Agree with Lurch. It's so interesting to see how everyone does it differently.
I'm really surprised there aren't any other weigh-ers.
I'm really surprised there aren't any other weigh-ers.
The Process...
- Thread starter Hoosier
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I'm looking for an e-juice calculator that goes by weight if anyone knows.. I have experimented and it seems simple and fast. It would def be my preferred method vrs syringes.
I mix only for myself, at only one strength (9 to 10mg currently), and only 50:50 PG:VG ratio. Also, I only use 2 to 10% total of flavourings in any recipe (FlavourArt and Inawera; nice and concentrated) - I don't stress about the slight difference in nic strength or PG:VG ratio caused by adding various amounts of flavours.
I like to be able to dive into the kitchen and mix something whenever. Plus, I'm lazy
So, I pre-mix a base from nic/PG/VG at 10mg, and keep two working bottles of it: a 30ml with dropper for smaller test mixes, and a 100ml without dropper used for larger mixes. I'd happily make one or two more bases at different nic/PG/VG ratios, but beyond that I'd probably just pre-mix the nic down to different strengths.
Test mixes:
Mixing 'proper':
In either case, I uncap the bottles and arrange them in order of amount required, highest on the left, caps placed behind each bottle, then work along them from right to left. I put half the base in, then add flavourings, and finally add more base up to the desired total amount (or perhaps a bit more/less if the flavouring looks like it's gone over/under). I do the lowest percentages first because if they go over/under it's easier to adjust the higher percentages to match.
Well, that's my current process. I admit that I rely on memory for little tweaks to recipes I make repeatedly, and on being fairly good at mental arithmetic and approximations. Having the nic pre-mixed to the right strength removes any worry - a screw-up will simply taste bad!
I like to be able to dive into the kitchen and mix something whenever. Plus, I'm lazy
So, I pre-mix a base from nic/PG/VG at 10mg, and keep two working bottles of it: a 30ml with dropper for smaller test mixes, and a 100ml without dropper used for larger mixes. I'd happily make one or two more bases at different nic/PG/VG ratios, but beyond that I'd probably just pre-mix the nic down to different strengths.
Test mixes:
I use 2ml vials. From a thin dropper tip, 1 drop is _very_ roughly 1%. I use these mainly to get proportions roughly right, or to try out individual flavours. I'll pour 1ml into a tank and try it, add another 1ml of base and possibly extra flavour drop(s), try again, and try not to lose track too much as I repeat that! But even with all the mental calculations I don't stress, because it's only 2ml, and it's only rough percentages I'm after.
Mixing 'proper':
I use a 10ml mixing cylinder, and mix an amount that allows for the lowest amount of flavouring required - as in, if 1 or 2 drops of something will be right for 8ml, I'll make 8ml. (I'm usually aiming to put a reasonable amount in a 10ml bottle). For flavours at 1% or more, I'll use the graduations on the cylinder (and count drops while I'm doing it, to repeatedly check drops per ml from my bottles).
For a 30ml batch, I'll still mix in the 10ml cylinder, but use 3x the flavouring (compared to 10ml). And then top up the bottle with 2 lots of 10ml base, measured in the same cylinder (helps to wash it out!).
After pouring from the cylinder into the bottle I prop its base up on another cylinder for 10 minutes or so to let the last few droplets pour into the bottle - it may not be much, but if it's flavouring it counts for a lot! (I really should get something to stir it with before pouring).
For a 30ml batch, I'll still mix in the 10ml cylinder, but use 3x the flavouring (compared to 10ml). And then top up the bottle with 2 lots of 10ml base, measured in the same cylinder (helps to wash it out!).
After pouring from the cylinder into the bottle I prop its base up on another cylinder for 10 minutes or so to let the last few droplets pour into the bottle - it may not be much, but if it's flavouring it counts for a lot! (I really should get something to stir it with before pouring).
In either case, I uncap the bottles and arrange them in order of amount required, highest on the left, caps placed behind each bottle, then work along them from right to left. I put half the base in, then add flavourings, and finally add more base up to the desired total amount (or perhaps a bit more/less if the flavouring looks like it's gone over/under). I do the lowest percentages first because if they go over/under it's easier to adjust the higher percentages to match.
