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I Haven't run into a Flavoring yet that some amount of Steeping wasn't necessary.
It give it a Taste Test right after you Mix it. Then sick it in a Cool, Dark Place and pull it out in 3 or 4 Days. Then Taste Test it again.
Just so you are aware, steeping is not a requirement, any e-liquid can be vaped right after it is made. However, steeping can improve the flavor.
Thanks, zoiD. 3 or 4 days I can live with. Looking forward to it!
You might try doing a "quick but dirty" heat steep for say a half hour in warm, but not boiling water. I'd only do it in the amount that you need to vape for say a week. Stirring/shaking helps speed the process too. With that said, the best steeping method (IMO) is time. A single flavor will still change slightly. With that also said, you may find after steeping that your mix may benefit from additional additives/flavoring, even if it is just say, a tiny amount of "milk" flavor (I am vaping coco milk right now, was not expecting to like it but I do) or sweetener, or a hint of nutmeg or whatevs.
So yes, you can shake and vape some of it, with the understanding that time, possibly additional flavorings (although not always, especially if you got a "one shot" flavoring that is designed to be used on its own) may eventually improve your recipe. Keep notes of everything so when you get what you like, you can duplicate it..
Good luck!
Anna
So yes, you can shake and vape some of it, with the understanding that time, possibly additional flavorings (although not always, especially if you got a "one shot" flavoring that is designed to be used on its own) may eventually improve your recipe. Keep notes of everything so when you get what you like, you can duplicate it..
Good luck!
Anna
It Might Taste a Tad better if it is left to sit Longer. But then again, it Might Not.
The Key is that Most Flavors are going to do some Change. Many don't change all that much after 3 or 4 Days. So for a New Recipe, even a Single Flavor recipe, it's hard to tell if things are Right when you First Mix it.
And if you Add/Subtract Flavoring because you think it is Too Weak or Too Strong, but then it changes 3 or 4 Days latter, you can end up Chasing your Tail trying to get it right.
Just like if you Don't Taste a New Recipe. How can you tell How Much it has changed after 3 or 4 days? Or a Month for that matter? It might not be Changing much from Day 4 to Day 30. So No Need to let it sit until March.
Thanks for the replies. Very helpful.
Just made my 1st batch. Letting it sit for a couple of hours before I try a little. Then I'll let it sit for a few days. One thing I notice is that, although I used the amounts from the DIY calculator for 10 ML, there seems to be much more than that in the bottle (maybe closer to 20). Maybe I'm seeing more than what's there.
Last question (hopefully)-Someone mentioned FLA UP or something. Where do I get that??
Thanks again.
Just made my 1st batch. Letting it sit for a couple of hours before I try a little. Then I'll let it sit for a few days. One thing I notice is that, although I used the amounts from the DIY calculator for 10 ML, there seems to be much more than that in the bottle (maybe closer to 20). Maybe I'm seeing more than what's there.
Last question (hopefully)-Someone mentioned FLA UP or something. Where do I get that??
Thanks again.
Anything can be vaper immediately, but the flavor completely mixing with the PG, VG, Nic is needed. As a minimum, shake real well.
As I have continued along my DIY journey; I have found that I like to taste (vape) frequently. It is the only "real" feedback I can get, for what my mix is doing. Once I have an established recipe; I can skip intermittent tasting. But, when it is a new mix/recipe (to me at least) I taste daily for the first 3-4 days, and weekly there after. I also make a point to write down notes of each tasting.(This helps me understand how much/little I am perceiving change.)
I have spent years following generally accepted aging practices; only to find they don't agree with what my taste buds perceive.
