Bridge steeping

[StuPot]

Has anyone got more info / links on bridge steeping? It's steeping flavours separately before blending them together.. But which flavours have you found to benefit from this?

I'm guessing it's when using strong flavours like aniseed that can wipe another flavour out but has anyone got a short list of flavours that benefit from this?

I'm expecting I'll get answers of "no, it's a trial and error thing, it can vary a lot from mix to mix so go experiment you lazy fucker"

 

[John175bramley]

No.

 

[robertgoldring]

Why ask, go and experiment you lazy ...........

Nah honestly I don't know, it's not something I've ever heard of tbh

 

[ghost]

TBH the first i ever heard of it was Martyn Parker's interview with Sam Cox of Digbys. But he just mentioned he did it with his custards but that was it. It interested me too but never seen anything else about it

 

[StuPot]

I've seen a few mixers / vendors mention doing it.. I read ZT mention it too. I'll understand if he doesn't want to give any info away though

I think a lot of tobacco flavours require it. From what I gather it can help some flavours stand out by doing it that way.

 

[BD1]

Things like tobaccos benefit from steeping separately in my experience, also aniseed like mentioned, and also creamy or buttery concentrates.

It's also the secret to making chocolate taste more chocolatey or making it 'pop' in e-liquids, definitely steep that one separately before adding other flavours

Generally anything that benefits from steeping is worth steeping on it's own to assess the outcome.

 

[StuPot]

I've experimented with this a bit more now and I'm finding it does weird and wonderful things to your juices..

Adding different flavours afterwards makes some interesting variations of the same recipe.

For anyone interested in experimenting, make a few samples of the same recipe but leave a different flavour out of each sample and taste test them side by side once you've added it later and your happy it's steeped.. They will likely taste very different to eachother.

This won't always mean the finished juice will be better but flavours change a lot once mixed together in different ways. I'm finding it very interesting seeing how it helps certain flavours shine more in mixes.

 

[rughead121]

Another thing worth trying is mixing your concentrates and allow them to steep for a few days before adding your nic base and diluent

Some interesting results

 

[jayy517]

I can't remember where the concentrates came from but when I first started mixing I found strawberry and lime worked together much better once steeped for a few days separately and mixed later.

Generally, in my limited experience, I have found that blending concentrates together pre-mixing gives a
result more towards the 'middle ground' between the 2 flavours. Blending post mixing and steeping helps each flavour stand out individually within the mix.

Obviously each flavour and certainly combinations of flavours will vary but this is my understanding from my limited experience!

i will also add that I find it much easier to mix and match flavours by combining pre mixed and steeped single flavours. I guess this gives the ability to determine what percentage a flavour will come to life before combining it with another flavour. Again, in my limited experience, if a flavour tastes bad in its own, it will usually not taste too much better mixed with something else. There are of course exceptions to this rule - I found one today in fact - but i find it a good rule of thumb to go by

 

[cheersm8]

I love how the vaping world is compelled to name things! Bridge Steeping? Hmmm, is that the same as mixing together some juices that you've already made previously? And, if so, hasn't everybody always done that since the very beginnings of "mixology"?
There is no science called "bridge steeping", unless "ohhhh I think I'll stick a bit of that apple e-liquid I made into my custard mix and see what it tastes like" can be considered a science.

If the term "bridge steeping" is meant to convey the process of pre blending concentrates/ingredients to make a particular flavour why not call the process pre blending?

I do confess to having very slight angst against the term "steeping" being used with regards to e-liquids, seeing as leaving e-liquid to mature isn't "steeping". Steeping is a process by which a solid is left in a liquid to extract either colour, flavour, or chemical components of the solid and there are no solids in any of my e-liquids