Noob at mixing

[tengu]

Hi everyone!

I'm planning on mixing my own juice and have been reading up on the how-to's in accomplishing this project. However, I've been getting some mixed info from different sites.

I currently vape at 18mg and want to keep it at that strength.

According to this site: http://www.esmokeclub.com/media/startup_guide_eliquid_mixing_kits.pdf

They're recommending that I use a higher milligram nicotine liquid and dilute it down w/ the flavoring.

According to everyone's experience, is this the right thing to do? And, if so, how would I know how much flavoring to add to dilute 36 mg down to 18 mg? Or, should I just buy the 18 mg and dilute it from there?

Also, should I purchase pre-mixed nicotine liquid that has 50/50 VG and PG already mixed into it (to save time and lessening of potentially hazardous errors), as sold on this site: http://www.myfreedomsmokes.com/unfl...ored-nicotine-smoke-juice-e-liquid-pre-order/

Your help and advice would be highly appreciated.

Thank you, everyone!

 

[jkarlson]

Go with RTS Vapes. The quality on it is much higher. The higher MG you start with, the less expensive it is, and the less you have to add. An easy way to figure it out is:

FOR 10ML Bottles:

Use 60mg Nic and:
1ml for 6mg
2ml for 12mg
3ml for 18mg

or

Use 100mg and:
.6ml for 6
1.2 for 12
1.8 for 18

 

[Slots]

Google e-juice me up, and download the calculator.
Run some pretend recipes through it and you'll see how it works.
I use a base in plain PG and then I can add as much VG as I want in the recipe.
Some recipes I like with higher VG and some not.
I use about 15 to 20% flavoring, so I have to start out with a base that is 3 time higher than I want the end results to be, or the recipe won't work.
You'll be adding additional PG, VG, and flavoring, and if you don't use a higher nic base, you won't be able to obtain the percentage you want in your juice.
If you start with the percentage of nic you want, already in your base, you not leaving room for all the other ingredients without diluting you base.
Download and practice make-believe recipes ... you'll get the hang of what you want.
Try different percentages of nic base, bases that are 50/50, add about 10% of flavoring and it will calculate it out for you.
Some will work and other won't ... but at least you'll know why.

 

[Ryedan]

Hi everyone!

I'm planning on mixing my own juice and have been reading up on the how-to's in accomplishing this project. However, I've been getting some mixed info from different sites.

I currently vape at 18mg and want to keep it at that strength.

According to this site: http://www.esmokeclub.com/media/startup_guide_eliquid_mixing_kits.pdf

They're recommending that I use a higher milligram nicotine liquid and dilute it down w/ the flavoring.

According to everyone's experience, is this the right thing to do? And, if so, how would I know how much flavoring to add to dilute 36 mg down to 18 mg? Or, should I just buy the 18 mg and dilute it from there?

Also, should I purchase pre-mixed nicotine liquid that has 50/50 VG and PG already mixed into it (to save time and lessening of potentially hazardous errors), as sold on this site: Our Unflavored Smoke Juice (Nic. Juice, Nicotine Juice) - My Freedom Smokes

Your help and advice would be highly appreciated.

Thank you, everyone!

First off, welcome to ECF and to vaping tengu.

For information on this, I would stick to the posts in the 'Sticky Threads' found here. I will not say there is nothing that can't be improved on in there, but it is all accurate information.

Yes, you will want to use higher nic base than your end product. That is so that you can mix different amounts of flavorings and VG and PG to make what you want for final product. Think about it. If you buy 18 mg nic base and mix it with anything that does not have nic in it, the nic percentage will go down.

I use the mixing calculator eJuice Me Up found here. Once you figure that out you can play with it using imaginary quantities of different ingredients and you will see what works and what doesn't.

As for the pg/vg mix of the nic base you buy, flavorings are mostly 100% pg. If you want a mostly vg juice I would buy 100% vg nic base. If you want more pg, like 70/30 pg/vg, I would go with 50/50 nic base. Use a mixing calculator and see if you can make what you want with the ingredients you are thinking of buying before you buy. If it works, great. If not, you need to change something. If you can not make what you want with the ingredients you want to buy, try increasing the amount of nic in the base and see if that works.

 

[flipperox]

The thing that worries me most about people who are new mixing their own juice is that they have proper volumetric equipment to measure everything out accurately. If you don't have that, I would say don't start mixing. If you do, use the calculators and Ryedan's advice on where to look.

