How to Steep Your Juice: What's your method?

[Venge ODay]

Although new to the game, I've experienced the "caterpillar to butterfly" effect a good dose of aging can have.

One of my very first e-juice purchases was a 30ml bottle of Grampa's Nightcap, from Quicknicjuice. When it arrived in the mail it came with a note reminding me to steep it for at least a week. Boy that was a long week . When it finally ended I was like a kid at Christmas, running to fill my tank with juice. Man, the stuff was HORRIBLE . I pushed to the back of the drawer.

Just the other day I came across it again, it had sat about 4 - 5 weeks. I decided to give it another try. Boy, talk about a difference. One of the best I've had, smooth, flavorful - nothing like it was a few weeks earlier.

 

[dykealiscious]

I want to add that I've never had to steep Virgin vapor products. But EC blends definitely get better with age. Still finding places to try.

 

[CanIPlayWithMadness]

I thought this Reddit post on the topic of steeping done by an analytical chemist was interesting:

http://www.reddit.com/r/electronic_...inal_result_of_chemical_analyses_of_steeping/

Short version being that heat is really the primary element to steeping, and you can dramatically speed up the process just using a coffee cup or candle warmer. 8 hours on one of those produced test results nearly identical to 2 weeks of room temperature steeping. The results when testing with caps on or off were according to him so identical he didn't even bother keeping them around, it was a non-factor.

I think that the reddit link posted above pretty much sums this whole question up. And apparently the guys a chemist, soooo....Good find.

 

[GPC2012]

I think that the reddit link posted above pretty much sums this whole question up. And apparently the guys a chemist, soooo....Good find.

Here's the best way I have found.

To heat or speed steep juice just follow these directions.

This is easy to do. get a bowl or other microwave safe container. Something you don't really need to put food in. The container needs to be deep enough to come up to the neck of the bottle. Set one of your largest bottles in the bowl and then fill it with dry rice just up to the neck of the bottle. Remove the bottle. Heat the dry rice in the microwave until it is about 200 f. DO NOT HEAT IT OVER 210 AT MOST. The plastic bottles are made of LDPE AND IT MELTS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 230 AND 250 F. I use a probe thermometer to check it after I heat it. I have a 900watt microwave and it takes between 45 seconds to a minute to get the rice to temp. When the rice is hot remove the cap and drip tip from the bottle replace the screw cap it gives you a better way to hold onto it till it's down in the rice. Nestle it down into the rice up to the neck of the bottle. Remove the screw cap. Leave it until it is cooled to room temp. Takes around 2 to 4 hours. Recap the bottle and shake like crazy. remove the cap and squeeze the air out of the bottle re cap and shake again. It should be good to go, if not it might need a day or two more. I have only had one that wasn't good enough to vape the same day, but they will still gain a little more depth and nuance as they age a little more. I don't even cap my bottle for the first two weeks. if they last that long. if you have any questions let me know or PM me.

If your rice is too hot you get vape rice laced with melted plastic. Not so good.


I'm toying with a mini crockpot (dipwarmer) it is not for actual cooking. I just got it and tested it all day yesterday, filled with water and thermometer in it all day. it never got over 185. Today I'm using a dry medium. I have a bag full of glass well they were marbles, but have been slightly melted so one side is flat they are used in aquariums and dry flower arrangements. I've got two ejuice bottles of water in there on with my meat thermometer in it the other with my electronic probe set at 190. it will sound an alarm if and when it reaches that temp. hasn't in about 6 or 7 hours so I doubt that it will. my thoughts are that the rice is difficult to get the larger e juice bottles 50 ml and up to push down into the rice because of it's density. it was easier to get the bottles down in the marbles and they aren't so heavy that they push in on the bottle.

 

[rowdyplace]

Jump over to the DIY subforum. There are several threads pertaining to steeping - and the various ways and times for it. The discussion ranges from the virtues of (and against) using a milk frother, crock pot, hot rice, ultrasonic cleaner, food dehydrator - just to name the major ones...

Much good advice awaits you there.

 

[HeadInClouds]

I steep nearly everything the same simple way: set closed bottle in a cup of hot tap water to thin it, shake the heck out of it, put it in my atomizer, and vape fresh
Whether from a vendor or DIY, it's my preference. I make exceptions for DIY spice-heavy mixes and tobaccos, which I sometimes let sit overnight before I try. There are a few of us that like to vape fresh.

