Negating Steeping

[engmia]

I believe you 110%, I've never mixed a drop off juice, I build mods, I just see how bad the government wants to put the screws to us so I'm thing to get all the info I can amd give mixing a shot. Years ago I wanted to start but steeping is the past that really turned me away from it. ... I figured I would just end up with a bottle of everything I had all mixed together into puddle scum.

So I follow that heat application is the same as another ingredient so my thought is to aim at ingredients and recipes that are mix and vape or maybe that do turn out well if heat\mix steeped. .. I keep thinking, everyone pretty much uses the same flavors, so a list of flavorings that are good right off the bat would be way cool ? What are your thoughts on that?

I hope everyone knows that I am really excited about mixing my own juice, I'm not trying to sell it or anything, just not pay for it. I'm really just looking for info and opinions , and I really appreciate hearing everyone's.

Hehe that's funny, I've been mixing for a while now and just ordered my first DIY box mod kit So soon (after I learn how to solder and some other stuff haha) I'll have my very own built DNA 75 box mod.

Ok since you genuinely look like you want to learn I'll try my best to help out. Steeping should be the last thing that scares you, as I posted above, steeping is negated by nothing more than simple planning. I don't even worry about "this eliquid is fruit so it needs to steep 1 week, this liquid is tobacco so it needs to steep 2 weeks etc". Simply, I just make sure I have enough juice for at least the next two weeks. E.g. if I see I have around 2 weeks of e-juice supply left, I sit down to make a mix. If in any extreme case I've forgotten, gotten lazy, didn't have the time or whatever nonsensical reason, I just mix a liquid that I know tastes good without that much steeping.

DIYorDIE is a great guy who has amazing tutorials on YouTube that will guide you to really start learning how to mix. He's the one who helped me really start to understand mixing, because I was stuck in a bit of a loop before that. If you want to see if "you're going to get excited" his videos are the thing for you. DIY_Ejuice on Reddit is also a community with great sources of information.

Give time to your mixes to steep, use a scale, use low percentage recipes that you understand. 10% Flavour A, 10% Flavour B, 5% Sweetener may taste good, but is not really a good recipe.

 

[ghola1was]

Just curious, Tbev, what flavors have you ordered?

 

[Tbev]

If you need any help with the mod just let me know, I'll get ya taken care of, and if course if you want a killer squonker, I'm your guy.

Here's a pic of the flavors I have atm.

I just picked a couple recipies that looked good and got those ingredients, Shisha Strawberry from Inawera for another recipe... plus some others that looked good...that and cheery, I've never been able to find a good cheery juice, that's my real goal, when I make a killer cheery juice it may just retire.
Got a bunch of juice, vg n nic from nude nic, pg from ED, scale, bottles, syringes, gonna try the mixer hotplate I think if you guys don't talk me out if it.I just haven't found one I like yet..

 

[ghola1was]

Sounds like you're all set! Smart, buying flavors for recipes rather than buying a bunch of flavors with no recipe in mind.

I see you got a scale? I've been mixing for quite a while now (3 years?), by weight only for the past few months. So much easier to clean up!

Love to hear how the mixer hot plate goes. I mix directly into oversized bottles (50ml juice in 60ml bottles) then shake the heck out of them. Using a saws-all these days, rubber band two bottles to the blade and go. Crazy, right? After that I just shake them by hand every couple of days.

 

[Tbev]

Haha I love the sawsall ! I have a scale coming tomorrow, looked a lot more precise and easy to me too. I'm going to be mixing into 50ml beakers, I want to mix small batches first to see how they turn out. I got some rubber stoppers for the beakers, I'm wondering if there's an upside to mixing them, on the mixerplate either capped or un capped? Any ideas on that?

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[ghola1was]

I have zero experience with mixing on a mixer plate.

Where are all the mixer plate people at?!?

 

[Tbev]

Right!? Maybe it's a secret....I'll figure it out. I gotta believe it's gonna be better than mixing or shaking by hand...or not doing either.

When you mix juice, do you want air to get into it, to help it mix up or do you think is better that it's not open, so it doesn't air out? I think I've heard ppl say to air out flavorings ? Does that make any sense? If it does, maybe shaking/mixing with open lid is the best.

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[ghola1was]

Personally, the only mixes I let air out are the one using flavors that contain alcohol or flavors that have a "perfume"/'"chemical" note. Even then, I just uncap them and gently squeeze out the air a few times then recap. I'll do that once a day for a few days and those undesirable notes go away.

