How much does nicotine affect juice flavour?

[Old Greybeard]

Now that I'm concocting ejuice on a grand scale, I've been pondering the interaction between nicotine and the juice itself. I realize that most commercial juice sold in the UK comes with separate nicotine shots, and this has got me thinking.

• Is there any benefit or disadvantage of omitting nicotine when testing/trialing recipes?
• How much of an effect does nicotine play as part of the steeping process? Is it an essential component, and if so, how do commercial producers compensate for not having nicotine in their juice?
• Would I be sensible in creating recipes without nicotine, and if they are decent enough to vape add the nicotine afterwards?

It seems pointless adding nicotine if potentially some of the juices are going to be binned, but at the same time, if it is an essential part of the steeping process I don't want to be misled by a juice potentially having different characteristics caused by adding the nicotine post-steep.

So when do folks here add nic, before or after steeping?

 

[DeloresRose]

I know people say good fresh nic is odorless and tasteless, but I have always been able to smell it and taste it. I buy from the same vendors everyone else does, five years of diy, I can’t even recall how many liters...

I mean it’s clear, stored in the freezer, and I don’t order in the heat of the summer. And it’s not an unpleasant odor, just a nip peppery.

Anyway, so yeah, I test with it.

 

[muth]

lightweight ... Yeah Nicotine is "usually" colorless and odorless (if it's good) , but that depends upon how old it is and if it's been stored properly.... I DIY with my juices and I stopped vaping for quite a few months once and when I started vaping again, I went to mix up some juices and I noticed that my Nicotine had taken on a bit of an odor and it also turned a slight tinge of brown/yellow.... Most unpleasant.

Of course, I did not store it properly either as it was just kept in bottles and not put into a fridge....

I might be a lightweight but you've been negligent...shame

I actually did something similar. I had an unopened container from NicRiver but I never transferred it to glass and freezer (100% pg base). When I finally got around to it I noticed it had yellowed just a bit and had an ever so slight odor. I asked NicRiver about it and was reassured that it didn't spoil and was safe to use unless it bothered me. They also said that some nicotine will be slightly colored. He also added that the Chemnovatic line has a longer shelf life if I was interested. Truthfully, I think that container was sitting for almost a year but in a cool place and still in the shipping box. Still, I'm going to make some juice with and without to do a comparison. I'm picky.

 

[mjag]

I always mix with nic when trying a new flavor but then again I am at 1.5mg so not gonna affect flavor since I use quality nic.

I do mix for friends and have recently started making big 960ml bottles to steep and be ready when someone needs juice. I do not add nic as they all vape different strengths. I just add the proper amount of nic to whatever size bottle they want then add the pre-steeped juice.

If you are making a big batch for a long steep, say 3+ months then best not to add nic especially if they are 3mg or more. A friend of mine made a large batch of custards, 1 with 3mg and the other with no nic to let them steep for 3 or 4 months. The 3mg got so harsh it was unvapable unless you made a no nic mix to cut it down to 1.5mg but the no nic batch was perfect.

For the purest flavor when testing recipes best not to add nic, there is no flavor advantage to the nicotine.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[ScottP]

I'm having trouble figuring out why my flavor would be diluted if I add the nic later. For example: I mix a 30 ml bottle of my favorite recipe. I use 3% PG based nic (0.9 mls). I add everything but the 0.9 mls of nic, which I'll add right before vaping. You mean to tell me I'll be diluting the flavor with that? I just don't see it. I'm only adding a portion of the recipe already calculated to be added.

I was responding to the OP who was wanting to perfect recipes without wasting nic. My point was, if he gets a sample bottle of 0 nic tasting how he wants it to, THEN adds nic it will dilute it. So I suggested to make a new bottle and replace some of the PG OR VG with the nic to keep the concentration the same as the sample bottle.

Now, in your case if you pre-make calculated recipes and leave out the nic (without replacing it with something else) for the purpose of steeping, then no it will not be a dilution since it was a technically a calculated ingredient that had yet to be added. However, if do this and vape it before you add the nic then in this case the flavors will be more concentrated, because you haven't added all the ingredients yet. Although at 3% it probably won't be a huge difference.

