When I first started to DIY my own e-liquid (started about 4 months ago) I was doing so to cut costs on vendor bought e-liquid. As some of the premium lines were upwards of almost $25 for a 30ml, which is absurd in my eyes. Most of us vapers are looking for the cost effective route, which is where my DIY’ing stemmed from. I wanted to make some of this premium liquid that vendors were charging an arm and a leg for. When you think about it, the most expensive 30ml bottle maybe costs upwards of $3 to DIY at any given time.
So my journey began with buying a large amount of flavorings I wanted to try along with some plastic bottles, syringes of all sizes (1ml-10ml), and blunt needles of all gauges (14-18).
With this method, I found I spent a lot of time cleaning my supplies for reuse at a later time.
I was always contaminating other juices because I was always shoving the needle in the bottle to expel the concentrates, while mixing 3-4 juices at a time I found that I had to reuse equipment.
At this point, I felt like I was causing myself more headaches than I was actually enjoying the art of mixing.
My journey through DIY’ing with syringes led me to do thorough research about mixing by weight. I found most of the experienced DIYers using scales to measure out their juices by the hundredth of a gram. This seems like such a foreign way to mix juices for the beginners, that people steer away from it because it seems like a tedious process in comparison to using the standard ole syringe method. Let me shed my insight on why I took the leap and I have not looked back one single time.
I invested $30 into a nice scale WITHOUT an auto off feature and it measures down to the hundredth of a gram. I bought a box of 500 3ml disposable pipettes for $10. All of the used pipettes I throw away after my mixing session has ended.
I order all my bottles, all of which I have switched to using glass, from glassbottleoutlet and I am very happy with their dripper bottles. Not one has leaked, nor broken on me. The prices are very good and they have custom colors available.
To my main point here, I have absolutely no clean up unless I am mixing a batch bigger than 30ml all at once. I have found it easier to mix 3x 30ml bottles than it is to mix 90ml all together and pour it separately into the 30ml bottles. Again that induces a cleanup process and possibly a spill here or there.
I literally just weigh the drops out to the required amount my recipe calls for and I tare the scale and move to the next ingredient. As we all have found out, ELR does measure in grams instead of drops.
The best and I mean the BEST place to order concentrates from when mixing by weight is from bullcityvapor. They ship all of their concentrates in dropper bottles of the size bought minus their 120ml. So this eliminates even more mess because you’ll just drip straight from the concentrate to the juice bottle you’re making.
This way of mixing has brought me to thoroughly enjoy sitting down in my little lab area to mix juices. I found that I can mix many more juices in the same time it took me with syringes. This has opened my eyes and I actually offer to mix juice for friends/family in comparison to when I mixed with syringes, I looked at it as a hassle when I ran out of favorite juice.
To conclude my argument here, I have found the love to craft some really, really tasty juices now. I enjoy the time it takes for me to sit down, put the gloves on and pull out the lab. I just wanted to share a little bit of my experience and see where everyone on the forum is comfortable at for mixing. Feel free to ask me any questions you have and don’t forget to post how you mix! Thanks for reading!
If you want to place an order on glassbottleoutlet, use this referral link and you’ll receive 10% off your first purchase!
I’ve gotten some questions regarding where I’ve gotten certain things that I use for mixing, so I’m going to build a list of what I use and where I get everything. Just click on the item in blue to go to the page, they are all linked.
Bottles - I buy all of my glass bottles from glassbottleoutlet. They have nice colors too.
Pipettes - I buy boxes of 500 from Amazon. These ones come with a nice dispensing box.
Beakers - If you want to mix bigger batches than your bottle can hold, buy a set of beakers. However I have found that I just mix 3x bottles if I want to make 90ml now.
Nitrile Gloves - I normally just buy a box from Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, etc.
Concentrates - My main source is bullcityvapor if you guys didn’t catch that already . I also use nudenicotine for all of my 10% solutions like Citric Acid, Ethyl Malton, etc.
Nicotine - I have switched from using Wizard Labs 60mg nicotine, to nudenicotine 60mg nicotine. They are even nice enough to let you try a 15ml sample of your chosen strength if you cover the $2 shipping. I feel that their nicotine is of higher quality than WL and cleaner tasting.
VG/PG - I buy it from nudenicotine when purchasing my nicotine.
