Want to dive into DIY, have some questions.

[D3athbySp0rk]

So, I have some questions as I wish to be more informed on DIY mixing. But first some information:

I'm aware of the hazards of nicotine. so I'm considering about getting 48 or 60mg nic strength in VG and I'll be wearing disposable gloves and goggles as I perform mixing. also staying away from the fumes as well. when I feel comfortable, after experience I may go up to 100mg. may not though. But note I'm a very cautious person. the whole reason why I'm posting this.

My choice in most of the supply will be from WizardLabs.

I will be using a on-line calculator to figure out the correct solutions. And I may buy a testing kit, just to double check my nic levels.

I plan on buying in bulk. such as, 500ml of PG, 1 gallon of VG, 500ml of nic/VG I will mainly be focusing on higher VG then PG ratios. as I use a rda.

now I have currently a small assortment of syringes for measuring. My mother's a nurse. so I can easily obtain more various sizes. here's the ones I have:

So this brings me to the questions part.

Is there something I'm missing to make sure I'm doing this safely? any recommendations to perform this more safely?

For flavoring in a 75/25 vg/pg - 80/20 vg/pg what percentage of flavor would you recommend?

should I bother with sweetener, is that something I'm going to need? or do most flavors come sweetened?

what temperatures should I store this all in, is room temp fine?

how long should I typically steep my e-juice?

that's all of the questions I can think of as this moment. thanks for taking a look at this post, if you have any information that could be of assistance, please post.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Steamer861]

It looks like your off to a good start
I store my nic liquid in the freezer I keep a small amount at room temp that I use to make my juice
I like sweetener in most of my juices
Flavouring percentages will vary quite a bit with different manufactures
A good method is to make small batches 4 or 5mils and drip them to see how you like them, then just adjust flavour pg & vg % to your liking
When you have made some thing you like you can make larger batches
I don't put much faith in steeping most jucie I make is good to go right after mixing and very few improve with age
There is a lot of info in the DIY section you could read up there

 

[froginblender]

Just wear your gloves. And glasses .
If your new, perhaps start off with smaller amounts of vg/pg.
Perhaps you won't like the taste of this pg/vg then you'll be stuck with it.

I got mine from amazon, and it's great stuff.....cheap 3.99 for 16 oz. can't beat it
Amazon.com : Nature's Oil (USP Grade-Kosher) Vegetable Glycerin 100% Pure (16 oz) : Beauty
pg
Amazon.com: Nature's Oil 100% Pure Propylene Glycol (USP Grade) 16 oz: Health & Personal Care

AS for room temp: I keep everything in my desk draw in cigar box, nice and dark.
Don't ever let sun hit anything o.k !

AS for steeping, i used to worry about, till i got my magnetic stir plate on ebay.
Fk waiting 2 weeks...this does it in 1 hr.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brew-Smarte...854?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20f22b5a16

plus i just made video tonight....if you like perhaps this will help u.

 

[Boletus]

• For the syringes, blunt tipped needles are best, but you can sand or grind the point from regular needles if needed. Don't freak out too much about fumes, especially if you are working with 60 mg/ml or less. Just don't do it in a closet with the door closed.
• Flavor percentages are all over the map. Some vendors provide recommended percentage ranges, and most folks recommend starting at the low end and working up. You can search for the flavor in this forum, but be aware that flavors vary between vendors, so one brand of a given flavor may be much stronger or weaker than another. If you can't find a starting point for a flavor, create a thread that includes the name and the brand of it.
• A lot of flavors are sweet by themselves, but if you tend to like really sweet flavors, you may want some sweetener. Just don't get carried away with it, or you will gunk your coils quickly vaping it.
• Room temp is OK, but you may want to freeze some of you nic base if you will not use it in a month or two. The flavor and strength do degrade over time, and freezing slows that down a lot (years instead of months).
• Steeping times vary greatly, most of the juices I make (tobacco variations) benefit greatly from sitting for a week or two or holding them at 150 deg F for up to 4 hours. Fruit flavors require little or no steeping, according to most of what I have seen here (I do not use them). Dannyv45 has a great blog about that:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...you-wanted-know-about-steeping-then-some.html
In fact, all of his blogs are helpful reading for people starting out.

I have a couple of blogs that also might be helpful, including this one with links to additional reading about safety, and Hoosier's blogs, which I also found helpful starting out:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blogs/boletus/6859-general-tips-new-e-juice-diy-ers.html

 

[Boletus]

plus i just made video tonight....if you like perhaps this will help u.

FIB, while I have no problem with it, don't be surprised if others take issue with some of the language in your vid.

 

[froginblender]

FIB, while I have no problem with it, don't be surprised if others take issue with some of the language in your vid.

lol, that's why it's on youtube, not ECF servers.
Besides, i cursed maybe 1 time....and my cat was interfering too.
LOL
p.s
Life is short, if some people don't like it, there's the back button on browser.

 

[Boletus]

lol, that's why it's on youtube, not ECF servers.
Besides, i cursed maybe 1 time....and my cat was interfering too.
LOL
p.s
Life is short, if some people don't like it, there's the back button on browser.

