Steeping a recipe's ingredients separately

[Todd Geer]

I decided to try to separate my ingredients into two bottles for separate steeping. One was the creams/custards, one was everything else.

Ever heard of doing this? I know they all end up in the same place in the end, but maybe?

I've heard of making a large amount of a base then pulling out 30-ish and adding individual flavors to that batch. And I heard it's supposed to speed up that small batch's steep time.

Not to say that I don't agree with spending the time steeping for 2 weeks, but it makes for a much longer cycle in creating the perfect flavor. Even if I do have like 20 going at any one time.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Steeping is a misnomer in that it is a word that is not used via its traditional definition. What we, DIYers, are really doing is sitting the entire juice mix, all in the same bottle, in a dark cool place to let the PG, VG, Nic, and flavorings just slowly mix together. Some recipes call for a longer "steep" while others are shorter. I make mine in a slightly larger bottle than needed so I can shake easier. That can help a little. Just sitting and chillin', new juices like that.

 

[bacc.vap]

I thought the purpose of steeping was to give all the flavors time to meld together. That won't happen if you keep them apart. That's not to say you won't like the flavor right after you do mix everything together, but it will change afterwards.

 

[Todd Geer]

That's what I figure too, I just know there's more chemistry involved here than carbon based flavor so there's got to be a component of the mixing/steeping that takes into consideration the molecular level.

Like when I add a nice Cucumber to my Lime, it's delish and refreshing. I add Cucumber to something else, like a floral, and it clobbers the flavors. That wouldn't happen with food...

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Doing DIY is like being a chef. We have flavorings, but how much of each do we put in a recipe so that it "melds" together into the result that we want. Each of us has different taste buds. I have never found a recipe that I did not change it.

 

[madstabber]

I keep my ingredients separate but in the same bottle. Like in this pic
The green line on the bottle is just a reference for me so I know how much to add. No but seriously I made my juice and didn’t shake the bottle. The gold ducat was in already when I added my nic base to fill the bottle and it rose to the top. The dark stuff is the ducat. I thought that was cool so I left it to see if it would mix with the rest and to my surprise it didn’t. I waited over 24hours and it didn’t change so I shook the bottle to combine everything. I don’t usually do this but I was surprised that without shaking it wouldn’t mix at all. That’s all I got, doesn’t mean anything I just found it interesting. So if you want to steep separate, which I don’t recommend, just don’t shake the bottle.

 

[Letitia]

If you are using a cream with a flavor that fades (like lemon) keep the cream base steeped and add other flavors about 3-7 days before using. Some that have a standard cream/custard they use with fruits will mix up a liter of cream base and pull off 30-60ml and add their fruits. Works well with VBIC as well.

 

[Todd Geer]

If you are using a cream with a flavor that fades (like lemon) keep the cream base steeped and add other flavors about 3-7 days before using. Some that have a standard cream/custard they use with fruits will mix up a liter of cream base and pull off 30-60ml and add their fruits. Works well with VBIC as well.

Signed the petition.

 

[Todd Geer]

So how in the world is this being done?

A splooge of this, a squirt of that, and voila? Ready to vape? The flavors are obviously diluted, i.e. mixed, because of the amount she puts in out of the coffee-flavoring-sized bottle and nozzle. I could almost see it if it was just a couple simple fruits but she adds Cheesecake and Whipped Cream. If there's nothing to separate "steeping," how could this possibly work and taste right?

And this one too: Same people, same "bar," but again, "steep-needed" flavors just plopped into a bottle.

Watching these threw me for a loop!

 

[Todd Geer]

Steeping is a misnomer in that it is a word that is not used via its traditional definition. What we, DIYers, are really doing is sitting the entire juice mix, all in the same bottle, in a dark cool place to let the PG, VG, Nic, and flavorings just slowly mix together. Some recipes call for a longer "steep" while others are shorter. I make mine in a slightly larger bottle than needed so I can shake easier. That can help a little. Just sitting and chillin', new juices like that.

I wish we all had an agreed-to term instead of "steeping." And I'm getting tired of putting it in quotes

Aging? Infusing? Setting? Sitting?

I'm thinking "Bonding."
bond (noun) American English definition and synonyms | Macmillan Dictionary

Or "Nexus," but it's a noun. Nexusize? Nexusate?
the definition of nexus

 

[Frenchfry1942]

It doesn't work. Vape shops have high overhead costs so they hire the cheapest labor possible.


Edit: melding is accurate, but steeping is just used.

 

[IDJoel]

I wish we all had an agreed-to term instead of "steeping." And I'm getting tired of putting it in quotes

That's an easy one; don't use it! I have personally been boycotting the term for a while now. "Age," or "mature," works just fine for me.

