Vendors who steep.

[xpackaday]

I am a week into vaping and I feel your pain on the steeping issue. That said, I have identified an all day flavor (RY4) so I have quickly built a stock of that juice. I then bought a bunch of other flavors and have them steeping now. Some of them need some time IMO, a few were ok to vape right out of the mail and they were custom mixes.

I fell your pain. I was trying to get a juice that I liked, not knowing that it needed to be steeped. The vendors don't even bother to send any care and use instructions to tell you to steep the juice. After I started DIY, I found out about the steeping and went back to some of the juices that sucked and found they were OK after a few months of shelf life.

The other thing I found was some juices would get better after vaping and the head would warm them up. I now consider it to be the vaping steeping method.

But there is a way to shorten the steeping my putting the juice in hot/warm water for 20 to 30 minutes. There are many post of doing it with hot water and letting it steep for a day or so after that.

 

[wbbrn1952]

I make most of the e-liq I vape -- I try and keep my stock about 30 mls on the shelf when I open that bottle I make some more - steeping can bring out some subtle flavors but for the most part my juice is ready to vape the same day - only thing the wife says is that the menthol tends to get stronger the longer it steeps - so I have tried cutting her menthol percentage and adding a little koolada to her mix and it seems to have worked.
If I buy a custom e-liq - I ask for their recommendations on steep time - but I figure by the time the juice gets to me considering the manufacturing, packaging and shipping - it is probably good to go!

 

[lasttango]

I understand wanting pre-steeped juices.... but please... steeping on many juices is unnecessary and overrated...

and while some juices need steeping it's really not that big of a deal...

Do you want an industry with lots of cool... independent vendors that make amazing and innovative liquids? well, then you will have to allow some steeping.

In almost 4 years of vaping, I have run across few liquids that actually need to steep...

at any rate... you want a list of vendors that have juice that's always good to go?
Halo, Vaporstation, Totally Wicked, Niquid, DEKANG, goodejuice lab liquids, liquidXpress, johnson creek, vapor4life, bloog, janty...

order simple flavors... order heavier PG liquids...

Do I know any non-lab... Artisan... mom and pop vendors that sell pre-steeped liquid?

None come to mind... but as I said, steeping is a bit overrated.



imagine you are a mom and pop vendors averaging 35-50 orders a day... just enough where you feel comfortable quitting your day job...

I know a popular vendor / mom and pop... told me he was doing between 40 and 70 orders each day between mon-fri... and weekends he was getting around 225. This was a couple years ago... this is before he actually had a real website. Now he has a website... I imagine more orders than ever, because he regularly shuts down when capacity is reached.

he offered 20 different flavors. 3 strengths. no variation for pg/vg... all 70/30...

he had 1 person working with him.

He was always getting behind... and that was working 12-16 hours a day. Don't forget... packing 45-70 orders a day and mailing them takes time too.

In addition, the people he relied on to supply flavorings and nic and base were always goofing up... or out of stock...

So, the masses whined... not his tried and true customers... but the new ones... the people who didn't get it... and there is always a rotating door of new people who haven't learned the ins and outs of the business...

can't you hire more people?
can't you just get your flavorings from somewhere else?
can't you pre-mix the flavors in your down time?
can't you get a bigger facility?

hire more people? get a bigger facility?

he'd need to triple his business to break even after hiring more people and getting a bigger facility.
plus, he'd need more capital to invest in supplies.

his tax rate could be an issue.
quality control becomes an issue.
the state he lives in could suddenly make what he's doing illegal.
the industry could explode and he could be forced out by competition.
lots of risks...

...and... his suppliers can barely keep up with his demands at his current capacity.


anyway, the OP didn't inspire this rant of sorts... he/she just wanted to know who sold pre-steeped liquids.

the simple answer is:
1- large companies.
2- vendors who are supplied from large companies.
3- unpopular vendors
4- vendors who sell very few flavors with few options

if you find a flavor that you like enough, it will be your pleasure to let it steep.

 

[bebop.rocksteady]

First a hat tip to @lasttango for his post. Informative and energetic. Props man!

Possibly more important for tobaccos or more complex liquids.

In my experience steeping is ONLY required for these flavors. We don't steep in my shop at all. In 4 years this "steeping" is a fairly new concept to me. But I have noticed a pleasant increase in flavor notes and things have changed a lot.

but all 3 of these have told me not to steep with the cap off

This is IMPORTANT. VG spoils and PG will taste stale if you let your juice sit around with the cap off.

Oh and as far as "vaping gym socks" because the juice hasn't been steeped comment, I've never had any juice that tasted terrible to me fresh that later tasted good to me steeped.

I'm happy for you..

All in all I appreciate the responses. As I said my shop does not steep and I've never heard a crossword about it. It seems to be a subject of growing importance.

 

[Malarky]

OK. Well from experience I have had juices that tasted like peppered poop. A week or 2 steeped and they are sweet and yummy. Steeping overrated or not it works for me on most of my juices... MBV and ECBlends.

 

[Cyia]

I've had all 5 kinds.

