Steeping and what I've encountered

[Cocoa-nut]

Hi y'all,

So I've been vaping for bout a month or so now and I'd just like to share about the difference steeping made to my favorite juice.

I used to smoke bout 1 to 1.5 packs a day for the last 10 or so years. After I started vaping, I've consumed a total of 5 analogs since. As you can tell, that's a massive difference. Anyhoo, it's been the last 2 weeks or so I could actually start tasting my ejuice for real.

I'm down to the last dregs of my all-day juice 'dulce de leche' a kinda chocolatey-milky-caramely blend. So I ordered another 2 x 30mls and when they arrived, I was shocked to see the difference in the colors. The juice left in the original bottle is now a clear light-brownish, while the juices in the new bottles were a pale yellow. Difference between the taste?

The original juice is now a well-rounded dark chocolate with a hint of burnt caramel on the exhalation. Beautiful juice.
The new juices are harsh and has this really 'perfumey' taste to it.

So I was trying to figure out what the hell happened in between here when I found out about 'steeping'

While this might be old news to veteran vapers, it really blew my mind when I found out that juices actually could change in flavor!
Couldn't find a real good guide to steeping on the forum, so I thought I'd put up the few bits of information i found.

Here's the current method I'm trying to steep my juice.
How to steep juice for best flavor

Lots of weird controversy surrounding steeping though.
Even the guy i bought my juice from thinks I'm nuts for leaving his juice un-capped for a day.
So anyone out there got a good guide to steeping?

 

[eagarcia123]

to be honest, ive never steeped my juices. way too impatient. once it comes through the mail, its going in my tank

 

[Cocoa-nut]

Yea. I totally get that feeling. The first time I ordered a bunch of juices, (9 different flavors), I actually tried them all..
In a stardust tank at that. You wouldn't believe the washing I had to go through..

But if I could get this flavor right, I'm gonna be a very happy camper.

 

[Hulamoon]

Steeping - really important for some juices. If you want the steeping process to go a little faster leave the bottle uncapped for the night. Shake the juice then pour some into a real small (3 ml "sampler size" bottle). You can put the small(capped) bottle into some hot (not boiling of course) water for awhile and it should help the maturing of the flavor. It can still take a few days, but some juices are really really worth it. Otherwise the flavors can seem too mild or too "perfumey". If you do find juices like that direct from the vendor, then just put the bottle away and try it again 3 weeks later, don't toss it down the sink immediately as a bad buy!

 

[RPadTV]

Here's the current method I'm trying to steep my juice.

Lots of weird controversy surrounding steeping though.
Even the guy i bought my juice from thinks I'm nuts for leaving his juice un-capped for a day.
So anyone out there got a good guide to steeping?

It varies from juice to juice. There are so many variables: PG/VG mix, flavoring ingredients, naturally-extracted tobacco flavoring, alcohol content, etc. It also depends on your personal preference too. What tastes good for one person might not taste good to another.

In general I steep for 2 days uncapped and at least an additional 12 days capped. That said, I'm always looking for recommendations for particular juices. For example, many people have recommended longer steeping times for juices with naturally-extracted tobacco flavoring and I've found that advice to be spot-on.

Part of the fun is experimenting and finding what's right for you!

 

[Cocoa-nut]

Thanks for the help guys! I'm gonna go try what hulamoon suggested. I've heard of the hot water method, but was always too lazy!
Desperation to get this juice where it could be is a great motivator I gotta say!

Any tips on how long it should be in the hot water for?

 

[Hulamoon]

I'll be honest, if I have a juice I really want to try, I put it in a clearo, give it a couple of inhales, and heat it up a bit that way then leave it for a night or so. I guess with the hot water, leave it till the water's not hot anymore. Meanwhile split that juice up into little bottles as for some reason it does steep faster (make sure you give your master bottle a good shake first though). Good luck!

Thanks for the help guys! I'm gonna go try what hulamoon suggested. I've heard of the hot water method, but was always too lazy!
Desperation to get this juice where it could be is a great motivator I gotta say!

Any tips on how long it should be in the hot water for?

 

[Cocoa-nut]

Woot! Amazing! I managed to get my juice tasting the way i wanted it to!
I had 2 bottles of the 30ml, so I left one with the cap off for a night in my office drawer.
The other bottle, I brought it home and tried the hot water method as suggested by hulamoon.

First and second tries tasted better, but not really there.
So I tried it again with the bottle I left in the office.

Got it right! I was so happy I actually wrote it down!

