What is the heaviest ingredient?

[IgnorantCig]

On some of my juice bottles, it says "shake well".

I was wondering what is the heaviest ingredient? Is VG heavier than PG?

If you don't shake, will the nicotine sink to the bottom of the jar?

I do usually shake all of my bottles before refilling tanks, but I was just curious as to what happens when somebody doesn't shake.

 

[Baditude]

I don't know about being "heavier", but Vg is definitely more viscous (thicker).

I always shake the bottle before filling a tank or atty. I've seen some rare e-liquids "separate" in the bottle if sitting on a shelf.

 

[IgnorantCig]

I don't know about being "heavier", but Vg is definitely more viscous (thicker).

I always shake the bottle before filling a tank or atty. I've seen some rare e-liquids "separate" in the bottle if sitting on a shelf.

I've begun vaping more VG heavy blends, and yeah, I definitely notice that VG is thicker than PG. People will obviously have to switch out their coils or clean them more often when using VG heavy juices.

I haven't seen it happen to myself yet, but I've seen a few pictures of juice separating like you mentioned in your second sentence.

 

[Cullin Kin]

VG supposedly has a density of 1.26 g/cm^3 and Propylene Glycol 1.04 g/cm^3. Just a quick google search...

 

[IgnorantCig]

VG supposedly has a density of 1.26 g/cm^3 and Propylene Glycol 1.04 g/cm^3. Just a quick google search...

That's interesting. So I assume that those pictures that I saw of e juice that was separated had the VG on the bottom layer and the PG on the top layer.

Some juices use nicotine that is combined with the PG sometimes I read. I wonder if that changes anything.

 

[Cullin Kin]

That's interesting. So I assume that those pictures that I saw of e juice that was separated had the VG on the bottom layer and the PG on the top layer.

Some juices use nicotine that is combined with the PG sometimes I read. I wonder if that changes anything.

I mix my own juice (DIY). First I add the flavorings, then the nicotine, then PG, and finally VG to get the mix to 50/50. I don't shake until the very end, however, before I shake it is obvious that the VG is at the bottom and PG, nic, and flavorings are all at the top.

 

[IgnorantCig]

I mix my own juice (DIY). First I add the flavorings, then the nicotine, then PG, and finally VG to get the mix to 50/50. I don't shake until the very end, however, before I shake it is obvious that the VG is at the bottom and PG, nic, and flavorings are all at the top.

I haven't mixed my own juice yet, but that's interesting to know. Thanks!

 

[sonicbomb]

I've heard talk of the nicotine separating in juice, if you vaped the concentrated bit you might be in for a shock.

 

[Papillon61]

Just to get an idea of how heavy vg is try mixing in a beaker. Even if the VG is the last thing you add it will go straight to the bottom. Always shake your bottles.

 

[bussdriver]

Shaking also helps keep the flavors mixed and steeping together properly.

Some flavors are oils, I have used pineapple, banana, mint, cinnamon.....these will separate and float to the top. Shaking puts them in suspension for a while.

 

[Monotremata]

That's interesting. So I assume that those pictures that I saw of e juice that was separated had the VG on the bottom layer and the PG on the top layer.

Some juices use nicotine that is combined with the PG sometimes I read. I wonder if that changes anything.

Actually Ive seen VG sit on top of PG. I make my own juice and have noticed this a few times while mixing it up. My order for mixing is always nic/PG/VG/flavoring and it definitely sits there in its own layer until I shake the crap out of the end result. Its 'thicker' but maybe its lighter than PG? I store my stuff in blue cobalt 60ml bottles and use a 20ml syringe to fill up the plastic unicorn bottles I carry around. Ive also noticed when I suck a bunch of juice up in the syringe the tail end of what Im injecting into the bottle is the VG, you can definitely see it when it starts coming out.

Like Sonicbomb said Ive also seen the nic seperate as well. I made a 60ml batch of some Watermelon bubblegum last week that I just finished going through yesterday and the first 30ml or so was so harsh I thought I had accidentally put too much nic into it. When I started finishing off the last 30ml earlier this week, there was all the sweet watermelon gum flavoring that had been missing from the first fill.

 

[Steamix]

Shaking also helps keep the flavors mixed and steeping together properly.

Some flavors are oils, I have used pineapple, banana, mint, cinnamon.....these will separate and float to the top. Shaking puts them in suspension for a while.

Oil based flavours are not a good idea. They are ok for all sorts of applications, but vaping isnt one of them. PG/VG/water - all miscible with each other. Flavours ought to blend in too.

 

[tj99959]

I have a friend that is a major supplier of e-liquids. He sent a bunch of flavors in for testing, and the results came back all screwy. He was laughing when he told me about it & said "they forgot to read the directions, it says shake well before using". I guess it does no good to shake a test sample if you forget to shake the bottle BEFORE extracting the test sample.

The reality is that EVERY ingredient has it's very own specific gravity.

 

[Shipwreck]

use a 20ml syringe to fill up the plastic unicorn bottles I carry around.

I thought unicorn bottles were just a myth?

 

[Completely Average]

Pure nicotine is a crystal and will settle to the bottom. It will do this even in nicotine solution which is why the concentrated nicotine solution says to shake well before use.

Some flavoring agents will settle to the bottom. The most obvious is menthol which like nicotine, is a crystal when in it's pure form. It never truly mixes with your juice, it only blends, and given time it will separate and sink to the bottom. Other flavoring agents do the same thing. Again, this is why many flavoring agents tell you to shake well before use. Even the flavoring concentrates separate in time.

PG and VG actually mix together rather well and you'll get virtually no separation over time, but that's because they are both derivatives of the same thing, vegetable oil. It's like pouring gasoline and kerosene into the same bottle. At first the gasoline will sink to the bottom but once mixed they will combine with each other and stay mixed.