You can find that here: Bull City Flavors - FA-Up
HeadInClouds (HIC; a connoisseur of FA flavors) describes it as follows:
FA Up (flavor blend)
This is a unique, dessert-like coffee flavor. I think of it as sweeter, creamier, smoother,
but boozy Tiramisu (see flavor notes on that flavoring). The major flavors are sweet,
strong coffee, vanilla cream, dark chocolate, and fruity brandy. As a mix (standalone or
in a recipe) ages, cake-like bakery flavor develops. Up is not as concentrated as
Tiramisu, so 2-3% standalone is not too much. FA’s flavor blends are meant to be tasty
as standalone flavors; this one sure is!
(Source)
I have not used FA-Up; so I can not speak to the description. But, HIC has hit pretty spot on, for most other FA flavors I have tried (for my taste buds anyway).
Good question!
Though the "usual" 20 drops/mL, as well as failing to assign other than 1.00mg/mL (yep; I've done that one) when using weight, have always left me short, I would be curious as to what might leave a person over (too much).
Good question!
Though the "usual" 20 drops/mL, as well as failing to assign other than 1.00mg/mL (yep; I've done that one) when using weight, have always left me short, I would be curious as to what might leave a person over (too much).
Depending on dropper used, VG can be as little as 12 drops per ml.
Okay; I just learned something!
I
this place! Anybody that says life is dull; just ain't listening!Thanks AP!!
Oh boy, you opened Pandora´s Box again Steeping vs. not steeping is an all time classic in the vaping community I guess!
So here´s my take on it, based on my 1 year DIY experience: I did NOT have any significant change in taste through steeping (talking about several weeks), neither with my NET tobacco juices nor with my fruity juices. In the meantime I really "dirty mix" all my juices: take a 100 ml bottle, use syringes to put in the right ml amounts of the concentrates or drop in some addons like sweetener or peppermint, then pour 20 ml of base (50/50, I always keep it at room temperature) in and close and shake very well for 30 seconds. Then add base until 100 ml bottle is nearly full and shake again furiously for 1-2 minutes. Then I´m ready to go/vape.
It´s important to me that base and extracts are at room temperature to mix well, but I´ve never heated any mixture. I also shake my 100 ml "to go" bottle everytime before I refill.
Also keep in mind that vape taste is HIGHLY depending on the status of your mouth flora and mouth/nose mucosa... what you ate or drank before, if your mouth is dry ... and so on. So tasting now and compairing the taste of the same juice after 4 weeks of waiting it to steep might not be a good idea, what you´d need to do is taste both (one steeped and one freshly made batch of the EXACT same mixture) at the same time, under the same conditions.
K.
Steeping vs. not steeping is an all time classic in the vaping community I guess!So here´s my take on it, based on my 1 year DIY experience: I did NOT have any significant change in taste through steeping (talking about several weeks), neither with my NET tobacco juices nor with my fruity juices. In the meantime I really "dirty mix" all my juices: take a 100 ml bottle, use syringes to put in the right ml amounts of the concentrates or drop in some addons like sweetener or peppermint, then pour 20 ml of base (50/50, I always keep it at room temperature) in and close and shake very well for 30 seconds. Then add base until 100 ml bottle is nearly full and shake again furiously for 1-2 minutes. Then I´m ready to go/vape.
It´s important to me that base and extracts are at room temperature to mix well, but I´ve never heated any mixture. I also shake my 100 ml "to go" bottle everytime before I refill.
Also keep in mind that vape taste is HIGHLY depending on the status of your mouth flora and mouth/nose mucosa... what you ate or drank before, if your mouth is dry ... and so on. So tasting now and compairing the taste of the same juice after 4 weeks of waiting it to steep might not be a good idea, what you´d need to do is taste both (one steeped and one freshly made batch of the EXACT same mixture) at the same time, under the same conditions.
K.
@Kusie,
what... why... your definition of "dirty?"
Why more (only?) emphasis on temperature, verses accuracy/precision/reputability of measurement (volume/weight)?
What happens to your e-liquid's taste when it has parked on a shelf for a week (perhaps a a different temperature)?
I am not arguing the point; I have just never experienced it. I would be interested in further clarification.
what... why... your definition of "dirty?"