 

[Cavediver]

The thing that worries me most about people who are new mixing their own juice is that they have proper volumetric equipment to measure everything out accurately. If you don't have that, I would say don't start mixing. If you do, use the calculators and Ryedan's advice on where to look.

A few Syringes and 16ga-20ga luer-lock needles are all you really need for measurements. I have a selection of .5, 1, 3, 6, 10, & 20ml syringes available, though I rarely use the 10 or 20.

 

[Arnie H]

The calculators do much of the work for you, so it really is not a problem. Tell it your target nic level and it will spit out the proper percentages. I personally use 100 mg nic liquid. This seems to be the highest concentration you can buy as an individual consumer (from wizard labs). Even at this level it is only 10% nicotine by volume, which is not extraordinarily dangerous. Still be safe and wear gloves and such. I always put in the nic first then cap the bottle immediately to get it out of the way.

 

[Taylor7617]

For those that use the eJuice Me Up calc............do you find that the base of 20% flavoring really works? I've been doing alot of reading in the DIY sections, and many times all those recipes are from 8-12% whether it be only a couple flavors or more complex. I have read that more flavor is not always better. There is a thread on "recommendations" for certain flavors - those that are strong and those that are not. Just gets tough to decipher through it all ......so, as many have said. Start at lower flavor % and work up until you like the taste. Also....don't forget about steeping the bottle given the components time to age/mix properly.

 

[rasmith1959]

For those that use the eJuice Me Up calc............do you find that the base of 20% flavoring really works? I've been doing alot of reading in the DIY sections, and many times all those recipes are from 8-12% whether it be only a couple flavors or more complex. I have read that more flavor is not always better. There is a thread on "recommendations" for certain flavors - those that are strong and those that are not. Just gets tough to decipher through it all ......so, as many have said. Start at lower flavor % and work up until you like the taste. Also....don't forget about steeping the bottle given the components time to age/mix properly.

A flavor from one vendor may not be as concentrated as the same flavor from another vendor. So you'll either have to rely on advice from others, or experiment to find what works for you.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

 

[tengu]

Really good info, y'all. Thanks so much for your recommendations and suggestions.

I forgot to include a small introduction:

I'm from Houston, TX (via Hawaii...I know...I know...) and have been a smoker since I was 16 (to look cool of course). I wasn't a heavy smoker, a pack would last me about a week. But, when the weekend comes and I'm at the bar(s), I smoke like there's no tomorrow. Haven't really thought about quitting, because I enjoyed smoking so much. However, once I reached the big 4-0, I knew it was time to quit...one way or another. Fortunately, some friends of mine were already into vaping and introduced me to it. One toke and I was hooked!

I bought my first kit (Joyetech Ego-T Mega) a little over 2 years ago and haven't had ONE analog cig since (using a CE6 Clearomizer now). I've been a huge proponent of vaping ever since and have turned several of my friends and co-workers on to it. It's presently been my calling - to save as many people I know from analogs as possible.

So, it's only natural that I start dipping into the "mix" and start creating my own!

Thank you everyone again for all your help! I'll keep ya updated on how it goes!

 

[Slots]

For those that use the eJuice Me Up calc............do you find that the base of 20% flavoring really works?

You can use any amount of flavoring you like. Some only add 5 or 6 %.
I usually add 3 or 4 flavors in different amounts, up to 20%.
I happen to like strong flavors, as my taste buds are shot.
There is such a thing as adding too much ... then the flavor disappears.
So start low and you can always add.

I just suggested you put 20% for flavor in the calculator, as it shows you how high of a nic base you'll need.
Since you like to use 18, I'd suggest you use a 60 nic base, or by the time you add everything else, it won't work out.
That way ... if you happen to use up to 20% flavoring, your nic base will handle it.
Like I said, try different formulas out with the calculator.

 

[Shadav]

Yes you will need a higher nic base to DIY because the more juice and pg/vg you add to it will dilute the nic per volume.
I prefer the juice me up breakthu's calculator. Plug in what nic and pg/vg level your base is. put in what nic level you want the final product to be at then figure out what % of flavoring you want. I usually aim for 20%. Put in what % you want your pg/vg at and it'll spit out all the info you will need to create your juice.

