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

[NaturesEncore]

As a newbie, e-liquids can be very confusing. You get your package in the mail, and immediately want to take the new flavors for a spin, going from to with the first toot. You're expecting to taste Blueberry Cheesecake, but what you get taste more like a well-used race car tire that caught fire, and was extinguished with a massive bottle of perfume.

There's not much information out there on steeping your juices (believe me . . . I've searched like crazy). The only videos I've found seem to be two different methods, and lack severely in the explanations department.

I have not seen one vendor's site that recommends steeping for maximum flavor or how to do so. Hey vendors out there . . . I'd highly recommend placing or linking a tutorial on steeping in your juices categories. I'm certain that many newbs out there may be contributing to negative reviews, simple because of their lack of this knowledge.

So, my question are:

How do your steep your juices? What's your method?

Painstakingly vivid details welcome:

Lids on/Lids Off?
In the light or in the dark?
A day, week, month?
Is it the same for all juices?
What's the theory behind steeping?
Is it to better marry the flavors with the bases?
Does shaking or heating help this process?

Please contribute to the vaping novices among us. A nasty juice is a terrible thing to vape.

 

[Michael2Times]

from what ive gathered, like anything in electronic cigarettes, it's all about trail and error. Finding out what works best for you. Steeping is what it is. I let mine sit for a couple days without lids or drip tips, inside a shoe box with all my Ecig supplies. Then i give em a good shake when theyre done. I've heard that steeping can ruin certain flavors as well but ive never had the firsthand experience.

With steeping the longer the better, so let em sit and happy vaping

 

[TigerLadyTX]

In a dark cabinet, on the top shelf, lids and droppers off - shake like crazy on a daily basis. Let them hide in the dark for at least a week before putting into vape rotation. And I actually lick the fingertip that I am using to cover the lidless/dropper-less bottle after shaking the heck out of them to see if they need to stay in that cabinet for more time.

~Tiger

 

[CheekyMonkey]

I drip as soon as they arrive, and sort everything into my steep or ready to vape boxes based on the initial drip.
I don't keep them in the dark, or shake them everyday - 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.
The length of time varies from juice to juice (and from vaper to vaper!), but I've found that Coffee, Coconut and Caramel juices all need at least a week of steeping before I really enjoy them.

I've read that heating a cup of water to almost boiling in the microwave and then placing the juice bottle in the hot water for 15min or so can speed the process up, but I've yet to try it.

 

[zapped]

I read somewhere on the forums that you can microwave a 30ml plastic bottle for ten seconds.It really seemed to help with the flavor.

 

[ogredog]

Shake vigorously . Remove cap and tip/dropper for 24 hours in a kitchen cabinet. Relid recap. Shake vigorously toss in my stash for a month.
(And hope I like them then)

Why? So many times ive been excited loaded up a carto and been like yecch- soapy perfume chemical taste....then blow out the carto and suffer for the next hour while the taste slowly fades....now I know based on previous purchases....now I can smell and detect them too btw lol

I purchase for the future now and vape what I have. Works much better for me

But I still track my orders and run to the mailbox lol

 

[Jim Bob]

The reason for steeping "some juices" is not so hard to understand. When making a juice several components are mixed together, and like soup it takes time for the flavors to combine and become THE flavor intended. The more complex the mixture the more steeping will usually benefit you. The only time I remove the lids is when a strong "perfume" taste is present it seems to help when this is allowed to evaporate. Otherwise I just put in the dark for a week +

 

[passerbyeus]

The warm water trick works also it will change your flavor especially if water gets into the cap hahahaha.....and as for a dark cool room, I think that was just started for the simple fact out of site out of mind will it does matter to the nic a little so it could make difference in steeping over a really long time.

Over the last 5 weeks MadVapes has been running a test on the concentration of nicotine in samples that are placed in different environments. We then wanted to observe the results over time. We have been posting the results every week in the newsletter and on our blog. We started with a 300 mL batch of PG and nicotine mixed together in one container. We then tested the solution for concentration 3 times and it came out to 35mg. We then separated the solution into 4 60mL bottles and labeled each one according to where it was going to be stored. Our 4 samples were stored and labeled as follows:

• Refrigerator
• Room Temp, Office
• Room Temp, Window Sill
• Room Temp, Window Sill, Open Bottle

Each week we have tested all four samples for nicotine concentration. Below are the results.

