Perceptible nic, PG, VG variances?

[OlderNDirt]

I just finished reading a couple threads, the old mixing by volume/weight "discussion" and one on pre-mixing a base nic. Both brought up a question I have had since I started vaping, so thought I would throw it out for opinions.....

When I first tried dropping my nic level, I knew what level I was vaping and wondered if by knowing, it was influencing my acceptance of the decrease. Dropping from my 18mg to 12mg was a pretty big drop, but if I didn't know which I was vaping? And only using store bought, was I really getting 18 and not 16, especially when they "bumped up" some 12 for me? Then figured it didn't matter as I was kicking the sticks.

Now I am at 6mg and DIY with store bought sprinkled in. Reading about the accuracy, or lack thereof when mixing by volume or weight (please, let's not go there) and then adding flavoring to a pre-mixed base changing the nic/PG/VG percent of the finished juice, I am again wondering. Whether mixing to a 24mg or 18mg nic, a 6mg or 3mg nic, a 50/50 or 30/70 PG/VG ratio, how far off could one be in either nic percent, PG/VG ratio, or both and not be perceptible once vaping the finished product? Or perhaps "immediately recognizable" would be a better descriptive?

 

[FACE MEAT]

I suppose it would depend upon how long you've been vaping a certain liquid at a certain nicotine level.

I have noticed that certain flavorings seem to enhance throat hit, some so much that a decrease in nicotine may be appropriate for liquids made with said flavoring.

 

[puffon]

I don't notice a difference between the 7mg base I vape unflavored, vs the flavored mix that ends up around 6mg.
I suppose if you are down to 3mg, you may notice the difference more.

 

[SteveS45]

I was making some of my DIY recipes at 1.5 MG for a while until one day vaping some Zero the lack of nicotine was so noticeable to me I added nicotine the commercial e-Liquid to make it 3MG. Now all my recipes have been changed to 3MG and to be honest they do taste a slight bit better in my opinion. But I am the only one who vapes them except one of my Vape shop guys who asked me to give him some of one of my recipes that he tried and loved.

 

[DaveP]

I vape 3mg (down from 24mg three years ago). I frequently add flavor to my unflavored nic base. My base and the juice I mix are both 70pg/30vg. I'm in the range from 1% with Flavourart flavors to 5% and 7% with Hangsen flavors.

Almost all DIY flavors are PG based, AFAIK. If you are into flavors that require flavor amounts in the teens, then you will be reducing the nic concentration a lot more than if you are adding 1% and 2% flavor to the mix. If you add 20% flavor to a 50ml bottle that will be a 10ml addition to the whole and all ingredients will be diluted.

I add flavors in the 1% to 7% range without noticing a big difference in the mix from one that I created with flavor at the outset.

Your calculator will adjust itself if you want to input the ingredients and assume that flavor will be added later. So, you can create your recipe with flavor in the mix, but not add it when you actually mix the unflavored juice. Later when you add your desired percentage of flavor, the result will be accurate or at least very close. That's assuming that you actually add the same percentage when you finally flavor the unflavored juice. Your unflavored juice will have lower PG as a result. That may or not affect your perception of the unflavored mix.

 

[SteveS45]

One of the reasons I like Liquid Barn is they offer VGD or VG Dominant flavors because I prefer to get MAX VG in recipes.

VG Dominant Flavors

 

[OlderNDirt]

I was making some of my DIY recipes at 1.5 MG for a while until one day vaping some Zero the lack of nicotine was so noticeable to me I added nicotine the commercial e-Liquid to make it 3MG. Now all my recipes have been changed to 3MG and to be honest they do taste a slight bit better in my opinion. But I am the only one who vapes them except one of my Vape shop guys who asked me to give him some of one of my recipes that he tried and loved.

Using Zero nic for me is very noticeable, kinda like when trying one of those low everything smokes years ago. As soon as I finished it, I really wanted/needed one of my Marlboro Reds.

But if you didn't know, would you recognize the difference between 3mg and 1.5mg?

 

[SteveS45]

That is what happened I had forgotten a recipe was at 1.5MG and didn't notice it on my label when I filled a tank but noticed it when I was vaping it. It was a flavor I mainly use as a tweak to spice up a flavor and when I was vaping it straight I noticed it right away. A quarter or a half an ML in a tank was hardly noticeable if at all but a straight tank full it sure was.

 

[OlderNDirt]

That is what happened I had forgotten a recipe was at 1.5MG and didn't notice it on my label when I filled a tank but noticed it when I was vaping it. It was a flavor I mainly use as a tweak to spice up a flavor and when I was vaping it straight I noticed it right away. A quarter or a half an ML in a tank was hardly noticeable if at all but a straight tank full it sure was.

Only a 1.5mg drop, but that is also a 50% drop. But you do point out a variable that will be different for many, how long does a tank full last? I once bought a 30ml 6mg juice and after vaping for a couple hours it seemed to be lacking. Checked the bottle to find out they gave me a 3mg juice. I check now before I leave.

 

[JCinFLA]

2 months ago I started making most of my eliquids at 7mg nic, instead of 6mg, where it had been for 3+ years. Just last week I used a bottle that I thought I'd made at 7mg to fill a tank. (Didn't look at my mg & date noted on the label). I could tell the nic wasn't quite "there", and when I checked...nope it wasn't. It was 1 of the earlier few I still had that was made at 6mg.

As far as PG/VG ratios being "off" and being able to tell. I can tell if the PG is higher than 40, because I get a headache at the back base of my head if it is. If it was lower (maybe 35-39)...I probably wouldn't be able to tell. Any lower than that though, I'd probably be able to tell because of the increased thickness with more VG.

 

[SteveS45]

Only a 1.5mg drop, but that is also a 50% drop. But you do point out a variable that will be different for many, how long does a tank full last? I once bought a 30ml 6mg juice and after vaping for a couple hours it seemed to be lacking. Checked the bottle to find out they gave me a 3mg juice. I check now before I leave.

Even though it is 50% but only 1.5MG/ML difference you would think it was not as noticeable or should I say I wouldn't?? When I was decreasing I was very happy but recently that changed when the Zero just didn't sit right and I am contemplating raising it up to 6MG to see if I vape less. I will make a 15ML bottle of one of the most vaped and see if I vape less for an experiment.

 

[DaveP]

Using Zero nic for me is very noticeable, kinda like when trying one of those low everything smokes years ago. As soon as I finished it, I really wanted/needed one of my Marlboro Reds.

But if you didn't know, would you recognize the difference between 3mg and 1.5mg?

I was shocked when I started moving downward in nic using vendor juices about 3 years ago. Starting at 24mg and dropping in 6mg increments at first I found that on each drop in nic it was not a big deal. Once I hit 12mg I dropped in smaller (about 3mg) increments. My initial plan was to drop over a long period, but as I hit the first drop I sensed no cravings. I just dropped from 24mg to 3mg in several months. I tried zero nic, but that was flat tasting so I went back to 3mg and have stayed there for three years and been fine.

I was ready for a nic fit that never happened. That was what made me realize that it was the hand to mouth habit that made me crave the smokes in the first place. I quit smoking by vaping the same way. As long as I had my pacifier I was good.

 

[SteveS45]

Yeah @DaveP I can definite relate to that!