Juice Steeping
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While I'm not sure I truly understand the definition of steeping....I had an experience where I let some juices "age" for about a week. There was a menthol juice that went from trash to treasure in 1 week.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/152724-flavor-difference-pg-vs-vg.html
To summarize that thread: I ordered 5 bottles of juice from 2 different companies. All 5 had a perfume-like quality to them. It was so bad, I couldn't use 4 of the bottles at all. They just gave me a head ache.
The one I could deal with was an RY4 mix. The next day, that RY4 was much, much better. The day after that, it was border line amazing. On the third day, it was just full of all sorts of awesome. The forth day it was gone
(well, I have a few ml left. I was vaping it so much, I made myself sick. It's only 12mg nic!)
...during that time, I tried the menthol and it was my all day vape for a while. I keep the empty bottle on my desk now as we went through some ups and downs together (actually - I keep the bottle so I know where to get it again when I do another order. It ended up being exactly what I want; a "curiously strong" menthol - nothing else. I'm going to see if I can order it by the liter instead of milliliter)
All 5 bottles lost that perfume...but that RY4 and the Menthol ...OMG that menthol.
sigh...I was trying not to place any orders this week...but now I'm going to have to.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/152724-flavor-difference-pg-vs-vg.html
To summarize that thread: I ordered 5 bottles of juice from 2 different companies. All 5 had a perfume-like quality to them. It was so bad, I couldn't use 4 of the bottles at all. They just gave me a head ache.
The one I could deal with was an RY4 mix. The next day, that RY4 was much, much better. The day after that, it was border line amazing. On the third day, it was just full of all sorts of awesome. The forth day it was gone
(well, I have a few ml left. I was vaping it so much, I made myself sick. It's only 12mg nic!)
...during that time, I tried the menthol and it was my all day vape for a while. I keep the empty bottle on my desk now as we went through some ups and downs together
(actually - I keep the bottle so I know where to get it again when I do another order. It ended up being exactly what I want; a "curiously strong" menthol - nothing else. I'm going to see if I can order it by the liter instead of milliliter)All 5 bottles lost that perfume...but that RY4 and the Menthol ...OMG that menthol.
sigh...I was trying not to place any orders this week...but now I'm going to have to.
Some people think it's a myth, but it's not. It may be that some of the Chinese juices have been bottled so long that they don't need more time to gel. But if it's a made-to-order or freshly made juice, it does benefit greatly from sitting for awhile. By most accounts, at least a week sitting on the shelf before vaping, and some makers recommend at least two weeks. I've heard some say to let them steep with the lid off so it can air out, but I don't know if that's universal.
It may be that not all juices require steeping, or that they go through big changes as a result of steeping. I think tobacco flavors benefit from it the most.
It may be that not all juices require steeping, or that they go through big changes as a result of steeping. I think tobacco flavors benefit from it the most.
Definitely there are some juices that benefit from sitting for a week or two. I recently got some from Backwoods Brew which that was very true for. They tasted a little bland right out of the mailbox, about a week later they were tasty as hell. My BWB Blueberry went from meh... to OMFG GIMME MORE in about 7-10 days. Other juices I have gotten from some vendors taste awesome as soon as I have gotten them. My basic rule of thumb is to drip a little on a clean atomizer when I get them, if I don't like it, or seems like it is missing something, then let them sit in a cool, dark place for a week or two and try them again. I haven't been vaping that long, but I have definitely experienced both sides of the coin. Never really know until you try it. Just don't write off a flavor if you don't like it at first, some of them may surprise you.
here is a link that gave me some insite into steeping... hope it helps.
YouTube - Steeping Tips and Tricks
YouTube - Steeping Tips and Tricks
I thought it was either a myth or overblown, but in my DIY mixing, its absolutely true. I made some various waffle and cheesecake mixes and they were either bitter or the fruit flavors were all I could taste. On a couple of them I made the mistake of adding more cheesecake drops to the mix. But, in 2-3 days after initial mixing, the unaltered mixed "popped" and the ones I tried to adjust were way over flavored.
Initially they seemed unsweet and bland. In the 3 days after mixing, everything seemed to match the descriptions people gave for the recipes. They were sweet, rich and satisfying. Much different than 3 hours after mixing. I can only imagine this is much of an issue with DIY, but perhaps there are vendor juices that aren't done even after prep and shipping time. I've never noticed a difference in my vendor juice from the day it arrived. That's why I thought it was bunk.
Initially they seemed unsweet and bland. In the 3 days after mixing, everything seemed to match the descriptions people gave for the recipes. They were sweet, rich and satisfying. Much different than 3 hours after mixing. I can only imagine this is much of an issue with DIY, but perhaps there are vendor juices that aren't done even after prep and shipping time. I've never noticed a difference in my vendor juice from the day it arrived. That's why I thought it was bunk.
just got malty toffee from BWB and there isn't much flavor to the juice. everyone raves about this one so i'm gonna let it sit a few and see what happens.
very interesting ideas and stories in this thread, im awaiting my very first bottle of juice ever so its good to read these types of reviews before hand, so i don't write off the first flavor i buy because i use it the moment it arrives, anyways, il prolly order another bottle and have that steeping while my first bottle is being used
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Yeah, to be honest, I ordered some BWB flavors because of the way people here rave about Don's juices. I tried all 3 bottles and thought to myself, "I don't know why people rave about this juice, seems kind of so/so at best." I thought maybe it was me, and I just didn't like them or something. I saw people on these forums mentioning that they need to steep, especially BWB juices, because they are mixed when you order them. I am glad I did not give up on them, I am now a card carrying fanboy of Backwoods Brew. A really nice thing Don does IMHO is, he puts the date right on the label. I know instantly how old those bottles are.
Just be sure to try a variety of vendors and flavors, and give every juice you try a second chance (well maybe not bacon or other meat flavors).
Just be sure to try a variety of vendors and flavors, and give every juice you try a second chance (well maybe not bacon or other meat flavors).
I let everything "steep" now. They darken up as time goes by (to a certain point), and you learn to recognize the color of a perfectly aged batch. I mix all of my juice, and my wifes. Clear bottles and you can see them age to perfection. Makes a huge difference in the amount of flavor from fresh to aged.
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