I had a question that came up when I was mixing up a couple recipes and thought I’d toss it out to you guys. When and how often do you test your juice? Do you do a taste test before you steep, during steeping, after a certain amount of time, etc.?
I typically shake a ton, put them up for a week, test, and take notes. If they’re not so great, they go back for a week and get tasted again after 1, 2, and 3 more weeks. I figure if they aren’t good after 4 weeks, they’re a lost cause. As for steeping method, I don’t ultrasonic, hot water/rice bath, or froth (for now), I just let time do its thing. I also don’t drip yet so I typically am sacrificing a new coil when I test, which is why I don’t usually try them straight away. I recently considered I may be missing out on discovering one of my mixes is a great shake and vape, so I tried one and it was actually pretty good: reason #1001 to get a good dripper.
About 95% of my mixes involve tobacco flavors. So for me, there is really no shake and vape scenario there; steeping for 2 weeks or more is just a must. I used to try and sneak a tasting a couple of days after the mix…nope, no good. So, I’ve learned to just shake, shelf and forget it exists until the proper steep period.
My wife is a big RY4 lover as well. I’m making up 50 to 100ml batches for her all the time and letting them steep way ahead of running out of the last steeped batch.
In the beginning i tasted after a heat & shake and then after curing. Since then i have been hooked on mostly custard/cream vapes so i only have to taste it once, right after i mix. I know right then and there if i will like it or not. Most of the flavors i work with i have used extensively in the past so i know what they taste like through all stages of curing. If i introduce a new flavor i go back to tasting several times during its curing.
Keep in mind larger batches cure slower than smaller batches. A 5ml bottle with cure much much faster than a 30ml. When i mix in 8oz bottles the juice will get a minimum of 2 months, custard mixes, curing time.
I never taste right after a mix. My first taste is usually 2-3 days. But regardless of the results then it’s a minimum of 2 weeks before I test it again. Sometimes it’s good then if not I store it for 2 more weeks. I guess I kinda have a 2 week rule. I do a lot of fruit mixes that doesn’t need as much steep as creams and tobaccos, so it’s usually good after 2-3 days.
Glad I’m not the only one. I don’t feel so weird now. I’m getting the feeling that tobaccos, custards, or anything along those lines (what I’d consider ‘richer’ flavors) are going to be best when left for awhile, whereas fruits or florals (‘lighter’ flavors) may be okay but typically get better as time goes on.
I do a minimum of 2 hr hot ultrasonic bath. It will shorten the steep by at least a week. You will see the mix turn darker in two hours. I also use a dremmel type mixer to stir my mixes into a froth. My arm got too tired with all that shaking. Have you considered either?
Most people agree, especially on tobacco’s. Ive read many threads on tobacco flavorings and most people will say 1 month at a minimum but 2 months is best. Custards 1 month but i like my VC V1 (CAP) as a shake and vape.
Bavarian cream (TFA)(LA) is good after two weeks but one month FTW! Same with sweet cream TFA. I hate rich flavors but i am not a patient man, hehe.
I once wrapped a mix in a sock and tossed in the drier. It came out well shaken and a lil darker. I tried it a second time and the cap came off and the sock smelled like tobacco. This summer I’ll be steeping in my attic. It’s always 100+ degrees up there. I’ve heard of people steeping in a hot car during the summer also. I’m gonna do a steep test in my car trunk this summer in some type of box with the mix unsecured so it will roll around while I drive.
Wow, you guys are intense. LOL I think a milk frother is well within my budget but a reciprocating saw? Not so much. Plus, shaking is a great arm workout.
Ive read about people curing in their hot car too. I use to place bottles in front of the exhaust port on my laptops, they run 24/7. This works quite well, just enough heat to speed things along but not too much to degrade the nicotine too quickly.
Still nothing better than time for curing. VG nic is very hard to homogenize once it separates. Dern carpal tunnel makes it impossible for me to shake it long enough by hand so i had to improvise, hehe.
Now this is just my opinion but when curing juice all one should really do is heat the mixture just enough to shake it thoroughly, or pre-measure and heat your VG, then in the curing box it goes for however long it takes for that particular juice. Heat and shaking will speed oxidation and degrade the nicotine. I went through the speed curing phase and tried many different methods, i still use my ultrasonic cleaner if the curing time is just a few days. but using heat can create that peppery taste so many people dislike. Once it goes in the curing box i only shake it once per week until i am ready to use it.
Yikes, sorry for rambling on but i have purposely disabled some of my brain cells.
Like i say, it can happen but it may not depending on the amount and duration of heat. PG based nic will most likely oxidize at a quicker rate as VG is more viscous. Ive had it happen a couple times, when i used the crock pot method yet it did not happen every time.
Patients is hard! I just learned to make large enough batches along with one 30ml of the same so i could vape it quicker since it will cure faster in a smaller bottle.
It’s finals week for me…I think mine may be permanently disabled now. LoL Don’t apologize…it is great information to have and I appreciate it.
I have been lucky enough to not experience peppery nic, but wasn’t aware that it needed to be shaken until recently. I typically get 120ml of 100% VG 24mg nic and have started putting it in a condiment bottle for easy dispensing. Is separation the type of thing that happens after a long period of time? I haven’t seen any kind of visible separation, but I’ve started giving it a good shake before I use it just in case.
It wouldnt be noticeable in high quality nicotine, until you went to vape it. Ive recently decided to go back to PG based nic since i use it @ 3m anyways, its a very low percentage of PG and will help carry the flavor a little better, at least that is my thinking. Keeping it in the fridge or freezer will help to slow separation as well as slow down the oxidation process.
Good luck on your finals! Wasnt that long ago that i was in the same position, it was always a stressful event.