As for your question about aging ingredients separately... you want more homework? You could set up the same "known" long-age recipe, several different ways, and let them all mature simultaneously. That will give you an idea of what works with just one aging cycle. (See; I didn't use the "S" word once!)

 

[Todd Geer]

True dat, I cringe when I say it and have to use quotes if I feel like using my pinky finger at the moment.

I've seen a video on that. Some British guy did 5 different bonding (my new term) techniques and the time method worked best.

But what gets me is the "proprietary steeping techniques" that some videos put out by the big houses mention, albeit briefly. "Can't show you everything...," "proprietary processes..." What, measuring? No. PG/VG blend? No. Filling machines? No. Exactly which flavors? Well, yea, but you wouldn't be able to see that unless they've got the ingredients laid out with the percentages, and cameras way too close. It's gotta be the bonding process they're so careful about.

Pressure cooker. Aerateing it with Nitrous or O3 or CO2. Something. They're doing something...

Yea, like I'm a chemist...

 

[Letitia]

Patience is your best friend imo for steeping.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Hey!, Hey!, She said the "S" word!


I just got two one-quart brown bottles in my mail. I am going to use them for base mixing. I'll keep shaking them periodically, but they will steep until I make juices again.

 

[stols001]

It's fine to mix bases separately, but the aging process really just begins when you add the flavoring. I guess you could mix all the flavors together in a recipe and let them meld, or whatever. I don't see that it could hurt, other than the possibility of "muddying" a flavor mix if it sits a long time with just flavors, but I really wouldn't know. I do all my steeping at once, at one time, I let them sit about a month, shaking every now and then... It's just the simplest method for me.

Anna

 

[gpjoe]

So how in the world is this being done?

A splooge of this, a squirt of that, and voila? Ready to vape? The flavors are obviously diluted, i.e. mixed, because of the amount she puts in out of the coffee-flavoring-sized bottle and nozzle. I could almost see it if it was just a couple simple fruits but she adds Cheesecake and Whipped Cream. If there's nothing to separate "steeping," how could this possibly work and taste right?

And this one too: Same people, same "bar," but again, "steep-needed" flavors just plopped into a bottle.

Watching these threw me for a loop!

Well, the biggest problem here is consistency. Without measuring a bit more precisely it is impossible to mix the same exact flavor recipe every time.

As for just plopping the flavors into the bottle and immediately vaping - it is done all the time. It's called a shake-n-vape. While a lot of recipes will change with aging, many are vapeable (and delicious) immediately.

 

[Todd Geer]

Well, the biggest problem here is consistency. Without measuring a bit more precisely it is impossible to mix the same exact flavor recipe every time.

As for just plopping the flavors into the bottle and immediately vaping - it is done all the time. It's called a shake-n-vape. While a lot of recipes will change with aging, many are vapeable (and delicious) immediately.

True, true, definitely the case with some recipes. But these had creams and I rarely find that I can S&V a cream or even vanilla.

But another ??? is how are they able to do this legally? Aren't they breaking FDA laws? Registering the ingredients, cleanroom?

 

[gpjoe]

Not that I am aware of, at least not yet.

There's a chain of smoke shops here (Wild Bill's) that sells a lot of vape equipment and juice. One of their juice lines is Mister-E Liquid. They mix it up on demand, to the nic strength of your choosing.

Basically, they have premixed flavor-shots (all of the flavors mixed in advance for, say apple strudel) and the just measure the flavor component with syringes add the nic base, and shake.

Now, that may become a thing of the past once the FDA is through with us, but seems legal for right now.

 

[gpjoe]

True dat, I cringe when I say it and have to use quotes if I feel like using my pinky finger at the moment.

I've seen a video on that. Some British guy did 5 different bonding (my new term) techniques and the time method worked best.

But what gets me is the "proprietary steeping techniques" that some videos put out by the big houses mention, albeit briefly. "Can't show you everything...," "proprietary processes..." What, measuring? No. PG/VG blend? No. Filling machines? No. Exactly which flavors? Well, yea, but you wouldn't be able to see that unless they've got the ingredients laid out with the percentages, and cameras way too close. It's gotta be the bonding process they're so careful about.

Pressure cooker. Aerateing it with Nitrous or O3 or CO2. Something. They're doing something...

Yea, like I'm a chemist...

Kinda OT, but:

I am SO happy to be making my own juice finally. It's economical and fun, and instead of yearning for every new mod and RDA that comes out, I now look at new recipes and buy flavors.

Point is, regardless of the magical "proprietary steeping process", I am more concerned about the condition of the various "labs" where the juice is made. I would venture to say that some are still made in basements and garages. In fact, I was astounded to see a video of Clark (Nicoticket) kicking around an uncovered bucket of his grandma's secret vanilla extract with a bare foot on the shop floor.

And this is (was?) a guy that many respected and trusted.

Yikes.