How to speed up steeping time?

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Bubba

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OK so I just got started into DIY. I made my first batch which turned out great (thanks to everyone who helped me with that).

Now I'm ready to make a bigger batch since the first was just a 5ml test batch. Like I said it turned out great but it took 2 weeks to steep.

So my question is: How can you speed up this steep time? I've seen a lot of threads here about ultrasonic cleaners but don't have one at the moment. What other tips and tricks can you offer to expedite this process? Anything that uses commonly found stuff you'd already have around the house would be great. So far I've gotten into DIY, mechanicals, and rba's within a week, so my wife is really starting to question how all this will save money, lol.

As always, thanks for the help
 

JohnnyDill

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So far I've gotten into DIY, mechanicals, and RBA's within a week, so my wife is really starting to question how all this will save money, lol.

LOL Ever since I got into the DIY, mechanicals and RBA's, I have been asking myself the same thing. But it sure is better than smoking! :)
 

Bubba

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A hot water bath seems to help. Just pour hot water from the tap, and let the bottle of juice sit in there until the water cools to room temp. Rinse and repeat as needed. The temp of the water should be about 120°. Don't go any higher than this.

OK thanks I'll give that a try.
 

Bubba

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LOL Ever since I got into the DIY, mechanicals and RBA's, I have been asking myself the same thing. But it sure is better than smoking! :)

The RBA's are giving me a fit at the moment but the DIY stuff is good to go. Only have 2 recipes but then again, only been doing it for about 2 weeks. Hardest part is the waiting
 

Mstbleu

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Ever tried a hot rice steep? I steep all my juices in a 5 cup rubbermaid bowl with about 4 cups of rice. I heat the rice for 2 minutes in the microwave then bury the bottles up to their necks with the caps off until room temperature. I prefer this method to the hot water bath. I tried that initially and it was just a pain and I was worried that my uncapped bottles would tip. No such worries with this method and it works well.
 

Sl4gathor

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Bubba

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A little patience cuts steeping time to zero. I have around 4-500 mls of juice on hand. I test it green right out of the mix. If it taste good I set it back and continue to work down the 500 mls that have been ageing for a month or two. Patience is a virtue

Thats what I'll do eventually but for now still testing recipes. Dont want do 500ml until I get my recipes right
 

we2rcool

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+1 amazin!

Regarding steeping (and the addition of sucralose, and other additives that diminish flavor, from here, Post #413: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/268760-diy-master-techniques-flavor-add-ons-em-vw-bw-mts-acv-ect-11.html

Check out the thread! There are many of us (both with ultrasonics & without) that are having phenomenal success with the "4 hours @ 150 degrees" method.

As far as I can recall, I was the one who tested lemon juice and the effects it had on fruit flavors. At the time I was also using sucralose (ezsweets) in fruit/bakery flavors. I also tested distilled vinegar (not acv, I dont use it) on tobaccos.

What I found with fruit and bakery vapes is they were great initally with the additives, for about two days. Then on day 3 like clockwork the sharpness/crispness of the flavor was just... plain... gone. It never rebounded either. It just continued decline. So I started testing the same juices with lemon juice and sucralose separately. Trying to find the culprit. The result in my tests was that they BOTH decrease flavor output of ejuice. While they help initally boost and sweeten flavor, within a few days, they both cause ejuice to simply go flat. While its a more dramatic example, I feel the same way about ejuice with lemon or sucralose as I do about flat soda pop. Its just lackluster.

This occured in both high VG bases at 80% and high PG bases at 80%. I tested both because I didnt want people calling me out saying VG mutes flavor, which to this day I refute as utter nonsense.

I no longer use either in any of my mixing. I have found that using fruit flavors with alcohol bases provide more than enuff sweetening o. their own if they are steeped for 48-72 hours, and it helps that I use 80%VG in my juice.

As far as tobaccos go I also agree vinegar that after a few days it can flatten flavors over time. However!!! As I vape mostly tobacco ejuices I still add 1 drop/5ml of distilled white vinegar to my vapes. To counter the flattening I adjust by adding slightly more flavoring. About .5% to 1% more flavoring in a final mix. In my experience this counters the effect of flavor flattening with DV and allows mostly all tobacco vapes to round out immediately. (note: i also heat steep my juices at a constant 150° in a water bath in a crock pot for four hours after mixing and have found it it adds about 2 weeks to the aging process of ejuice). At the 2 weeks mark (in my case then this is 4 hours after mixing), all of your tobacco flavors will have a spike in flavor and will stay there, but only round more given time. Giving you a spiked up flavor but still rounded body to your vape. I found apple cider vinegar made bad and good juuces worse with no spike at all, but to be fair I barely ever tested acv.

All of my vapes... yes read that as ALL... are primed and full bodied in four hours. Period. Ultrasonic isnt the answer either. Hand shaking is enuff for juice. Heat allows flavor dissipation and release FAR FAR better. [addition: there are some tobaccos that may need longer]

Alot of what I do flys in the face of common and well "documented" processes others use like ultrasonic steeping tho. (if it works for ya, great. I know what I know and heat is the key, not vibration. And yeah, I tested that too about three months ago so I stand behind it).

People just pretty much ignored my testing. I took painstaking measures to control the samples and.prove to myself the results. Today when people say they use lemon juice, or sucralose and RAVE about the results.... I know they are NOT vaping stellar juice. They are absolutely, positively, better off without both. Unless they are going to vape what they make in under two days.

Note: I did not bother testing the effects of citric acid powder in juice, but I assume it has the same effect as lemon juice and mutes flavors.
 

Sl4gathor

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For DIY e-liquid I use the froth method - froth three times and let mixture clear between each frothing - bottle - good to go in 2 days

Wondered what the heck you were talking about, googled it, sadly no one around here has anything like a milk frother....heh

So I thought about it, and I have 100 feet of Kanthal and a Dremel, two strips about a foot long, doubled, then spun, fray the ends, hit it with the torch, and BANGO!!!!!! Frotherererrrr
Frotherererrrr.jpg
 
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