 

[NashvillePhil]

I drip as soon as they arrive, and sort everything into my steep or ready to vape boxes based on the initial drip....every couple of days I'll pull the steeping box out, shake each bottle right before dripping, then test them again. Repeat until they're yummy...

Your "drip to test" method is fantastic! I wish I had known about that a long time ago - I would have gotten into RDAs and mech mods a lot sooner than just a few weeks ago. That's exactly what I do now to test juices. You get a very accurate sense of where a juice is at without having to go through cleaning out a clearo, etc. If the initial smell is nasty, it goes on the long-term steeping shelf. If the smell is still nasty after 2-3 weeks then it goes in the trash (like that awful 7 ml of "Prime 15" that must have been a bad batch). If I can't tell by the smell I drip it. Got some "coffee" in my dripper now and man is it good all of a sudden.

 

[NashvillePhil]

When you are on the go with a bottle that needs some steeping, stick the bottle in your cleavage (cap on tight) and when nobody is looking jump around a bit for a good steep and shake. Body heat does great things. Trust me, a lot of women do it. =)

That's a mental image that will stay with me for quite a while. And, thank you, I appreciate it.

 

[MalkinMania71]

Since I'm a newbie, I didn't give much thought to steeping because of the anxiousness of when you receive your vapemail. But wow does it make a difference with some flavors, especially the complex one. I bought from The Vapor Chef and thought everyone was crazy that was raving about them. Put them away for a week or two and they are excellent. They went to the top of my list in a hurry. I'm definitely going to try some of the suggestions with the hot tap water and shaking vs. sitting on a shelf for weeks at a time. I have zero patience.

 

[CanIPlayWithMadness]

Here's the best way I have found.

To heat or speed steep juice just follow these directions.

This is easy to do. get a bowl or other microwave safe container. Something you don't really need to put food in. The container needs to be deep enough to come up to the neck of the bottle. Set one of your largest bottles in the bowl and then fill it with dry rice just up to the neck of the bottle. Remove the bottle. Heat the dry rice in the microwave until it is about 200 f. DO NOT HEAT IT OVER 210 AT MOST. The plastic bottles are made of LDPE AND IT MELTS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 230 AND 250 F. I use a probe thermometer to check it after I heat it. I have a 900watt microwave and it takes between 45 seconds to a minute to get the rice to temp. When the rice is hot remove the cap and drip tip from the bottle replace the screw cap it gives you a better way to hold onto it till it's down in the rice. Nestle it down into the rice up to the neck of the bottle. Remove the screw cap. Leave it until it is cooled to room temp. Takes around 2 to 4 hours. Recap the bottle and shake like crazy. remove the cap and squeeze the air out of the bottle re cap and shake again. It should be good to go, if not it might need a day or two more. I have only had one that wasn't good enough to vape the same day, but they will still gain a little more depth and nuance as they age a little more. I don't even cap my bottle for the first two weeks. if they last that long. if you have any questions let me know or PM me.

If your rice is too hot you get vape rice laced with melted plastic. Not so good.


I'm toying with a mini crockpot (dipwarmer) it is not for actual cooking. I just got it and tested it all day yesterday, filled with water and thermometer in it all day. it never got over 185. Today I'm using a dry medium. I have a bag full of glass well they were marbles, but have been slightly melted so one side is flat they are used in aquariums and dry flower arrangements. I've got two ejuice bottles of water in there on with my meat thermometer in it the other with my electronic probe set at 190. it will sound an alarm if and when it reaches that temp. hasn't in about 6 or 7 hours so I doubt that it will. my thoughts are that the rice is difficult to get the larger e juice bottles 50 ml and up to push down into the rice because of it's density. it was easier to get the bottles down in the marbles and they aren't so heavy that they push in on the bottle.

Good ideas, man. Thank you.

 

[GPC2012]

Good ideas, man. Thank you.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...experimental-procedure-steeping-my-juice.html

Take a look at this thread. I was amazed at the color difference.

