I was asked the other day "why I don't use a electronic stirrer". I just have always shaken my mix, it looks to me the stirrer would add even more air into the eliquid. Either way I was wondering what other thoughts were on shaking or stirring.
Shake or Stir
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Electronic stirrer? Did they mean a magnetic stirrer? Or just an electric whisk sort of thing?
I'm just a shake-by-hand mixer myself, but I'm intrigued with the magnetic stirrer idea, and my husband would love a little diy project to make one of those. I'm interested in hearing more about this method from people who use it.
I'm just a shake-by-hand mixer myself, but I'm intrigued with the magnetic stirrer idea, and my husband would love a little diy project to make one of those. I'm interested in hearing more about this method from people who use it.
I looked into buying a magnetic stirrer and found them to be expensive. I simply shake the crap out of it until I see millions of small air bubbles in the bottle if I'm making a small batch (up to 120ml bottle). If I'm making more I will use a milk frother. It's cheap and does the job well. It will introduce a bunch of air into the juice pretty quick and all I have to do is hold it in the juice, no shaking to it!
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I use a cheap little badger paint mixer (dual AA rechargeable duracell powered) for about 1 second per ML of juice. Works great for anything up to 220ml and doesn't introduce much air into the mix unless you raise the mixer attachment close to the top of the liquid. Then they just site for a few months until I vape thru my older steeped mixes, no periodic shakes during the steeping for me. I then give em a quick shake each time I pour out of the big bottles into the 30ml travel drippers for filling my toppers.
I have a magnetic pill stirrer for making a yeast starter in homebrewing. I built it for about $20, but what the wife was talking about was a milk frothier type mixer.
If you shake, it works better in a larger bottle with some air space at the top. I like 60ml glass bottles with a 50ml fill. I can create thousands of tiny bubbles with a 30 second shake.
With my 15ml LDPE needle tip bottles with a 10ml fill it's not nearly as efficient. Shaking produces some bubbles, but even with 5ml air space it's not as good as the glass bottles.
I haven't used one, but one of those battery powered mild shake stirrers should be fine. You just need a bottle with a large mouth.
Youtube is full of magnetic stirrer projects that use a plastic project box with a computer fan with the the blades removed. Neodymium magnets epoxied onto the spinning hub will create a vortex. You just drop the plastic coated pill stirrer into the bottle and flip the switch.
I've thought about building one of those, but I keep on shaking daily for the first week or two and steeping finally produces good juice.
I built a magnetic stirrer a couple years ago with a project box, hard drive magnet, computer fan with blades removed, 12 volt switch from the auto store and a fan controller I got 2nd hand from the comp store. I later added a LED volt display to use as speed settings and a small LED light that lights the mix up so you can watch it mix without using a flashlight.
Lots of different ways to make a magnetic mixer in YouTube. If your just making personal juices of 150mls or less the hard drive magnet mixer with a 20mm stirbar works great.
Here's a few things to help:
-This is based on a 60vg/40pg and 50/50 mixing ratios.
-No...you don't need to make a vortex to mix, as long as the entire mix is moving around its being mixed(shining a light into mix helps see the bubbles move around)
-use short fat round jars or Erlenmeyer style containers to mix are best, you can use beakers. Watch with jars and bottles, some are more concave on the bottom than others, its the concave that throw the stirbar when mixing at higher speeds. Beakers are flat bottom.
-10, 15, 20mm stirbars work best with the hard drive magnet version mixer. I have a 25mm but it gets thrown too easily when speeding up the mix.
-removing the fan blades by scoring each side, snap off then clean up till flush so its not off balance. The fan spins faster with no blades. The blades cause resistance from being so close to the top of the box and the air really has nowhere to go.
-I used thick 2 way tape instead of glue or silicone to install the magnet onto the fan, much easier to run the fan by itself on a table, re positioning the magnet and to be sure its balanced when spinning. The slightest off balance and your mix will vibrate off.
-Computer fans come in different speeds, 1200, 1500, 2500 and other speeds. So make sure before installing to get the higher RPM fan.
-With the fan blades removed I was able to install a small LED light that lights the mix from underneath to watch how fast its mixing...more for looks but nifty to watch.
