Newbie Help please.

[SeniorBoy]

A fantastic resource. Thanks to all I'm a newbie with the DIY ejuice so please humor me. I've ordered a bunch of supplies/flavors/etc. I have also been trying to read the huge number of sticky posts and they have helped a great deal so thank you again Just a few questions please:

- Is the MBV pre mixed NIC a quality product? I know their are cheaper ways to create your NIC base but for me this saves times and I'm also not yet comfortable mixing NIC plus PG/VG yet. See the following page for the pre mixed NIC: 236 ml Unflavored Nicotine Juice USA made - Mt Baker Vapor - Electronic Cigarettes


- What delivry device do you guys use to test your creations? I tried LR cartos but that takes to long. Then I resorted to my iClear 30 tanks but their must be a faster way. Should I use a dripper of sorts that is cheap and quick?


- I installed the ejuice Me up calculator and that should help me. Are the suggested mixes/recipies this app provides in the ballpark?


- Last night I tried my first mix. HA! Third try. I know this is not the real way to create a DIY juice but it works for newbie me. Grabbed an iClear 30 and filled 2ML of the Halo Fusion super exspensive NIC base because I had it. Then in the tank:


4 drops of Banana Cream from Wizards
3 drops of Cream Cheese Icing from Wizards


Any thoughts on how I can improve this mix? Seems a little shallow and needs depth? I like em sweet so any help would be great.

 

[Bill Oso]

1) never ordered the mbv premixed before but the nic % will drop depending on the amount of flavor you add.

2) Many people use an atomizer to test their liquids so they don't have to wash out a clearomizer or throw away a cartomizer when they don't like a juice theyve tried.

3) I don't use that e liquid calculator. I've tried the recipes on the Boba's clone thread here on ECF and those are pretty good. Dislike RY4 Double Tribeca clone recipes.

4) You can add a sweetener like EM or sucralose, etc. Or maybe some coconut flavoring, that might be good - coconut banana. I measured about 45drops = 1ml of liquid for certain droppers, so your flavor percentage could be way too low. Right now you're at about 7% flavoring assuming 45drops = 1ml. I believe most people use between 10-20% and sometimes higher.

 

[SeniorBoy]

Thanks so much Bill. Very helpful. Anyone else please?

 

[FACE MEAT]

- Is the MBV pre mixed NIC a quality product? I know their are cheaper ways to create your NIC base but for me this saves times and I'm also not yet comfortable mixing NIC plus PG/VG yet. See the following page for the pre mixed NIC: 236 ml Unflavored Nicotine Juice USA made - Mt Baker Vapor - Electronic Cigarettes

Their nicotine base liquid is fine as far as quality is concerned. However, it's way overpriced. There are other vendors out there that sell ready-to-mix nicotine base liquid in strengths ranging from 6mg-48mg for a fraction of what Mt. Baker Vapor charges. I've ordered from ecigxpress.com, wizardlabs.us and highdesertvapes.com. All of the aforementioned sell quality base liquid at reasonable prices.


I still haven't figured out why MBV has such great prices on their flavored liquids but charges an arm and a leg for unflavored.

- Last night I tried my first mix. HA! Third try. I know this is not the real way to create a DIY juice but it works for newbie me. Grabbed an iClear 30 and filled 2ML of the Halo Fusion super exspensive NIC base because I had it. Then in the tank:

4 drops of Banana Cream from Wizards
3 drops of Cream Cheese Icing from Wizards

Any thoughts on how I can improve this mix? Seems a little shallow and needs depth? I like em sweet so any help would be great.

Dripping drops of concentrate directly into a clearomizer full of base isn't exactly a reliable way to achieve a good repeatable flavor. All of my mixes get a vigorous shake after all of the ingredients have been added. Without this agitation, you'll have pockets of intensely concentrated flavoring that aren't exactly pleasant to vape. If you agitate in the clearo, you'll likely experience leaking and/or gurgling.

Syringes in various sizes (1mL-10mL), graduated cylinders and empty bottles are things I wouldn't mix without. I'd suggest investing in some.

Another thing to keep in mind is banana flavors are known plastic tank cracker/melters. I'd keep anything with banana away from an iClear.

Check out the DIY e-liquid recipes sub-forum. There's some fantastic stuff in there.

 

[SeniorBoy]

@FACE MEAT - Your guidance is very helpful. I should have the real deal supplies which you reference and other stuff today. I will use up the overpriced Halo NIC base today and then lurk for the postman with the MBV NIC. I do have a question please:

If I understand this correctly ? not only did I over pay (ya think!) BUT I should have ordered as an example a 36MG NIC base at 50/50 and let the calculator tell me how much PG and VG to add to my final/target 18MG mix assuming a couple of flavors in the mix. Correct?

So...assuming I'm rowing with both oars, If I'm using a 18MG NIC base at 50/50 and my target final mix is also 18MG at 50/50 then adding lets say 3 flavors LOWERS the final NIC level BELOW 18MG? So...my question is and I understand this would only be a pallpark answer but in this example what is the rough guess final NIC level?

Thanks for the fantastic help

 

[FACE MEAT]

If I understand this correctly ? not only did I over pay (ya think!) BUT I should have ordered as an example a 36MG NIC base at 50/50 and let the calculator tell me how much PG and VG to add to my final/target 18MG mix assuming a couple of flavors in the mix. Correct?

In order to end up with a final concentration of 18mg / mL, you'd have to use 50% flavoring. That's an awful lot of flavoring, likely more than would be palatable.

If you're like me and not overly fussy about the nicotine content, you can do what I do...

I buy 24mg nicotine base liquid. I add flavoring to this base liquid. Depending on the amount of flavoring used, I end up with between 17 and 22 mg final product.

 

[FACE MEAT]

If I'm using a 18MG NIC base at 50/50 and my target final mix is also 18MG at 50/50 then adding lets say 3 flavors LOWERS the final NIC level BELOW 18MG?

Flavorings do not contain nicotine, so any flavoring added to a nicotine base liquid effectively dilutes the nicotine concentration.

 

[Hoosier]

MG is poor shorthand for mg/ml.

If you have 9ml of 18mg/ml that is 9ml * 18mg/ml = 162mg of nicotine. (See how the ml's cancel out there? Cool)

If you have 162mg of nicotine in 9ml and add 1ml of any other liquid (10%) that is 162mg / (9ml+1ml) = 16mg/ml.

The units are straightforward when you know what the shorthand means and the math is simple.

 

[SeniorBoy]

Thanks guys so much. Fantastic advice. I already started mixing my Halo Tobacco juices in a bottle with my sugar fix/few drops of Carmel Candy and another one with Banana Cream. I just love the tones they add to Halo Tobaco ejuice. Shake rattle and roll. Then a new head and into my glass clearo. Much better and consistent.

I'm dangerous because I have my first shipment of supplies in hand. LOL I'm gonna start with a single flavor of Cinnamon Sugar Cookie with the overpriced Halo premix nic base I need to use up and so the journey begins.

 

[SeniorBoy]

So...last night I created my first ejuice which was Cinnamon Sugar Cookie (TFA) plus the Halo overpriced NIC base (trying to use it all up) which I guess is around a 50/50 mix. Three strengths of flavor: 15%/20%/25% and I'm definitely in the ballpark.

Question: Is steeping required and a ballpark on how long? I did notice that just sitting in the tanks overnight gives me a fuller and richer vape with a subtle backround tone of the cookie batter/light crusty kinda flavor but I want to make sure that I'm not hallucinating and will eventually need to decide which strength of flavor for a 30 ML mix.

Thanks in advance for the help.