Using Syringes to measure (not as easy as I thought)

[Steve K]

How do most of you use your syringes to measure out,I'm asking this question because I've noticed that its not as easy as just putting the syringe in say a flavor and pulling the plunger to the desired marking.And this is because there is liquid also inside the needle and top of the needle.I literally have to tip it upside down (mid air) pull it back to get the stuff inside the needle then flick the air bubbles and if its too much or too little I have to work from there.Is this the procedure most of you use??Or there an easier way.

 

[FinallyQuit]

The liquid that stays in the needle doesn't get expelled into your mix, and isn't accounted for in the markings on the syringe. Someone (Iffy??) recommended taking the needle out of the equation. Take the plunger out of the syringe, place the tip of your finger over the end of the syringe, and drip into the syringe. Remove finger and it spills right out into your bottle.

 

[Spazmelda]

Yes, I pour or drip directly into a syringe. Usually don't use a needle. I just use the syringe as kind of a tiny graduated cylinder, then use the plunger to expel all the liquid.

 

[akatina]

If you're concerned about excess from what's in the needle, dispense your liquids the way medicine is dispensed: overdraw. Say you want 1ml of fluid. Pull fluid into the syringe to the 1.1 ml mark. Dispense fluid until you reach the 0.1 ml mark. You've just dispensed exactly 1ml of fluid regardless of how much may or may not stay in the needle.

 

[Jfaria1891]

the expensive answer to all your problems.

 

[FinallyQuit]

Wow, Jfaria, that thing is TALL. I'm blind as a bat, I have to put the thing 4 inches from my face to clearly read the markings. I'm picturing me holding my arm at it's fullest extension and bending my face down to read the marks!

 

[Cavediver]

I usually prime my needles with plain PG, expel the air bubble, expel the remaining PG (leaving the needle primed), and then draw to the required measurement. Since I know how much extra PG this adds to my recipe per priming, I can choose to ignore the added PG (.04ml per prime), or factor it in to the final recipe. When I'm mixing 3ml samples, I factor it in. When I mix 15ml bottles, I usually ignore it.

Consistency and repeatability seem to be more important than absolute accuracy when you're mixing for yourself.

 

[Jfaria1891]

Wow, Jfaria, that thing is TALL. I'm blind as a bat, I have to put the thing 4 inches from my face to clearly read the markings. I'm picturing me holding my arm at it's fullest extension and bending my face down to read the marks!

hahaha it is huge and this 20inch monster only holds 1ml of liquid ...... but it holds it at insane accuracy haha XD

 

[Steve K]

Thanks everyone there are some good answers here.

 

[Jfaria1891]

the pipette and pump was $12 sold separately on amazon. if your interested i believe its the most accurate method and you seem to pretty concerned with accuracy.

 

[Iffy]

I have no fear of needles, but they're just too fussy. Therefore I use syringes sans needles for flav mixing:

remove syringe plunger
place little finger tip on syringe tip
drip in/pour flav or nic base or PG or VG in syringe top
place tip over mix bottle
remove finger, insert tip
reinsert plunger
slowly 'plunge'/empty

That's only one way to mix. But it's the quickest, most accurate and fuss free method for me.

BTW, I use 1, 3, 5, 10 and 20ml syringes as needed. For mixes 50ml and up, I rely on graduated (50 & 100ml) cylinders.

 

[FinallyQuit]

Iffy, I thought that was you who gave that awesome tip! Yes, it's saved the old eyes a lot of squinting.

I do all my mixing in a graduated cylinder, but now I'm starting to think I should just mix directly in the bottle. I usually pour the pg/vg into the cylinder (slow down when I get close to the ml I need) and dump in the bottle. Flavors I do with syringe method you outlined (many thanks!!) and the nic goes up a 14 ga blunt tip into a syringe. That's the one I'm most concerned about being spot on.

 

[kbalz]

So simple yet genius at the same time .

I have no fear of needles, but they're just too fussy. Therefore I use syringes sans needles for flav mixing:

remove syringe plunger
place little finger tip on syringe tip
drip in/pour flav or nic base or PG or VG in syringe top
place tip over mix bottle
remove finger, insert tip
reinsert plunger
slowly 'plunge'/empty

That's only one way to mix. But it's the quickest, most accurate and fuss free method for me.

BTW, I use 1, 3, 5, 10 and 20ml syringes as needed. For mixes 50ml and up, I rely on graduated (50 & 100ml) cylinders.

 

[Hoosier]

How do most of you use your syringes to measure out...

Pull and push plunger a few times to make sure it moves smoothly (habit acquired after I decided that slinging open bottles of flavoring across the room and/or myself was an undesired side effect of sticking plungers)
Put tip of syringe into flavoring. (Note I don't use needles as my syringes fit inside the bottles just fine)
Pull plunger up
Press plunger down (This gets rid of air bubbles)
Pull plunger up so that I take in more flavoring than required.
Pull syringe up so the tip is above the level of flavoring
Push plunger down until the tip of the plunger is at the measurement desired
Swing syringe over to bottle
Double check label on bottle to make sure this is the one I want this flavoring in
Double check my calculator to make sure the flavoring, bottle label, and measurement are correct
Slowly push plunger down all the way
If I plan on using this flavoring again, set aside this syringe with the closed bottle of flavoring
If this is the last planned use of this flavoring, dunk syringe into a glass of water and pull plunger all the way to the top to fill it with water and grab another syringe.

I have no idea if this is the easy way, but I know it works every time.

 

[Steve K]

I have no fear of needles, but they're just too fussy. Therefore I use syringes sans needles for flav mixing:

remove syringe plunger
place little finger tip on syringe tip
drip in/pour flav or nic base or PG or VG in syringe top
place tip over mix bottle
remove finger, insert tip
reinsert plunger
slowly 'plunge'/empty

My plungers won't come out,Looks like there is a raised section inside that won't allow it.

 

[Iffy]

My plungers won't come out,Looks like there is a raised section inside that won't allow it.

I do not have that issue with any of the plastic syringes I use.

 

[Spazmelda]

My plungers won't come out,Looks like there is a raised section inside that won't allow it.

What kind of syringes do you have? Most of them do have a little raised area, but if you pull on them they will come out. Maybe you have a different kind?

 

[Iffy]

In my distant past, did use some gla$$ syringes that had a predominate ridge within the tube. Nonetheless, I never failed to remove the plunger for required cleaning/decontamination.

 

[bunnomatic]

If I am measuring something that needs a ml or 2 or more I am not going to worry about the extra drop in a needle. If your going to worry about a drop or 2 then use a pipette and don't lose count This is DIY (as best you can) not rocket science with equipment that will measure down to the molecule.

Then there is what doesn't come out of the syringe but is left at the bottom of the plunger. Probably this and what is left in the needle cancel out, IDK and don't lose any sleep over it.

 

[Sovran]

I use it like it is designed. pull plunger back about 1 ml. Insert needle through dripper top. A 16 guage needle will slip through the dripper on a flavor bottle( no worries about spilling flavor this way). Turn bottle and syringe upside. adust needle depth to be below level of flavor. Pull flavor to more than desired then inject air and excess flavor back into bottle. Remove bottle and turn upright.

I inject the air because the vacuum in a stiff bottle can be enough to pull the flavor back out. Injecting the air equalizes the pressure difference to give time to remove the bottle without sucking some flavor out of syringe. Too much air will cause the flavor to come out under pressure when the needle is removed. 1 ml of air is enough to reduce the vacuum and not pressurize the bottle. The whole procedure takes about 5 seconds.