How do you steep?

[RZ7]

I usually leave mine in a cupboard or shelf for 7-10 days with the caps off, plus a daily squeeze'n'shake to keep things stirred up. It's hard to resist sometimes, but it's usually worth the wait~!

 

[Mawsley]

I've never tried anti-freeze before, do you recommend it?

 

[MinhDinh]

I've never tried anti-freeze before, do you recommend it?

Hits the spot man. Throat feels real warm, and the brain freeze is unreal. I name my mix Slush Pup Cherry

 

[Dreadz]

for me, airing cupboard with dripper tip inserted in bottle, daily shake and squeeze for as long as i can resist or untill i run out of the previous batch.
some juices seem fine straight after mixing but others definitely improve with age.

 

[Mawsley]

I've read that as PG and VG are hygroscopic so it would seem logical that they want to be isolated from air to prevent dilution of the liquid.

I've also read that nic is degraded by UV so light would appear to be a no-no and the colour change (so I was told at Vapefest) results from oxidation of the nic in air, which to my mind means that both air and light lowr the nic content of the juice.

I'd love a chemist's input on this to clear up any of my confusion.

 

[robteifi]

I was wondering if any of our commercial mixers use something like a roller-mixer (usually used in biology labs for cell cultures) to help with steeping. ie something like this

I was considering making one using a couple of conveyor rollers with a motorised wheel underneath, possibly controlled by an Arduino with a motor shield

 

[ScottChensoda]

Oh Rob who lives on the best fishing river in Wales, you can try it but I think you maybe over estimating the scientific nous and inclination of the majority of those involved in the e-liquid vending business. If it doesn't do much for e-juice it could work out ok to mix emulsion and eggshell maybe.

 

[Mawsley]

My first mixes have gone into warmth (to make the VG more viscous) and dark with caps on.

 

[lush]

Time.​

The first and most traditional method of steeping is “Time”. Leaving the top off the bottle (allowing air to get to it) will steep and improve a juice by itself, this is usually done by placing the opened bottle in a warm dark place for anything from a day or two up to a week, occasionally giving the bottle a squeeze to expel the air in it and replenish it with fresh air. Benefits are naturally steeped and matured juice, disadvantage, the length of time it takes.​

Steeping however, in particular the time element, can be reduced by also employing a number of additional methods.​

Agitation.​

Vigourous shaking, stirring, etc will help, allow time for the air bubbles to rise to the surface and then repeat again (as many times as you can/want).​

Water Bath Heating.​

Putting the bottle of juice in a warm (not hot) water bath will shorten the time it takes to mature a juice, it firstly thins the liquid and allows interchange and fusion at a molecular level. However, Heat is an enemy of Nicotine, it will degrade the Nic content if too hot. Warm not Hot water is advised.​

Microwave.​

Another method of heating is a microwave. This acts like above, but also has another action thought to do with increased molecular particle fusion when juice is blasted with microwaves. Once again, Heat is an enemy of Nicotine, so use in short 1 sec bursts to get it warm, not hot. Oh, and take the cap off first.
​

Using any (or a combination) of the above methods and then allowing time in a warm dark place, will improve any e-liquid considerably.​

Other agitation methods have been employed successfully, including placing bottles in a rotating polisher (for polishing gem stones etc), using a vibrating electrical orbital sander, one report of a person wrapping a bottle in cloth and putting it inside the hubcap of his car for the duration of his daily travel.
​

Ultrasonics.​

This method combines Vibration from ultrasonic frequency or pulses of energy, with or without a warm water bath, reports have been very encouraging when using this method, some say reducing 2 weeks of steeping time to a single day.​

 

[Mawsley]

putting the bottle of juice in a warm (not hot) water bath will shorten the time it takes to mature a juice, it firstly thins the liquid and allows interchange and fusion at a molecular level.

Thank you for the post but I'm not at all sure that any molecules fuse. I'm more than happy to be corrected on this point.

As far as I am aware the only process (aside from assisting diffusion of the lighter juice constituents through the thicker VG) is that of oxidation of the nicotine and I'm yet to read anything which states that this is even desirable.

I am led to believe that it is the oxidation of nicotine which brings about the colour change and a heavily oxidised nicotine base becomes dark and unpleasantly pungent...and also leads to nicotine not performing its role as the stimulant contained within the vape.