How do you prefer to mea sure your recipe?

[JCinFLA]

Not that mixing by volume is that much of a hassle either, but by weight is cleaner. Have you ever heard of someone who switched to volume from weight? No. The other way around. Yes. Why is that?

If you personally don't like taking 1-2 minutes to wash a few syringes and some blunt needle tips (after making even up to 7 different recipes at a time in 1 mixing session)...that's OK. Keep using and throwing away pipettes, if that works better for you. I personally prefer not to tare & drip, tare & drip, etc....for each and every ingredient I'd add to a mix, one bottle at a time on the scale, when making that many different recipes in 1 session. If that means I'll wash some syringes and blunt needle tips...it's a fair trade off for me. Your method works better for you and mine does for me. It's all good in the end!

As far as having known about anyone who's switched to volume...Yes, yes I do. 2 ECF members that I've helped to learn DIY and shown the way I mix by volume. There are probably others on here, too, who just don't post about it.

You act as if I have never used volume before. I was doing it that way long before you joined this forum and I mixed hundreds of batches by volume. I have done a lot of both and have the experience to make an informed decision of what works best, at least for me and in all likely hood the majority of mixers.

I'm well aware that you've used volume before, and that you've been mixing long before I joined this forum. Making an informed decision of what works best, at least for you (as you said above)...go for it. It's the last part that seems very presumptuous, IMO, which I'm entitled to, and to post here as well.

Look, washing syringes isn't a big deal. I get it. Its still better not having to do it.

For YOU personally it's better not having to do it. Many of us don't mind it at all...when compared to tare & drip, tare & drip, etc. using pipettes that are disposable. It's just different strokes for different folks!

 

[JCinFLA]

Cleaning "a" syringe is not a big deal at all. However, cleaning 30 syringes is.
I often sit to mix 4, 5 or even 6 different recipes at once. What a hassle it would be cleaning all of those syringes.

I've never used more than 4 syringes even when mixing 7 different recipes at one time assembly line fashion, in 1 session! I also don't get contamination from 1 flavoring to another. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how to prevent it.

EDIT: Also, sitting to make 4, 5, or 6 different recipes while dripping & taring each and every ingredient must take awhile when it's done one bottle at a time on the scale. What a hassle that must be.

 

[mhertz]

Dripping and tarring doesn't take more time than drawing up a syringe and definetely not longer than cleaning it between or afterwards. Also, you don't sit around dripping a drop at a time, you squirt quickly in the beginning and then slow down by drops at the end of the ratio. And pressing tare isn't hard either. Both is a 5 sec job roughly per ingredient. People wouldn't use this method if there wasen't anything to gain by it. I mean, it's not a cool thing to do or something like that.
Imho, it's more effecient to use scales, as in less cleanup and faster, but it's not either better or more precise

If not having experience with scales and is interested, then go watch a youtube video or two where scales are used, to see for yourself how easy and convenient it is and not something imaginable big hassle of a long winded drip and tare, lol. If it wasen't beneficial in any way, then I obviously wouldn't bother with it and the slight initial learning curve.

I respect volume-people stating "hey, that's my preferred method and I don't wanna change and don't mind the slight extra cleanup/time"... And have no counter-argument for that

 

[jpasint]

I use the same syringe for a mixing session and as I said using different syringes for each flavor is a waste in my opinion. So I clean one syringe for everything even if I am mixing up five different recipes.

Well, my personality is such that I could not mix that way.
Was that PC enough?

It is all good, folks. Hope everyone is enjoying mixing, however they want. Having fun mixing is a good thing. And this topic of weight vs. volume is sorta fun to watch people discuss.

 

[f4milytime]

Me personally, I started with syringes. Tried by weight, and absolutely love it. Been doing it thay way ever since. Plus I dislike cleaning syringes. But that's just me

 

[zoiDman]

... And this topic of weight vs. volume is sorta fun to watch people discuss.

You think this is Fun. Just wait till someone suggests using the "D" word for Mixing.

 

[JCinFLA]

Notice the OP's question was simply "How do you prefer to measure your recipe?" It's easy enough to answer! If you've tried both weighing and volume measuring, then you can offer an informed opinion about which way you prefer. If you haven't tried both...well, you can't, can you?

I'm sorry, but that's wrong, IMO. Of course you can have a preference about anything...without trying any/all different ones! It's like asking someone which hot dog brand they prefer, or what make of SUV they prefer, etc., but then saying their preference shouldn't even be given unless they've tried the others. Really?

OP's question seemed to not have any qualifiers to it, let alone that only the preferences of those who've tried both methods are valued or requested. Looked to me like he was asking for everyone's personal preference. That's what most of us posted, until others chose to "knock" or compare our preference to theirs. Check back and you'll notice the same thing.

I respect volume-people stating "hey, that's my preferred method and I don't wanna change and don't mind the slight extra cleanup/time"... And have no counter-argument for that

So, if volume-people had just answered the OP's question with their choice and said simply, "hey, that's my preferred method"...that wouldn't be respected? Good grief!

