In your ejuice me up calculator you will enter 100% PG nic at 36mg

That's what's you're starting with and that is at the top and the first thing you enter

Then it asks Target Nicotine strength.

You will enter 9%

Amount to make? 10ml? 30ml? 60ml? 120ml? Enter the size bottle you have.

Next is the water, Vodka or Pure Grain Alcohol. Leave at zero if you aren't using any them.

Next is your flavoring. Most flavorings are PG based, so enter 100% under PG. Write in the name of the flavoring. Enter the % you want added to the juice. I like FLAVOR so I mix mine at 10-15%. You're going to have to guess at this one, ob. If it's not strong enough, you can always add more flavor later, so you may want to start weak...maybe 5%? I really don't know the best strength for mixing waffle or Raspberry. Someone else will though.

Next is the nicotine juice percentages. Enter 70 PG and 30 VG.

Go to the bottom of the screen and hit "calculate" and up pops everything you need in "ml" or "drops."

It tells you how many ml PG/VG to use and how many ml/drops of flavor to use.

Just use your syringes to measure out what the recipe says.

I keep a big mason jar half full of Vodka for rinsing my syringes in between flavors/PG/VG/nic (nic gets it's own syringe though).

I also use a big cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil with paper towel on top for the mixing. As I mix, I close each bottle after use so it doesn't get spilled and move it OFF the tray because I already used it and don't need it again for this recipe. As I measure, after each flavor, the syringe goes into the Vodka and gets cleaned before going to the next ingredient.

COVER THE PRINT ON YOUR SYRINGES WITH SCOTCH TAPE so it doesn't come off.

Everything gets washed in the sink with dish soap when I'm finished and air dried.

on edit: I also print out the recipe card (top of the ejuice me up page) and if I make any changes, I add that to the recipe card...just write at the bottom of the sheet what you added to the recipe. Next time you want to make it, it will be there and it will taste the same as before. Just add whatever changes you made and then hit "file">save. Keep the recipe card if you want. I keep mine so I can just use that next time instead of taking my laptop to the work area (kitchen).

great post my friend. much appreciated!

only problem is the ejuicemeup calculator. That is for PC's only. I did find a couple of other MAC friendly ones though......

 

[the ob]

what about testing though.

I have read about mixing flavors in water. I have also read about mixing 19 drops of PG/PG with one drop of flavor.

any preferred method that is super simple? I get frustrated with the putting it in the atty and having to clean it out over and over deal.

so in the method I mentioned one drip would be 5%, two 10% and so on. correct?

 

[GoodDog]

Cleaning atties frustrates me too. The water testing is basically putting a drop of flavoring in a little water and swishing that around in your mouth. It won't be as accurate as testing in an atty but it will give you a good idea what the flavor tastes like. Also you won't be wasting supplies or cleaning atties.

If you use Capella's flavorings it's pretty easy to mix up just about anything they carry at 15% and have it come out good. That's where I would recommend you begin.

 

[the ob]

Cleaning atties frustrates me too. The water testing is basically putting a drop of flavoring in a little water and swishing that around in your mouth. It won't be as accurate as testing in an atty but it will give you a good idea what the flavor tastes like. Also you won't be wasting supplies or cleaning atties.

If you use Capella's flavorings it's pretty easy to mix up just about anything they carry at 15% and have it come out good. That's where I would recommend you begin.

Thanks. That is one of the four vendors I purchased flavors from.

That is the other frustrating thing. Every vendor has a different flavor percentage you have to use and every flavor has a different percentage.


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[AzPlumber]

what about testing though.

I have read about mixing flavors in water. I have also read about mixing 19 drops of PG/PG with one drop of flavor.

any preferred method that is super simple? I get frustrated with the putting it in the atty and having to clean it out over and over deal.

so in the method I mentioned one drip would be 5%, two 10% and so on. correct?

Can't help you much with the atty problem I have the same issue.

There are several ways to deal with flavor %:
1. As you have eluded to 1drp flavor to 19drps pg/vg = 5% - drip two drps & taste, add 1drp flavor & 1drp pg/vg =10% - drip two drps & taste, etc
2. This is what I do as I believe mixes need to sit at least a day and some a week or two and I can come back to each % as a reference. On a new to me flavor I dip a tooth pick in the flavor and taste, this will give you a sense of how strong it is. I then make three different %'s in 5 ml batches. The %'s vary depending on how strong I think the flavoring is. Let's say 5%, 7.5% & 10%. I then let them sit at least a day some mixes at least a week. I then taste them each several times over the next few days. Once I have decided on a % I will mix them all together add nic and make adjustments to bring it to the chosen %.

 

[vicsan]

great post my friend. much appreciated!

only problem is the ejuicemeup calculator. That is for PC's only. I did find a couple of other MAC friendly ones though......

