I don't know about you, but when I vape, I'm pretty sure the liquid is boiling, by the sound of it. (And by the looks of it as well.) 
Steep with a slow cooker?
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I've done it both ways - the equivalent of several weeks in the ultrasonic and in the slow cooker. The slow cooker is just simpler, because I don't have to press the button every 8 minutes, and it most definitely takes juice that benefits from time from 'young' to 'mature' in an afternoon
I read on another forum that someone did test the nicotine, and the loss after steeping either way was very small. I don't care whether I vape 12mg (as it starts) or 11. But I'm impatient, so I don't want to wait weeks to find out what it will taste like when it's fully 'cooked!'
Quite honestly, I already had the slow cooker and am slightly sad that I bought an ultrasonic - on the other hand my jewelry needed a good cleaning LOL Oh, and I expect I can make a stew at the same time....
I've tested NIC concentrations before and after heat steeping and then again 2 months later with the NIC test kit developed for WL by Dvape. I found little to no change in NIC levels. It remained at 18mg which was my baseline. There was some oxidation but not enough to effect the taste of the juice. So as far as I'm concerned heat at 150F does not have a negative effect on the final mix. Most of my mixes are vaped within 2 months. As I stated earlier I think it's fine to heat steep but advise not to expose your raw undiluted Nicotine solution to heat or light and observe the proper well established suggestions for long term storage.
And to clearfy PG boils at 371F and VG boils at 554F.
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There was a test done by dvap(the forum chemist), he is also the one that developed the nicotine test, wish I could find the link.
This is what I recall, so take it all with a grain of salt
It was actually October in the Southeast, still pretty hot. I can't recall the result, 7% sounds reasonable.
Thanks for the correction, not sure where I got Phoenix, summer from. Yeah, October in the southeast is pretty hot.
I thought something was wrong with the location. I just spent 1.5 years in the Phoenix area. If you leave anything on your dashboard there in the summer it melts, including glass bottles
Cheers,
Steve
I don't see any harm in using a slow cooker on low, as long as the liquid is not actually boiling. The main issue with nicotine is reaction with O2, either in the air, or in the PG or VG. There is O2 present in low amounts in PG or VG naturally, can't avoid it. Heat will simply increase the rate of the reaction of nic with O2, but the amount of that reaction is generally very small, and not really worth worrying about.
Heat will drive off more volatile flavor compounds, however, which can change a flavor, sometimes for the better. Sometimes not. But I cannot think of any chemical reason to be concerned about a level of heat that is far lower than the temperature the coil gets to in order to be able to vape in the first place. If heat had significantly dangerous chemical effects, we would not be boiling the liquid and inhaling the vapor.
Heat will drive off more volatile flavor compounds, however, which can change a flavor, sometimes for the better. Sometimes not. But I cannot think of any chemical reason to be concerned about a level of heat that is far lower than the temperature the coil gets to in order to be able to vape in the first place. If heat had significantly dangerous chemical effects, we would not be boiling the liquid and inhaling the vapor.
So, I did this on the low setting for only 2.5 hours. The water temp was a bit warmer than I had expected @ 170 degrees. After testing for nic levels, everything was absolutely fine. It was nice to be able to sample some flavors a little quicker with a better idea of what I have. These were my first attempts at DIY. There's some tweaking to do, but, so far, I'm LIKING IT
So, I did this on the low setting for only 2.5 hours. The water temp was a bit warmer than I had expected @ 170 degrees. After testing for nic levels, everything was absolutely fine. It was nice to be able to sample some flavors a little quicker with a better idea of what I have. These were my first attempts at DIY. There's some tweaking to do, but, so far, I'm LIKING IT
Good to know. One less thing to worry about.
I've tried sitting a fresh mixed bottle of juice on top of the cable box a few times while watching a hockey game for heat steeping and shook it between periods.
Cheers,
Steve
That's funny!
Sit back, watch some wings, listen to Mickey, while your ejuice steeps - and shake between periods.
UC's are soooooo 2013, lately slow-cooker/crock-pot has given a 3-part gazillion post UC thread a run for it's money and then some...now I'm stuck between either "body steeping" or bake-n-vape...My oven will go as low as 170...
