New DIY juicer

Tucsonbroker · Aug 8, 2015

Since I'm a new member, I can't post yet to the DIY section so here I go. I"m tired of paying high prices at the local shops so I'm going to start making my own juice. I figure for less than $100 I can get
250mL of 100mg/mL nicotine
500mL of VG
250mL of PG
20 10mL dropper bottles
20 30mL dropper bottles
7 different flavors to try (LoAnn brand)

I plan on making a 24mg batch for my Kanger vape and a 6mg batch for my 0.5ohm subox. Both with 50/50 VG/PG mix then adding the flavors in the right percentages.

SO my question is this: Is this the right approach to get started or do I need to be thinking of getting other quantities etc. I have access to the calculators and I think this should work. Are there better flavor vendors to try etc?

Sir2fyablyNutz · Aug 8, 2015

kaahn · Aug 8, 2015

How are you going to mix...by weight or ml? You are going to need the equipment for what ever method you choose. Also what safety precautions are you taking when handling your nic base? That has to be taken into consideration. I am excited for you to take that step into the DIY realm but I think you might be missing few things that are required to keep yourself safe as well as making juice that will keep you happy and satisfied. There is plenty of useful reading to be done before you make the leap in the DIY section of this forum. Information on methods, safety, flavorings, bases, storage, steeping, as well as master techniques that will help you create juices that are a whole hell of a lot better than what you can buy commercially. Please take the time to do your research. Trust me...it will help not only monetarily but many other ways as well.

Edit: I see @Sir2fyablyNutz has hit you up with all the necessary links. Thanks Sir2!

Tucsonbroker · Aug 8, 2015

Thanks for the links, there is a lot of good information there. I've been lurking the forums for a while and I think the initial order outlined above should get me the basics. I'll focus on the proper mix first (allowing for 20% PG flavors) then start simple with just one ingredient flavors. I like picking one online vendor to keep the order simple as well as shipping and I think wizard is a good all around one stop shop store. Once I've established something I think works, I can branch out into more complex flavor profiles and recipes. Start simple right! Unless you think that initial order is off base, I'll proceed.

Tucsonbroker · Aug 8, 2015

kaahn said:
How are you going to mix...by weight or ml? You are going to need the equipment for what ever method you choose. Also what safety precautions are you taking when handling your nic base? That has to be taken into consideration. I am excited for you to take that step into the DIY realm but I think you might be missing few things that are required to keep yourself safe as well as making juice that will keep you happy and satisfied. There is plenty of useful reading to be done before you make the leap in the DIY section of this forum. Information on methods, safety, flavorings, bases, storage, steeping, as well as master techniques that will help you create juices that a whole hell of a lot better than what you can buy commercially. Please take the time to do your research. Trust me...it will help not only monetarily but many other ways as well.

I have a workshop that I use for welding, plasma cutting, soldering, and metal working so it has the right ventilation system and I have gear for handling much more hazardous chemicals already. This may be my first foray into DIY eliquid, but I've got experience in other areas that will help keep me safe handling the supplies. I also read the handling instructions of nicotine on the forums. I'll be safe, I promise.

I also have the associated equipment from body building supplements, food weighing, and ammunition reloading so I can do either ml or weight measurements. The smallest scale I have measures in 0.001g so I have that covered as well as scales that measure up to 5000g in 1g increments. I still plan on measuring in mL but have the option to do weight as well.

kaahn · Aug 8, 2015

Tucsonbroker said:
I have a workshop that I use for welding, plasma cutting, soldering, and metal working so it has the right ventilation system and I have gear for handling much more hazardous chemicals already. This may be my first foray into DIY eliquid, but I've got experience in other areas that will help keep me safe handling the supplies. I also read the handling instructions of nicotine on the forums. I'll be safe, I promise.

I also have the associated equipment from body building supplements, food weighing, and ammunition reloading so I can do either ml or weight measurements. The smallest scale I have measures in 0.001g so I have that covered as well as scales that measure up to 5000g in 1g increments. I still plan on measuring in mL but have the option to do weight as well.

