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[dannyv45]

I've been around long enough to get a feel for many of the most commonly asked issues. As sometimes I find myself answering the same questions over and over again I've decided to write a blog. I've started with the most common issues and will be expanding my blog in the hopes that it will be a go to source for information. The blog is an intergrated part of the forum so you will never be leaving the forum to read these blogs.

First blog:

Everything you wanted to know about steeping and then some.

Is pretty much as the title states. There is a wealth of detailed information on steeping in general and all different types of steeping methods.

Second blog:

Throat hit and Harshness (It's all in the mix)

Again as the title suggest. This blog explains why mixes are so harsh and how to correct or compensate for this.

Third blog:

Sweetening and additives

As the title suggest explains about sweeteners and additives. The how-to, the differences, and the pitfalls.

These blogs can be reached from my profile in any of my post by clicking the little #3 to the right of "blog entries:"

And lastly lets not forget my friend hoosier's excellent blogs at:

E-Cigarette Forum - Hoosier - Blogs

 

[Rickb119]

Thanks Danny.

 

[Sed Contra]

Thanks for your efforts.

I just got my lab equipment and chemicals today, and in my limited experience what I'd like to know more about is the actual measuring process and what equipment to use to easily get accurate measurements. Pipettes aren't doing it for me! They seem like a total waste of money. I have a 25ml graduated cylinder, but I'm thinking that I should have three 10ml graduated cylinders, too. Also, since pipettes seem to suck, I'm thinking that syringes might be more accurate, especially to measure quantities less than 1ml. I also need to find dropper tops for the flavorings so that I can add small quantities by drop instead of by percentage.

Any thoughts on these basics? Thanks!

 

[dannyv45]

Thanks for your efforts.

I just got my lab equipment and chemicals today, and in my limited experience what I'd like to know more about is the actual measuring process and what equipment to use to easily get accurate measurements. Pipettes aren't doing it for me! They seem like a total waste of money. I have a 25ml graduated cylinder, but I'm thinking that I should have three 10ml graduated cylinders, too. Also, since pipettes seem to suck, I'm thinking that syringes might be more accurate, especially to measure quantities less than 1ml. I also need to find dropper tops for the flavorings so that I can add small quantities by drop instead of by percentage.

Any thoughts on these basics? Thanks!

In a recent post I responded to I gave some good suggestions as to what supplies you should have as a basic mixing kit. So if you don't mind I'm just going to paraphrase that post. What I will add is get used to measuring by ML's and percents. It's far more exacting and easier to duplicate recipes then using drops. Here what I suggest you have on hand and remember I'm paraphrasing from a previous post. I will do a blog on this subject shortly.

<Paraphrased from a previous post>

I don't really like kits because you get a lot of what you need but also stuff you don't need and your stuck with what ever quality they decide to give you which is usually the cheapest. The best thing is to read what others are using and get what you need. It will usually be cheaper and you get better quality. My suggestion would be:

10 5 ml bottles (for test samples)
5 30ml bottles
3 1 ml syringes
3 3ml syringes
3 10ml syringes
1 50ml Graduated Cylinder
latex gloves

If your going to steep in hot water or a UC get the glass bottles (Glass is always better but more costly).

Other then your flavors, VG, PG and NIC this is really all you need to get started.

A good place to get this stuff all in one stop is myfreedomsmokes

Best Electronic Cigarettes and E-Liquid - MyFreedomSmokes.com

 

[Sed Contra]

Thank you. I'm hip to percentages, but I can't imagine doing a 1ml tester with pipettes. Maybe that's where the syringes come into play, but it seems to me that for a 1ml tester, drops might be "good enough" to get a feel for the ratios. There's so much to learn! Thanks!

 

[dannyv45]

Thank you. I'm hip to percentages, but I can't imagine doing a 1ml tester with pipettes. Maybe that's where the syringes come into play, but it seems to me that for a 1ml tester, drops might be "good enough" to get a feel for the ratios. There's so much to learn! Thanks!

Forget 1ml testers. The minimum tester should be 5ml. That's measurable with syringes.

Also forget drops. Drops come in all shapes and sizes so you will never get an accurate measurment with drops. Your standard of measurment should be the ML.

 

[Sed Contra]

Forget 1ml testers. The minimum tester should be 5ml. That's measurable with syringes.

Also forget drops. Drops come in all shapes and sizes so you will never get an accurate measurment with drops. Your standard of measurment should be the ML.

Syringes should be coming in on Friday. Maybe they'll make all of this make sense... I suspect that I'll be throwing out 22 pipettes soon. Thanks again for the help, man.

 

[Proverb31]

Thanks Danny nice job. I had a funny story to share. I tried a new flavor and I really enjoyed it, but about twelve hours later my throat started to swell. Not completely shut I could still breath, but I could barely swallow. Food got stuck and it was work to get liquids down. So I gave up the flavor and for three days pushed fluids. Then a friend called and said she had a sore throat at first I didn't think anything of it. The following day the friend called again still feeling poorly and I asked if her throat was swollen if she was having trouble swallowing. Turns out after some discussion we realized we both got the same swollen shut throat issue the same day... three days after we had eaten together in the same restaurant.

Funny how I assumed it was the flavor, but sometimes it is something else that causes the irritation. In my case a weird virus.