-The ones that taste awesome right out of the mail
-The ones that taste good.. but not quite there *steep for a couple days to a week* golden
-The ones that don't smell so great, don't taste wonderful *steep couple days to week sometimes more* This can be a toss up. Can get better can get worse.
-The never going to get better one that I wanna gag on
-The ones that come excellent but taper off

I've also had pre steeped juices come to me as well and I don't know. I feel impatient wanting to like these. Five pawns was good. It wasn't up my flavor alley but it was good. Because it wasn't up my flavor alley and already was steeped.. I felt kind of disappointed, like I wasted 23 bucks on 1 4ml bottle cause I occasionally like queenside.
I can't steep these five pawn and make them better. There is no other outcome for these juices except to go to other people or the trash.

With other juices I get, that need that night off with the cap and maybe a few days of shaking to fit my pallet, I feel like I gave it my all if the juice just doesn't fit me. It's like I gave my best effort on my end, I tried while I could but the battle is done type of thing. Juices that might need to steep give me a little bit of hope that I didn't just waste my money.

With pre-steeped it's instant gratification. There is no work.. and I'm a working type of girl.. so I personally prefer to get juices I can steep and play with.

I don't think there is a right or wrong thing to this. It's like modders vs your average joe type of thing. There are the fiddlers, the tinkerers, the steepers, the drippers, the everyday vaperer and so on. There are a slew of us for all the aspects of vaping and I think that is a wonderful thing to have in a community. Not something to bicker and fight on.

Also, as far as I know:
Five pawns
The standard?
Mrs. T's?

These I all know have pre steeped juices and or sections for it.

 

[VaporClouds]

I can also vouch for Halo juices being vape ready straight out of the mailbox. Now i actually really freakin enjoy Mt baker vapors juices so far but yeah i had to steep my first order from Mt baker for about a week and than it really started to shine. Im fairly new at this but im learning, and i know from personal experience that steeping works. Have you ever got a bottle that tastes and smells like medicine/alcohol? I steep it when its like that. Banzai vapors is like total medicine/alcohol smell and taste, been steeping a week still not there yet.

 

[bebop.rocksteady]

Those vendors are out there. Buy you some Dekang juice from China. Lots of vendors sell it.

In 4 years vaping I've never had a Chinese liquid satisfy my palette. I don't even feel safe vaping it. But hey if you like it go ahead.

 

[bebop.rocksteady]

Thanks @Cyia just ordered some Ms. T's so that's really cool.

 

[gthompson]

Steeping is often a very personal thing. I have juices I like fresh that other folks prefer well steeped, and juices I need steeped that others like fresh. There's no right or wrong, only what works best for you.

 

[gthompson]

In 4 years vaping I've never had a Chinese liquid satisfy my palette. I don't even feel safe vaping it. But hey if you like it go ahead.

No, I'm with you, I was just suggesting where you could get pre-steeped juice. I'd much rather steep mine myself than go that route.

 

[bebop.rocksteady]

Steeping is often a very personal thing. I have juices I like fresh that other folks prefer well steeped, and juices I need steeped that others like fresh. There's no right or wrong, only what works best for you.

Thanks man. Honestly that's what I'm learning from the thread. For instance I was told to steep my El Kamino for a week. So I steeped some and vaped some. Could not tell a difference. However I notice a world of difference in some tobaccos. I guess its just me hahaha.

 

[bebop.rocksteady]

No, I'm with you, I was just suggesting where you could get pre-steeped juice. I'd much rather steep mine myself than go that route.

Oh I gotcha. I appreciate it! China =yuck. For me anyway. What's your favorite vape?

 

[Cyia]

I'm with you both there via the chinese juices. Tried it when I first started back in 2010 and uhg so gross. Thankfully this time around I knew to avoid those with a 10ft pole haha.

Oh! Also want to side note, it doesn't SAY on their site these are pre-steeped BUT Velvet Vapors is normally amazing right out of the mail for me. The coffee flavors they have I don't much care for but the chocolate strawberries and butter pecan, even waffle all taste amazing but they are sweeeetttt and strong juices so beware of this! They use natural flavors ect.

So if you like sweet and stronger tasting stuff, VV might be up your alley

 

[bebop.rocksteady]

@Cyia I've been looking for an authentic chocolate vape. Do they offer chocolate strawberries sans the strawberries?

 

[Cyia]

@Cyia I've been looking for an authentic chocolate vape. Do they offer chocolate strawberries sans the strawberries?

I don't see a pure chocolate no. But I know Halos Belgian Chocolate is raved about for being a good one and Phil on youtube raved a bit about DND's Fudge brownie as being a very good Milk chocolate vape.

I know VVs chocolates are a bit muted down compared to the strawberry which is kind of how I prefer it but as far as more of a chocolate type one might try those 2 I mentioned. And I know Halo comes steeped possibly?

 

[wbbrn1952]

Never tried any Chinese juice and don't plan on it - but I sure like Chinese food - but afraid to inhale the e-juice.

 

[Exile]

I dont know for a fact that these vendors "pre steep" all their juices, but the last few orders of juices that I got from both Vermillion River & LiteCigUSA (NiteLiteVapor), they have all been pre steeped for about a month.
(per the bottling dates on the bottles)

 

[wbbrn1952]

I buy from Nicoticket and I just wait 1 week from the mixed date on the bottle but I did try some right after I got my first order from them and it was awesome.

 

[DeeDubya]

I would be willing to pay more per bottle for pre steeped juice - how much more per bottle , that i dont know - maybe a buck or 2