Mixing unused liquid question.

[mgordon1100]

I just placed my first order for some DIY juice. I ordered enough liquids to make 20 30ml bottles at 24mg's. Perfect, actually, with a small amount of extra for testing before making a big batch. Only thing is, I just ordered a handful of flavoring, enough for 5 bottles. Is it OK to mix all the bottles into one for a quick mixing in of flavoring later on?

 

[Switched]

I wouldn't http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/228401-bad-batch-lorann-bavarian-cream.html for this reason

 

[mgordon1100]

I see what you're saying, Switched. But in the case of the Bavarian Cream, it was a bad bottle of flavoring. I'm talking about pre-combining all my Nic/PG/VG into one bottle in the correct proportions for a 24mg mix. Then, all I'll have to do when ready to make a batch, is add enough flavoring without all that measuring.

 

[Hoosier]

So, you know what your flavoring percentage is and it is identical for all flavors?

I couldn't do that.

 

[mgordon1100]

I just figure that a 20 percent flavoring is what I'm going to want to use for everything. Am I wrong?

 

[wizard10000]

First real batch I made was 300ml - I'll never do that again

 

[Spazmelda]

I just figure that a 20 percent flavoring is what I'm going to want to use for everything. Am I wrong?

You can do this, no problem. And if it turns out that 20% is too high for a particular flavoring, you can always cut back to a lower % flavoring, and make up the volume difference in PG.

For example, I keep a 'stock' mixture of 22.5 mg/ml nic, PG, VG. When I add 20% flavoring the final mixture ends up being 18 mg/ml and 80/20 PG/VG. So this makes it easy to make 5 ml test batches. I add 4 ml of my base mix and 1 ml of flavoring(s). If 20% of flavoring is too much I cut back to maybe 0.5 ml of flavoring and 0.5 ml of PG.

 

[mgordon1100]

Spazmelda, you're already doing it the way I'm asking about. Have you run into any problems? Does the liquid keep, all mixed up like that? Is there any other reason that I should keep them separate? Basically, I'm wondering if the quality of the mixed liquid diminishes over time if it's all together, as opposed to being separate. Oh yeah, how long has this been your practice?

 

[Spazmelda]

Well, I've only been vaping for just over 2 months now, so I haven't been doing it for long. LOL!

I don't mix my entire bottle of nic up this way (I keep some of the strong stuff for mixing up large batches of my favorite flavors). I mix up about 60 mls of my base stock, and I haven't had any problems with keeping it. I don't think it would mess anything up since you can even keep flavored juices stored for long periods of time.

 

[wizard10000]

Some people reduce the amount of nic in their daily vape as they go on - if you've got 600ml of 24mg it'll probably keep just fine, but I think Spazmelda's got the right idea. If you want to save some time mix up enough to last you a few weeks - but I'm pretty sure you don't know what you're gonna want five or six months from now, so why lock yourself into something you might want to change later?

 

[Switched]

I see what you're saying, Switched. But in the case of the Bavarian Cream, it was a bad bottle of flavoring. I'm talking about pre-combining all my Nic/PG/VG into one bottle in the correct proportions for a 24mg mix. Then, all I'll have to do when ready to make a batch, is add enough flavoring without all that measuring.

Oops. ,missed your point.

OTOH I started out as you wish to go and quickly gave up on that idea. If something goes wonky, by mixing as you go you mess up one bottle, not the whole lot.

I've had PG that was bad and screwed up quite a bit of liquid. Wrt Bavarian Cream, yup I have one from that batch as well. It is being replaced.

So IMHO I wouldn't do it that way as mixing is not considered a chore

 

[Spazmelda]

Oops. ,missed your point.

OTOH I started out as you wish to go and quickly gave up on that idea. If something goes wonky, by mixing as you go you mess up one bottle, not the whole lot.

I've had PG that was bad and screwed up quite a bit of liquid. Wrt Bavarian Cream, yup I have one from that batch as well. It is being replaced.

So IMHO I wouldn't do it that way as mixing is not considered a chore

Oh yeah, good point. I would mix up a small batch with all the components *first* to make sure they are all good. I had used all my components in smaller mixes before, so I knew I didn't have bad PG or VG or anything.

Also, you can still change the nic concentration later if you want. You'd just add PG and VG at the proportions to get you what you want. You have to do some extra math, of course.

 

[brittanyNI]

Because I make a few "standard" flavors for a handful of people and it is the same thing every time, to save time and reduce errors I DO pre-combine flavors into a single dropper, and then just add the requisite amount from that dropper to a pre-mixed concentration. However, this makes sense because I often mix up as many as 15 bottles in a session.

