The Accidental DIY'er: Menthol?

[Ciego]

Okay, here's the deal.

I cannot be a DIY'er, because I cannot see. This means that I cannot accurately measure. Bad things could and would, happen.

That being said, I can't help myself from doing a couple DIY-ish things. Like, I will mix compatible flavors of e-juice together in the same bottle. You know, a bit of Hilton gets mixed with a bit of RY4, just to see how it vapes and tastes.

Recently I acquired 2 oz. of menthol crystals. I put just a bit (about six good crystals) into a 30 ml. bottle half full of HC Hilton 18 mg.

Will this work? The bottle is now in a cool, dark place. Should I have tried to dissolve the menthol in PGA or another solvent first? Will the PG in the Hilton take care of dissolving the menthol?

Thanks for any advice. I also have another question about cutting nicotine level, which I will post as a separate thread. TIA

 

[addisdaddy07]

The crystals dissolve better (faster) when you crush them first in my experience. If you are having a problem getting them to dissolve, heat some water and swirl the bottle around for a bit in it, that will help accelerate the dissolving. Other than that, you should have no problem and have a menthol taste, although six is a lot if they are good sized for 15 ml.

 

[YKruss]

Yes, same opinion here - 6 might be to much for 15 ml.
Next time try to add crystalls one at a time.

 

[Hoosier]

Um, I'll hazard a guess here since I have not done this.

Your bottle will be very menthol-y!

Even if those 6 crystals don't mix, what does mix naturally will be more than enough to give it a jolt.

When I started DIY I mixed some crushed menthol into PGA and made a 30ml bottle. I'm still using that same bottle these many month later. Just one drop will give a kick. 20 drops in a 30ml bottle will numb the mouth.

So, unless you are menthol resistant, I would suggest you give what you've created a try before you add heat or anything else to mix the menthol in better.

 

[JonnyVapΣ]

I use menthol crystals in most of my juices. Love that extra kick. I simply warm the bottles in hot water for a bit. They dissolve nicely. *OR* I'll just plunk some crystals in a bottle and let them slowly dissolve so that throughout the day the juice 'evolves'....LOL

 

[Ciego]

Thanks everybody for the great advice.

To clarify: Yes, I used 6 crystals, but they were all small (less than the size of a grain of Minute Rice, as example). The bottle has been steeping in a mostly uninsulated closet, totally dark and around 48 degrees F. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen slowly.

Also, I retained a little more than 12 ml. of the Hilton juice, so I can cut the mentholated mixture if need be. Oh, and I also have both PG and VG if even further cutting is necessary. I'm not worried.

I intend to try a sample this coming weekend; this will give the brew 4-1/2 full days to steep before any gets dripped onto my atty.

I'll come back here and post my findings. Fingers crossed.

 

[Ciego]

Update: I filled a fresh carto this morning with my menthol mixture. It is moderately strong, but not mouth numbing. In fact, i added a few more small crystals to the bottle (which turns out to be 20 ml. of juice, not 15 as I originally stated. This mix, heavily mentholated Hilton will become a base or additive for other experiments, although it's not bad by itself.

For newbie readers, take heed to the advice given in this thread. Menthol crystals are super strong; a little goes a long, long way. Also, it's not a great idea to handle them with bare hands.

 

[Hoosier]

Also, it's not a great idea to handle them with bare hands.

Great line!

But, ya' never know... Some folks might be into that sort of thing, eh?