Grrr....you have a Mac....I hope whatever calculator you did find for a Mac works basically the same.

Good luck, ob!

 

[the ob]

Grrr....you have a Mac....I hope whatever calculator you did find for a Mac works basically the same.

Good luck, ob!

there are two that I found that work well. One is the Ahlusion one. I find this one particularly simple to use. Even for me

 

[Hoosier]

...That is the other frustrating thing. Every vendor has a different flavor percentage you have to use and every flavor has a different percentage.

This is curious to me. When you're cooking, do you use the same amount of meat, tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper? I know you want something more like making Kool-Aid so sticking with Capella will be your best bet.

I enjoy cooking from scratch and mixing that way. I imagine I had forgotten about learning the difference in power between rosemary, pepper, cumin, sage, and such, but I now I had to learn the differences between flavorings when I started mixing. It was interesting though and I enjoyed it.

The key is finding your mixing style. If you're not an experimenter, like myself, then staying with Capella may be the better way to go.

 

[Mr. P]

Hey ob, if you have an Android phone there is an app for mixing that you can download as well, not sure if there is one for the other that I won't mention.

 

[the ob]

OK,
questions. I hope I can explain what is swirling around in my head.

1) There are two different schools of thought in terms of pre-mixing up the nic/pg/vg juices. Some say I should mix up bigger batches and some say do not. Is there any advantage to it? also, If say, I mix up a batch of 30ml nic/pg/vg in 9mg how does that effect my testing?

I am guessing that I would then take one flavor. Say waffle for example and do the following;
a) mix one batch with 19 drops of my pre-mix and one drop of waffle for 5%
b) mix one batch with 18 drops of my pre-mix and two drops of waffle for 10%
c) mix one batch with 17 drops of my pre-mix and three drops of waffle for 15%
and so on. I would then leave them to steep for hours or days or soak them in hot water and test.

Is that correct? I have read that you can make a batch at 5% and drop two drops in a atty and test. Then add one drop of the pre-mix and one more drop of flavor to get 10% and so on. The issue there is that in between I would have to clean the atty out with something (like everclear) and It would seem that it would throw the taste off. Am I wrong?

 

[the ob]

This is curious to me. When you're cooking, do you use the same amount of meat, tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper? I know you want something more like making Kool-Aid so sticking with Capella will be your best bet.

I enjoy cooking from scratch and mixing that way. I imagine I had forgotten about learning the difference in power between rosemary, pepper, cumin, sage, and such, but I now I had to learn the differences between flavorings when I started mixing. It was interesting though and I enjoyed it.

The key is finding your mixing style. If you're not an experimenter, like myself, then staying with Capella may be the better way to go.

I cannot cook! this is not a joke. I never have been able to figure that out. I hate cooking

 

[Randyrtx]

The idea with a premix is that you only have to add flavoring to it to test. It may not yield an exact result for nicotine strength, but it will be close. That's also the important part of taking good notes. Once you have the flavor percentages down, you can mix a final batch from scratch in a larger quantity.

I mix 120ml batches for my known-good recipes. I find it's easier to get consistent results because small errors in ingredient quantities don't affect it as much, and I also find it easier to get a thorough mix.

I find that PGA (Everclear, vodka, etc.) works better than water for cleaning out flavors between tests, and it dries quicker.

 

[the ob]

The idea with a premix is that you only have to add flavoring to it to test. It may not yield an exact result for nicotine strength, but it will be close. That's also the important part of taking good notes. Once you have the flavor percentages down, you can mix a final batch from scratch in a larger quantity.

I mix 120ml batches for my known-good recipes. I find it's easier to get consistent results because small errors in ingredient quantities don't affect it as much, and I also find it easier to get a thorough mix.

I find that PGA (Everclear, vodka, etc.) works better than water for cleaning out flavors between tests, and it dries quicker.

but so would you recommend doing a pre-mix with or without nic for testing purposes?

with the 20 drop method it would mess up the flavor as you could not just add a drop of flavor and a drop of PG/VG properly. Does what I am asking make sense? I am not sure it even does to me

 

[AzPlumber]

OK,
questions. I hope I can explain what is swirling around in my head.

1) There are two different schools of thought in terms of pre-mixing up the nic/pg/vg juices. Some say I should mix up bigger batches and some say do not. Is there any advantage to it? also, If say, I mix up a batch of 30ml nic/pg/vg in 9mg how does that effect my testing?

I am guessing that I would then take one flavor. Say waffle for example and do the following;
a) mix one batch with 19 drops of my pre-mix and one drop of waffle for 5%
b) mix one batch with 18 drops of my pre-mix and two drops of waffle for 10%
c) mix one batch with 17 drops of my pre-mix and three drops of waffle for 15%
and so on. I would then leave them to steep for hours or days or soak them in hot water and test.

