PG To VG Ratio?

[Steelman]

So I finally have had enough of ordering factory e-juice so it's time to venture into the DIY world. Most of the juice I've been buying so far has been 70-80% PG/20-30% VG. While I'm not wanting to go full VG I was thinking of trying a 50/50 mix. Is there any so called "ratio rule" I should know about before I screw a batch up? Pros/Cons to less or more VG in the mix? I'm sure this has been addressed in a previous thread but sorry, I got bored searching . Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

JW

 

[Bob Chill]

If you're used to high PG you will notice a difference with high VG. There's really nothing you can screw up. Especially at 50/50. Going high VG requires some extra steps like diluting a little bit so it wicks decent. VG is much thicker than PG.

I personally prefer 50/50 but everyone is different.

 

[Steelman]

Thanks Bob Chill! I'm going to try a small batch (50ml) and see how it works. Guess I can always add more PG if I don't like it.

 

[dannyv45]

Really the only rule is to compensate for your flavoring if your flavoring is in a PG base. It's additive to your 50/50 ratio. And start small with little 10ml test samples so you don't waste much.

 

[Semiretired]

Just keep good track of you mix ratios - if you are DIYing you can always mix a batch with pure PG and then that to reduce the VG ratio in case you do not like it.

 

[AndriaD]

Really the only rule is to compensate for your flavoring if your flavoring is in a PG base. It's additive to your 50/50 ratio. And start small with little 10ml test samples so you don't waste much.

Or even 5ml tests -- that's what I do, my first-mixes of new flavors is so prone to "uggh!" I've had a couple of successes -- and LOTS of UGGH!

Plus, if you do 5ml tests, and mix them in 10ml bottles... you have some room in the bottle for a pinch of this, a half-ml of that... to get it tasting right -- after which, you can then figure out roughly what the recipe really ought to be.

The only thing to worry about with PG/VG is, do either of them cause you a problem? VG can cause breathing problems; PG can cause irritation; and everyone is so different in how they react to the two substances. High-PG mixes mix a lot easier, they're so much thinner; I don't think it's true that PG "carries flavor better" -- thanks Danny, that was a great post you made some months back about that -- but with high-VG, you do need to shake/steep/shake/steep a lot more, just because it IS so much thicker. And if you want good TH, then higher PG would be your best bet.

Andria

 

[Bob Chill]

Thanks Bob Chill! I'm going to try a small batch (50ml) and see how it works. Guess I can always add more PG if I don't like it.

50mls is a VERY big test batch. Trust all of us on that. Until you dial in flavor(s) % to your liking, keep it 5-10mls tops.

I've been using the ejuicemeup calc since I started. Just plug in your nic base strength, flavor %, desired nic strength and pg-vg % and it spits it right out. There are other calcs too. I'm so used to ejuicemeup that I don't have a need for anything else. A calc is a must have tool in the toolbox.

 

[Steelman]

Good call Bob.....I've found the calc and it's pretty straightforward. I've always been one of the "go big or go home" types but in this case probably "less is more" especially to start with. I've been checking out all the different DIY starter kits and finally decided to order stuff to make my own kit (w/o all the stuff I'd never use) and it ended up being quite an investment . I ended up spending $200 BUT...I should have enough mixn's (that's word in TN BTW) for the rest of the year, at least. I've spent more than that on juice in the last month. Now, if I can figure out a way to appease the "Finance Ministress" when she see's the bank account. She'll get over it since most of the flavoring's I ordered are one's she likes.....oh and I also ordered her that shiny new mod she's been wanting.

 

[Bob Chill]

Good call Bob.....I've found the calc and it's pretty straightforward. I've always been one of the "go big or go home" types but in this case probably "less is more" especially to start with. I've been checking out all the different DIY starter kits and finally decided to order stuff to make my own kit (w/o all the stuff I'd never use) and it ended up being quite an investment . I ended up spending $200 BUT...I should have enough mixn's (that's word in TN BTW) for the rest of the year, at least. I've spent more than that on juice in the last month. Now, if I can figure out a way to appease the "Finance Ministress" when she see's the bank account. She'll get over it since most of the flavoring's I ordered are one's she likes.....oh and I also ordered her that shiny new mod she's been wanting.

I've gotten by with simple syringes that I ordered off of amazon along with plastic/glass bottles that I bought from flavor vendors. Syringes last a long time. I'm still using some of the same ones for over a year. I've been re-using my glass bottles since I bought them. I mix 60 or 120mls of my favorite recipes and store in glass.

The biggest waste was the learning curve and buying flavors you don't like. I literally have 50 small vials of flavor that I'll never use again. However, my purchases have been few and far between for a while now. It's super cheap. Less than a dime a ml.