When I am making new flavors or making something a little different (which is often) I don't do that. Also, I'm pretty experienced with such things and have facilities well beyond the average kitchen table.

 

[chevelle]

I see what you're saying, Switched. But in the case of the Bavarian Cream, it was a bad bottle of flavoring. I'm talking about pre-combining all my Nic/PG/VG into one bottle in the correct proportions for a 24mg mix. Then, all I'll have to do when ready to make a batch, is add enough flavoring without all that measuring.

Pre-mixing some unflavored base liquid is fine IMO. Thats what I do but only about 40 mL at a time. (Thats the size bottles I happen to have the most of on hand). I will use that up making 5-10 mL batches then mix another batch of base. If I'm VERY VERY confident in a recipe that I like, I will use the entire 40 mL. Maybe as much as 60 mL for my daily vape. Never felt good about mixing up a huge batch of anything, flavored or unflavored, at any one time. So easy making base liquid that its not really a bother at all.

 

[mgordon1100]

This thread got interesting. I thought I was the only person to think of this. Only, the rest of you who do pre-mix, don't do it in such large quantity as I was figuring on.

See, I ordered enough liquid to yield me 600ml of juice, given that's it's 24mg of nic, and 20 percent of flavor. I didn't order that much flavoring, though. Only a handful. 60ml of this will go to me this time, and the other 90 to a couple of other people. I figured that 60 is plenty to hold me down, until I order some more flavoring, and that I'd just pre-mix all the rest of the liquids for ease of use later on.

But some good points are brought up. Sure, I can pre-mix a whole lot, and change my flavoring by doing a couple calculations, and cutting it with pg. That's easy. But, what if I want to tone down my nic intake before I go through all the liquid. I think it will get more complicated. And, what if something really does go wrong with the liquid I already have, for any reason at all. These are good points, and I'm going to reconsider combining everything up front.

Perhaps combing 30 or 60ml worth is a good idea, for whipping up quick 10ml bottles on a whim.

 

[Spazmelda]

But, what if I want to tone down my nic intake before I go through all the liquid. I think it will get more complicated.

It wouldn't really be that complicated. You'd just have to mix up some 0 nic and then figure out what proportion to combine them in. Still, why bother if you can just mix up smaller batches? Maybe it would be more convenient or maybe it wouldn't. It just sort of depends on how you like to do things.

The reason I don't make large batches is simply for storage. I've got small kids so I keep my mixing supplies in a lock box. I can fit a couple of 60 ml bottles in there, but a 500 ml or 1 liter bottle wouldn't fit, so I'd have to either get another locking box or a large childproof bottle or something to keep them from accidentally getting into it.

 

[mgordon1100]

I don't have that issue. I can store anything in any cabinet. There's nobody else here to worry about. Just a cat, who does nothing but lay on the bed, watching TV. Question. What quantities of liquid do you usually order? I'm guessing that you'll still have large bottles of raw materials.

Actually, I'm glad that I made this thread. I started out on a mission to mix 30ml bottles of juice. Now that I think of it, why bother. The only reason I ordered 30ml bottles of anything, was that it's most economical. Not that I'm going to love anything that much before trying. I've never ordered the same juice twice, and it was all in 30ml, except for the last time. I ordered 10ml bottles because Vaporbomb had a sale, and I got the 10's for the same price per ml as 30's without the sale. I don't have to mix that much now, so I wont.

Thanks guys. Funny, this outcome is completely different than what I set out to get.

 

[wizard10000]

Question. What quantities of liquid do you usually order? I'm guessing that you'll still have large bottles of raw materials.

I bought 480ml of 36mg VG for $24 when goodprophets had their sale recently and since I vape 9mg that'll last me for a good long while. I don't use PG so I just buy 16oz bottles of VG from the local health food store for about nine bucks. Tractor Supply will sell you a gallon of USP PG for about $22.

 

[Spazmelda]

120 ml of nic is the most I've ordered so far. I'm thinking of getting 250 next time. I do keep the nic in a chest freezer in the basement and the basement door is locked. I don't want to tromp down to the basement every time I need nic though, so that's another reason to do the weaker base mix to keep in my locking box.

Oh, and I think I have a quart of PG and several 6 oz bottles of VG. Those I just keep in a closet.

 

[sjohnson]

I mix up a "large" amount of flavorless base (Nicotine in PG, more PG, Glycerine and water/alcohol) then add flavor to smaller amounts as I use it.

Assuming a 20% nicotine base,

adding 5% flavor makes it 19% nicotine

adding 10% flavor makes it 18% nicotine

adding 20% flavor makes it 16.7% nicotine

For me, that's not enough difference in ultimate strength to matter, plus it's easier for me to mix large proportions of base ingredients than it is to measure smaller proportions.