Well, that's my current process. I admit that I rely on memory for little tweaks to recipes I make repeatedly, and on being fairly good at mental arithmetic and approximations. Having the nic pre-mixed to the right strength removes any worry - a screw-up will simply taste bad!
This one is fantastic. Once you make an account, go to preferences, and set to grams. It's from an ecf member (Daath), and if you have any questions, he's happy to help.
e-Liquid Calculator
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I wanted to try mixing by weight, but my scale doesn't have the resolution required for it. What scale are you using?
Has anyone actually weighed 10 ml of ingredient/nic base/pg/vg etc? It does not weigh 10 grams like water does. For instance, 10 ml of PG weighs 10.3 grams. 10 mls of vg weighs 12.4 grams. Weighed on my powder scale with .001 gm resolution. Just throwing that out there.
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That's exactly what has kept me from using weight (well, mass) in my vape recipes.
You caught me mid-edit. I was surprised at how off the vg was. When mixing a large amount of a nic base you could be way off in what you think you are ending up with. Using weight at 1gm=1ml your nic concentration would be higher than you think. Thats not the direction you want to make a concentration 'error'. Unless you know what it weighs/ml you're just like guessing.
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No, weights of pg/vg/nic are all different. That's why this e-Liquid Calculator is amazing. It's does it all for ya.
Grams per ml conversion:
1ml Flavoring = 1g (1ml x 1 SG of Flavoring)
1ml 100% PG = 1.036g (1ml x 1.036 SG of PG)
1ml 100% VG = 1.249g (1ml x 1.249 SG of VG)
1ml 50/50 PG/VG = 1.1425g (1ml x 1.1425 SG of PG/VG)
Grams per ml conversion:
1ml Flavoring = 1g (1ml x 1 SG of Flavoring)
1ml 100% PG = 1.036g (1ml x 1.036 SG of PG)
1ml 100% VG = 1.249g (1ml x 1.249 SG of VG)
1ml 50/50 PG/VG = 1.1425g (1ml x 1.1425 SG of PG/VG)
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RP’s process
Nic: I dilute 100mg nic down to 25mg and 50mg in 8oz and 4oz glass amber bottles (depending on how much freezer space I have available). I add the pg/vg to each bottle, then the nic, and drip to make sure that it’s good. I wrap each bottle in saran, place a few bottles in a freezer bag, and stow bags in the freezer. I keep one bottle out at all times and take a new one out as it gets low.
Testers: This is time consuming and annoying, but I do it. When I first began diy, I made a bunch of recipes, and there was something in each that I didn’t like. I ended up throwing out way too much. Now, I make 3ml testers in 5 and 10ml plastic bottles of each flavor to see that 1) I like it, and 2) at what percentage I like it. I first drip them without nic, so if I don’t like the flavor, I haven’t lost too much.
New Recipes: I make up 3ml testers without nic. If I like it, and depending on how much I like it, I’ll make larger quantities in glass bottles with nic.
The nitty gritty: I keep my laptop on the table next to my diy rolling industrial unit. I don’t trust myself enough to keep them close. When I’m not diy-ing, the rolling unit goes into a closet. On blue painters tape, I mark the recipe name and the nic % and tag it on the bottle. I use the same pg/vg ratio, so I don’t mark for that. I use the handy dandy acrylic thingies from Fasttech to hold the flavors I’m going to currently use. I keep an open slot between each recipe’s flavors. I put a bottle on the scale with a glass funnel and tare it out. I first add my flavors, because if I mess up on this step, I’m not throwing out a ton of other stuff, and it’s okay if my pg/vg/nic percentages aren’t perfect. The flavor percentages for me are the important part. For each flavor, I tare out the scale and add till done. Some of my flavors have droppers, so I just drop till it reaches the measurements I want, and for the flavors that don’t, I slowly pour what I need (luckily I have a steady hand). I tare the scale and add the vg and pg. For large quantities, I’ll pour from the larger bottles until I get close, and then I have a smaller dropper bottle to get to the exact gram. I cap the bottle and go through each bottle like this till done. I put away all the ingredients and grab the nic. I tare out the scale, pour in the necessary nic, close the bottle, and shake, shake, shake. I throw the bottles in a freezer bag, heat some water, and throw the bottles and heated water into the slow cooker for a few hours. Note to readers: I don’t actually throw anything. I move bottles around very gently and sing it Elvis songs. Oh, then I clean the glass funnel with soapy hot water, and I’m done.
