Why don't e-liquid companies provide recommended steeping times for their juices?

[NashvillePhil]

Some flavors I can vape as soon as I get them out of the box and they are outstanding. Some I can steep for 3 or more weeks and they're still not close to being ready, but a couple of months later they are great. Flavor X from one vendor can be almost ready to go while the same flavor from another vendor can take weeks to get the harshness out.

Many newcomers to vaping do not know anything about steeping, have never heard of it, and then just assume that flavor X is awful when it might be outstanding if they had steeped it for a couple of weeks. Or, they read that they should leave the top off and then sit a topless bottle of highly aromatic dessert juice in a closet for quite a while and then later are dismayed that it has little flavor.

So, with all of that going on and considering how many people new to vaping do not know about steeping, why don't juice vendors provide information about it on their web sites along with a simple chart of recommended vaping times for their products? They could just give a range of # of days/weeks for each juice. Some vendors, like Diane at MyVapeJuice, provide good info about vaping. Also, this forum posting is a great way to get an idea of which juices need it and which need it a lot. But, for the most part, juice vendors seem to ignore steeping. Why is that?

 

[jwag1973]

Good question!

Backwoods Brew does give recommended steep times for their juice.

 

[HoseGarden]

same reason produce vendors dont recommend you let their fruits "ripen" in a bag

any steeping i do is purely unintentional and only because i have more eliquid than i can vape in a day

 

[Rat2chat2]

It wouldn't stop me from trying them as soon as I get them anyway. Just me I suppose. I have very little patience.

 

[fraychek]

Many venders have yhat information on their web sites and I have 1 who puts it in the package.

 

[Kollin6618]

Some more complex juices (3+ different flavors) I've noticed change in which flavor is more present. I have one that early on tastes more marshmallow and after a month tastes more honey like. I also have one that was much more berry at first and after a while more white chocolate. Either way they're good but it's just preference. I'd say in those cases you can't really put a date on when they're at their best. Just my opinion.

 

[JaxMike]

I think it's a good question. At least they should provide a good 'help' page on steeping. It really amazes me that some companies have sent me the awful (out of the mailbox) juice they have and relied on me to understand it needs a month of steeping.

 

[NashvillePhil]

I think it's a good question. At least they should provide a good 'help' page on steeping. It really amazes me that some companies have sent me the awful (out of the mailbox) juice they have and relied on me to understand it needs a month of steeping.

Exactly! Thank you - that is my whole point. I would think that the relatively little time it would take for a vendor to put together some kind of info on steeping relative to their products would pay them back many times over in repeat customers who, without the information, would assume their juice was garbage and move on to another company. Some of the bigger companies simply do not do this and I cannot believe that it never occurred to them that a lot of potential customers would benefit from the info.

 

[NashvillePhil]

There are some who do provide information on steeping (at least something). But it seems that most do not. And, it's not like it's common sense. We're talking about a new and rapidly evolving thing here.

Is it a "members only club" mentality, where the attitude is people need to spend hours and hours researching it? Surely these companies understand that most people who start vaping do not see it as a hobby but as a means to an end. They're not going to pour over Internet sites to learn the best methods for this and that. They're not going to watch youtube videos on how to wrap coils or a good mesh to use on their Genesis clone. And, they're not going to find out about steeping unless they run into it accidentally or unless the juice web site they happen to visit has info on it. They just want to buy the stuff and use it.

 

[rabernet]

But taste is so subjective. For example - Smooth Criminal from Ahlusions - many people will tell you that it's a long steeper, needs 6-8 weeks to reach its full potential. Not that it's not good before that, but that the "singing angels" occur at that later point.

Some people love it FOOB, while others hate it FOOB.

So if Ahlusion were to tell you it's a 6-8 week steep, you'd put it aside and forget about it, without trying it along the way and find out that myabe YOU love it early on.

I accept aging as something I do with all my juices, and I'm rewarded greatly for it. I see folks who are impatient to age, and I think "they're really missing out on some awesome juices with their "I want it NOW" mentality".

Branch out - try more complex juices, knowing they need aging, and buy your FOOB loved ones to hold you over until they also sing to you.

 

[Miata GT]

Yeah but some just plain suck to start with. I love MTV's Blue Moo, Thug Juice, and Moo Juice; they are great out of the mail and get even better over time. I just got in their Peach and Pineapple Upsidedown Cake and they were NASTY! I am steeping them in hopes they will get better (I expect they will). The latter are examples where a little notice would be less confusing for new vapers.

 

[vanillayo]

I've found that if I follow the different flavor profiles I can pretty much estimate when they will be good. For me the creamy, savory and dessert flavors take a minimum of 2 weeks and fruit flavors take about a week.

 

[NashvillePhil]

rabernet: All that you said makes sense to me. I also typically steep all my juices to some extent, with tobaccos...and especially strong/complex tobaccos...getting real quality time in a cool, dark place. Got more serious about steeping after I tried a juice that I thought I'd thrown away a couple of months previously (because the taste was disgusting) and it had transformed into a delightful vape.

As for the impatient folks...I can be one of them sometimes. I don't mind waiting for a purchased juice and am in no hurry to vape it. But my DIY juice is a different matter. I mixed it up so there's a curiosity factor there that can be irresistible! Much like my home brewing days. I was in such a hurry to find out how my brew was doing that sometimes there wasn't much left to enjoy once it got really good. And of course with home brew, particularly strong and complex recipes like imperial stout, a high ABV rye IPA, or heaven knows a good barleywine, you're easily talking 4 months or so minimum before it should be touched. Ah, there's nothing quite like savoring a barleywine you created on it's 2nd birthday. Ohhhhh, my oh my! SO worth the wait! But when it's there in the bottle waiting and it might be ok, it's mighty hard to resist. Anyway, maybe that's a helpful analogy for somebody.

 

[NashvillePhil]

Miata GT: Amen to that!