No Steeping Question

[YorkieGirl1]

Just wondering --- almost all of my mixes I tend to mess with until the taste perfect right away. Although I still steep for 1 to 2 weeks, I dont notice a huge change after steeping except with the ones with alot of cream in the mix (the cream comes out alot more after steeping). Does anyone else notice this - that their mixes are really good after mixing? Or am I just odd? lol

I just notice so much emphasis on "steeping" when reading the boards - maybe Im missing something?

 

[YorkieGirl1]

OOPS PS - I forgot to add, I do do the hotwater bath on my juices before sampling them. But I cant imagine thats as good as a 2 week steeping, but it seems to be.......??

 

[buffaloguy]

Hi Yorkie. For me Ive found that steeping for longer periods greatly effects tobacco, and dessert type juices. Tobaccos can mature for up to a month, seemingly changing flavors along the way. Dessert type juices seem to only need a few days, imo.

On another note fruit flavors and colas seem to be vapable immediately. I dont find they change much and if they do need time its only two days. My mountain dew juice for example is vapable immediately as well as apricot, mango, and some others.

All of mine get a hot water bath for 20 mins regardless of type. Tobaccos and liquor flavors go uncapped for 24 hours before being capped and rested.

Ive come to the conclusion though that if I dont like a juice after a few days... another week or two prolly wont help it much. Tobaccos being an exception. They really do continue to change. Sometimes alot.

 

[LucentShadow]

I usually just vape mine right after mixing. I just alternately run the bottle under hot water and shake it for a few minutes after combining the ingredients.

I mostly stick to picking one very dominant flavor, and add any others in much smaller amounts. That seems to generally work well for me. I wasted a lot of liquid before I found that this worked well for me.

I have noticed that some taste better after about 12 hours or so, but nothing much different beyond that. I notice that mostly with ones that I add higher amounts of sucralose sweetener to. For instance, I find that LA and TFA caramel are very 'dry' tasting, so I have to add 1-2 drops per ml of sucralose to make them taste good to me. They'll be o.k. after mixing, but the sweetness really kicks in later in the day for some reason. One of these days I'll buy some EM to try...

If I weren't intolerant to alcohol-based flavorings, I would bet that juices made with them taste better after steeping. I noticed that the one that I had seemed to off-gas a bit as I used it, but I still ended up dumping it because my throat and lungs were too bothered by it. The taste did seem to improve a bit over the two days that I used it.

 

[Hondo69]

I have mixed feelings about steeping, pardon the pun.

For most flavors, it seems they are good to go right after mixing. I've tested this theory by trying three different deliver systems with a fresh mix:

• Atomizer + Cartridge
• Cartomizer
• Tank

Seems to me they all produce a good flavor right away, with the possible exception of the carto. It can take quite awhile before the juice fully absorbs into the carto batting. If I let it sit overnight that will typically take care of the problem. I can also poke the batting a bit with a needle cap bottle or a paper clip to speed the process along. It's just a matter of absorbtion.

Now the exception to the rule seems to be tobacco flavored juices, especially those with a very heavy flavor. Those do seem to change a bit over time. The difference between day one and day five might be very subtle, but I think I can really tell a difference.

But there are also times when I think it's just me. Like everyone else, my taste buds change. Sometimes I suspect things are tasting a little unusual and I'll go back to some trusty standby's like Watermelon or Peach. If these lighter flavors are tasting a little off that particular day I'll know to stop testing. Just wait for another day when things are back to normal and give it a go again.

So in general I think steeping is just a myth. But there's always that little voice in the back of my mind that tells me the jury is still out. It's kind of like going to the fridge and grabbing my favorite beer. Most days that beer tastes pretty darned good. But every once in awhile it tastes a little off.

The best solution: have another beer.

 

[Hoosier]

Steeping is not an end all be all, it is a tool.

You don't use a 5/16's nut driver on every job, so why would it be assumed steeping is needed for every juice?

Most of my recipes are good to go from the moment they are mixed. Some need steeping. (For me it is some tobacco recipes, but still not all, but all do get a benefit from a hot water bath.)

What I noticed is that after sitting for awhile, some of my juices changed so I incorporated steeping into my recipe development process. (And put the concept in my blog.)

A #4 Phillips screwdriver is a handy tool, but it has specific uses and is not nearly as universal as a #2.

 

[YorkieGirl1]

Ok -- thanks everyone -- now I understand why. I never make tobacco mixes (I dont like them personally) - so now I know why the steeping thing doesnt change my juices much. Thank you -- learned something new today!! =)

 

[morri]

Steeping is not an end all be all, it is a tool.

You don't use a 5/16's nut driver on every job, so why would it be assumed steeping is needed for every juice?

Most of my recipes are good to go from the moment they are mixed. Some need steeping. (For me it is some tobacco recipes, but still not all, but all do get a benefit from a hot water bath.)

What I noticed is that after sitting for awhile, some of my juices changed so I incorporated steeping into my recipe development process. (And put the concept in my blog.)

A #4 Phillips screwdriver is a handy tool, but it has specific uses and is not nearly as universal as a #2.

Would you explain hot water bath? Is it as simple as it sounds?

thanks so much

 

[Hoosier]

Just as easy as it sounds. A mug of hot tap water acts like a juice bottle hot tub.

 

[morri]

Just as easy as it sounds. A mug of hot tap water acts like a juice bottle hot tub.

Thanks! I love easy.

 

[mwa102464]

I warm my VG/PG any additives and my flavoring all together first and heat it up to 160-180 degrees then after it cools back down to room temp I add my Nic, most of my mixes are ready to go by the following day. Some may need a little more steep time because I use a thick VG Nic Base, but most are ready by that next day if not when I'm done mixing.