Measuring area:
Rolly thing:
Nic: I dilute 100mg nic down to 25mg and 50mg in 8oz and 4oz glass amber bottles (depending on how much freezer space I have available). I add the pg/vg to each bottle, then the nic, and drip to make sure that it’s good. I wrap each bottle in saran, place a few bottles in a freezer bag, and stow bags in the freezer. I keep one bottle out at all times and take a new one out as it gets low.
Testers: This is time consuming and annoying, but I do it. When I first began diy, I made a bunch of recipes, and there was something in each that I didn’t like. I ended up throwing out way too much. Now, I make 3ml testers in 5 and 10ml plastic bottles of each flavor to see that 1) I like it, and 2) at what percentage I like it. I first drip them without nic, so if I don’t like the flavor, I haven’t lost too much.
New Recipes: I make up 3ml testers without nic. If I like it, and depending on how much I like it, I’ll make larger quantities in glass bottles with nic.
The nitty gritty: I keep my laptop on the table next to my diy rolling industrial unit. I don’t trust myself enough to keep them close. When I’m not diy-ing, the rolling unit goes into a closet. On blue painters tape, I mark the recipe name and the nic % and tag it on the bottle. I use the same pg/vg ratio, so I don’t mark for that. I use the handy dandy acrylic thingies from Fasttech to hold the flavors I’m going to currently use. I keep an open slot between each recipe’s flavors. I put a bottle on the scale with a glass funnel and tare it out. I first add my flavors, because if I mess up on this step, I’m not throwing out a ton of other stuff, and it’s okay if my pg/vg/nic percentages aren’t perfect. The flavor percentages for me are the important part. For each flavor, I tare out the scale and add till done. Some of my flavors have droppers, so I just drop till it reaches the measurements I want, and for the flavors that don’t, I slowly pour what I need (luckily I have a steady hand). I tare the scale and add the vg and pg. For large quantities, I’ll pour from the larger bottles until I get close, and then I have a smaller dropper bottle to get to the exact gram. I cap the bottle and go through each bottle like this till done. I put away all the ingredients and grab the nic. I tare out the scale, pour in the necessary nic, close the bottle, and shake, shake, shake. I throw the bottles in a freezer bag, heat some water, and throw the bottles and heated water into the slow cooker for a few hours. Note to readers: I don’t actually throw anything. I move bottles around very gently and sing it Elvis songs. Oh, then I clean the glass funnel with soapy hot water, and I’m done.
Measuring area:
Rolly thing:
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zoiDman, like your style!
Just started last week with premixed nic 12mg in 50/50 pg/vg and got 10 or so flavors from a couple of vendors. Have premix in a couple of 30/50 ml dropper glass bottles to start with 5 ml test runs on flavors (one vg based and one alcohol).
Just put in proper amount of premix, add flavoring, cap, shake and start some steeping and more shaking.
Know the flavoring cuts the 12mg a bit but that's ok vy me since probably oughta drop level some anyway.
After more years than i'll admit smoking, taste buds are mostly ashes and sense of smell is pretty well gone so that calls for pumping up flavors until i can find them.
Trying to keep it simple, easy and enoyable but willing to listen to suggestions to improve and help flavor production.
best to all . . .
Just started last week with premixed nic 12mg in 50/50 pg/vg and got 10 or so flavors from a couple of vendors. Have premix in a couple of 30/50 ml dropper glass bottles to start with 5 ml test runs on flavors (one vg based and one alcohol).
Just put in proper amount of premix, add flavoring, cap, shake and start some steeping and more shaking.
Know the flavoring cuts the 12mg a bit but that's ok vy me since probably oughta drop level some anyway.
