Steeping...What is the Purpose?

[Mohamed]

I'm new. Been reading through a few of these posts and a few have brought up steeping and shaking and length of time needed to steep.

From my understanding to steep you put in cool (non-warm) drawer. Shake once a day and repeat for a week or longer. I don't know for sure but it sounds like it 1.) either increases vapor production or 2.) increases flavor? Are either of these true or am I just not aware of what the term steeping refers to or what it is for?

Is it necessary to shake as mentioned in a few threads down or is it more the length of time it sits in cool dark drawer? Is it necessary to do this with all ejuice that I buy online?

It gets rather hot here in the summer. I usually don't check my mail but once a week. If ejuice sits in mail box for a week and it gets into the 80's and 90's does this ruin the juice?

Sorry if I got multiple questions in one post.

 

[WarHawk-AVG]

Same as letting a fine wine sit

It takes a bit of time for the chemicals to mix and the flavors to develop

Actually, a bit of heat helps the process along, TOO much heat could be a bad thing (cause the VG stuff to spoil) but you should be fine

 

[InTheShade]

Most say steeping, although it's been pointed out many times on the forum that it's probably more accurate to call it aging. It basically allows all the ingredients to mix together. It doesn't necessarily increase the flavor, but it almost always changes the flavor.

Don't worry about it too much, the main thing for me is leaving the caps off for the first 24 - 48 hours, then recapping and putting in my vape chest for a few days. Then try it, then see where to go from there.
Leaving the caps off helps evaporate any alcohol in the juice which can cause a specific perfume flavor.

Leaving in your mailbox is actually probably steeping it for you. I'm not sure if it is going to oxidize the nicotine and change the strength of it, maybe someone else can chip in about that aspect.

Just don't over think it, some people go to extremes with steeping, putting it in warm water, shaking it every hour, running it in a sonic cleaner - all these things just make it steep faster, eventually you can get the same effect just waiting a little longer.

As always, the test is in the taste. Some juices taste perfectly fine straight out of the mailbox, others do need a little time to age - but it's all about the taste.

 

[WarHawk-AVG]

Most say steeping, although it's been pointed out many times on the forum that it's probably more accurate to call it aging. It basically allows all the ingredients to mix together. It doesn't necessarily increase the flavor, but it almost always changes the flavor.

Don't worry about it too much, the main thing for me is leaving the caps off for the first 24 - 48 hours, then recapping and putting in my vape chest for a few days. Then try it, then see where to go from there.
Leaving the caps off helps evaporate any alcohol in the juice which can cause a specific perfume flavor.

Leaving in your mailbox is actually probably steeping it for you. I'm not sure if it is going to oxidize the nicotine and change the strength of it, maybe someone else can chip in about that aspect.

Just don't over think it, some people go to extremes with steeping, putting it in warm water, shaking it every hour, running it in a sonic cleaner - all these things just make it steep faster, eventually you can get the same effect just waiting a little longer.

As always, the test is in the taste. Some juices taste perfectly fine straight out of the mailbox, others do need a little time to age - but it's all about the taste.

and depending on the alcohol they used to thin the mix that icky "chemically/bubble gummy" taste

 

[VANA]

Steeping gives the combined flavors time to combine and create their identity, just like how chili is better the second day than it is the first but ejuice takes longer than a day a week- month

 

[docp1620]

For the stuff i diy here at home, I toss it into hot water for a few minutes, it helps the flavors to merge. That way it can be tasted to see if it's worth making a large batch. As the others have said it's better the next day or week.

 

[Rickajho]

Hi

All these liquids need mixing. Some of the most basic of it can be done just by some form of shaking or stirring when it's first made. After that, there's a bit of a chemical process that just takes time to complete which brings out flavor. That's what steeping is all about. Certainly won't hurt anything to vape a liquid right away.

Some of the pre-mixed stuff may have been made weeks before you even ordered it so with those - what you get is pretty much it. It's when you are getting liquids from a place that makes it one bottle at a time, as it's ordered, where you will notice the biggest difference steeping makes. Try it the day you get it, even three days later it might taste better/different... Stuff like that. Shaking helps accelerate the process a little, but unless you are really bent on hurrying things along just leaving it sit with an occasional shake works. (People who want to really hurry the process along invest in things like ultrasonic cleaners and pop the bottles in one of those.)