 

[mhertz]

I'
So, if volume-people had just answered the OP's question with their choice and said simply, "hey, that's my preferred method"...that wouldn't be respected? Good grief!

Ehh, what??? I said the exact opposite of that I respect opinions and factually correct statements, but not e.g. "non-solids are better meassured by volume, or solids have different specific gravities hence, volume is best etc", which just doesn't really make a lotta sense honestly... If you prefer volume and not making up non-arguments without any factual bearings about scale-usage, then of course I respect that. We are all free to use whatever we'd like obviously No hating from my side of the fence atleast.. I don't say volume isn't optimal because it takes hours to cleanup either. I fully concur that it takes freakin' 2 minuttes to cleanup...

Edit: Sorry JCinFLA, I probably used bad wording previously... Of course everyone should be respected here no matter whatever they state, as personal opinion isn't really debateble, and I also didn't mean that they had to say everything to the letter in my example for me to respect it either. My point was just to stick to good ol' subjectivisme coupled with propper facts and not heresay or misunderstandings etc.

 

[Bigbryantn]

I really had no idea that my question would bring out the ole ford-chevy thing.... I was interested in how other mixers preferred to measure out their ingredients. I started out using syringes and felt that it was very repeatable. Then I lucked up and got a very accurate scale for less than $10 and I love how it sped up MY process. I have this weird lingering thing in my head wondering if it's as accurate as I think it should be..(ocd a little) ;-) Sometimes I add some liquid and the scale doesn't show the weight change until I bump the bottle then it shows up what I just put in... So far everything looks, smellls, and tastes exactly the same. This little thought in the back of my head was my reason for this thread to see which process other mixers preferred.

 

[man00ver]

Notice the OP's question was simply "How do you prefer to measure your recipe?" It's easy enough to answer! If you've tried both weighing and volume measuring, then you can offer an informed opinion about which way you prefer. If you haven't tried both...well, you can't, can you?

I'm sorry, but that's wrong, IMO. Of course you can have a preference about anything...without trying any/all different ones! It's like asking someone which hot dog brand they prefer, or what make of SUV they prefer, etc., but then saying their preference shouldn't even be given unless they've tried the others. Really?

No, not really.
I never said you or anyone else couldn't freely state their opinion, nor would I. On more careful reading, what I really said was that neither you, nor anyone else, can offer an informed opinion unless you have a basis for comparison. It's quite alright to say what you do that works for you, but it has to be taken for what it's worth. Really.

"I've never tasted Nathan's, or Sabrett, or Boar's Head or Hebrew National, but Oscar Meyer hot dogs are the best!" Well, OK then...thanks! See what I mean? (No, I don't mean to say I would turn down an Oscar Meyer hot dog. Just making a point.)

P.S. I never use pipettes for mixing by weight. I squirt flavors (and nic) straight out of their dropper bottles; PG and VG from larger condiment-style bottles. The only time I ever use (or have to clean) a cylinder is when I'm transferring from larger containers into dropper bottles. My arsenal of syringes are just really lonely now. They formerly got occasional use for small fill-port tanks, back when I still had some retail e-liquids that came in glass bottles, but those days are over.

P.P.S. Any method that gets you to a suitable DIY vape is wonderful. People who have tried a different way and tell you about it are just offering helpful advice, from informed opinion, and are not disrespecting or attacking. Really!

 

[Zakillah]

Lab grade pipettes can have both precision and accuracy better than 0.001g (when measuring water). Overkill for e-liquids. But please, do not say that measuring by weight is more precise. More convenient? May be.

And how do you measure the accuracy of a pipette? By weighting the amount of water you just pipetted on a scale that measures down to 0,00001g. Beats the pipette by two digits.
Of course this doesn't matter when mixing juice.

 

[JCinFLA]

On more careful reading, what I really said was that neither you, nor anyone else, can offer an informed opinion unless you have a basis for comparison. It's quite alright to say what you do that works for you, but it has to be taken for what it's worth. Really.

"I've never tasted Nathan's, or Sabrett, or Boar's Head or Hebrew National, but Oscar Meyer hot dogs are the best!" Well, OK then...thanks! See what I mean?

The OP's question asked simply which one do you prefer. Plain and simple! Didn't ask which is better. Many of us, for either of the 2 methods, gave our preference and told why we like/use that method.

I personally don't ever say "by volume is the best", even though contrary to what you and Capt.shay believe, I recently have tried by weight for comparison. When I've posted that same statement before...Capt.shay has said, of course you don't say it's the best, because it's not. See what I mean? It wouldn't matter if I had or hadn't tried it yet. I'd never say that someone's opinion about anything, is a fact! No one on here knows what methods other members have or haven't tried, or what they're basing their opinions on, unless they say so!

When I post a preference for anything on ECF, I usually post the reasons why for me personally, it is my preference. If I don't and anyone asks, I tell them. Many of my posts include IMO, or personally, which to most mean exactly that.