Now you know why I stayed out of the whole UC discussion. I read those threads as I happily toiled away with my $2.50 thrift store mini crock pot @150°.
I know others used crocks before me but it wasnt popular and it wasnt really well tested. However I knew I was on to something a few months into mixing because my results just with the crock alone were bang on consistant, every single time.
It made mixing a pleasure because I knew what the end result would be (once I decided on percentages of flavor in a mix of course) before I even started and I didnt have to wait for my tobacco vapes to work themselves out just with time alone anymore. It puts the mixer, and not the mix, in the drivers seat and in my view gives greater control over how long you want to wait for juice to mature. Nothing wrong with two to four weeks for a tobacco vape to take shape but I hated that and knew there had to be a better way, and there is.
Dont forget too that heat will agitate/mix your juice for you. Shaking it isnt bad at all but it isnt even really necessary. All I do these days is a hand shake to mix the juice after making it and then put it in the crock for four hours. Lately no shaking after that.... same results as always.
Shows me that shaking is placebo folks... shake and vibrate all ya like, heat just works better all by itself.
I know others used crocks before me but it wasnt popular and it wasnt really well tested. However I knew I was on to something a few months into mixing because my results just with the crock alone were bang on consistant, every single time.
It made mixing a pleasure because I knew what the end result would be (once I decided on percentages of flavor in a mix of course) before I even started and I didnt have to wait for my tobacco vapes to work themselves out just with time alone anymore. It puts the mixer, and not the mix, in the drivers seat and in my view gives greater control over how long you want to wait for juice to mature. Nothing wrong with two to four weeks for a tobacco vape to take shape but I hated that and knew there had to be a better way, and there is.
Dont forget too that heat will agitate/mix your juice for you. Shaking it isnt bad at all but it isnt even really necessary. All I do these days is a hand shake to mix the juice after making it and then put it in the crock for four hours. Lately no shaking after that.... same results as always.
Shows me that shaking is placebo folks... shake and vibrate all ya like, heat just works better all by itself.
I still use a UC but crank the heat to 150 and monitor with a thurmomitor which works great and has shortened the steep time by and hour or two. No sense for me to run out and get a crock pot when this works well. That's not to say not to get a crock pot. If I knew then what I know now I would have likely elected the crock pot path but hey!! waste not want not. Just glad I had the for sight to get the heated model.
No one opposes the time method myk. It a great way of practicing the art of patience and appreciation and I applaud you for practicing it.
I used to do it as well until I realized I got the same results much faster with a crock. That being said, some things like tobaccos continue to change with time alone. Since I vape mostly tobaccos I find that the jump start I get from heat allows me to skip the two week initial wait and then I just let my juice age naturally after that and I can appreciate the progression of it more. I cut 2 weeks to four hours... it works for me.
In a sense all I am doing is jump starting the process to vapeability and (initial) maturity of a juice. The low level of heat used is no threat to the juices quality or safety. The nic level isnt changed. No harm, no foul in my book.
I used to do it as well until I realized I got the same results much faster with a crock. That being said, some things like tobaccos continue to change with time alone. Since I vape mostly tobaccos I find that the jump start I get from heat allows me to skip the two week initial wait and then I just let my juice age naturally after that and I can appreciate the progression of it more. I cut 2 weeks to four hours... it works for me.
In a sense all I am doing is jump starting the process to vapeability and (initial) maturity of a juice. The low level of heat used is no threat to the juices quality or safety. The nic level isnt changed. No harm, no foul in my book.
Yeah, but it makes me feel like I'm doing something to help out.
The one case where you must shake it is a fresh mix that you aren't going to otherwise fiddle with. You want to make sure all the components are well-mixed in the bottle!
It's not really patience as much as having recipes worked out and mixing that far ahead.
I might have a caramel apple that I'll want to speed up. It's one I'd given up on and then MUCH later it tasted good. I've got a new batch going that I'm going to watch the time. If it goes over my usual 3 weeks I'll probably want to speed it up.
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