 

[ScottP]

I don't think GOOD nic really affects flavor. However, if you make a batch without nic then add it to an existing mixture later it WILL dilute the flavor. So what I would suggest is make small 10ml batches to test flavors without nic. Once you get the taste right THEN make a new batch and and replace a portion of either the PG or VG (depending on what your nic is in) with the nic. That way it is not diluted

 

[Falconeer]

I do mix my own "unflavoured" juices - 50/50 PG/VG to 16 strength. I have tried no nic base liquid and I felt it lacked a certain "prickle" so have happily added nicotine since that experiment.

That said, a few years ago I tried Space Jam e liquid at 12 strength in Spain from a very reputable Vape Shop and liked it a lot. Knowing I'd be gasping for a puff the moment I got off the plane back home I bought a bottle of the said Space Jam at 18 strength to load up with at Newcastle ... and found it really affected the taste; being honest it ruined it completely and knocked out the more suble elemements.

So I'd guess it can affect some flavours, but that's only my experience.

 

[muth]

Now that I'm concocting ejuice on a grand scale, I've been pondering the interaction between nicotine and the juice itself. I realize that most commercial juice sold in the UK comes with separate nicotine shots, and this has got me thinking.

• Is there any benefit or disadvantage of omitting nicotine when testing/trialing recipes?
• How much of an effect does nicotine play as part of the steeping process? Is it an essential component, and if so, how do commercial producers compensate for not having nicotine in their juice?
• Would I be sensible in creating recipes without nicotine, and if they are decent enough to vape add the nicotine afterwards?

It seems pointless adding nicotine if potentially some of the juices are going to be binned, but at the same time, if it is an essential part of the steeping process I don't want to be misled by a juice potentially having different characteristics caused by adding the nicotine post-steep.

So when do folks here add nic, before or after steeping?

The nic I use is odorless and tasteless and I add it to my mix from the start. Then I keep it in a cool, dark place. However, there have been times when I mixed small batches without nic. I only use 3mg which isn't really enough to make a difference in taste.

 

[AXIOM_1]

I might be a lightweight but you've been negligent...shame

I actually did something similar. I had an unopened container from NicRiver but I never transferred it to glass and freezer (100% pg base). When I finally got around to it I noticed it had yellowed just a bit and had an ever so slight odor. I asked NicRiver about it and was reassured that it didn't spoil and was safe to use unless it bothered me. They also said that some nicotine will be slightly colored. He also added that the Chemnovatic line has a longer shelf life if I was interested. Truthfully, I think that container was sitting for almost a year but in a cool place and still in the shipping box. Still, I'm going to make some juice with and without to do a comparison. I'm picky.

LOL ... Just messing with you about the "lightweight" comment ... Yeah, most nic I have ever seen turns color and takes on an odor after sitting for an extended period of time (unless refrigerated) .... I have even vaped old nic that has turned color and it still provided my nic fix..... But I would much rather vape odorless/colorless nic

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Now that I'm concocting ejuice on a grand scale, I've been pondering the interaction between nicotine and the juice itself. I realize that most commercial juice sold in the UK comes with separate nicotine shots, and this has got me thinking.

• Is there any benefit or disadvantage of omitting nicotine when testing/trialing recipes?
• How much of an effect does nicotine play as part of the steeping process? Is it an essential component, and if so, how do commercial producers compensate for not having nicotine in their juice?
• Would I be sensible in creating recipes without nicotine, and if they are decent enough to vape add the nicotine afterwards?

It seems pointless adding nicotine if potentially some of the juices are going to be binned, but at the same time, if it is an essential part of the steeping process I don't want to be misled by a juice potentially having different characteristics caused by adding the nicotine post-steep.

So when do folks here add nic, before or after steeping?

Do a bit of testing . Make some test juice, 1 with nic and 1 without, then you can determine if you can tell the difference. Some people may be able to and some may not.

 

[Old Greybeard]

The 3mg got so harsh it was unvapable unless you made a no nic mix to cut it down to 1.5mg but the no nic batch was perfect.

That's useful to know @mjag, I had a 100ml batch go bad on me over a longish steep (3-4 months). I thought it was just the air in the bottle, but the nic may have played a part in this as well.