-Straight 12 volt adapter doesn't work well unless you have a fan controller. One of those 3, 6, 9,12 volt multi adapter work OK but your always changing volts on the switch. One setting is too low then the next is too high and your constantly hassling with thrown stirbars from being just a bit too fast on the next setting. Spend on the fan controller its worth it in the end not to have to constantly watch so the stirbar isn't thrown cause the next setting is just a tad too fast.
-I add the PG and flavor(s)...mix several minutes rather high speed(not high enough to splash around)---add the VG, the VG sits on top of the PG then mix again. Its nifty to watch how the VG incorporates into the PG.
-I use a kitchen timer...2 hours first mixing with no nicotine so you can turn it up and not worry about degrading the nic with bubbles. Let sit overnight to dissipate the bubbles, add nic then another hour at a speed just fast enough that all the liquid is moving not adding any air.
This is a good size project box but lots of different better quality boxes can be found. I just had this one handy for link and size.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head...
My cost..
Project box- bought several boxes many years ago at a liquidation store $2.00
Comp fan and hard drive magnets- on hand
Fan Controller- 2nd hand from the computer store $3.00
12V blue LED Automotive switch $6.00
LED Voltmeter $2.00
5mm flat top white LED lights $2.00
Stirbars from Ebay China $6.00 Smooth bars, not ones with a center ridge.
Lots of different ways to make a magnetic mixer in YouTube. If your just making personal juices of 150mls or less the hard drive magnet mixer with a 20mm stirbar works great.
Here's a few things to help:
-This is based on a 60vg/40pg and 50/50 mixing ratios.
-No...you don't need to make a vortex to mix, as long as the entire mix is moving around its being mixed(shining a light into mix helps see the bubbles move around)
-use short fat round jars or Erlenmeyer style containers to mix are best, you can use beakers. Watch with jars and bottles, some are more concave on the bottom than others, its the concave that throw the stirbar when mixing at higher speeds. Beakers are flat bottom.
-10, 15, 20mm stirbars work best with the hard drive magnet version mixer. I have a 25mm but it gets thrown too easily when speeding up the mix.
-removing the fan blades by scoring each side, snap off then clean up till flush so its not off balance. The fan spins faster with no blades. The blades cause resistance from being so close to the top of the box and the air really has nowhere to go.
-I used thick 2 way tape instead of glue or silicone to install the magnet onto the fan, much easier to run the fan by itself on a table, re positioning the magnet and to be sure its balanced when spinning. The slightest off balance and your mix will vibrate off.
-Computer fans come in different speeds, 1200, 1500, 2500 and other speeds. So make sure before installing to get the higher RPM fan.
-With the fan blades removed I was able to install a small LED light that lights the mix from underneath to watch how fast its mixing...more for looks but nifty to watch.
-Straight 12 volt adapter doesn't work well unless you have a fan controller. One of those 3, 6, 9,12 volt multi adapter work OK but your always changing volts on the switch. One setting is too low then the next is too high and your constantly hassling with thrown stirbars from being just a bit too fast on the next setting. Spend on the fan controller its worth it in the end not to have to constantly watch so the stirbar isn't thrown cause the next setting is just a tad too fast.
-I add the PG and flavor(s)...mix several minutes rather high speed(not high enough to splash around)---add the VG, the VG sits on top of the PG then mix again. Its nifty to watch how the VG incorporates into the PG.
-I use a kitchen timer...2 hours first mixing with no nicotine so you can turn it up and not worry about degrading the nic with bubbles. Let sit overnight to dissipate the bubbles, add nic then another hour at a speed just fast enough that all the liquid is moving not adding any air.
This is a good size project box but lots of different better quality boxes can be found. I just had this one handy for link and size.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head...
My cost..
Project box- bought several boxes many years ago at a liquidation store $2.00
Comp fan and hard drive magnets- on hand
Fan Controller- 2nd hand from the computer store $3.00
12V blue LED Automotive switch $6.00
LED Voltmeter $2.00
5mm flat top white LED lights $2.00
Stirbars from Ebay China $6.00 Smooth bars, not ones with a center ridge.
I use a magnetic stirrer which I found on ebay. What you have to remember though that if you are mixing say 70vg 30 Pg warm the juice first to say 50c as it is to thick. I did try to use electric whisk type stirring but found the magnetic one better just set it and let it stir and go onto other tasks.
