What Do You Use For ADV Mixing?

[akksnv]

Maybe this isn't the best title, but here's what I mean... what do you use (bottle size, syringe size, or do you mix by weight) when making juices you know you like (ex. not experimenting with flavors, but making something to get you through the work day/week? Also, how long does it last you (ex. if you make 60ml, is that enough to last you a week or a day)?

A little background info... I've been making my own juice for a few years now, and I've been using 30ml glass dropper bottles. One bottle can probably get me through two days, but I don't like having "just enough".. so I either make a few bottles over the weekend to last me the week, or end up making a bottle about every other day for a week. I've been thinking about getting bigger bottles so when I make some juice, it'll last me longer and maybe won't feel like a weekly chore. However, I use 10ml syringes for the PG/VG and 3ml syringes for the nicotine/flavor. It seems like if I didn't also get bigger syringes, bigger bottles would basically be the same as filling up more bottles (I'd be filling up the 10ml syringes more times for each bottle and wouldn't really save any time).

So I was curious, am I crazy to still be using 30ml bottles at this point? Are you guys using bigger bottles, bigger syringes, etc.? FWIW I'm not too into experimenting with different flavors and stuff, I just want to make my "regular" flavors so I have something to vape

Also, if you use plastic bottles, what kind and how long do they last? If I remember right, some types let oxygen in, others can have the plastic get into the juice, etc.

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[bombastinator]

I by contrast am an extremely sloppy mixer. I generally mix 60ml Unicorn bottles and I do it by eye. I will first take 100mg/ml nic measured in a graduated cylinder, and mix up a 250ml squeeze bottle of 6 or 12mg base. Then when I make a 60ml unicorn bottle I first fill it about 1/10th full of flavoring (I generally use single flavors) and then fill the rest of the bottle with base from the 250ml squeeze bottle, and give it a really good shake.

This is about as sloppy as any method I’ve heard of. They get much much more persnickety. The majority of people serious about mixing around here seem to do it by weight.

 

[ShowMeTwice]

1) by weight
2) 120ml ea recipe / sometimes more / sometimes less
3) lasts approx 45-50 days per (always have several to choose from)

30ml + 60ml bottles / sometimes 120ml bottles
xfer to unicorn or plastic bottles as needed if i choose to

i have several diff recipes mixed up all the time / variety = spice of life
always have several diff juices steeping
i never run low or out of juice

fwiw i'm not sloppy nor ocd with mixing / never persnickety lol / don't nitpick w diy either
enjoy diy so it's never a chore

 

[Philabos]

By weight, I make 250ml bottles and transfer to 60ml unicorns for easy fills. I find the unicorns last about 2 weeks but I am MTL at a low wattage. When I travel they last even longer.

 

[akksnv]

So it sounds like mixing bigger batches by weight is the easy approach, then transferring to smaller bottles to make it a little more portable. I could see how that could save some time, and probably makes a lot more sense than trying to get syringes in bigger sizes. Thanks for all the feedback!

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[bombastinator]

So it sounds like mixing bigger batches by weight is the easy approach, then transferring to smaller bottles to make it a little more portable. I could see how that could save some time, and probably makes a lot more sense than trying to get syringes in bigger sizes. Thanks for all the feedback!

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Large syringes have problems for thick liquids like bases. You can only make them go so fast.

 

[DeloresRose]

It depends... some juice fades. Some steeps nicely and the flavors hold well. Those I’ll make 120 mls at a time. For the faders, I make a base, and flavor 30 mls at a time. I usually make two 120 mls of base with freebase and one with salts. This time, because summer is busy, I made five freebase and put four in the freezer.

I’m going through about 10-15 mls lately, but several flavors every day. I use 15 ml glass dropper bottles for tests, plastic whatever- unicorns, etc- bottles for my developed recipes. Because glass is easier to get flavors out of to reuse for other tests.

 

[Partspro]

I mix by weight.
My ADV’s I mix all flavors as a concentrate. Usually 60ml of concentrate.
So then all I need to mix is base + concentrate + nic.
I do use a 30ml syringe for VG but have found it’s easier to pull the plunger out, fill it from the top, then squeeze it into the mix bottle.
Lately I am changing over to all Gorilla bottles so I can simply pour directly into the larger neck.