After more years than i'll admit smoking, taste buds are mostly ashes and sense of smell is pretty well gone so that calls for pumping up flavors until i can find them.
Trying to keep it simple, easy and enoyable but willing to listen to suggestions to improve and help flavor production.
best to all . . .
As long as people understand you cant do a one to one using weight/volume. The calculator is a huge plus. I've seen plenty of u-tube vids where that fact escaped them.
I'm jealous of all your stuff. Too good.
Thanks very much for the link
It's inexpensive and good. I posted a pic above. Make sure to buy one of these too http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GYLRFIO/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It measures to the 0.01
My process is pretty straight forward...
First I decide on the recipes I need to make.
I pull the flavorings out and set them behind the bottle I will be mixing it in.
All of my bottles have the same nic level and distilled water, so I calculate how much nic and water to put in, and I put that amount in every bottle.
Once that is complete I dispense the flavorings for each recipe then add VG cap, label and set aside before moving to the next bottle.
I have a very large counter to work on so I spread this out over a fairly large area. Each bottle is capped after using it.
First I decide on the recipes I need to make.
I pull the flavorings out and set them behind the bottle I will be mixing it in.
All of my bottles have the same nic level and distilled water, so I calculate how much nic and water to put in, and I put that amount in every bottle.
Once that is complete I dispense the flavorings for each recipe then add VG cap, label and set aside before moving to the next bottle.
I have a very large counter to work on so I spread this out over a fairly large area. Each bottle is capped after using it.
Thanks PtrG.
I actually make my own "Pre-Mix".
I like to use about 18mg/ml 30% PG|70%VG e-liquids that have 12~15% Flavoring/Sweetener. So I make Pre-Mix that is 20.5mg/ml @ 25% PG|75%VG Pre-Mix out of 48mg/ml Nicotine Base.
The Higher mg and VG of the Pre-Mix is offset when the Flavoring and Sweetener is added in the Flavored Mix. So I end up right around my Target e-Liquid.
The Ginormous advantage to doing things this way is there is Nothing to Wash when I do a Flavor Mix. And the Only thing I need when I make the Pre-Mix is a Graduated Cylinder.
I like doing DIY. And it is Fun. But I Dis-Like washing Lab Glass every time I do a Mix.
What has stopped me from using weight is a few things:
1. I have over 60 flavors and considering they have different makeups. Some have PG, some VG, some Alcohol, some a combination of all of the above. I find it difficult to believe they are all 1g per ml. So I would have to weigh them all to get conversions.
2. Seems like VG thickness varies depending on where you purchase it from (again I'd have to break out the syring to weigh it to get my conversion).
3. PG&VG are great at absorbing moisture from the air so I wonder if their weight per gram changes as they absorb moisture.
4. (The most important one to me) I already have all my syringes and I'm comfortable using them. I would have to buy something else (scale) and get comfortable using that. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I have no qualms towards people using weight. Heck if I just started, maybe that's the direction I would have went. It's DIY and I believe you should use whatever method you're comfortable with and that gives you good results.
Cheers,
Steve
I felt the same and still have syringes and all that fun stuff, but I had an amazon credit. Lol. That's how it all started. I didn't even want to like it, but it's so ridiculously easy and time saving.
Syringes are hard to read after awhile, and aligning the fluid perfectly with those small markers is time consuming.
Your concern about mass/volume is totally valid, but it's also difficult to account for the fluid still left in the syringe and needle. Sometimes everything gets expelled, and sometimes it doesn't.
I had the same concerns, and when I first began, I measured a ml of different flavors and different pg/vg/nic combos. The results via scale were as similar as: I used the same ml syringe, put one ml of the same flavor in 5 separate bottles (taring to zero after placing each bottle on the scale to account for manufacturing error), and measured each sample. Even though I did the exact same process, they were all different weights. Granted, it was different to a minute amount, but for me, if there are going to be discrepancies for each method, I would rather use the one that needs less clean up and time.
Like I said, I was hesitant to do weight, but it's so easy and vastly quicker. I would never criticize non-weighers because I used to be one.
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