I bought my scale from Amazon. I read reviews and I calibrated it when I got it and it has been one of the best scales I’ve ever bought for precision. Don’t buy the one that is $44, I’m not sure why that is the main price, click on the ‘others for $…’ and you’ll see the one that is from Amazon for around $33.
I listed a nice scale in the reply above, just click the link. The difference is like night and day when comparing mixing by weight vs by syringes. Give it a go!
I can see your argument there, some still prefer the syringes even after mastering weight. I haven’t touched my syringes since I started mixing by weight, maybe I should toss them over to my buddy who won’t convert to mixing by weight
It took me a good session or two of mixing with the scale to get the hang of it and the process. The intermediate steps were a little different for me, then finally on my 3rd blend, I realized how simple everything had become. Then boom, it all fell into place
Awesome! Thanks for the link. Works out nice with my prime membership! Just started DYI and the syringes are a pain, so this will make it so much easier.
I am interested in mixing by weight. I am doing the syringe method and Yes I feel like I spend too much time cleaning up after the process. Not to mention all of that stuff is sitting around soaking or drying. It’s kinda like the redundancy of grocery shopping or a dishwasher in my mind. Take it out use it clean it dry off put it away … Too many steps. I think once I am finished with my cross county move next month I just may Take that leap it sounds fairly easy and a heck of a lot less clean up. I’m in ! So Amazon for a scale.
Just out of curiosity, would you weight mixers say it is worthwhile to switch even if someone (like me ) only mixes at most a 30 ml bottle or two but usually several 10 ml bottles?
I generally mix 5-10 bottles (30ml) in one go and are usually all different. I have thought many times about mixing by weight but I don’t have a problem with syringes shrug. Each to their own
OK OK. You’ve convinced me. I went ahead and ordered a scale and pipettes. I am lazy and cleaning syringes is becoming a chore!!! Thanks for the great advice!
No problem, it is an awesome scale. Easier and you’ll see a difference in the money aspect compared to syringes.
Easy is an understatement compared to using syringes. There literally is no clean up unless there is a user error causing a spillage . Yes Amazon for your scale, it’s the best money can buy in its price range.
As @daath said, it still remains easier to mix by weight even in the smaller milliliters. I only have 15ml and 30ml bottles. All of my ADV are mixed into the 30ml bottles. If I’m attempting a new recipe I found or creating a new vape myself, I use the 15ml bottle and normally make a 10ml batch to try it out first, before making 30ml of it. If I want more, I simply make x amount of 30ml bottles.
Another note I want to make here; I will argue every time that a recipe is more precise when mixed by weight. One can literally get within 0.01-0.03g of the exact amount needed for every ingredient. At that amount, you are barely off a tiny drop.
Geesh, 5-10 bottles in a go with syringes? You must have a bunch of syringes and needles laying around . If you ever do decide to take the leap, I think you’ll be happy. Either way, there is no wrong or right way to mix juice.
You’ll find yourself wanting to mix juice more. That was my point, I was too lazy for the whole cleaning process of it all. No problem, glad I could help!
I mix by weight also. I made the switch a little more than a month ago. It’s so much cleaner and easier. I mix it right into my bottles. Mix it up, Shake it up, Vape it up.
I’ve considered throwing all my flavors into a 30ml plastic bottle and throw out the pipettes completely, but I know plastic isn’t good for storing the flavors. I do however have my commonly used flavors in 30ml bottles. Just drip the amount strait into my mix on the scale and put the lid back on…
…and my VG and PG are in 320ml squeezable bottles, which makes mixing go by quicker.
That is my favorite part about mixing by weight, plus it’s more precise.
I like the idea of the squeezable bottles. I have been using a 4oz dropper bottle for my VG, but the amount I need in a mixture can be hard to get out of the dropper since the VG is super thick. I have been on the search for something a little bigger/easier to drip my VG from.
I would greatly appreciate if you could mentor me, as I want to mix
the juices correctly, and learn properly. Please contact me directly if you would not mind. As I mentioned in my earlier post, my goal is to open up a enthusiast lounge to where vapor can come enjoy a constitutional and there favorite home juice. This is not a profit making venture but a hobbyist attempt to share with others. Let me know what I would owe you for your time and effort.
. I also use nudenicotine for all of my 10% solutions like Citric Acid, Ethyl Malton, etc.
. I also use 
) only mixes at most a 30 ml bottle or two but usually several 10 ml bottles?
. If you ever do decide to take the leap, I think you’ll be happy. Either way, there is no wrong or right way to mix juice.
