Steep Learning Curve - Darkstar Bottle Shots

[Vapaneezer Scrooge]

I bought some Darkstar Bottle Shots a few weeks ago as an introduction into mixing my own juices, some had 'Great as a shake and vape but suggested a 7 Day+ steeping times, others had a 3-4 week.
(they advised not to breath them)

Shook the living crap out of them a few times a day and stored them in a dark cupboard.
(great quality bottles and enough air gap in the spout to properly get air bubbles after a shake)

Tried the 7 day ones after 10 days, not overly impressed, 2 out of 6 of them were okay-ish.

1 of them (Lemon Tart) 3 weeks on just lacks flavour and that was a 7 day suggested steep.

The Lil Tango one was absolutely amazing flavour after 7 days and keeps improving.
the rest just didn't cut it, I put it down to my mistake of adding VG Nic Shots instead of PG.

3 weeks on and to my pleasant surprise 2 of the flavours have woken up, The Kanzi (watermelon, kiwi & marshmallow) especially! I didn't like it at all at first but I am LOVING it now, great flavour.

Banana Man - that steeped the quickest but it's a little too strong for me so I mix it 50/50 in my tank with Strawberry Blewitz (Vape Avenue) and it's proper lush

Twister Lolly - 3-4 weeks steep time suggested, still steeping but I had a quick tank full the other day and it's superb already, still leaving it to steep more though.

Anyway, lesson learnt again, I will ignore DarkStar's steep time suggestions, I am going to steep ALL for 3-4+ weeks from now on.

That's my experience anyway.

To end with a question:
My parcel arrived with one bottle leaking (strawberry Cheesecake) and couldn't tell how much exactly (estimate 2% of the 20% flavour mix, Darkstar were great and sent a new one.

Thinking it's a shame to waste and wanted to try 0mg nicotine I mixed it roughly and short, 3 weeks on it smells VERY strong, so I was thinking of adding VG Nic shots to dilute, does that mean the steep time clock starts back at zero?

 

[akira181]

The steeping is just to allow all the different liquids to fully mix and bind together properly, so if you add a new liquid component to dilute, it would reset the clock so to say but not as much as a brand new mix. I don't really bother with steeping anymore as I don't notice a big enough change in flavour that merits waiting weeks but maybe I'm just too impatient. I think a proper shake at room temperature for 30s and then 30s rest time is enough for most.

Using PG base nic will increase the flavour a little as PG is supposed to help carry the flavour (I guess that's why most concentrates are PG based) but it will also increase the throat hit. Higher VG will give a softer throat hit but bigger cloud. I go for 80:20 VGG as I find that a nice balance for me.

 

[Gitchy]

You'll get a lot of conflicting advice on steep times as everyone's different. When I first started I tried all my juices after a couple of days and was disappointed. I now leave my fruits a week before trying as that seems to be what I like. I leave my creams etc for over a month before trying as well now.

You seem to have already found your own preference so keep it up and do what you like yourself mate.

 

[zouzounaki]

VGG ?

 

[cheltenham cat]

youve a lot of juice there and my only advice from experience is that bottle shots can over time become quite muted in flavour. Lemon tart for instance it is well known for the lemon to disappear and have to be topped up also i found that most of the fruit in the twister faded leaving only the cream and (bleurgh) koolada

 

[Nick0steam]

I am also a steeping sceptic or have been as I found an old bottle of black cherry menthol from about 6 weeks ago under the sofa and it tastes really good so maybe there's something in it.

 

[zouzounaki]

I am also a steeping sceptic or have been as I found an old bottle of black cherry menthol from about 6 weeks ago under the sofa and it tastes really good so maybe there's something in it.

It definitely has an effect, it depends a lot on the flavours as well, and even the same flavour from different manufacturers. I think a lot of flavours are good to shake and vape, but may well improve with age. Although I’m thinking about doing away with flavours so by rights I should be losing interest...

 

[zouzounaki]

I used to think I was a steeping sceptic, but I realised that what i actually am is an impatient bastard with a tendency towards confirmation bias. “it tastes decent, all these idiots bumping on about steeping are deluded” etc etc

 

[oldhippydude]

I think you are approaching things in the right way @Vapaneezer Scrooge
Testing your juices at intervals to see what works for you.

In my early days of mixing when I was paying close attention to flavours and how the balance each other, I found my flavours improved and the balance of flavours could change and improve over the first few days. After that it was beyond my ability to detect any changes.

I have no doubt that stuff happens when you store juice, probably loads of stuff, like chemical reactions, oxidation, evaporation or whatever.
Folk with better taste buds than me, or folk that practice mindfulness with every inhale may well find my juice better after a different time.

As long as someone has worked out the best steeping procedure for their own flavours and tastes, or even if they have decided to trust someone elses method, and let confirmation bias do the rest, it is all equally good. Belief is the most important thing when it comes to something as subjective as taste.

Listen to everyone, believe no one then make it up for yourself, is what I think about steeping.

 

[Vapaneezer Scrooge]

I've even found shake & vapes where you just add a nic shot still get better with a short steep, either that or it wasn't fully steeped when I bought it.
Vape Avenue LP Crust for example, I was so disappointed in the dull flavour after I added the 3mg nic shot, 3 weeks on it's simply amazing, I know it wasn't down to my tastebuds varying as I had another bottle I hadn't added the nic shot to, so added that, shook the crap out of it, then compared it, sure enough the flavour was muted, roll on 3 weeks!