Steeping is overrated

[DC2]

I threw out way too many juices when I first started vaping, because nobody knew about steeping way back then.
I wish I had some of those back so I could try them again.

Now I won't even taste a new juice until it has sat for two weeks.

 

[Spanner]

Think of steeping as the same as making a big pot of stew or chili. It's ok the first time but when the flavors have a chance to blend together then they are wonderful. Let em sit and blend together for a while.

My sentiments exactly!

There are some sites that specifically state that you should or must step the blends.

From a non-forum supplier's website that I purchase blends from frequently:
Larger Bottles need shaking! larger bottles do not have a lot of extra room for mixing in the bottle as our other sizes do. They do require extra shaking and extra time to steep. With 100% VG E-Liquid, they are very thick and will mix slowly when shook.)

You can "speed up" the stepping process. Seal the bottle tightly and air free in a zip lock bag, then seal it in another (tightly sealed and air free also). If they are not sealed completely the ink on the label might bleed, making it unreadable. Place the bottle in hot tap water for 10-15 minutes. This will allow for better mixing when shaking. This process can be repeated as much as needed to completely blend your e-liquid.

When a mixologist makes special blends on a per order basis, I have found that when I go to vape the liquid it is very bland and some are even tasteless. By letting a blend step for at least 1 week, I can go back to the blend and begin to enjoy the flavor that it is intended to be.

My rule of thumb from this vendor is: STEP FOR 4 WEEKS!! I get the most flavor from this vendor when I order it, put it in the pantry and let it step for 4 weeks. Every day to every other day, I open it up and shake the bottles vigorously.

You have to remember the flavor compounds are not always pure flavors from the original source. Many of them are polyethers (chemicals) that resemble an original flavor.

For more information on flavors ands artifical flavor compounds, there's a PDF document from the University Of Ohio. You don't have to study the entire document, but by looking at the table of contents, I hope you'll appreciate the complexity of creating compound flavors.

Enjoy!

 

[djdegen]

i'm too lazy to steep i always just use my juices right away, there's only one vendor that i've used that i didn't like so far, i might try to steep theirs i guess

 

[Chefbrent]

I guess I'm lucky I found a good juice maker. I've never have to steep their juice. IF I have to steep the juice, I don't want it. Good juice does not need steeping. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[fooey]

i never steep. if the flavor is too perfumy i won't use it, i know steeping won't fix it for me

 

[Kable]

I guess I'm lucky I found a good juice maker. I've never have to steep their juice. IF I have to steep the juice, I don't want it. Good juice does not need steeping. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

To each his own, I suppose. It just seems like a sure way to miss out on experiencing some great flavors.

 

[kiwivap]

Well steeping has definitely worked with some juices for me. I got some juices and couldn't stand them - they all had the same perfumy flavor running through them. 3 weeks later I really liked them - I steeped them with the caps off for the first two days then let them sit.
Some juices do need longer than others. One vendor I order from sends a sheet with the juices and recommended steeping times for each juice. Some are recommended for immediate use, and some to be steeped.

So I have liked a juice after steeping that I didn't like before. I've also found some juices that I liked got better after steeping. And some juices it made no difference.

 

[Chefbrent]

Ha kiwivap. My mom is from Greymouth. Hope all is good in the NZ. AND, Go All Blacks

 

[kiwivap]

Thanks Chefbrent. The All Blacks reign.

 

[Gloria]

Has anyone liked a flavor right off the bat, and then not liked it after letting it steep?

Actually I have had that happen....where a juice initially tasted OK or even good and then either degraded or a flavor in it became overpowering to the point of not liking it anymore.

Normally it's the opposite though. The most eye opening experience for me was a bottle of Espresso from BWB that was "meh" to me even after a couple of weeks of steeping. Found it in a drawer months later and decided to try it. Wow! So good I ended up ordering another bottle. I'm still waiting for that new bottle to "ripen".

The effects of steeping are particularly noticeable with DIY juices since they are being tested from the moment of creation. Time definitely affects the taste of most of the juices that I make.

I think it's also true that our tastes change over time. Especially within the first year of quitting smoking. What appealed to me 1 or 2 or 6 months ago may be unappealing now, and vice versa.

 

[Baditude]

Has anyone liked a flavor right off the bat, and then not liked it after letting it steep?

Actually I have had that happen....where a juice initially tasted OK or even good and then either degraded or a flavor in it became overpowering to the point of not liking it anymore.

Normally it's the opposite though. The most eye opening experience for me was a bottle of Espresso from BWB that was "meh" to me even after a couple of weeks of steeping. Found it in a drawer months later and decided to try it. Wow! So good I ended up ordering another bottle. I'm still waiting for that new bottle to "ripen".

The effects of steeping are particularly noticeable with DIY juices since they are being tested from the moment of creation. Time definitely affects the taste of most of the juices that I make.

I think it's also true that our tastes change over time. Especially within the first year of quitting smoking. What appealed to me 1 or 2 or 6 months ago may be unappealing now, and vice versa.

This happened to one of my favorite flavors. Papaya fruit juice is my favorite juice drink, and I was excited to find an e-juice flavor that tasted remarkably like the drink. However, after consuming half of the bottle, the flavor suddenly disappeared from the juice. I had already ordered another bottle of the juice believing that I had found a favorite worth reordering; sadly the new bottle also appeared tasteless to me. So, I think I can not blame the juice, but somehow my "taste" for the flavor somehow changed.