I just made about a dozen of Bill's recipes. I'd like for them to steep for a few days. I'll report back once I try them.
I just wanted to once again say thanks to everyone in this thread (and especially Bill) for all your help!
Well, I certainly hope you like them!
By the way, I always recommend taste testing juices ATM (at the time of mix). Even though the juices are not fully blended, let alone steeped and aerated, you can get perhaps 90 - 95% of the taste right at this time, without delay and without waiting. This is important because you can compare the juice at this stage to the blended stage about 2 hours later, to the steeped stage about 24 - 48 hours later.
Also, any adjustments that may be required can be made at this time using a method that I call the 100DT method (100 drop taste test).
The 100DT method uses one drop to represent 1% of the mix. So, for example, if I use 10% of one flavoring, that would be 10 drops, 5% of another flavoring would be 5 drops, 6% nicotine (at 100 mg/ml) would be 6 drops. 64% VG would be 64 drops, etc. In this way, 100 drops would equal 100% of the mix. To get to a .5% number, for example, simply add a couple of drops of the flavoring to a couple of drops of the primary carrier base (VG, for example), and remove one drop from that 50/50 mix (for .5% of mix). 100 drops, 100%, all well and good.
Some folks get a bit technical and make the point that the drops of the VG are "bigger" than the drops of the flavorings, or the PG. And, that is true. But, we're going for taste testing, not a perfect technically accurate mix. VG, for example, is a carrier base (as is PG). VG is also mildly sweet, to me. However, as a carrier base, it won't substantially change the flavor of the mix, but modestly effects the dilution, but not so much that is noticeable, to me, at least, on the final mix using syringes, or what have you. Go right ahead and count your larger VG drops as a single drop equaling 1% and you'll be fine when it comes to "the big mix." I haven't found that the larger VG drops in any way changed the end flavor of the mix for 30 mls, for example, versus the 100 drop test. In other words, the size of the carrier VG drop makes little to no difference on the final mix, regardless that the drops are larger. Trust me, it all works out just fine, because VG is a carrier, not a flavoring. If VG did substantially change the flavoring, then THAT would be a different story.
So, why is this important? Well, you can make a 100DT taste test in a couple of minutes, then taste test via whatever testing gear you use, then adjust and remix in another couple of minutes to re-taste test. I don't believe I've ever used more than 8 separate 100DT's to make a juice work for me, and that took only about 20 minutes to make. Even very complex recipes can use the 100DT method and deliver a final juice in 30 minutes or less, and not days and weeks later, as we often hear about.
How can this be so? Well, using HFM (high flavor mixes) of 20 - 30% adds enough flavoring to the mix ATM that we don't have to wait days or weeks for the flavorings to "develop," and "emerge." Long steep times ARE required on LFM (low flavor mixes), because there is not enough flavoring to dominate the carrier base(s) ATM. But HFM are going to be very close to final mix because there is enough flavoring in the mixes to "Break through."
So, these are two different methods to get to the same place, only one is immediate (close ballpark at 90 - 95% of final mix) versus days, or even weeks to allow LFM to develop their full flavorings, nuances, etc. I primarily use the HFM method, particularly with new juices, because I want to know how the mix is going to taste NOW, not days or weeks from now! Both are valid methods, and perhaps there is some merit to the subtle nuances that may take days or weeks to emerge, but these are very subtle and enhance the mix, not dominate or define the mix overall. I like my juices best after 48 hours. That being said, they are very vapable ATM, and I can easily adjust the mix ATM, if it doesn't quite match the flavor profile that I want and am trying to achieve. I just like the speed in which I can make a new flavor, easily adjust it to my taste preferences, regardless of the final nuanced flavoring profile that I will get in 48 hours.
One point seems to be quite controversial and that is that some nuanced flavorings need weeks to emerge. Certainly using a LFM and waiting weeks to steep is a very valid method, but the fact is that you can still achieve that juice to near perfect accuracy immediately just by increasing the percentage of flavoring in the mix. By using HFM, you don't have to wait. The controversial part is that some juice makers insist that the subtle nuanced flavorings do take weeks to emerge and cannot be brought about ATM. That has not been my experience. I can pretty much duplicate any mix ATM with TFA flavorings, nuanced, or otherwise using the 100DT method ATM. In fact, many have made the argument that juice requiring weeks to steep to achieve this nuanced flavoring is actually lacking in enough flavoring ATM. They insist that more flavoring needs to be added ATM and that steeping requiring more than days is just deficient of flavoring, and has an insufficient flavoring percentage.
All I know is that can copy most juices ATM with TFA, nuanced or not, with regularity, provided TFA has the flavoring to start with. TFA has some gaps in flavorings that other brands do have, and YES, they are different, and I am not speaking to them. So, that simply means that there is more than one way to make juice, not that one is superior to the other, only a different way to get to the same place. I try and stay out of the controversy, these days, but I haven't seen long steep times as a requirement to make any flavorings yet. Now, that being said, I can't say that other brands of flavorings might not be different, I'm only referring to TFA flavorings, and the 150, or so, juices that I've made.
To use the 100DT method, you'll need about a dozen droppers. I have found these Amazon ones to work fine:
SEOH Glass Droppers Pipettes 4 inch pack of 12: Science Lab Dropping Pipettes: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
But virtually any droppers you find will work out just as well. The key is to use the same size/type of droppers for each ingredient in the mix. So, a mix with 8 ingredients may need 8 droppers (assuming you use one per ingredient/flavoring). You can use fewer droppers by the way with nearly identical results and without fear of a significant flavor change. Again, the key is to use the same unit of measurement throughout, i.e., the same size and type of dropper, etc. Using 100 mg/ml nicotine (in VG for me) allows one drop to equal 1% as well. Different strength nicotine will require a slightly different measurement as one drop may not be equal to 1% of mix (the reason I use 100 mg/ml nicotine).
I've taken the time to spell out this method again in this post as the method, which has been mentioned previously, even discussed in many other posts, does not exist in its very own blog which I am adding here, and I get frequent request via PM to elaborate on its use. In this way, the new juice maker, or anyone that wants to use this method, can find it easily. I have found it quite useful, and substantially quicker to any other method I've heard about. Good luck!
