What is PGA?

[Danesnpits]

I have been reading on DIY forums on how to mix my own juice. What I don't understand, when you look at recipe calculators, it says to add your PG 50% and VG 50% then it says what percentage you want for water/vodka/pga.

I don't understand what PGA is, and not sure what it is used for in the formulation when making flavors. I am a non drinker (due to liver cirrhosis at age 25) and I see alot of the recipe calculators ask for me to add a number in for water/vodka/pga.

Please someone shed me some light here!!

PS- I can not find the unflavored NIC juice base for making my own flavors here in Canada! I can only find PG and VG that already contain the nicotine in it and don't understand if i have to buy both, have it mixed together, or just buy VG or PG..Do you have to use both? UGH this is soooooooo confusing! I failed math and chemistry in highschool royally!! I just wanted the Nic juice base and pg or vg with no Nic in it!!

 

[Dizzy_jester]

PGA. Pure grain alcohol. (everclear, corn whiskey, moonshine)

 

[Carless]

Just use your mouse to hover your cursor on where you wrote pga above and your answer will magically appear! First you will see a bold "?", then the answer.
(Hint: It's Pure grain alcohol. Everclear or Golden Grain are two brands I can think of. 95% alcohol content, or 190 proof.)

 

[cyberwolf]

PGA is Pure Grain Alcohol and is completely optional in recipes. Some DIYers use it to add a little extra throat hit to low or non-nic juices. When you buy nicotine, you will always be buying it mixed with either PG or VG. The calculators will help you determine what percentages of concentrated unflavored nicotine liquid, PG, VG and flavor to mix together. You can easily mix recipes with all PG and do not have to add VG, but adding a percentage will give you a smoother vape with more vapor.

For example, if I wanted to mix a 10ml batch of 12mg liquid using 36mg unflavored nicotine, I would have to add PG and/or VG containing no nicotine to get the desired nic level.

A sample mix for a 12mg liquid that is a 80%PG, 20%VG mix with 10% flavoring:
3.33 ml 36mg PG liquid
3.67 ml PG with no nicotine
2.00 ml VG with no nicotine
1.00 ml flavoring

A quick search yielded Vapables as a Canadian source for unflavored juice. Unless they have a coupon code, the price is a little on the high side at $30 for 30ml of 36mg.

 

[mikecup]

Yes its a little confusing at first.
I mix mostly all my juices.
PGA (pure grain alcohol or everclear vodka 180 proof) or water.
Some people use it to increase throat hit (TH), I have tried it and did not like the results.
You will have to do a little experimenting to get the vg/pg ratio to your liking. Just remember the favoring that you buy are majority of the time pg, so take that into consideration. I mix my juices 60/40 vg/pg .
As far as unflavored nic juice, I use xtremevaping.com here in the US, Levy has very clean nic juice.
Hope that helps you some of course others will have there opinions also. If I can help any more you can pm me.

 

[HzG8rGrl]

Danesnpits-Welcome to ECF! I see that you are in Canada. ECF does have a Canadian area here that you can ask fellow Canadians to see where they purchase their supplies. I do hope this helps!
Canada Forum

All of the replies are great and true, but seeing as you are not in the States, I was thinking you would enjoy some chatting with people who have the same issues regarding purchasing products.

 

[Danesnpits]

PGA is Pure Grain Alcohol and is completely optional in recipes. Some DIYers use it to add a little extra throat hit to low or non-nic juices. When you buy nicotine, you will always be buying it mixed with either PG or VG. The calculators will help you determine what percentages of concentrated unflavored nicotine liquid, PG, VG and flavor to mix together. You can easily mix recipes with all PG and do not have to add VG, but adding a percentage will give you a smoother vape with more vapor.

For example, if I wanted to mix a 10ml batch of 12mg liquid using 36mg unflavored nicotine, I would have to add PG and/or VG containing no nicotine to get the desired nic level.

A sample mix for a 12mg liquid that is a 80%PG, 20%VG mix with 10% flavoring:
3.33 ml 36mg PG liquid
3.67 ml PG with no nicotine
2.00 ml VG with no nicotine
1.00 ml flavoring

A quick search yielded Vapables as a Canadian source for unflavored juice. Unless they have a coupon code, the price is a little on the high side at $30 for 30ml of 36mg.

This is so fantastic and thanks so much for putting in it terms I can understand! Now here is a question, does the unflavored nic juice already come made in a pg or vg base? If it does, then you are saying, I have to get the no nic pg or vg to get it to the desired nic level? I am guessing I just answered my own question. hahahaha..

Vapables is indeed expensive. I just searched online in the states, and couldn't believe the difference in price! So cheap there!!