Mixing and Steeping E-Liquid doubt

[Marco.Marto]

Hi everyone!!

I'm new in the world of DIY and I've tried to make some recipes that I found around the web but I've a doubt about my process of mixing and steeping.
The problem is that all the e-liquids that i've made vape tasteless.
For example I've mixed for two days a 50/50 liquid with 10% of FE Lemon in a closed jar using a magnetic stiffer running fast but the problem is the same: JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TASTE!!
Do my liquids need some more steeping time after mixing for so long and so well? Is it possible that my homemade magnetic stiffer runs too fast making the liquid looses its flavor?
Thank you very much, every advice is useful!!!

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Different people have different "faiths" about the best way of steeping. Some do it in combination of ways. For my DIY, and vendor-purchased, I automatically let it breathe, shaking too, and sit in a drawer for a minimum of a month. It is just an automatic habit.

When I mix I record the date for that bottle. I just go to the oldest bottle in the steep drawer when I have to get another bottle out. Because I make extras and test recipes, I always have a steeped vape available. I don't believe in needing to tap my foot waiting for a bottle to steep.

About every two weeks I make about 4-7 recipe tests in 5ml bottles. I don't even count them in my vaping "supply", so, I always have juices hiding in the back of the drawer.

My preferred way to steep is to let it breath, shake often and put it in the back of the drawer. I track the production date, too. Seems the simplest.

 

[tazzle]

I'll just make a few observations:

1. Lemon flavor can be difficult to work with. I've tried more than one that just didn't really seem to be there, and many times I've had it just sort of mostly "disappear" into a mix with other flavors, even when it's the top / star ingredient.

2. However, I do notice that the one you are using is supposed to be pretty highly concentrated. The site says you can use "just a few drops," Looking around, I see some people using it at more like 3% for a single flavor mix.

3. SOMETIMES using more ("too much") flavoring can paradoxically turn out that you taste it less. I don't why, but it's pretty well known DIY lore. Maybe someone has the science on that.

4. I don't think stirring necessarily stands in for steeping. Sometimes heating at low temperature can speed the steeping process. I don't do any special stirring or heating, so not the expert here.

5. Many people say that lemon flavor mutes more with longer steeping/shelf life, and that they often make much smaller batches of lemon-centric mixes, so they use it up before the flavor fades.

6. However, if this one requires steeping, you may just need to wait a few days and taste again.

Hopefully someone with specific experience of FE Lemon will be able to tell you more!

Also, you say that this has happened with other flavors, as well? What flavors have you tried, at what percentages?

 

[Marco.Marto]

Hi everyone!!

I'm new in the world of DIY and I've tried to make some recipes that I found around the web but I've a doubt about my process of mixing and steeping.
The problem is that all the E-liquids that i've made vape tasteless.
For example I've mixed for two days a 50/50 liquid with 10% of FE Lemon in a closed jar using a magnetic stiffer running fast but the problem is the same: JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TASTE!!
Do my liquids need some more steeping time after mixing for so long and so well? Is it possible that my homemade magnetic stiffer runs too fast making the liquid looses its flavor?
Thank you very much, every advice is useful!!!

I'll just make a few observations:

1. Lemon flavor can be difficult to work with. I've tried more than one that just didn't really seem to be there, and many times I've had it just sort of mostly "disappear" into a mix with other flavors, even when it's the top / star ingredient.

2. However, I do notice that the one you are using is supposed to be pretty highly concentrated. The site says you can use "just a few drops," Looking around, I see some people using it at more like 3% for a single flavor mix.

3. SOMETIMES using more ("too much") flavoring can paradoxically turn out that you taste it less. I don't why, but it's pretty well known DIY lore. Maybe someone has the science on that.

4. I don't think stirring necessarily stands in for steeping. Sometimes heating at low temperature can speed the steeping process. I don't do any special stirring or heating, so not the expert here.

5. Many people say that lemon flavor mutes more with longer steeping/shelf life, and that they often make much smaller batches of lemon-centric mixes, so they use it up before the flavor fades.

6. However, if this one requires steeping, you may just need to wait a few days and taste again.

Hopefully someone with specific experience of EF Lemon will be able to tell you more!

Also, you say that this has happened with other flavors, as well? What flavors have you tried, at what percentages?

I've tried a 50/50
13% Capella Lemon/Lime
2% Champagne inawera
1% EM

 

[tazzle]

Hmmm. That really seems like it should not be tasteless. Another thought: have you tried vaping at higher or lower watts than what you normally use? Sometimes changing up the heat a bit or using a different set up (different coil and/or tank) can make a big difference in how an e liquid flavor comes through. Even drip tips can make a difference, since smaller bore tips concentrate the flavor more. Cranking down the air flow a bit might also make it more flavorful. I don't sub-ohm, but I think this is less good for flavor delivery (but good for clouds).

What is your vaping setup?