 

[tenchi_kioto]

I just started playing with diy myself... Just made my first 3ml bottle last night playing around and trying to get use to everything. I downloaded the juice me up breakthu's calculator and that program is amazing with what you can do with it.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 4

 

[mkbilbo]

Also, should I purchase pre-mixed nicotine liquid that has 50/50 VG and PG already mixed into it (to save time and lessening of potentially hazardous errors), as sold on this site: Our Unflavored Smoke Juice (Nic. Juice, Nicotine Juice) - My Freedom Smokes

Myself, I'd suggest doing that. At least to start. Less of a headache if you don't have to do a lot of figuring your PG/VG and nic levels when you're just starting out. I started with Mount Baker's plain nic that's over here. It's a bit more pricey but takes some of the work out of the equation. As you get more into doing your own mixes, you can move up to figuring your own nic levels and PG/VG ratios (I've started that now myself and figure I'll be saving even more money).

Trying to tackle too much new stuff all at once can be frustrating. Nothing wrong with starting simpler and working your way up...

 

[Daavy]

welcome to the site and good luck on your mixing adventures!

i got the 100mg/ml (10%) juice then diluted it further by 50% and stored the rest in the freezer. i have a bunch of 3ml and 5ml syringes with the luer slip lock needles. the vg is really hard to draw through them, however. i normally don't use a needed for the pg/vg unless im trying to get the last of it from its bottle. i haven't used the juice me up program.. i use an ejuice app from the android market. its a no brainer. plug in the ingredients and select target nic strength and finished volume and it spits out all of the amounts you need to use. dont forget to keep notes of what you like and don't like so you can work on fine tuning your product..

after you get something made... it wont be very good at first... the chemicals need time to bond. some people will microwave (use a glass bottle) for 6-8 seconds, depending on the size of your batch... some do a warm water bath... others use an ultrasonic cleaner on their bottles of juice to accelerate the process. ive read that it can take days to a week for the "maturing" process to occur just by sitting in a cool, dark place.

happy mixing!

dave

 

[tengu]

Hey, y'all! Just got in most of my equipment and started mixing yesterday. However, concerning the ejuice me up calculator. At the very top where it requests you input the "Nicotine Strength E-juice":



If I purchased 100ml Nicotine w/ 100% PG base. What should I insert in that portion? Would it be PG 100%, VG 0% and 100 mg as my entries?

Please advise.

Note: And, for some reason I'm only getting about 5 ml of what should be 10 ml target amount to make. Is that due to the disposable plastic droppers not being accurate? I'm getting some glass ones soon, but, had to make do w/ the plastic ones in the meantime.

Thank you, everyone!

 

[Smokke]

I would shop around. Find someone in the USA and ask them how they test their unflavored nicotine concentrate. I shopped around and got quality liquid at half the price of some of the recommendations on this thread. My Freedom Smokes sends their stuff to the local college to be lab tested and they are very reasonable! They also returned a voicemail message to answer questions.

RTS was twice as high and when we tried to cancel an order with them they sent it anyway despite repeated calls and emails. We wont be back to RTS! We had to pay for shipping both ways with them.

Stay away from the cheapest out of the country stuff also unless you know how to test the strength.

 

[Knosis]

Anyone doing mostly VG blends? I am interested in sticking with VG if possible. I read that if you add around 20% water to a VG blend it helps? Any issues with a mostly VG blend?

 

[Knosis]

Yeah... I'm looking at the 100mg\ml. I'm glad you had good experience with them. I'll go for it.

 

[Ryedan]

Hey, y'all! Just got in most of my equipment and started mixing yesterday. However, concerning the ejuice me up calculator. At the very top where it requests you input the "Nicotine Strength E-juice":

View attachment 245502

If I purchased 100ml Nicotine w/ 100% PG base. What should I insert in that portion? Would it be PG 100%, VG 0% and 100 mg as my entries?

Correct.

And, for some reason I'm only getting about 5 ml of what should be 10 ml target amount to make. Is that due to the disposable plastic droppers not being accurate? I'm getting some glass ones soon, but, had to make do w/ the plastic ones in the meantime.

I suspect you are counting drops when you are mixing, correct? That is not accurate. Drops form different droppers will be of different volume. Get yourself a few syringes with blunt needles, say 1 ml, 3 ml and 10 ml. That does me for all my mixing. Use the smallest syringe you can for the amount you are adding. For example, you don't want to try adding 0.3 ml of something with the 10 ml syringe.

Having said that, if you double the number of drops of everything you will make twice as much. The advantage of using ml instead of drops is that you know how much you are actually mixing and everyone will get the same results.

Hope this helps.