Me? I wouldn't leave liquids sitting in a mail box exposed to the sun for days on end. It's not good for much of anything I can think of. That's what USPS tracking is for! You're new - wait till you start launching into a flying tackle at the Postman when your vape mail shows up. lol

Welcome!

 

[InTheShade]

and depending on the alcohol they used to thin the mix that icky "chemically/bubble gummy" taste

Can you say Mount Baker Vapor?

I really like their juice and have ordered probably over $200 from them - but I almost always get that perfumey ick from them when they first arrive. Cap-off steeping really, really helps and turns the unvapable into a really good juice.

I still order from MBV too - not knocking them in the slightest, it's well known on the forum that they mix their juice fresh the day you order it and you just have to let it steep.

 

[mgravelle]

Steeping gives the combined flavors time to combine and create their identity, just like how chili is better the second day than it is the first but ejuice takes longer than a day a week- month

Spaghetti sauce too!

 

[XeniaMike]

I'm pretty new to steeping too, but I've found it's a taste thing. If it's chemical/perfume out of the box, I usually put it in the cabinet in the dark and check back in a week or so. Most times that makes them perfect, but some juices that were roadapples at first, stay roadapples.

 

[BillyRayBob]

Interesting stuff!

I have one juice that honestly tastes like someone unleashed a can of hairspray in my mouth. Not particularly pleasant.

I'll leave the cap off for a few days and see what happens . Thanks for the tips, and glad you asked the questions Mohamed!

 

[hickey]

If I tried my new e-liquid, but it needed to steep more, would it be OK to just leave it in the tank? Would it steep inside the tank?

 

[Struge Labs]

I have come to the understanding after tasting MBV liquids without steep most just dont taste right.. same with a lot of tobacco flavors. Some companies such as MMV sell presteeped e liquid.

 

[ut1205]

People have suggested one week to one month or longer. Is there a point in time where you can pretty much say "This is as good as it's going to get"?

 

[Daavy]

ive made a few batches of my own juice... right off, it just doesnt taste right.. given a few days, even with the cap on.. the flavor starts to improve.... but being the impatient person i am... i ordered a heated ultrasonic cleaner for $80... will be here tomorrow...

 

[peterforpats]

while I hate the idea of having to steep juices(we are not talking fine wine its just e-juice)I have to admit some juices do taste better after steeping. when I got the famed bobas bounty and first tried I thought "why is everyone excited about this?". so I put it aside and went on to order and try many other juices. just recently I pulled out the bobas again and this time it was a much better vape. I still don't see what all the fuss is about, but it has aged into a decent vape.
the best thing to do is try your juices when you get them- if they taste good then vape them. if you are indifferent to the taste than put them aside and come back to them at a later date. they just might taste better, but if they don't they will never get much better. the ones I love never last long enough for extended steeping- and what if they morphed into something I didn't like as much?

 

[90quattrocoupe]

I have a problem with Brick & Mortar shops and steeping. If you are going to be selling your juice over the counter, and for more money, I should not have to wait for it to steep. You should make it early enough that it is fully steeped when you sell it.

If you are a online juice company, then you should be telling your customers, that for the best flavor, you need to wait a few days, weeks, whatever. It would seem to be in their best interest. If I get a flavor I don't like, I am not going to wait for it to steep and try it again. If I don't like it, I won't buy it again.

Greg W.

 

[Daavy]

from what i've read... you have to give the molecules time to bond... this will happen naturally over a period of time... or you can try to accelerate the process.... by heating, shaking, airing with the cap off... this makes sense if you know a little about chemistry (or watched Breaking Bad enough )

 

[CarlosGraves]

I don't think it's totally necessary, however I usually let my new, liquidy clear juices sit with the cap off until they darken in color and thicken up a bit.

 

[tj99959]

Different juice formulas have different requirements. Some have a distinct perfume taste right out of the mailbox, put them in a dark place with the cap off for a couple of days and that bad taste will be gone. Other's will have a weak or no taste until they have sat around for a while. There is no set answer, but after a while you will get to know what a juice will need before it will be at it's best.

I DiY a Mango flavor for instance that right after I mix it, I would just as soon try to vape a glass of water. After setting around for a few weeks it's the nectar of the Gods. Knowing that, I always mix a bottle ahead so it can sit & steep..