 

[acka]

Sorry, I haven't read the whole thread (I just read the op ), but for me - caps on. I found a few flavours became muted when I left the cap off before so I don't chance it anymore. I DIY from brand concentrates and I usually go by the look - if it has a kind of sheen to it, it's not ready, the smell - how 'chemically' it comes across and also how much of a 'head' remains after I shake it - the less the better.

 

[nate_]

I've only bought liquids from local shops and mostly fruit flavors, but in my experience, the already made stuff that's been mixed several days to weeks before and sent out and on the shelf for a bit is usually fine when you open it.
I have had some flavors mixed right before I took them home and, just to see, I tried a toot right away and they were awful. So I put them on a dark closet shelf and shook them up (vigorously) at least once a day for a week. When I got them the juice was clear, but after the 1st week they darkened up a bit and tasted better. After 2 weeks they were as dark as they were gonna get and tasted even better. That was all mine needed. I did not remove the caps, only shook and stored. Like another poster said - light fruity types don't need as much time as the darker more complex flavors.

 

[Amberlenee]

Here in Missouri, it's not too hot yet and I forgot a bottle in my car for several hours. This accidental incident turned not ready juice into omg where has this flavor been my whole life! Haha

 

[dign4bones]

This has been an awesome thread to read! I found it because I was looking for the answers to all of the OP's questions. Starting from the beginning, I've found it entertaining and informative. I think that when the new 5 pack of juice that I'm waiting for now gets here, I may leave them in my car. Of course this is a month behind Amberlenee's post about her happy accident, and I'm in Texas, so I'll surely cut the time down to 5 minutes!

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[UNDIPUTED81]

Love *******

 

[charly1954]

.........When I got them the juice was clear, but after the 1st week they darkened up a bit and tasted better. After 2 weeks they were as dark as they were gonna get and tasted even better. ..........

The darkness, in my opinion, is partly from the nicotine. Here's why I say that.

I make my own juice. My main vape is vanillia, the flavoring I add is almost clear, just has a very light yellow color. When I made a batch with Nic it would take about a week to darken up, after 2 wks it was brown.
Lately I've been trying to go ZERO Nic, I've made serveral batchs of Vanillia w/zero Nic and it does not turn brown like the Vanillia juice w/Nic does. Also the NIC consentrate I got from Wizard Labs was clear when I got it. After setting a while it turns a light purplish/brown color

 

[charly1954]

....... I think that when the new 5 pack of juice that I'm waiting for now gets here, I may leave them in my car. Of course this is a month behind Amberlenee's post about her happy accident, and I'm in Texas, so I'll surely cut the time down to 5 minutes!

If you go back and read my post u'll see that I agree that heat accelerates steeping no matter if its inside a hot car or in hot water.

Juice is somewhat like sauces, you cook or heat them up to break down the molecules and mix. THey also cook beer and whiskey to speed up the process, so why not do it with E-Juice.

 

[dign4bones]

If you go back and read my post u'll see that I agree that heat accelerates steeping no matter if its inside a hot car or in hot water.

Juice is somewhat like sauces, you cook or heat them up to break down the molecules and mix. THey also cook beer and whiskey to speed up the process, so why not do it with E-Juice.

My thoughts exactly charly! I use whole spices as much as possible in my cooking, and heating them in a dry pan before grinding them brings out the oils and intensifies the flavor, same concept with the e- juice. The heat intensifies the flavors. [emoji1]

 

[TamiP]

Aero that's like saying make all your food at home instead of ever going to a restaurant ....but if u do, dont complain that ur food is cold and taste like hyena excrement.

If u pay for a service/product its reasonable to expect to get what u paid for!

On another note I do sometimes wonder if vendors have even tried some of their juices.... Especially when there is a lot of negative feedback.... novelty juices like bacon usually come with a warning but that's like saying here's this disgusting juice you've heard so much about but we know u wont like it (and your atty will be permanently flavored like rotting nutria roadkill) so don't ask for your money back.....why carry it? Why carry a bad product?

Bad for some is not bad for all. Now, that said, while I love bacon, I don't think I'd try bacon ejuice. It just doesn't sound appealing to me. Also, there are some vendors that create juices as a novelty along with their regular lines. One such novelty juice is crab juice (although I think they did discontinue that ultimately disgusting juice.) It may have been absolutely horrible, but it did make for an outrageously hilarious e-juice commentary by PBusardo.