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[440BB]

I mix batches in the 350-500ml range, as we go through our ADV at about 350-400ml per month. I use glass beakers, pouring them into a clean glass bottle. After mixing I split the batch into a few 30ml LDPE bottles for daily use, one 120ml LDPE bottle for quick refills and put the rest into a smaller glass bottle. As we go through these batches fairly quickly I don't store them in the fridge or worry about porosity - they've always been tasty, even a bottle I misplaced for about six months. The mix is a minty menthol that needs no steeping and holds up well.

I really enjoy the beakers as the pour spout allows for easy transfer, even into small neck bottles.

These are the 30ml bottles I use, proprietary triangular design from Mr E-liquid.(not my picture but a good example)

These bottles are stiff and thick yet designed to be easy to squeeze from the flat size. Durable and perfect in a pocket.

 

[Rossum]

So I was curious, am I crazy to still be using 30ml bottles at this point?

If a 30 ml bottle only lasts you a few days, then yes, I'd say that's silly.

A 30 would last me close to a week.

I don't use plastic bottles. I like glass.

 

[mrphilip]

We opt for weight as well.
120ml's for 60-90 day steeps. Maybe split them halfway. 240ml for 20-45 days ADV's. 30ml in twin-sets with 1 or 2 variants on recipe we know we enjoy.

Mango that's got texture can take 60 days before you should taste, tobaccos as well. 60 ml's of mango evaporate fast here, 30ml for custom tobaccos is enough.

Table has 5 bottles in rotation, maybe vape 60ml/wk.

Usually make a few recipes over some weekend where each oxidize at set intervals. Also keep a rotation of branded e-liquids to think about recipe structures.

 

[AngeNZ]

I mix by weight also - straight into a 50ml chubby gorilla bottle. I go through about 5ml a day of various mixes.

I started by mixing by volume. However I struggled to get the nozzles out of the flavouring bottles and found it hard to 'suck up' VG with a syringe.

With a scale - you are simply squirting in one ingredient - hitting tare, squirting in the next ingredient etc. Just make sure you get a scale that can measure as low as 0.01g and has an auto-shutoff of at least 2 minutes.

 

[muth]

When I'm mixing an ADV I'll make as much as 300mls. Since I know the recipe well I can usually just pour everything into a measured beaker. If I have to I'll pour liquid into a large open ended syringe with my thumb over the tip then just let it pour into the beaker. I have a scale, too. It makes things more manageable. Less mess to clean up. Oh, and I prefer to use glass especially if it needs steeping.

 

[DaveP]

I mix up four 100ml batches of unflavored in glass 120ml bottles (shaking/stirring room). If I'm low on flavored juice I usually mix up 6 more 50ml flavored juices in 60ml bottles.

I mix by weight right into the bottle on the scale and use a battery powered drink stirrer afterwards to ensure a good homogeneous mix.

 

[DaveP]

I mix by weight also - straight into a 50ml chubby gorilla bottle. I go through about 5ml a day of various mixes.

I started by mixing by volume. However I struggled to get the nozzles out of the flavouring bottles and found it hard to 'suck up' VG with a syringe.

With a scale - you are simply squirting in one ingredient - hitting tare, squirting in the next ingredient etc. Just make sure you get a scale that can measure as low as 0.01g and has an auto-shutoff of at least 2 minutes.

You never know when the phone will ring or something will distract you while you are mixing. I always use the AC adapter during a session to prevent timeouts.

 

[BrotherBob]

Maybe this isn't the best title, but here's what I mean... what do you use (bottle size, syringe size, or do you mix by weight)
Bottle size: 100 ml's. max. 50 ml's ADV.
Syringe size: 60, 10, 3, 1 ml.
Mix by volume only. Syringes are close enough for me.

when making juices you know you like (ex. not experimenting with flavors, but making something to get you through the work day/week?
Day: 2-4 ml's.

Also, how long does it last you (ex. if you make 60ml, is that enough to last you a week or a day)?
50 mls would last me approx. a week if that was my only mix.

A little background info... I've been making my own juice for a few years now, and I've been using 30ml glass dropper bottles.
I would recommend the use 60 ml plastic dropper bottles. The dropper rubber material can break down into the e liquid over time and my bottles tend to break when dropped.