OK. But to be frank, and this is my opinion only, so take it or leave it as you see fit, I think you could do much better with a bit more planning, a tripod or someone to hold the camera, and slightly more selective language. I did find it amusing, but if your main intent was to create a serious tutorial, well I think you could do better. You do have a very clear and effective speaking voice, btw.

 

[AndriaD]

Just wear your gloves. And glasses .
If your new, perhaps start off with smaller amounts of vg/pg.
Perhaps you won't like the taste of this pg/vg then you'll be stuck with it.

I got mine from amazon, and it's great stuff.....cheap 3.99 for 16 oz. can't beat it
Amazon.com : Nature's Oil (USP Grade-Kosher) Vegetable Glycerin 100% Pure (16 oz) : Beauty
pg
Amazon.com: Nature's Oil 100% Pure Propylene Glycol (USP Grade) 16 oz: Health & Personal Care

+1 for this, it's very good stuff, and amazon doesn't gouge nearly as badly on [shipping] heavy liquids as other places do. Also the glass bottles of all diff sizes are cheaper on amazon than anywhere else -- I find it's easiest to freeze the nicotine in small bottles, so that I don't have too much out for use; I use PG nicotine so I keep a small (30ml) bottle in the fridge for use, and all the rest in 30 mls bottles in the freezer.

Really the 100mg is not a big deal, with those safety precautions. I wear glasses so I don't use goggles at all, and I don't often even wear the gloves anymore, unless I was to spill some, then I'd def wear the gloves to clean it up -- but with moderate care, aand you manage not to spill any, no biggie; I go ahead and rinse off my hands and the dropper I used once I'm done with the nicotine, just to make sure there aren't any drops, because nic will absorb thru the skin, but otherwise, no biggie. WizLabs = excellent choice, their packaging is SUPERB! And prices too. Also for flavors, though they only sell 8ml vials; for larger bottles of flavors, once you know what you like, bullcityvapor.com is the best choice; great prices on product and shipping, and fast shipping -- they even ship on saturdays, a real rarity I've found.

Andria

 

[D3athbySp0rk]

If your new, perhaps start off with smaller amounts of vg/pg.
Perhaps you won't like the taste of this pg/vg then you'll be stuck with it.

thank you for the replies. you're right. maybe i should go with smaller amounts to find out what i do and don't like.

Flavor percentages are all over the map. Some vendors provide recommended percentage ranges, and most folks recommend starting at the low end and working up. You can search for the flavor in this forum, but be aware that flavors vary between vendors, so one brand of a given flavor may be much stronger or weaker than another. If you can't find a starting point for a flavor, create a thread that includes the name and the brand of it.

really? well this would make it rather fun to test around with.

now a question:
I've read from somewhere PG holds flavor better then VG. Is this true? i imagine it wouldn't really matter much since there's a pure % of concentrate you're adding. and flavor would depend on how much you've diluted it?

 

[AndriaD]

Most say that PG carries flavor better, though I've heard a few dissenting opinions on that. One of the DIY gurus around here posted about that recently, and his opinion seems to be that VG can carry flavor well, but because it's so thick, it takes a bit longer for flavors to be fully and completely mixed, so benefits from more steeping/shaking/steeping/shaking/etc -- and it does seem that those who use less VG, also go in for less steeping.

The main thing that PG does is support the nicotine's throat hit better, and keep the juice from being too thick; there are those of us with different lung/breathing problems who cannot really handle much VG at all, so high-PG vaping is a godsend for us.

VG, of course, does make more and thicker vapor, and its emollient effects slightly offset its drying effect -- both PG and VG are hygroscopic (they grab moisture from your mucous membranes in order to make vapor).

Andria

 

[D3athbySp0rk]

+1 for this, it's very good stuff, and amazon doesn't gouge nearly as badly on [shipping] heavy liquids as other places do. Also the glass bottles of all diff sizes are cheaper on amazon than anywhere else -- I find it's easiest to freeze the nicotine in small bottles, so that I don't have too much out for use; I use PG nicotine so I keep a small (30ml) bottle in the fridge for use, and all the rest in 30 mls bottles in the freezer.

Really good points there. I hadn't considered about the shipping costs. I have Prime. so maybe i could find some stuff with 2-day free shipping.

On another note. I found a bacon flavor @ wizardlabs. How interesting, lol! I think I'll pick it up, just to give it a try. But I'm mostly focusing on tobacco and fruit flavors.

 

[froginblender]

Actually, amusing is more my forte then the planning and serious type.
So i'm glad you got a giggle or two out of it.
LOL.
My cat was the star!...not my tutorial and pg spillage...hehe.

OK. But to be frank, and this is my opinion only, so take it or leave it as you see fit, I think you could do much better with a bit more planning, a tripod or someone to hold the camera, and slightly more selective language. I did find it amusing, but if your main intent was to create a serious tutorial, well I think you could do better. You do have a very clear and effective speaking voice, btw.