Is that correct? I have read that you can make a batch at 5% and drop two drops in a atty and test. Then add one drop of the pre-mix and one more drop of flavor to get 10% and so on. The issue there is that in between I would have to clean the atty out with something (like everclear) and It would seem that it would throw the taste off. Am I wrong?

I prefer the three batch method, it allows time for the mixes to develop and you have three different %'s you can compare. However, instead of 1ml batches I use 3ml to 5ml batches, typically 5ml. This gives me plenty to work with and after finding the best %, I just mix them together add nic and make the required adjustment for proper %.

 

[Hoosier]

I hate cooking

If a friend were to tell me this, I would do my best to convince him to never start mixing juice. (The friends I have that vape are picky about the taste of the juice.)

I find that PGA (Everclear, vodka, etc.) works better than water for cleaning out flavors between tests, and it dries quicker.

I just have some plain PG in a dropper bottle near my mixing area. Drop some PG in, puff, puff, drip, puff puff = flavor gone. I'm not waiting for anything to dry or anything else.

 

[Traver]

OK,
questions. I hope I can explain what is swirling around in my head.

1) There are two different schools of thought in terms of pre-mixing up the nic/pg/vg juices. Some say I should mix up bigger batches and some say do not. Is there any advantage to it? also, If say, I mix up a batch of 30ml nic/pg/vg in 9mg how does that effect my testing?

I am guessing that I would then take one flavor. Say waffle for example and do the following;
a) mix one batch with 19 drops of my pre-mix and one drop of waffle for 5%
b) mix one batch with 18 drops of my pre-mix and two drops of waffle for 10%
c) mix one batch with 17 drops of my pre-mix and three drops of waffle for 15%
and so on. I would then leave them to steep for hours or days or soak them in hot water and test.

Is that correct? I have read that you can make a batch at 5% and drop two drops in a atty and test. Then add one drop of the pre-mix and one more drop of flavor to get 10% and so on. The issue there is that in between I would have to clean the atty out with something (like everclear) and It would seem that it would throw the taste off. Am I wrong?

That would be the best and most accurate way of doing it.

Personally If I initially find that a flavor is to weak I just add a bit more flavor and vape for a few minutes with the same atty. Actually in my case I drip into a CE2. It's not as as exact but this way gives me an Idea of what I need to do and at this stage that's all I am looking for. Once I have a good idea of how much flavor to use I will let it it sit a week then do a final test with clean carto. Now if I really like it I make up a larger batch. My way is more of a process than a science. It does get a bit easier as you get more experience.

 

[the ob]

If a friend were to tell me this, I would do my best to convince him to never start mixing juice. (The friends I have that vape are picky about the taste of the juice.)



I just have some plain PG in a dropper bottle near my mixing area. Drop some PG in, puff, puff, drip, puff puff = flavor gone. I'm not waiting for anything to dry or anything else.

I completely agree. I am probably exactly the type of person who should probably never DIY. As confused and frustrated as I am however, I love the idea of making my own both because of cost and because I know exactly how it is made and how safe it is. Also, because of my "condition" I am extremely stubborn and persistent, combined with a extreme lack of patience.

These are not good combinations

 

[Hoosier]

Nah, stubborn and persistent are great qualities for a mixer. Lack of patience just means you'll switch to another flavor/flavoring quicker.

 

[the ob]

Nah, stubborn and persistent are great qualities for a mixer. Lack of patience just means you'll switch to another flavor/flavoring quicker.

I am simultaneously the poster child for someone who should and should not be a DIYer both at the same time.

 

[Randyrtx]

but so would you recommend doing a pre-mix with or without nic for testing purposes?

with the 20 drop method it would mess up the flavor as you could not just add a drop of flavor and a drop of PG/VG properly. Does what I am asking make sense? I am not sure it even does to me

I'd definitely use nicotine in the pre-mix, as that can affect the overall flavor and throat-hit, IMO. What I'd suggest is to mix up a batch of pre-mix using the same percentages of all ingredients EXCEPT flavoring, say 30mL or so. As an example, I mix 70% PG, 30% VG, 5% Distilled Water (to thin the VG), with a nic strength of 6mg/ml.

To test a flavor, put a small known amount of the pre-mix, 1ml or so (which is approximately 20 drops) in a small dropper bottle. Then add flavoring a few drops at a time, mix well and test for taste. Keep adding drops of flavoring (and mixing well!) until you get close to the taste you want. Once you have a percentage that's close, remix a fresh test batch using the pre-mix and flavoring, test for taste and continue tweaking if necessary. This process will get you very close to a final flavoring percentage.

Once that's done, mix up a final batch from scratch plugging in the correct flavor percentage into the calculator.

For the math: Let's say you use 20 drops of pre-mix, and need 5 drops of flavoring. That's 20 drops +5 drops = 25 drops total. Flavoring percentage would be 5 drops / 25 drops * 100 = 20%.