DIY Magnetic Mixer vs Vortex Mixer vs anyother method

 

[Tbev]

That's a good thread, thanks! I think we're on the right pay the magnetic stirrer is the way to go. Uncapped, to let the juice get air. I looked at the vortex as well but it's not quite as good I think and I plan on letting it rip for 6 hours or so prolly ,heat for the first hour or so, I'll see of heat helps or not. . Couldn't image listening to that thing shake for ten seconds, let alone hours. . Right now I'm trying to find a multiple stirrer stirrer\hotplate, 2,4,5 places at a time, for under a couple hundred bucks. I found one and the guy changed his mind, decided to keep it, totally pisssed my off!

 

[Tbev]

I just bought a 9 position stirrer hotplate, should have it in a couple days, then the mixing begins!

 

[mase21]

i found this video on youtube its a full guide to making e juice. make sure to read everything

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[mackman]

That's a good thread, thanks! I think we're on the right pay the magnetic stirrer is the way to go. Uncapped, to let the juice get air. I looked at the vortex as well but it's not quite as good I think and I plan on letting it rip for 6 hours or so prolly ,heat for the first hour or so, I'll see of heat helps or not. . Couldn't image listening to that thing shake for ten seconds, let alone hours. . Right now I'm trying to find a multiple stirrer stirrer\hotplate, 2,4,5 places at a time, for under a couple hundred bucks. I found one and the guy changed his mind, decided to keep it, totally pisssed my off!

From the Vaping Chemist: I would not steep anything over 85 F. Anything hotter than that will speed up the degradation drastically, and I would not leave it at 85 F for more than a day

 

[Tbev]

So I have a stirrer hotplate coming that will stir 9 beakers at the same time, a littke overkill I thought but I just mixed my first bottle of juices and its fan freakin tastick! I'm stoaked. I think I probably will have the stirrer maxed out, I think I'm hooked.

I've got this old glass computer desk, I can set my tablet on the keyboard tray below and see a recipe.. and mix on the glass above it's working pretty great so far.
Thanks for all the help everyone, I really appreciate it, I'll be sure to post what I think about the mixer hot plate. I think I'll run it around 80f maybe just in the beginning, first half hour or so then maybe 8 to 12 hours of just spinning. ...dunno..we'll see!

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[ghola1was]

Congratulations!!!

 

[engmia]

I just bought a 9 position stirrer hotplate, should have it in a couple days, then the mixing begins!

I posted in an earlier reply in the thread various topics that explain "heat steeping" in details, read them over again. It's not a secret, however the method is not proven and heating might have unwanted effects on the liquid.

I would use it to heat the liquid up to about 40 degrees Celsius, just to make it thinner for the short mixing process and I wouldn't really go above that do avoid changing the flavor volatile.

As for magnetic stirring that sounds okay (I use a simple £0.99 IKEA frother) just make sure you don't leave your juice mixing in open air for too long!

 

[Tbev]

That's what I was thinking, just a little heat, in the beginning, I mix high vg. The question I had was leaving than uncapped on the stirrer? I got some rubber plugs but they stunk like tires, so I made a mold and I'm going to make my own stoppers out of silicone. Check it out.

What you said was the flavors will escape if left open, I think. Am I correct?

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[Tbev]

Also I was thinking about spinning then for 12 hours, do you think more or less? I go thru 30 40ml /day I don't plan on having juice sit for months, I want then ready fast and I'll get rid of then fast, in really liking this DIY stuff so I don't mind doing it every few days.

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[Tbev]

Do I got this spinner hotplate in, I shook up 50ml of juice that's been stepping just sitting for five days and tossed it in, it's spinning for about an hour I came back and looked at it and there are no bubbles in it at all, it's spinning just before it makes a vortex. The thing is pretty cool, I'll taste the juice tonight and get back to ya.

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[Tbev]

Here's the stirrer hotplate I just got in, pretty cool, I need to get flat bottom beakers or different stirrer bars. The juice is a little to thick to thick to create a vortex at present buy I'm not sure I want a vortex because it will be adding air into the mix. I dunno if that's good or bad?? Right now they spin just enough to not create the vortex. .. Not sure..Here's a video:

Dropbox - 20160728_232551.mp4



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[Train2]

Here's some simple presumptive psuedoscience regarding open-air steeping.
If you can SMELL it, it's because some of the flavor molecules are leaving the bottle, and going up your nose. So they're no longer in the liquid.
That would imply that you don't want to open-air steep, mixing or not, too much - because more of the Strawberry or Papaya molecules will end up floating around the room instead of being vaped later.

HOWEVER, when I used to open-air steep, it was intentional - it was because there were things I WANTED to let out through diffusion or Brownian Motion or whatever - and those things were the "chemical" or "perfume" or "alcohol" smells that I'd get with certain flavorings - typically vanillas and tobaccos.

If you find the same - then there's an answer:
Steep/Mix with no lid if there's a scent of something you DON'T LIKE in your initial blend.
Steep/Mix with a lid if your initial blend already smells nice.