 

[Boletus]

Actually, amusing is more my forte then the planning and serious type.
So i'm glad you got a giggle or two out of it.
LOL.
My cat was the star!...not my tutorial and pg spillage...hehe.

'nuff said.

 

[D3athbySp0rk]

Actually, amusing is more my forte then the planning and serious type.
So i'm glad you got a giggle or two out of it.
LOL.
My cat was the star!...not my tutorial and pg spillage...hehe.

I found it informative. Made me want to pick up one of those magnetic mixers. but, i think i'll wait till i have more of a know how, and found if it's something i really want to keep doing. I might pick up something that's a mixer and hotplate combo. duno though those are rather expensive. i'd have to be rather committed first.

 

[Boletus]

I've read from somewhere PG holds flavor better then VG. Is this true? i imagine it wouldn't really matter much since there's a pure % of concentrate you're adding. and flavor would depend on how much you've diluted it?

For me personally, I would say that PG presents flavors more readily, but once you get the flavor to come out, VG holds it just fine. I agree with Andria that more mixing and steeping are called for, but I don't have enough experience to say whether more flavoring is called for in the long run with high VG, really. I just find that I tend toward the low end of recommended percentages, even though I do max VG/DW.

 

[froginblender]

I found it informative. Made me want to pick up one of those magnetic mixers. but, i think i'll wait till i have more of a know how, and found if it's something i really want to keep doing. I might pick up something that's a mixer and hotplate combo. duno though those are rather expensive. i'd have to be rather committed first.

If you vape alot, you will never buy juice again.
My first 2 bottles sucked, since i over did it with tobacco flavor. I used 10% instead of say 5 - 7 %, and i got perfumey.
Just get
Vapor wizard (smooths out juices)
Bitter wizard (removes sweetness) on bad juices.
And stick with Indian, HS no.5, Arabic, RY4 (double) Virginia, and DHill. for tobacco's
Mix them @ 7% with your pg/vg and you'll be good to go!
Get some caramel
get some graham cracker, cocoa, AP (nuttyness).
And go here to get recipes.
Clone Recipes | Homemade E-juice Recipes

You'll never go back man.

Here's some of my fav recipes......to get u going.

Freedom Juice (clone)
• 3% Cowboy Blend - TPA ( only TPA ) - u can use virginia (tobacco) instead
• 4% Simply Vannila - CAPELLA - i used toasted marshmallow instead.
• 3% Cocoa - FLAVOUR ART
• 1% Ethyl Maltol
• 1% AAA Magic Mask - I used Vape wizard instead....
• And each 10ml placing a drop of MTS VAPE

even tho i didn't use exact ingredients...it's dead on basically still in flavor...yumm!

Tribeca clone
ry4 double @ 10% (10% is o.k for RY4)
caramel @ 5%
ap @ 1%

try those 2....if you like tobacco.

 

[dannyv45]

Actually, amusing is more my forte then the planning and serious type.
So i'm glad you got a giggle or two out of it.
LOL.
My cat was the star!...not my tutorial and pg spillage...hehe.

Kinda makes me want to stay with my syringes and UC. But hey loved the cat's cameo.

 

[D3athbySp0rk]

If you vape alot, you will never buy juice again.
My first 2 bottles sucked, since i over did it with tobacco flavor. I used 10% instead of say 5 - 7 %, and i got perfumey.
Just get
Vapor wizard (smooths out juices)
Bitter wizard (removes sweetness) on bad juices.
And stick with Indian, HS no.5, Arabic, RY4 (double)....Virginia, and DHill. for tobacco's
Mix them @ 7% with your pg/vg and you'll be good to go!
Get some caramel
get some graham cracker, cocoa, AP (nuttyness).
And go here to get recipes.
Clone Recipes | Homemade E-juice Recipes

You'll never go back man.

where can i find vapor wizard and bitter wizard?

 

[Boletus]

I found it informative. Made me want to pick up one of those magnetic mixers. but, i think i'll wait till i have more of a know how, and found if it's something i really want to keep doing. I might pick up something that's a mixer and hotplate combo. duno though those are rather expensive. i'd have to be rather committed first.

Dabbling to get your feet wet and check it out is a good idea, if you do not have money to throw at something you may not stick with. The price of admission for DIY juice, so to speak, is not that high if you start out small and simple. Then you can decide if you want to keep going or not, without a lot of regret either way. For the price of two bottles of pre-made juice, you can make at least five. But not all of what you make starting out will necessarily be excellent, so you need to have patience and a willingness to learn. Being willing to vape mediocre or OK juice, because it saves you money and it is all a learning experience anyway, is also helpful. Then when you create something that knocks your socks off, you will be hooked.

 

[AndriaD]

Kinda makes me want to stay with my syringes and UC. But hey loved the cat's cameo.

There you are, DIY guru! You're the one I was paraphrasing about VG needing more steeping and shaking. I don't use much VG at all, but I try to read all the informative posts about DIY that I can find! That one was very interesting!

Andria