I am a self confessed lightweight though, I started off @6mg and have settled on 3mg. I can't abide harsh, peppery juice that catches my throat.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

I do the same. I have been using the same brand of PG, VG, and Nic for the base. Then I add flavors for steeping and testing. However it turns out, I adjust the flavor, taking away or adding more, to get where my tastebuds say to go.

I start with 5ml samples, then 10ml, then farther up the size making minor corrections.

 

[bombastinator]

I always add it before. I don’t know enough about mixing to be helpful with any of the other stuff other than to say that nicotine adds throat hit and can have a mild peppery taste so my suspicion would be that it affects flavor. Particularly if the nicotine is cheap or old.

 

[AXIOM_1]

I only use 3mg

lightweight ... Yeah Nicotine is "usually" colorless and odorless (if it's good) , but that depends upon how old it is and if it's been stored properly.... I DIY with my juices and I stopped vaping for quite a few months once and when I started vaping again, I went to mix up some juices and I noticed that my Nicotine had taken on a bit of an odor and it also turned a slight tinge of brown/yellow.... Most unpleasant.

Of course, I did not store it properly either as it was just kept in bottles and not put into a fridge....

 

[Vapedog]

lightweight ... Yeah Nicotine is "usually" colorless and odorless (if it's good) , but that depends upon how old it is and if it's been stored properly.... I DIY with my juices and I stopped vaping for quite a few months once and when I started vaping again, I went to mix up some juices and I noticed that my Nicotine had taken on a bit of an odor and it also turned a slight tinge of brown/yellow.... Most unpleasant.

Of course, I did not store it properly either as it was just kept in bottles and not put into a fridge....

Ahh, that may be why my milk in Sumner tastes so sour.
Seriously though, I notice no difference other than with gives a throat hit and without it theres no throat hit. Tastes the same. But I buy qaulity, clear, odourless and store mine in a fridge.

 

[rob33]

I keep a FDA doomsday supply in the deep freeze and continue to buy smaller fresher lots to use today. I can notice even being stored in the freezer the freshest like anything else is better.

 

[muth]

I don't think GOOD nic really affects flavor. However, if you make a batch without nic then add it to an existing mixture later it WILL dilute the flavor. So what I would suggest is make small 10ml batches to test flavors without nic. Once you get the taste right THEN make a new batch and and replace a portion of either the PG or VG (depending on what your nic is in) with the nic. That way it is not diluted

I'm having trouble figuring out why my flavor would be diluted if I add the nic later. For example: I mix a 30 ml bottle of my favorite recipe. I use 3% PG based nic (0.9 mls). I add everything but the 0.9 mls of nic, which I'll add right before vaping. You mean to tell me I'll be diluting the flavor with that? I just don't see it. I'm only adding a portion of the recipe already calculated to be added.

 

[DeloresRose]

I'm having trouble figuring out why my flavor would be diluted if I add the nic later. For example: I mix a 30 ml bottle of my favorite recipe. I use 3% PG based nic (0.9 mls). I add everything but the 0.9 mls of nic, which I'll add right before vaping. You mean to tell me I'll be diluting the flavor with that? I just don't see it. I'm only adding a portion of the recipe already calculated to be added.

It wouldn’t, if you do it like that. I do the opposite, I make the nic base allowing for flavor to be added later. I just note what percentage of flavors to add.

 

[muth]

Just curious but are you one of those people that can go to a restaurant and try a new dish and just by taste can start naming off the ingredients and spices in the dish? I ask b/c I am that way (helps when I try to reverse engineer these dishes at home) and I can taste a difference with a 3% dilution as well. Actually with eating or drinking and depending on the ingredient, I can tell a difference at far less than 3%. Neither my wife nor my kid can tell at low % though. What other flavors are present may also play a part. For instance I may not notice a big drop in parsley content in a dish that is heavy with garlic.

I can not name off all the ingredients because I'm not familiar with all the names but I can taste the nuances of spices and herbs. I just added 0.2% Cardamom (FA) to a coconut vanilla custard recipe and believe me, I'll never forget the name of that one!

 

[muth]

cheap or old

That's the operative word. If the nic is fresh and good quality it should be odorless and tasteless.

I always keep my juice in a cool, dark place no matter if it's steeping or being used. It's mostly being used