One bottle can probably get me through two days, but I don't like having "just enough".. so I either make a few bottles over the weekend to last me the week, or end up making a bottle about every other day for a week. I've been thinking about getting bigger bottles so when I make some juice, it'll last me longer and maybe won't feel like a weekly chore. However, I use 10ml syringes for the PG/VG and 3ml syringes for the nicotine/flavor. It seems like if I didn't also get bigger syringes, bigger bottles would basically be the same as filling up more bottles (I'd be filling up the 10ml syringes more times for each bottle and wouldn't really save any time).
Some SnV recipes are only good for a short time so you want to be careful how much you make, I find this true of all recipes more or less.

So I was curious, am I crazy to still be using 30ml bottles at this point? Are you guys using bigger bottles, bigger syringes, etc.? FWIW I'm not too into experimenting with different flavors and stuff, I just want to make my "regular" flavors so I have something to vape
One or two each 50 mls plastic bottles per single recipe mix works for me.

Also, if you use plastic bottles, what kind and how long do they last? If I remember right, some types let oxygen in, others can have the plastic get into the juice, etc.
I use any kind of plastic that is the right price (generally free from the flavor vendor). I would not be keeping any recipe mix longer than 6 months unless it tasted the same or improved.

some types let oxygen in, others can have the plastic get into the juice, etc.
Not a concern/problem for me, if the plastic shows stress/deformation, grab another one at the next mix.

 

[Izan]

Hi,
Vaping since 2012, DIY since 2015.

Everything by weight. Everything in plastic. I reuse the HDPE or PET 1000ml bottles that come full of my PG/VG.
I budget about 45 mins per mixing session.
I mix 1000ml at a time of TFA RY-4 at 10%. It needs to steep 30 days at least.

I decant "neat" into 120ml gorilla (PET) bottles for Mrs.Izan and cut the mix 50% for my use. (also 120ml Gorillas)
Mrs. Izan likes strawberry so her bottle gets an additional 3-5% of a mix of TFA straw ripe/CAP Sweet straw and perhaps an FA straw or INA Shisha straw depending on what is in the stash.

I mix a litre approx every 10 months.

Cheers
I

 

[Dudeman]

I use a syringe for nic and flavors and eye the pg/vg ratios in a 120ml bottle. I know how far up the bottle the liquid needs to be before I top off with vg.

 

[Opinionated]

I vape 100% differently than you do, so what works for me will never work for you - just saying.

1 30ml bottle of ejuice lasts me more than one month, all by itself. I vape less than 1ml per day, on average.

That said, I like headroom. I put 30ml of ejuice into a 60ml bottle, so when I shake it I feel as if I have mixed the contents. And I do that no matter how much I'm making. If I'm making a 60ml batch, I use a 100ml bottle, because I like headroom and I don't think a few ml worth of room is enough.

However, I don't mix in other containers, I mix straight into the bottle I'm going to be using. I also don't normally use an electric mixing wand, I just shake it periodically over a long steep, which my flavor combinations do best with anyway.

I have not one shake and vape recipe. Everything I vape is anywhere from 2-4 weeks steep time at a minimum.

At that I'll just shake a bottle periodically. I actually find it easier, especially at the rate I go through juice anyway..

I only mix to where I'm steeping two 30ml mixes at the same time I'm vaping two 30ml mixes and never have more than two flavors to vape at a time. I would rather have fresh juice, than worry about juice that's been in my cabinet a year so unlike more enthusiastic vapers I don't change up flavors all the time. If I vaped more I would have a larger flavor variety but I just don't.

That said, I don't mix by weight I mix using syringes, however again, with such a low consumption level it's quite convenient.

I mix using a glass dropper bottle, and a unicorn bottle - ldpe.

You will want the ldpe unicorn bottles, in 120 ml sizes, you'll prefer mixing by weight in a larger container and using essential oil funnels to make it easy to add to your bottles, and an electric mixing wand for mixing..

basically, the opposite of what I do, because your vaping habits and consumption levels make this type of mixing necessary.

 

[Rossum]

You never know when the phone will ring or something will distract you while you are mixing.

Mixing is like sex. Do it behind a closed door, wash up afterward, and if the phone rings during, well, that's what voice mail is for.