OK, Veteran DIYers...

[brittanyNI]

I also have a mac, but I don't have an iPhone, would the app download to the mac computer?

If you can't make eJuiceMeUp work on your computer, consider the online e-liquid calculator here: http://....................

I usually use Linux, but this app works fine over the Internet. It also (for free!!) provides you a database where you can store your recipes privately.

Meanwhile ... yeah ... the two biggest things are notes and labeling. But the VERY biggest thing is *safety*.

I have the luxury of an actual lab in which to work, but you don't need gobs of gear to be safe.

Put the bottle of concentrated nicotine in a tupperware/rubbermaid container so that if it spills, all of the liquid is in that container instead of on you. I have no idea what 250ml of 100mg/ml nic would do if it spilled on your pants or dress, but since it can be absorbed through he skin, I have to believe it isn't pretty. Wear latex or vinyl gloves (you can get them cheap in the cleaning aisle at the supermarket) and eye protection. Just the most tiny drop of splashed nicotine liquid in your eye will be something to remember.

Cleanliness is next to (insert deity of your choice)liness. Either use a separate syringe for each thing you use syringes to measure, or clean the syringe in alcohol in between. This way you don't end up with nic in your PG &c. For flavors that aren't in a dropper bottle, either pour them into a labeled dropper bottle, or use different droppers for different flavors or clean the dropper in between. You don't want your rose tasting like mint or vice-versa.

You can do an initial rapid-steep after mixing by heating some water in the microwave and dropping your closed bottle of e-juice into it for 15 mins or so. Though flavor will continue to develop so it shouldn't be finally judged for 3 days or so, you can at least do an initial test after the rapid steep.

Make small batches at first. I actually use 6ml for everything. But by making a 6ml batch first instead of a 30ml batch, if it comes out horrible I haven't wasted much material.

Speaking of wasted material, when initially testing flavors, don't use nicotine liquid. That stuff is WAY more expensive than just plain PG or VG. Mix it up with the PG/VG ratios you plan to use, mix in your flavor, rapid-steep and test. Once you are satisfied with your flavor, then use nicotine liquid.

Use an e-liquid calculator. Either E-juice-me-up or the online e-liquid-calculator is fine. I'm a scientist and am completely comfortable with metric math in my head, and can still get my wires crossed. An e-liquid calculator gives you a sanity check, can save your recipes in a database and double-checks your math. A good calculator will even let you keep the aforementioned notes and will print "recipe cards" that you can use when memory fails.

Which brings me back to notes and labels. Nothing is more frustrating than having a mixture that is just right ... and being unable to duplicate it!

 

[wizard10000]

Did anybody say take notes?



I transfer my experiments (even the failed ones) into a spreadsheet and rate them from 1-10 flavorwise and keep notes in the spreadsheet that might help me later.

Learn to do the math - juice calculators are nice but I never use one, preferring to use pen and paper. I think one needs to understand how mixing works - especially if you're working with 100mg nic. JMO and I've held my tongue on this for awhile, but if someone doesn't know how to mix 100mg nic they probably shouldn't be *using* 100mg nic

Also JMO but work in percentages. Drops vary by the viscosity of the liquid being dripped and the size of the opening they're dripping from. Percentages work the same way every time.

Screwing up a small test batch is less expensive than screwing up a big batch.

Pull a little bit of air into a syringe before you start drawing liquid so you can see the liquid level. This works really well with dark stuff like flavorings where you can't see where the liquid ends and the syringe plunger begins.

And - take notes

 

[Randyrtx]

Using a good calculator (or doing the math by hand if you're so inclined) is crucial especially IMO for no-nic and low quantity test batches. That way you keep the flavor percentages correct as you move on to your "production" batches.

 

[wizard10000]

Hey Pheisty, im new too, and i know youve commented on a few of my posts about how crappy my stuff is turning out -- hahahhahaaha. One thing that i have decided would help is that i was using pipettes and counting drops and stuff and then i measured with pipettes versus syringes (with just water in the bottles) and they came out WAY different. I would invest in some 3 ml or so syringes (like 25 cents at a drug store) so that you can get accurate measurements (if they arent already coming with your kit). Oh, also somebody gave me really good measuring advice about the flavorings, basically to not start off with too much (like i had been doing). She starts in the 5%ish range, i was starting in the 15 to 20 percent-ish range. I wouldnt go too high on the flavor to start with.

If you can't find them locally (I couldn't) liberty-flights sells 1cc syringes and a Luer lock needle slips right on them. With a 1.5" blunt needle I can suck all except for about one drop out of a 1 dram Lorann bottle.

 

[Pheisty]

Great advice, Brittany, thanks!!

I'm actually nothing even close to a scientist...I'm more of an artist/chef. Between the two of us we could make some kicka** liquid!!!

Question for all of you...

I just got my EcoMix from Intellicig in the mail. (I won' t be ordering it again as I'm just going to buy straight-up VG and thin it myself but didn't want the hassle as I'm just getting started.) I am correct in my assumption that it has ZERO nic in it, correct?? I'm getting a little nervous because of the warnings on the label and in a leaflet that was inserted. I plan on making zero nic juice only. I currently vape 6mg or lower nic.

EDIT: adding pic

Thanks so much, everyone, for all of your input!!

 

[Iffy]

If you can't find them locally (I couldn't) liberty-flights sells 1cc syringes and a Luer lock needle slips right on them.