 

[recidivus]

Tobacco juices tend to need steeping, some DIYers let theirs steep for up to a month to really shine. My chocolate mix was "meh" to start but in the past 2 weeks has really rounded out. Fruits, I find, don't need it nearly as much, some are great right from the start.

Just remember, a lot of vendors mix your flavour when you order, so will be arriving to you with little to no steeping at all. Plan ahead and buy juice with steeping in mind, it generally doesn't hurt a flavour to let it sit.

Hot water method: Hot tap water into a sink/large pot. Put bottle in ziploc and put the works in the water. Shake every 30-60 minutes until water is room temp. It helps, but it isn't as effective as a nice long "shelf steep".

 

[Cindylu]

Interesting post! I'm very fortunate to live near the maker of Sycodrops. I went there last week to get more Motor City Lemonade and Lusty Lime. She was out of the Lemonade so she made me up a 30ml and handed me a worm bottle. Said to shake it a few more times and not to use it till the next day.
The next day I filled my new clearo, hit it a few times and it didn't taste the same. I set it aside and planned on returning it. After a few days I grabbed it with the Lemonade drops to return and, I guess out of habit, vaped it and was blown away by the wonderfully familiar flavor.
Since I've only been vaping a little over 3 weeks now, I thought my taste buds were wacked or I was loosing my mind!
Thanks so much for this post! I've not heard of steeping but will pass it along.

 

[iquittedithink]

Woot! Amazing! I managed to get my juice tasting the way i wanted it to!
I had 2 bottles of the 30ml, so I left one with the cap off for a night in my office drawer.
The other bottle, I brought it home and tried the hot water method as suggested by hulamoon.

First and second tries tasted better, but not really there.
So I tried it again with the bottle I left in the office.

Got it right! I was so happy I actually wrote it down!

--
So you did the hot-water soak 2x? Can you share exactly what method(s) seemed to work?
Also, I'm curious to know how close the end result was compared to the original (time-steeped) bottle?

Thanks!

 

[tater_salad]

Time will def make a difference in flavor.. My experience is that fresh juice (Made to order) gets better with age.. except for 1 of my several I've had.

As for paitence, Right now I have 3 juices in my rotation (take to work box) and have a few that are in the mail. I plan on letting those sit while I vape through my current 3 flavors.

 

[opal]

*goes to open all her bottles now*

I'm new at this

wait.. except the one that I love the way it is.. buttermint. Part butterscotch and part wintermint mixed at the B%M store in Destin - that one was awesome from jumpstart - almost gone now too.

 

[Koman]

Time will def make a difference in flavor.. My experience is that fresh juice (Made to order) gets better with age.. except for 1 of my several I've had.

As for paitence, Right now I have 3 juices in my rotation (take to work box) and have a few that are in the mail. I plan on letting those sit while I vape through my current 3 flavors.

Yes, I think it should make a difference.

 

[klynnn]

When I steep juices I just microwave a bit of water in a cup till hot, not boiling and set the bottles in there leaving the tops off til they cool. You won't need much water to cover the sides of the bottles without overflowing.

 

[media]

Steeping - really important for some juices. If you want the steeping process to go a little faster leave the bottle uncapped for the night. Shake the juice then pour some into a real small (3 ml "sampler size" bottle). You can put the small(capped) bottle into some hot (not boiling of course) water for awhile and it should help the maturing of the flavor. It can still take a few days, but some juices are really really worth it. Otherwise the flavors can seem too mild or too "perfumey". If you do find juices like that direct from the vendor, then just put the bottle away and try it again 3 weeks later, don't toss it down the sink immediately as a bad buy!

I bought two 30ml flavors from vixen vapor I'm hoping this works for. Cranberry Honey Cake and Mahalo Mama. Both taste like vaping a glade plug in air freshener.

 

[opal]

can a juice be over steeped?

 

[enoryt]

I have monkey creme, anyone have experience with steeping this particular juice?

 

[Gypzy.Mama]

I ordered 10 10mL bottles and when they arrived, they ALL had a very harsh soapy perfume flavor to them. For me, unvapable out of the mail. I've been doing the hot water steep a couple times a day all week and then let them steep all day Sunday in hot tap water, shaking whenever I remembered. That chocolate cream that tasted like chocolate scented perfume? DELICIOUS today. Actually they all smell pretty good now. No more of that funky perfumy odor to them. We'll see how the rest taste in a couple of days when I get my new nova heads in.

 

[klynnn]

I don't think you can over steep but it really isn't necessary to do it more than a few times.