People who have tried a different way and tell you about it are just offering helpful advice, from informed opinion, and are not disrespecting or attacking.

Sorry, but that last part made me laugh. If someone is interested in learning a different method and/or asks for info on it, and the merits of that method are given...then it is helpful advice. When it's presented that way, it's welcomed by many. Some on here, like @IDJoel and @DaveP for example, do a great job with that, IMO. However, when someone's current preference is said to be wrong, found fault with, called stupid, etc. as part of the so-called "helpful advice", it IS disrespectful and attacking. The old "you catch more flies with honey..." statement seems to have been forgotten by some.

 

[schatz]

SO here goes. I have been mixing by volume for a couple years now and cleaning and reusing syringes cause I am frugal. Just recently tried mixing by volume using small scale that I already had for small measurements of herbs. Worked great for me so next day I ordered the scale that is recommended and have not looked back. Just love the ease and for me it is faster, and I have all the new mixes out in my workshop to prove it. Now just finding the time to try all these new flavors, maybe a dripper is in order since I am a tank guy.

 

[Dieseler]

I just DIY for the Mrs and i @ 450ml at a time useing borosilicate measuring cylinders.
Recipe for her is simple methol ,nic, pg and a little vg.
For me real cig flavoring, nic, pg and a little vg.

 

[man00ver]

People who have tried a different way and tell you about it are just offering helpful advice, from informed opinion, and are not disrespecting or attacking.

Sorry, but that last part made me laugh. If someone is interested in learning a different method and/or asks for info on it, and the merits of that method are given...then it is helpful advice. When it's presented that way, it's welcomed by many. Some on here, like @IDJoel and @DaveP for example, do a great job with that, IMO. However, when someone's current preference is said to be wrong, found fault with, called stupid, etc. as part of the so-called "helpful advice", it IS disrespectful and attacking. The old "you catch more flies with honey..." statement seems to have been forgotten by some.

I really wasn't trying to upset anybody when I made my first post on the thread, and it wasn't aimed at you specifically, JC. Point of fact, since you've already tried mixing by weight, it didn't even apply to you generally; what I was essentially trying to say was, "give it a shot, you might like it, I did!" You took issue with the semantics and interpreted, "if you haven't tried it, shut up," instead. I didn't mean that, and I'm sorry it came off that way. Just so you know, I class you with @IDJoel and @DaveP as one of the nice and helpful types here in the hangout.

Many of us, for either of the 2 methods, gave our preference and told why we like/use that method.

You're right that one can prefer one thing and prefer not to venture an unexplored other thing. I surrender on the definition of "prefer." I still want to nudge folks towards trying out the scale if they haven't, because it's been so liberating for me personally. To elaborate: I'm a flavor chaser. I make a lot of small batches of found recipes, frequently redevelop them, occasionally create my own and tweak and re-tweak those too. Other than squirting fixed amounts of nic and VG into 7 or 8 bottles at the start, I don't get much assembly-line efficiency during a mixing session, since the PG/flavor measurements are usually particular to each bottle. I gather the mass-production scenario is key to your success with mixing by volume, and I'd like to know more about it. It may not apply to my style now, but maybe someday.

 

[zoiDman]

I think Waffles are better than Pancakes.

 

[NCC]

I think Waffles are better than Pancakes.

Well, I like small cars! And if anyone doesn't like small cars, they're just plain wrong.

 

[zoiDman]

Well, I like small cars! And if anyone doesn't like small cars, they're just plain wrong.

Agreed. And Big Car Owners (BCO's) historically have been Pancake lovers. So that's 2 Strikes in my book.

And if they Don't Do DIY like I do, well... I say let's get out the Tar and a Big Bag of Feathers.

 

[f4milytime]

I add my NIC with a syringe.

 

[Alter]

Throughout the 79 replys about how they measure and then the weights of vg and pg, nowhere did I see that the weight of nic in the certain base or combination wasn't mentioned and will affect you mix if not properly entered into the juice calculator. Some go into hundreths and like the pinpoint accuracy.
Weight of Pure Nicotine: 1.01 grams per ml
Weight of 100mg in PG: 1.0352 grams per ml
Weight of 100mg in VG: 1.235 grams per ml
48mg 50VG/50PG based nicotine solution 1.14 grams per ml.

I cut my 100 into 48 so I calculated the 48 weight.
I'm just assuming that most use the ejuicemeup calc and have a separate place to enter the nic weights than the base weights. Remember to set the new sheet as default or it will reset. Now you have to redo and resave all your recipes since they are set for the old default sheet. I do assume the stock recipes(if you use them) also since they are set to the old default, I removed all those stock mixes and just have my own recipes in the calc. You have to rummage around in the program files and remove the .rec and .rec2 files, save a copy of the folder in another location. When calc does a update, just keep the new version .exe file, remove all the rest and replace with the saved file. Just remember to resave the folder when you build and save a new recipe.
If your wanting to phart around with concentrate weights then your turning mixing into rocket science and I'm much too stuck on the KISS method to bother.