I found 1ml syringes with slip-on needles at K-Mart for $.25 each. Of course the needles (too small) had to be replaced, but for da money and convenience...

 

[Kurt]

Don't assume you know what a flavor will taste or vape like before you try it. I've had many flavors that I just went huh, I guess its sort of what like the label says. Or OMG, that's HORRIBLE!! Lorann Pistachio was one of those for me. Tried it in a juice once. Once!

When I get new flavors I make a 3 mL test batch at about 10% for each, unless there is info that says use less (TPA coffees, for example, no more than about 2%). Then I vape those to get to know the flavors, and think of how they might be useful. Thing about flavors is you just never know what they will be good for, or what you actually like to vape for days on end, or what you want to toss out, until you try them. Some are good all by themselves, some are better as a background to other flavors.

Definitely use syringes. I use Scubabatdan's e-juice calculator spreadsheet. Its in Excel, so you should be able to run it on a Mac.

 

[Desertfremen]

Well almost all of the bases seem to be covered except one (and if i missed it sry):

However many bottles you think you need get double maybe even triple. I always seem to run out of bottles.

 

[rkayw]

I need to do like Kurt said...test EACH flavor...alone. I have not done that as of yet.
About to get a line of bottles setup and get to taste testing. Thanks for the reminder, Kurt.

Do you all save any amt left in your bottles after taste testing? And do you use them in mixes/recipes later? How would you do that..figure it into your mix calculations I mean?

Sorry OP, not trying to jack your thread. Just still have a lot of newbie questions too.

 

[Prettycat191]

Just the most tiny drop of splashed nicotine liquid in your eye will be something to remember.

Either use a separate syringe for each thing you use syringes to measure, or clean the syringe in alcohol in between. This way you don't end up with nic in your PG &c.

This is why I add my nic last, don't mind getting a little PG or VG in it, but I definitely don't want nic in the others!

Do you know about the nic juice in eye from experience?

Pull a little bit of air into a syringe before you start drawing liquid so you can see the liquid level. This works really well with dark stuff like flavorings where you can't see where the liquid ends and the syringe plunger begins.

This is a great idea! I wish I'd thought of that before! It's much easier to see the actual level than trying to figure out how much the small air bubble from the needle takes up.

I need to do like Kurt said...test EACH flavor...alone. I have not done that as of yet.
About to get a line of bottles setup and get to taste testing. Thanks for the reminder, Kurt.

I haven't done that yet either, I keep trying recipes first lol! Really need to do this!

I actually use those vitamin pill boxes for testing small batches of flavors. They're ~$1 at any drugstore and they're great for testing several flavors at a time. Can't shake them up unless you want a mess, I just use one of my droppers and stir them for a few minutes.

 

[rkayw]

I read somewhere about using carto condoms for testing very small amts, but can't find that info now. I have a lot of those condoms I could use, and save on the pg/vg/and flavoring. Making 3ml taste testers seems a waste to me. But all in the course of it all I suppose. I am on taste overload atm testing ALL of my fruit flavors individually this evening.

 

[Pheisty]

Sorry OP, not trying to jack your thread. Just still have a lot of newbie questions too.

No worries! Lord knows I've hijacked my share of threads. LOL And we're learning together, so that's cool with me!

 

[rkayw]

Thanks hon! Jack mine anytime. lol

 

[Prettycat191]

I read somewhere about using carto condoms for testing very small amts, but can't find that info now. I have a lot of those condoms I could use, and save on the pg/vg/and flavoring. Making 3ml taste testers seems a waste to me. But all in the course of it all I suppose. I am on taste overload atm testing ALL of my fruit flavors individually this evening.

3ml will make enough to test it over several days to see how the flavors change, and it tends to be easier for me to measure 3ml than 1ml lol.

 

[rkayw]

3ml will make enough to test it over several days to see how the flavors change, and it tends to be easier for me to measure 3ml than 1ml lol.

True. Probably so for me too. I have never tried smaller then 3ml. And I am not good at that 3ml...yet. lol.

 

[Prettycat191]

Lol, me either, sometimes I end up going up to 5 or 10, but that's a lot for a test juice, just easier to figure out the amounts!

 

[debb]

I do 1 ml just to see if flavors go together.....other then that I do 3 ml testers...

 

[MaxUT]

I read somewhere about using carto condoms for testing very small amts, but can't find that info now. I have a lot of those condoms I could use, and save on the pg/vg/and flavoring. Making 3ml taste testers seems a waste to me. But all in the course of it all I suppose. I am on taste overload atm testing ALL of my fruit flavors individually this evening.

You can make very small amounts to test single flavors.

If you know anyone who uses disposable contact lenses, ask them to save the little bottles they come in. I had a bunch of glass ones with a volume of about 3-4mL, with silicone rubber caps. Glass = infinitely reusable, no carryover taste

 

[Pheisty]

So I'm speed-steeping my first concoction as I type this!

 

[Pheisty]

Okay, y'all!! My first batch turned out pretty darn good!! It's a soft, fluffy mixture of FA's Cookie, Vanilla Tahity, and Cream Fresh...oh, and I added some Better Stevia from NOW Brand to sweeten it up a bit more. It tastes a touch like angelfood cake, to be honest. I prefer light, sweet, fluffy vapes, so it's perfect for me!!

Unfortunately, I didn't take anyones advice and measure or write down anything, so it's a one-time deal. LOL