 

[Marco.Marto]

Hmmm. That really seems like it should not be tasteless. Another thought: have you tried vaping at higher or lower watts than what you normally use? Sometimes changing up the heat a bit or using a different set up (different coil and/or tank) can make a big difference in how an e liquid flavor comes through. Even drip tips can make a difference, since smaller bore tips concentrate the flavor more. Cranking down the air flow a bit might also make it more flavorful. I don't sub-ohm, but I think this is less good for flavor delivery (but good for clouds).

What is your vaping setup?

At the moment I'm using a Pico box with a small tank with sub-ohm that can reach 25 watts... I can't really vape right now but I'm waiting for a Tesla Invader 3 box and for a Smok TFV8 tank that should arrive in the next days... After that I'll see if there is a difference.

 

[Marco.Marto]

Hi everyone!!

My name is Marco and I've just started making e liquid with DIY. I've made up two recipes that I've found online: 50/50 with 8% of FE Lemon and 50/50 with 13% Cap Lemon/Lime, 2% Champagne inawera and 1% EM but they vape tasteless after 24 hours of mixing with my homemade magnetic stirrer. Do they need to steep after mixing? Have I mix them up enough? Does the liquid need to be covered or uncovered while mixing?
My homemade magnetic stirrer works very well actually it produces lots of bobbles while mixing. Is it possible that it's running too fast making the liquid loose the flavor?
Hope someone can help me out and answer to any of my questions. Thanks in advance.

 

[BrotherBob]

I'm new in the world of DIY and I've tried to make some recipes that I found around the web but I've a doubt about my process of mixing and steeping.
The problem is that all the E-liquids that i've made vape tasteless.
For example I've mixed for two days a 50/50 liquid with 10% of FE Lemon in a closed jar using a magnetic stiffer running fast but the problem is the same: JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TASTE!!
Do my liquids need some more steeping time after mixing for so long and so well? Is it possible that my homemade magnetic stiffer runs too fast making the liquid looses its flavor?
Thank you very much, every advice is useful!!!

Welcome and glad you joined. These three sites should help you, hang in there.
Might like to read:
diy_beginners_guide - DIY_eJuice
dannyv45's blog | E-Cigarette Forum
Hoosier's blog | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[Black Stone Steve]

It could depend on your equipment too. I have an Aspire Nautilus and I get a lot of taste using it. I also have a couple of Aspire ET-S tanks and I get only a fraction of the taste using them. I have been learning to mix my e liquids accordingly.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Some flavoring is just not strong. Not too sure what is FE Lemon? I find some of Caps fruit flavoring to be very weak at first and steeping time does help. Especially the citrus types of flavoring. If you can, put them away for at least a week and then retest. Hopefully, you have other ejuice you can vape now.

 

[r77r7r]

Welcome, Marco.

 

[classwife]

Merged dup threads

 

[SteveS45]

I mix my DIY with an electric mixer from Liquid Barn and then heat in Hot water no higher than 140°F for about an hour. This speeds the infusion by thinning the mix and also air to separate faster. Works for and I can vape as soon as they are at room temp again. Works for most of my fruits and tobaccos but custards and deserts take a bit longer for the FULL flavor to come out.

 

[Marco.Marto]

I mix my DIY with an electric mixer from Liquid Barn and then heat in Hot water no higher than 140°F for about an hour. This speeds the infusion by thinning the mix and also air to separate faster. Works for and I can vape as soon as they are at room temp again. Works for most of my fruits and tobaccos but custards and deserts take a bit longer for the FULL flavor to come out.

While mixing do you keep the liquid covered or uncovered?

 

[SteveS45]

I mix it in a beaker before putting it bottles.

 

[Marco.Marto]

I mix it in a beaker before putting it bottles.

Just the last question, how much time mixing?

 

[SteveS45]

A minute or two depending on the size of the batch and amount of flavors.

 

[Fozzy71]

Just the last question, how much time mixing?

I use a badger paint mixer and mix for about 1 second per ml: 20ml testers got mixed 20 seconds, 120ml batches get mixed about 2 minutes. I do not do heat baths any longer as I keep 1 - 2 liters of 120 - 220 ml batches in various states of steeping by mixing a few batches every few weeks. Currently vaping batches that were made at the end of October.

 

[DaveP]

I mix about once a month and do six 50ml bottles, plus a 120ml bottle of unflavored. I don't touch any of it for 2 weeks except to shake the bottles rapidly for about a minute. I do that daily. At the end of 2 weeks I try a little of each to check steeping progress. By the 4th week I'm vaping it daily (since I've run out of most of the last batch).

For me, tobacco flavors are mature at 4 weeks. I still have partial bottles that were made 2 months ago and they are about the same as they were at the 4 week level.

 

[dannyv45]

8% FE Lemon and 13% Cap Lemon/lime seem very high to me I would cut it by half or more.