Sample Name		Nicotine Concentration
		Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5
Refrigerator		35 mg	35 mg	35 mg	35 mg	35 mg
Room Temp Office		35 mg	35 mg	35 mg	35 mg	35 mg
Room Temp Window Sill		35 mg	35 mg	35 mg	35 mg	35 mg
Room Temp Window Sill Open Bottle		35 mg	35 mg	35 mg	35 mg	34 mg

Notice that on week 5 the Open Bottle sample dropped 1 mg. We thought the same thing you did at first, "operator error in the testing". But we tested it 3 times with the same results. We are not making any assumptions from our results because it is still early in the testing period and it is just the first change. We are just passing on the results for you to see.

We will continue to test weekly through week 8. We will then test monthly. However if necessary and/or we see a value in testing bi-monthly or continuing every week then we will. We are looking at this with no assumptions and trying to be as systematic, precise and consistent as possible. Look for more to come next week.

 

[Mr.Mann]

Honestly, I like to think of it more (now) as simply "aging". "Steeping" would be more like placing a vanilla bean in your juice for a period of time. I know it may seem like semantics, but I think when you consider the fact that words carry power, it is more likely to resonate better with your eagerness to just realize that some juices take time to mature. I have tried different methods (don't feel like mentioning) but nothing for me beats good old time in the drawer (cap on for at least a month). It helps to order and have on hand juices that don't require time so as not to be without. I don't know what vendors you have tried, but a lot of the fruity/novelty flavors don't require much time. Complex flavors are not necessarily flavors that a lot of theatrics in the name but generally tobacco flavors. Someone else can chime in as to why that is.

I do completely understand your concerns though. It really is as simple as giving it time.

Theatrical/ no need to wait: "macadamia chocolate raspberry coconut mocha ice cream crumble with brandy sauce" (not real juice) aubergine 4.10.12

Complex/needs time: Highbrow/BWB/Vapor Station etc. tobacco juices

"I purchase for the future now and vape what I have." ogredog 4.17.12

 

[TravTech]

... a well-used race car tire that caught fire, and was extinguished with a massive bottle of perfume. ...

I've had some of that flavor.

 

[Mr.Mann]

Wait a minute, I just realized something... Maybe what you are experiencing is just bad juice for which no aging/steeping/shaking or anything will be of help! I had a juice that tasted like the aforementioned "well-used race car tire that caught fire, and was extinguished with a massive bottle of perfume" and three months later it tasted like a three month old, " well-used race car tire that caught fire, and was extinguished with a massive bottle of perfume"!

p.s. I have never had a "nasty" juice turn into a glorious juice.

 

[ogredog]

Mr. Mann that's funny! After I saw my quote on your post I was like what the heck?.... Then I laughed and realized every purchase is for the future lol but I buy a bunch at once let it sit and continue the cycle

 

[aeroforce156]

If your going to be using any process with your liquid aside from ordering it, Id suggest make the first process you do creating your own. Then you cant complain about someone elses mixtures, only the person your ordering your concentrates from . As a noobie ecig user, this is a must if you wish to fully enjoy the savings and experience of an ecig. Otherwise snagging 5 pack deals is another good way to prevent yourself from getting stuck with one crap flavor.

 

[Mr.Mann]

Yeah, I think it works to have a bit of a routine. Research for a month then buy on set dates. By your next purchase, your previous is all good. So on and so on...

p.s. Yo, ogredog: I like quoting cool lines from post like that because I think it looks all biblical

 

[ogredog]

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?

 

[Mr.Mann]

ogredog does it again!

 

[TravTech]

Yeah I've gotten some where my first thought upon receipt was "Did anyone even taste / smell this before it left?" It was nothing like what the label said, nor did it seem to have the potential to eventually turn into what the label said.

From one place I ordered like 4 different flavors. But when I got them they were all almost the same color, varying shades of pink to reddish. They also all had the same overpowering sweet smell and taste to them. Blindfolded I doubt I could tell one from another.

Thing is, they were all supposed to be different, things like caramel, coffee, chocolate etc. Who ever heard of red coffee or pink caramel?

Eventually after weeks (or more) of much steeping, some of them did start to take on notes hinting at what some of the intended flavors might be. But all are generally still way too sweet.

I eventually ended up using them to cut down some really strong tobacco flavors I had acquired.

In cases like this I can only suspect a couple things. Either major cross contamination of their mixing utensils, or VERY poor quality control. Most likely it was both.

 

[hairball]

2 weeks in my closet. It's cool and dark.

 

[ericoahu]

Sorry to necro an old thread, but why take the caps off for steeping?

 

[bluesbishop]

Sorry to necro an old thread, but why take the caps off for steeping?

From what I've been reading it does at least two things:

1. increases oxidation
2. Aids in evaporation

Both of these things apparently help to change the flavors over time, I am steeping two Bottle now of one of the most beloved vendors on this forum, and at first taste...chemical and perfumey.....I'm hoping steeping changes this.