Why more (only?) emphasis on temperature, verses accuracy/precision/reputability of measurement (volume/weight)?
What happens to your e-liquid's taste when it has parked on a shelf for a week (perhaps a a different temperature)?
I am not arguing the point; I have just never experienced it. I would be interested in further clarification.
Hey,
with "dirty" I meant I simply mix all the ingredients directly in the liquid bottle, shake and go. No fancy mixing equipment, no heating and stirring of juice, no steeping. This does not mean I use "dirty" equipment or methods, no, I´m very careful to make my juice precisely the same amounts of extracts every time, that´s why I use syringes to exactly measure my aroma extracts. I love to do it the practical way.
What happens to my e-liquid's taste when it has parked on a shelf for a week? Not much, as I said to me it doesn´t make a difference in taste, at least with the stuff I mix.
K.
with "dirty" I meant I simply mix all the ingredients directly in the liquid bottle, shake and go. No fancy mixing equipment, no heating and stirring of juice, no steeping. This does not mean I use "dirty" equipment or methods, no, I´m very careful to make my juice precisely the same amounts of extracts every time, that´s why I use syringes to exactly measure my aroma extracts. I love to do it the practical way.
What happens to my e-liquid's taste when it has parked on a shelf for a week? Not much, as I said to me it doesn´t make a difference in taste, at least with the stuff I mix.
K.
I'm not sure I am getting the "dirty" aspect of it. I too mix in the final container, shake, then vape. Some recipes benefit from some additional aging (shelf time) while others do not.
Fair enough. Me too. Any of my attempts at rushing aging have always had a cost (loss of depth, dimension, or taste).
I did not mean to infer you were using contaminated ingredients, or equipment. I did not know if you were referring to "eyeball" estimating, or in-tank mixing, but that is why I asked for clarification.
I asked about temperature because you seemed to emphasize this in your previous post.
You can test it along the way but when in doubt and if your well stocked, I just leave everything alone (natural steep/aging with 2-3 shakes/wk) for 4 weeks regardless. Of course you have the choice of vaping it sooner or at 20 days, but I would put a little aside and try it after a month.
I suggest frequent tasting (for "new" recipes); only because I have found a few that have a best "use by/before" date. This helps me from mixing too much of a given recipe.
If I had let my lemon recipes go for 28 days; I never would have had a single one that pleased me (lemons tend to fade fast). If I had followed the "all tobacco flavors need 1 month (or more)" common rule of thumb; I never would have found out I like Am4a best at 3 days to 14 days maximum. Yes, it continues to change, but I don't personally care for the later iterations. I never would have known if I hadn't been tasting along the way. This can save wasted (inferior) e-liquid/ingredients.
@BrotherBob offesr good advice, to mix enough quantity to last for at least a month, but I might suggest more frequent tasting. I am not "wrong," nor is he; it is about what finding what works best for you. Bob's method works for Bob; and my method works for me. Now go find what works for you!
Once you go through the tasting process, you can easily benchmark future similar recipes, but don't shortchange potential outcomes to "one-size-fits-all" aging practices. You might miss out on something special.
If I had let my lemon recipes go for 28 days; I never would have had a single one that pleased me (lemons tend to fade fast). If I had followed the "all tobacco flavors need 1 month (or more)" common rule of thumb; I never would have found out I like Am4a best at 3 days to 14 days maximum. Yes, it continues to change, but I don't personally care for the later iterations. I never would have known if I hadn't been tasting along the way. This can save wasted (inferior) e-liquid/ingredients.
@BrotherBob offesr good advice, to mix enough quantity to last for at least a month, but I might suggest more frequent tasting. I am not "wrong," nor is he; it is about what finding what works best for you. Bob's method works for Bob; and my method works for me. Now go find what works for you!
Once you go through the tasting process, you can easily benchmark future similar recipes, but don't shortchange potential outcomes to "one-size-fits-all" aging practices. You might miss out on something special.
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