Measuring by weight is my method of choice. It's cleaner and more accurate with a whole lot less waste not only with your liquid supplies but also in syringes/pipettes etc. And a whole hell of a lot less to clean and wash. Sounds like you got it all covered. Just know if you have any questions this forum is here to help. Good luck!

Sir2fyablyNutz · Aug 8, 2015

Wizard Labs is a good company. I wouldn't get stuck on the 20% recipe though. Some flavors are much more concentrated than others. A good simple recipe is Strawberry 6% and Vanilla Bean Ice Creme at 8% (FizzMustard is the creator). It's called Mustard Milk. Stand alone flavors can be difficult, sometimes a touch of a creme, or a sweet is what makes the flavor pop. I'd suggest looking at a you tube of mixing juice just to see someone else make it. I haven't found it to be worry some, just frustrating to get a recipe perfect. I mix in ml, bought 100 1 ml syringes on amazon for 10 bucks.

Tucsonbroker · Aug 8, 2015

I bought about a dozen flavors in 8ml to sample them from various vendors so I'll have to experiment as you say with them because the flavor concentrations are all different. Looking forward to getting my package from wizard labs and starting this. the local stores charge $16 for a 30ml bottle so this will be a serious cost savings. Plus I like the advantage of being able to create my own flavors and experiment. Thanks to everyone that replied!

EDIT: I will also look at the local candy/cake supply places and Michaels to see what flavors they have locally.

Sir2fyablyNutz said:
Wizard Labs is a good company. I wouldn't get stuck on the 20% recipe though. Some flavors are much more concentrated than others. A good simple recipe is Strawberry 6% and Vanilla Bean Ice Creme at 8% (FizzMustard is the creator). It's called Mustard Milk. Stand alone flavors can be difficult, sometimes a touch of a creme, or a sweet is what makes the flavor pop. I'd suggest looking at a you tube of mixing juice just to see someone else make it. I haven't found it to be worry some, just frustrating to get a recipe perfect. I mix in ml, bought 100 1 ml syringes on amazon for 10 bucks.

Sir2fyablyNutz · Aug 8, 2015

Tucsonbroker said:
I bought about a dozen flavors in 8ml to sample them from various vendors so I'll have to experiment as you say with them because the flavor concentrations are all different. Looking forward to getting my package from wizard labs and starting this. the local stores charge $16 for a 30ml bottle so this will be a serious cost savings. Plus I like the advantage of being able to create my own flavors and experiment. Thanks to everyone that replied!

EDIT: I will also look at the local candy/cake supply places and Michaels to see what flavors they have locally.

There are very very few store flavors at those places you can use. Anything with "oil" is bad. You want to look for PG based, and additives, many of which are not vapeable. The dozen samples from Wizard will go pretty far. Once you find a flavor you use buy it in the 30 ml size. Strawberry, blueberry, custard, vanilla swirl, bavarian Creme, and others you'll find are in many different recipes. 30 ml in tfa is only $4 at Bull City. Save the empty 8ml bottles when you finish them, they are great for mixing samples for you to try. I also got a bunch of empty vape juice bottles from friends who vape, glass is easily washed and reused, even the stopper/droppers come apart for easy cleaning.

I started with Wizard and 8 ml bottles. I don't know how many different flavors I have now, but it's not unusual for me to have 30 different recipes in my steep cabinet. (which might include 3 diff versions of the same recipe) It's really fun to diy. If you find two or three recipes you really like you've got it made.

Tucsonbroker · Aug 8, 2015

Sir2fyablyNutz said:
There are very very few store flavors at those places you can use. Anything with "oil" is bad. You want to look for PG based, and additives, many of which are not vapeable. The dozen samples from Wizard will go pretty far. Once you find a flavor you use buy it in the 30 ml size. Strawberry, blueberry, custard, vanilla swirl, bavarian Creme, and others you'll find are in many different recipes. 30 ml in tfa is only $4 at Bull City. Save the empty 8ml bottles when you finish them, they are great for mixing samples for you to try. I also got a bunch of empty vape juice bottles from friends who vape, glass is easily washed and reused, even the stopper/droppers come apart for easy cleaning.

