I started to use a combination of 2 steeping methods and I think it delivers really good results. I think it is way better than just shaking and I can’t really taste a different to the same batch that just sat for 3 or 4 days.
When I develop new recipes I usually mix a 7-10 ml batch and then do the following:
stir it with a hand mixer ($10 on Amazon).
make sure to move the mixer up and down so the juice looks like milk.
Then I put it for 15 min (the longer the better but 15 is usually enough) in an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner filled with hot tap water
The liquid comes out of the cleaner clear again and after it’s cooled down it’s ready to test.
@Ammertos you will probably get a LOT of different thoughts on this one, and all I can offer, are mine.
I’m not a fan of trying to speed anything up, in regards to steeping time, and having tried MOST, and had some BAD results, I’m right back into the “Shake it up good, and let it sit” camp.
When you mentioned hand mixing until it looks like milk, I cringed. I’ve tried that. My experience was it actually KILLED some of the flavor, and I assumed OVER blended, and/or aerated. I’ve tried about every “heat” method out there, and some seemed again, to help kill off some of the flavor, and many PRE-oxidized my NIC.
You are free to try and test and see what works for YOU, but those were my experiences. About the only “trick” I’ve found that works EVERY time, without exception, and regardless of what profile the end mix is, is “seeding”. Even that, does not make an immediately ready mix however. Seeding is when you take the same recipe from a previously mixed batch, that is fully steeped and add to a freshly mixed batch, and allow it to work it’s magic.
If you use your above method, and you have success then you should post back. Many of us have tried all the “You’ve gotta try this”'s out there with poor or no positive results, and went back to “Shake it and wait”. Sometimes there’s just no rushing things without negative consequences. Now, if you really, really have to vape something right away, your methods MAY provide SOME better blending than simply shaking and immediately testing, but you may want to test/compare one of your speed blended mixes vs. a shake and steeped mix to see how they differ, and you may find that by over blending or heating you actually loose and/or mute the flavor.
If it tastes good to you when you’re done that’s all that counts. The “milking” or froth that you are seeing is removing volitines from the mix. This could be tastes you don’t want or tastes you want. Depends on the mix. An ultrasonic bath not only removes the frothing but also mixes the juice in a different manner than physical mixing achieving a more thorough blending. Any mixing that you can do on the front end of the process is positive as long as you are not loosing volatiles that you want. “Steeping” or the act of letting the juice sit and continue to blend with time is yet another form of mixing. You will be able to determine what works for you if the amount of juice you make in a batch lasts for awhile. If steeping helps, you will notice a positive change in the juice over time. Everyone’s sense of taste is different. The trick is finding out what works for you. Different mixes will obviously react differently.
my suggested method is for recipe development not for the final product. nothing can really replace a 2-3 weeks steep in a drawer. But this method helps me a lot figuring out what the recipe “might” taste in 2-3 weeks. I find it works especially good with fruits because it takes the initial harshness of, for example, some mangoes away.
Got a point there, to give you an idea, but it could give you the “wrong” idea… as @SessionDrummer said we tried "the lot… "
Specially with fruits by doing that (frothing) you’d end up loosing the volatiles, as @SmilingOgre said, just think at fruits where there are a lot of them, like Strawberries, Mangos, Dragonfruit, and the like, but also with tobaccos it’s not a good idea like absolutes or organics…
But even vortexing has to be done with care… knowing what you’re doing and mainly with bigger batches.
There again as per @SmilingOgre, does it work for you? Fair enough! It’s all that matters, none of us has “The Truth!” but we have some experience… and this is one of the most discussed arguments.
At the end we all ended up in: mix it, taste it, throw it in the drawer, forget about it and mix something else
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