Someone on this forum (sorry for my poor memory) recommended this little mini mixer. Love it. The wand fits perfect and takes less than a minute to mix well. I'm not worried about adding air as I'm sure shaking by hand does as well. I like to keep it simple.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000...mini+mixer&dpPl=1&dpID=31NgD8Sx1pL&ref=plSrch
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000...mini+mixer&dpPl=1&dpID=31NgD8Sx1pL&ref=plSrch
Oh believe me, I have watched the videos (I YouTube everything! Lol) but it's a lot easier to grab my milk frother and be done in 5 min vs having to go out and buy all the stuff I need for the DIY stirrer then have to put it all together. It's not that big of deal to me to use the frother. Plus that's only on large batches like 250ml or more which I rarely make. Mostly I'm just making 120ml or less. I just shake those.
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McGyver would probably take the grill cloth off a stereo speaker, lay it horizontal, and rig a way to set the juice bottle securely on the cone. Then, he would download a specific MP3 tune that had the correct variations of cone vibration to efficiently mix the juice to perfection.
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I've been contemplating some kind of vortex mixer. Most used in labs and they'll suspend cell cultures quickly so seems like it'd mix up some good juice.
Stirred, shaken - depends on who's your favourite Bond, James.
Got a hamsterwheel ? Tie two bottles to it. Hamster works for peanuts - literally.
Feeling lonely? SO got a headache? Elastic wristband with a few bottles under it combines the useful with the funful.
Doggie needs walk? Guess doggie won't mind a few additions to the collar in exchange for a mile more to blend 'em just so ... ?`
Be creative
Got a hamsterwheel ? Tie two bottles to it. Hamster works for peanuts - literally.
Feeling lonely? SO got a headache? Elastic wristband with a few bottles under it combines the useful with the funful.
Doggie needs walk? Guess doggie won't mind a few additions to the collar in exchange for a mile more to blend 'em just so ... ?`
Be creative
Stirred, shaken - depends on who's your favourite Bond, James.
Got a hamsterwheel ? Tie two bottles to it. Hamster works for peanuts - literally.
Feeling lonely? SO got a headache? Elastic wristband with a few bottles under it combines the useful with the funful.
Doggie needs walk? Guess doggie won't mind a few additions to the collar in exchange for a mile more to blend 'em just so ... ?`
Be creative
You forgot to attach bottles to the wheels of your car mix while you drive can't attach them to the wheels bottles in the back seat and a bumpy road
Vortex mixers are very efficient in mixing up juice.
I have all the parts and various project boxes in my stash boxes of electronic parts. I have Neodymium magnets in stacks of sizes from 1/4" to 1". We use them for refrigerator magnets.
I still just shake the heck out of my juice and set it out to steep. I'm so far ahead of the game in juices that I'm still vaping on juices that I mixed 6 months or more ago. Most of what I've mixed lately is big bottles of unflavored. If I need to taste test a new flavor I just calculate the mix percentage and add it to a small bottle of unflavored nic.
I am still interested in this topic I am trying to get started in the world of DIY juice and this has opened my eyes to so many different ways to mix I remember back in June I saw a video on youtube of a guy using a mixer some one made for him out of 3D printed parts and it was a scaled down paint shaker, and that looked cool but since this topic started I have looked at a few more videos and seen everything from Vortex mixers, to some guy strapping bottles to a Sawzall (creative I'll give him that) even seen some people using ultrasonic jewelry cleaners to mix (89 bucks is not something I am willing to drop at least not right now) I have even wondered would it be better when shake mixing to put a ball bearing in the bottle.
To me, it seems that if you are mixing higher vg then you may want to look into using something other than just shaking but shaking is just fine. At least I that is how I took the few replies from people who use Vortex mixers or the electric mixer. Adding in such mixers would also mean adding in bowls, or beakers to mix in as you could not do this in a bottle so more stuff to keep track of also seems to be a down side for me.
To me, it seems that if you are mixing higher vg then you may want to look into using something other than just shaking but shaking is just fine. At least I that is how I took the few replies from people who use Vortex mixers or the electric mixer. Adding in such mixers would also mean adding in bowls, or beakers to mix in as you could not do this in a bottle so more stuff to keep track of also seems to be a down side for me.
I have no problem mixing with my badger paint mixer even in 30ml glass dripper bottles. It has a very small attachment designed for model paint bottles.
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