The vaping community is just as much about personalization and individuality as it is about experiencing great taste and choices. Whether you are new to e-cigarettes or have been vaping for a while, you'll eventually find yourself craving to try new flavors. This is why we're looking at how to make your own vape juice in this blog post...
Vape Juice Can Be Expensive!
You may learn that ordering a big batch of flavors for your e-cig can prove to be slightly on the expensive side, especially if you prefer premium products, which tend to come with a premium price tag. That's why making your own homebrewed vape juice is an increasingly popular hobby – and has even become an obsession for many vapers. Contrary to popular belief, making homemade e-liquid is actually a simple and easy process, which can prove to be both cost-effective, and fun. Here are some essential advanced vaping tips on how to make your own vape juice for your e-cig.
What is E-juice?
The liquid used for electronic cigarettes is a simple mixture of four main elements which consists of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), flavorings, and the option of adding nicotine. There are other specialized additives that you can add to enhance the taste of your fluid (we will look at this later in the article) but these four are enough to make great quality e-juice. Right now, the idea of making your own homebrew liquid may sound overwhelming but it's a lot easier than you think. You don't require any advanced chemical engineering knowledge– basically, if you can brew a cup of tea, you can brew your own e-juice!
Why make your own vape juice?
If you're only an occasional e-smoker, buying commercially produced e-liquid for the occasional puff is probably easier for you. However, if you feel that a lot of money is being spent on the juice for your fogger, or if you have ever thought to yourself “I wish I could find an essence that tastes like…”, then definitely go for it. The process is simple, requires relatively few equipment and ingredients, and comes with the added side effect of saving you up to 15 times the money you would have spent on the commercial options in store.
Another benefit of producing your own e-juice is being able to know exactly what is in your liquid. No need to be suspicious about what ingredients manufacturers may be concealing. You are 100% in control of what you put in and can choose only the top-quality ingredients that may be better for your health.
The step-by-step guide for how to make your own vape juice
Before we take you through the steps, just take a moment to read our notice:
Anyone attempting to follow the advice in this article are doing so at their own risk. We here at Vaporesso cannot be held responsible for any individuals causing injury or even death to themselves or others from the use, misuse or malfunction of the e-liquid calculators or information contained on this website.
Great, now let's start taking you through the steps! Think of making your own vape liquid as being similar to baking a batch of cookies. You will need some basic equipment, a list of ingredients and some instructions to help you put it all together. You just need to nail the basics, and then you can start experimenting with your own unique flavors and different recipes until you have a flavor you love, save a few extra bucks, and earn some bragging rights amongst your local e-cig community.
Equipment
Since e-juice consists of very specific types of fluids, you’ll need specific equipment in order to make it. The good news is, however, that everything required is relatively inexpensive and can easily be found in stores or purchased online. Here’s what you’ll need:
1. Containers / Bottles - You will need empty plastic bottles with a childproof cap. The most cost effective option for experimentation tends to be plastic drip tip bottles. These bottles will be used to store and mix your recipe. We recommend plastic bottles because cleaning bottles well enough to re-use for a different flavor tends to be more effort than it is worth.[G10]
2. Syringes - Although you can use the so-called “drops counting method” for measuring the ingredients, syringes offer better and more accurate measurements. You should also get a separate syringe for each type of ingredient. To avoid contamination, mark the syringes, and only use them for the same ingredient after they have been cleaning with distilled water.
3. Gloves- Investing in a pair of gloves are a good idea, especially if you are going to be working with nicotine. If your body comes into direct contact with nicotine, your skin will quickly absorb it. Accidents happen, and if you unintentionally spill even a small amount of nicotine on your hands, you’ll be sure to get one wild head rush.
If you are uncertain of what gear you should get, you can consider purchasing a DIY e-liquid starter kit. These kits come with all the stuff you need to get started. While you at it, you can also get yourself some VG/PG and flavorings as well.
Choose a recipe
Firstly, you need to find a recipe, and buy the relevant concentrates. If you are new to making your own e-juice, it is usually best that you start with a simple recipe or a one-shot concentrate. There are many great sources for finding e-liquid recipes online. Sites such as Reddit and eLR have become popular sources for DIY vape juice recipes.
At first, follow the recommended ratios in the recipe. Once you are confident and have a brilliant idea for a flavor combination, you can jump right in and experiment. It is advised that you make detailed notes during your experimentation so that you can fine-tune future versions.
Get the ingredients: PG/VG base, flavorings, and nicotine
As mentioned, liquid for e-cigarettes consists of four main ingredients, which you will find in any recipe.
1. VP / PG Base - First, you will need to create your base for the vape juice which normally consists of PG and VG. PG does not affect the overall flavor of the liquid too much but can offer an increased hit to the throat. VG, on the other hand usually adds a little sweetness to the overall flavor, so be a bit more cautious when adding it. Since VG is thicker, it also generally creates thicker, more visible vapor plumes (cue awesome vape clouds). Your recipe will guide you with what ratios to use.
2. Diluted Nicotine (optional) – Whether or not to use nicotine is optional and depends purely on you and there many nicotine-free recipes online. Remember, that nicotine is addictive and can be harmful to your health. If you are going to add nicotine, try to use a good quality, food grade nicotine that comes with either PG or VG base. Nicotine is available in a variety of strengths, but you will still need to experiment in order to find your ideal nicotine level. It is recommended that you start with the lower strength/volume than what is suggested by your recipe and then go up from there to find what your nicotine sweet spot. Be aware that adding too much nicotine can ruin the whole fluid, so add it in carefully.
3. Flavouring - The flavors you will need all depend on your recipe. Just like nicotine, flavoring can easily overpower your e-juice and should be added cautiously. It is recommended that you start with a simpler recipe with as few flavors as possible, and then experimenting with more once you get the hang of it.
4. Additives (optional) - Additives can be added to further enhance the taste of your e-juice. You may add some mentholated liquids, vodka, sweets, or even just distilled water. It is important that you don’t use tap water as it often contains chemicals which are dangerous when they are inhaled. Again, be careful with too much experimentation as adding additives can either make or break your liquid.
Mixing
Once all the required ingredients are ready, the rest of the recipe becomes simple. Mix the ingredients in the bottles, and shake well. Recipes may state ingredients in volume or strengths, making the process a bit more difficult to follow. Online calculators are incredibly helpful in solving this issue as they help you calculate the accurate amount of ingredients to add in. Make sure to use clean syringes and containers to avoid contaminating your mixture.
Steeping
The results obtained from the steeping process often amaze first-time e-juice brewers. The majority of homemade e-juice contains more than one flavor and therefore needs a certain amount of time to let the flavors effectively blend and settle. The steeping duration varies with each mix, but multi-layered dessert or cream-based mixes often need over four weeks to reach their finest taste. Simpler fruit recipes, on the other hand, might not even need to steep at all. But don't [G19] worry, most recipes do come with a recommended steeping time. Additionally, there are many different methods that aim to speed up the duration of the steeping process but are seen as controversial amongst members of the vape industry.
Enjoy
Now that you’ve got the basics down, you can go ahead and create your own authentic homemade essence. The only other things you’ll need for mastering DIY vaping are experimentation, experience and to remember that you are only limited by your imagination!
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