I started with Wizard and 8 ml bottles. I don't know how many different flavors I have now, but it's not unusual for me to have 30 different recipes in my steep cabinet. (which might include 3 diff versions of the same recipe) It's really fun to diy. If you find two or three recipes you really like you've got it made.

I liked the prices at Bull City, but they are not selling nicotine right now and I wanted to just place one order for everything. At your advice I got a bunch of empty glass bottles. Looking online for some larger squeeze bottles to put the mixed 24mg and 6mg 50/50 pre-mix into so that its ready for me to add the flavoring. Also should I consider storing the 100mg/ml nicotine bottle in the fridge and or removing all the air from it to prevent color change from air?

Vaslovik · Aug 8, 2015

Tucsonbroker said:
SO my question is this: Is this the right approach to get started or do I need to be thinking of getting other quantities etc. I have access to the calculators and I think this should work. Are there better flavor vendors to try etc?

You are doing the smart thing! When I started DIY I was paying $80 a week for juice, and getting it at a B&M where a jerk treated me like dirt because I could build a genny and he could not. I went about it my own way doing my best to eliminate the calculators and math. What I arrived at was using laboratory glassware to measure by the milliliter my ingredients.

Using 100 mg/ml nicotine in PG I measure 12 ml nicotine in my graduated cylinder, giving me 12 mg/ml in a 100 ml batch. Then I add the flavorings I've decided on, measured by the milliliter with syringes into the graduated cylinder with the nic, which comes out to 32 ml in my recipe, pour that into a 150 ml beaker, add 42 ml of PG, 26 ml of VG, stir thoroughly with a glass stirring rod, and dispense that into a 100 ml Erlenmeyer flask. I stopper that and let it steep, and I keep six of those in rotation.

It's the simplest method I can think of and you don't need any calculator to do it.

So far I've used flavors from Mt. Baker and Flavor West. Mt. Baker has an annoying tendency to discontinue flavors I use in my all day vape recipe, so I went to Flavor West, which is where Mt. Baker gets their stuff. I can't speak to the other vendors, as I've yet to try them.

With my recipe 100 ml of juice comes out to about $8.10.

Sir2fyablyNutz · Aug 8, 2015

Tucsonbroker said:
I liked the prices at Bull City, but they are not selling nicotine right now and I wanted to just place one order for everything. At your advice I got a bunch of empty glass bottles. Looking online for some larger squeeze bottles to put the mixed 24mg and 6mg 50/50 pre-mix into so that its ready for me to add the flavoring. Also should I consider storing the 100mg/ml nicotine bottle in the fridge and or removing all the air from it to prevent color change from air?

If you're getting a large amount of nicotine put some in a small bottle (no more than 2 months worth) and put the rest in the freezer. (bottle in a ziploc baggie advised) If you need usp grade vg , Wallmart and some drugstores sell it in 8 ounce bottles for about 4 bucks. Look in the first aid section, skin softner section and hair section.

If you have a tractor supply close, you can get a gallon of USP PG for about $23. They also sell syringes there, both found in the horse and cow section.

Sir2fyablyNutz · Aug 8, 2015

Most flavors are pg based, so a 50/50 mix will end up between 70pg/30vg and 60pg/40vg after the flavors are added.

I buy PG and VG by the gallon, and 100mg nic and use a juice calculator. It really makes it easy to get where you want in the final mix.

E JUICE CALCULATOR
eJuice Me Up - Best eJuice Calculator <--- I use this one
DIY E-Liquid Calculator Ten Flavors Plus PG/VG Adjusting

Sir2fyablyNutz · Aug 8, 2015

Wide mouth glass canning jars are great for storing pg and vg.

Tucsonbroker · Aug 9, 2015

Great idea on the nicotine storage. As long as it doesn't freeze and break the bottle, I'll totally do that.
There is a tractor supply place should i need more syringes. Good tips on getting USP VG from walmart as well as USP PG from tractor supply place.
Also using the juice calculator suggested so I can get an exact 50/50 ratio.
I like the idea of wide mouth canning jars. Easy to get from the grocery store.

Appreciate the help everyone. Looking forward to kicking this off and no more shopping at the retail stores!

greengold55 · Aug 9, 2015

great idea

New DIY juicer

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