seriously! how many drops per ml?

[27thLetter]

Title says it all. Ive looked everywhere. My calculators are all different. And my ratios and tastes get thrown off because of this, I think.

Using basic materials..
Propeline glycol
Kosher usp vegetable glycerine
Water
Flavoring

How many drops per ml?

 

[Boletus]

There is no magic number. It will vary based on the viscosity (thickness) of the liquid, temperature, and the shape and material of the dropper. If you want to be more precise, syringes are the best route, or you could count drops into a measuring device for each liquid to get closer.

 

[xxJollyRogerxx]

Every dropper is different. They are massed produced so even in the same lot there may slight variations in the tip.
All the things Boletus said

 

[27thLetter]

So how does anyone lock in flavors without making 30ml+ test batches?

 

[FACE MEAT]

1mL syringe.

 

[3mg Meniere]

Inawera brand flavorings most frequently use drops. Generally they quote 24 drops in 10 ml as being the same as 4%.

 

[Boletus]

After work I will start an ultra-geeky thread about the fluid mechanics of drops. We can get really serious about this question, but it will take some time to set it up.

 

[Hoosier]

So how does anyone lock in flavors without making 30ml+ test batches?

Well, my 1ml syringes are marked every 0.02ml (that's 50 drops per ml in drip-speak), but I often drip when working on a new flavoring. I take that specific flavoring and the dropper I'm using and drip into a graduated cylinder and count the number of drops to reach 3ml. After I divide my count by 3 I have a pretty good idea what that flavoring and that dropper produce for drops/ml.

I've done that enough to know that there is no accurate answer to the question often asked here, "How many drops per ml?"

 

[Vekz]

I've never been a fan of counting drops as my form of measurement just because it varies so much. I prefer to use 1-3ml syringes to get as precises and consistent of a measurement as I can.

 

[Rat2chat2]

Everyone has their preference. I am quite happy using drops now. That is why I like Vaping Zone gourmet and super concentrated flavorings. I started out doing everything accurate but have gotten to be a mixing sloth. But a happy one.

 

[cbabbman]

a scale and a program that displays your %'s in grams

no drops, no eyeballing a syringe, no fluid dynamics... none of it matters...

it just doesn't get any easier

 

[iamthevoice]

It's the reason that baking (and chemistry) is done by weight and not volume... There are far too many factors that influence the measurement of volume (never mind the fact that a lot of people read a volume measurement at the top rather than the bottom of the meniscus!)

 

[Boletus]

a scale and a program that displays your %'s in grams

no drops, no eyeballing a syringe, no fluid dynamics... none of it matters...

it just doesn't get any easier

I agree, that is the most accurate and foolproof method. But for people starting out, purchasing a high resolution scale and converting volume-based recipes to mass-based may be a bit more than they are ready to do. In that case, syringes are next best. And OTH, if you are experienced enough and use the same equipment and ingredients between recipes, drops can provide the level of accuracy required for your purposes.

But the fluid mechanics discussion will be solely for the purpose of entertaining geeks that like to pick things apart for the sake of the mental exercise. That is why it will not be a response to this or similar threads from people that just want a basic answer to a question.

 

[Crunktanium]

Problem with syringes is they don't hold up long to the solvents in flavoring. They work great for measuring nic, vg and pg but even for measuring your mixed juice they wont last very long. If you don't mind throwing them away frequently they are fairly accurate and more reliable. The cheaper the syringe however the less accurate the markings as with glass beakers and such. There are also different grades of pipettes such as the cheap disposable type and the polystyrene which are used with a pump. The ones you throw away are less accurate but if you put 20 drops it would likely be the difference of -/+1 drop. And then you have droppers which the size of the dropper will vary the size of the droplet.

 

[DistantDrumming]

My two cents...drops are inaccurate and should be banded from this forum. Syringes (1 ml) are much more accurate. I posted the same question about a month or so ago...and got similar responses. Using a scale honestly just blew me away, I didn't want things to get so complicated and buy more stuff...before I knew I could even be successful at DIY to begin with. Syringes are accurate, they are designed to deliver small doses of medicine. For instance, insulin...where the difference in 0.1ml could kill a person. Go with syringes, forget about drops.

 

[Crunktanium]

Syringes are accurate, they are designed to deliver small doses of medicine. For instance, insulin...where the difference in 0.1ml could kill a person. Go with syringes, forget about drops.

This study says otherwise.
Accuracy and reproducibility of low dose insulin administration using pen-injectors and syringes -- Gnanalingham et al. 79 (1): 59 -- Archives of Disease in Childhood

And here is the accuracy as stated by a manufacturer directly.
Hamilton Company | Hamilton Microlab 600 | Technical Information | Syringe Accuracy & Precision

The more you pay the more accurate you will typically get so don't just think a syringe is a syringe.

 

[rowdyplace]

Quotable, yet mostly worthless link - Drop (unit) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Usable information for us DIY types - How I make small and manageable test batches:

Given a sample batch size of 20 drops, then
1 drop of flavor is 5% (19 drops base + 1 drop of flavoring = 20 drops)
2 drops is 10% (18 drops base + 2 drops flavoring = 20 drops)
3 drops is 15% (you get the idea)

One must use the same size dispenser (drop maker) for base and flavor.

This is a basic example. Double it or halve it and calculate your own percentages.

Need 0.1? place 9 drops of base in small bottle along with 1 drop of flavoring. Shake well!! Now, one drop of this is 0.1 drop of the flavoring.
YMMV !

 

[Hoosier]

I have to admit, this is one of the more humorous versions of this thread topic.
Sent by big fingers on a tiny phone via Tapatalk

 

[DistantDrumming]

Agreed And damn you and your 0.1% ....you may be right... Who knew the pen wouldn't work? Now I have to redo everything... With a syringe (titanium, its the only way to go). Of course taking into account barometric pressure and what not

 

[Spazmelda]

I have one big dropper size that gives me 36 drops/ml, and a teeny tiny dropper that gives me 78 drops/ml. Those are averages and based on straight PG at normal room temperature. I use micropipettors for very small volumes and 1 ml syringes for volumes between 0.2-1.0 ml.