NOOB - Help with steeping.

[rmk_kelly]

Sorry if this has been covered but....

I am somewhat of a newbie here...but I have more posts than allowed to start threads in the New Members Forum. I have some questions on steeping. I have read that you need to remove the caps and that you don't. Can any of you give me a good explanation of steeping? How long should I steep (if at all) pre-mixed liquids? How long should I steep if juice is just mixed? Do I need to remove the caps from the bottles?

I would appreciate any help, suggestions, tips, advise...ect.

Thanks!

 

[GreenEyesDon'tLie]

The biggest thing with steeping is that it depends on the juice. Some is already steeped by the vendor, some is made to order and may or may not need steeping, some needs breathing to get rid of weird tastes, the list goes on. I always test new bottles as soon as I get them, and a lot of them are fine as is.

In general, you want to start by breathing the bottle. Shake the bottle well, take of the cap and the dropper tip, and let it sit for 2-3 hours. After that, put the tip and cap back on, shake again, and put it in a cool dark place. Shake it once a day, and try a bit every few days to see how it's coming along. Depending on the juice, it could be anywhere from a few hours to a month.

 

[rmk_kelly]

The biggest thing with steeping is that it depends on the juice. Some is already steeped by the vendor, some is made to order and may or may not need steeping, some needs breathing to get rid of weird tastes, the list goes on. I always test new bottles as soon as I get them, and a lot of them are fine as is.

In general, you want to start by breathing the bottle. Shake the bottle well, take of the cap and the dropper tip, and let it sit for 2-3 hours. After that, put the tip and cap back on, shake again, and put it in a cool dark place. Shake it once a day, and try a bit every few days to see how it's coming along. Depending on the juice, it could be anywhere from a few hours to a month.

Thank you so much!!!

 

[Rat2chat2]

I found this article pretty good. Maybe it will answer your questions better than I could. I have no patience for it.

Clearing the Air About E-Liquid

 

[glointhedark]

I don't do anything complicated. I just throw the eliquid in an old purse with several zippered compartments and let it sit. The vendor we are currently using puts a "Born On" date on each bottle. When I am ready to change flavors, I tend to use the ones with the oldest "Born On" date first.

 

[GrandSam]

People make too much of a big deal regarding steeping methods. Once you receive the bottles, shake them vigorously. Place them in a cool, dry, and dark area (it doesn't really matter where, as long as it meets the 3 aforementioned criteria and the juice is kept away from strong odors). Shake them vigorously once a day, and when you have time, throughout the day - once a day will suffice.

Tips:
- Upon receiving your juice, drop a few drops onto your wick to see how it tastes. If its great, and to your liking, you do not need to steep the juice. If it tastes terrible, bad, not right, funky, etc., let it sit for a few days and try again.
-As the days pass, try the juice just to see how it is progressing
-Juice gets darker as it steeps, don't worry if yours goes from a light yellow to dark orange

 

[Alac]

I found this article pretty good. Maybe it will answer your questions better than I could. I have no patience for it.

Clearing the Air About E-Liquid

Wow, what an article written on a website that bulk buys/sells premade cartos from China that would have had steep time during transport time from the manufacturer. If you bother reading the article...

#1- Written by one of those Grammar Nazis picking solely on what they think (and maybe the first line of Wikipedia) the word "steeping" implies. Look the word up in online dictionaries, very few entries mention a solid, so this implies steeping a liquid in a liquid is a viable use for the word steeping. Now look at the Synonyms, you may find the words "infuse" or "imbue". This is exactly what we are trying to accomplish with the flavors, let them infuse the flavor agent through the entire bottle evenly. "Steeping" is further made apt for our use as the best method of steeping e-liquid and steeping tea are the same, let it sit covered for a bit (tea between 3-9 minutes, e-liquid between 3 days and 4 weeks).

#2 Never heard this misconception they got this part right.

#3 True, just keep in mind sunlight and/or high heat will degrade e-liquid in time.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Yes, different juices, different steeping. For me, I have a simple dripping atomizer (wickless/bridgeless) that I drip a couple of drops into for a testing of the flavor.

When I get a new juice bottle, I test it and if I don't like it, I put it in a drawer and test it about 4 days later. Every 4 days for about 4 weeks. If it doesn't get better...I pass it on. I also keep notes on all the juices that I buy.

 

[rmk_kelly]

A lot of great assistance here. Thank you all so much.

A couple responses to different posts:

In general, you want to start by breathing the bottle. Shake the bottle well, take of the cap and the dropper tip, and let it sit for 2-3 hours. After that, put the tip and cap back on, shake again, and put it in a cool dark place. Shake it once a day, and try a bit every few days to see how it's coming along. Depending on the juice, it could be anywhere from a few hours to a month.

I breathed my bottles last night, shook them up very well, and put them in a cabinet and now I'll go from there.

People make too much of a big deal regarding steeping methods. Once you receive the bottles, shake them vigorously. Place them in a cool, dry, and dark area (it doesn't really matter where, as long as it meets the 3 aforementioned criteria and the juice is kept away from strong odors). Shake them vigorously once a day, and when you have time, throughout the day - once a day will suffice.

Tips:
- Upon receiving your juice, drop a few drops onto your wick to see how it tastes. If its great, and to your liking, you do not need to steep the juice. If it tastes terrible, bad, not right, funky, etc., let it sit for a few days and try again.
-As the days pass, try the juice just to see how it is progressing
-Juice gets darker as it steeps, don't worry if yours goes from a light yellow to dark orange

I am working on the shaking part as the days progress. I have not tasted any but 1 of these juices because I rotate coils with my flavors, and I really didn't want to use a new coil for a flavor I might not like. I have a plan to remedy this issue.

Yes, different juices, different steeping. For me, I have a simple dripping atomizer (wickless/bridgeless) that I drip a couple of drops into for a testing of the flavor.

When I get a new juice bottle, I test it and if I don't like it, I put it in a drawer and test it about 4 days later. Every 4 days for about 4 weeks. If it doesn't get better...I pass it on. I also keep notes on all the juices that I buy.

This is exactly my plan...though I haven't gotten my 510 attys yet. Hopefully they will be here today. I am dying to try some of my new juices to see if they even need steeped, but I do know that several of them are made to order and will most likely require alittle.


Again...Thank you all for the advice. Looks like I am using a combination of everyone's advise. I hope it works and I don't have to "pass on" any juices!