Many people, probably most people, buy their vaping juice pre-mixed, it’s not a bad idea because it is convenient however there are some of us that like to mix our own. The problem is when you are mixing your own juice you must be prepared to make mistakes, and these are mainly because of the many variables involved.

 

Consider a combination lock, in this case the variables are the rotating numeral indicators. If there are just two variables then the right combination is easy enough to find, it has to be a number between 00 and 99, just 100 possible numbers to try to find the correct one. If there are three variables then the possible combinations rise to 1,000, four variables bring this number up to 10,000. It is a logarithmic curve.

 

The variables involved in getting a satisfactory vape include the voltage and/or voltage of the power sauce, the type and make of your atomizer/cartomizer and its impedance (ohms), the flavor additive, the type and quality of the carrier juice (PG or VG) and nicotine base and the concentrations of the juice ingredients. When mixing your own juice if any one of these are wrong you will be dissatisfied with the result and are unlikely to know which variable is at fault. This can be very frustrating!

 

There is a simple solution to this problem, minimize the variables. Always test a new mix with the same and known hardware and settings, I would suggest a voltage setting of around 3.5v using a higher impedance atomizer. If possible, use a dripper type atomizer to reduce cross contamination of flavor from your previous vape. The chances are that you have already established your preferred nicotine strength and PG/VG balance from vaping pre-mixed juices – don’t change when you mix your own. Always buy good quality carrier glycerin so as not to introduce unwanted flavors, VG glycerin my need thinning to allow good flow so to add just a little water or vodka. Stick to this and there are only two variables left, the flavor additive and the nicotine base.

 

Buy DIY / e-liquid mixing materials

 

To begin with, do not be tempted into mixing loads of different flavors into one juice. You may enjoy eating After Eight mints covered in peanut butter, but it does not follow that mixing dark chocolate, mint and peanut flavors together will give a nice vape. Just add one flavor additive at first, something simple like menthol, orange or tobacco flavor. Once you know how they taste on their own you can try mixing complementary flavors or adding sweeteners to tweak things to your own tastes.

 

So now there just remains our last variable, the nicotine base. Here is the twist – it does not have to be a variable!

 

I have used some truly bad nicotine bases, dirty yellow in color and smelling like old ash trays. Any flavor inherent in your nicotine base carries across all your mixes and you soon tire of the background noise but now it is possible to buy good, clean nicotine base that is produced in the USA

 

I will suggest you check out ELiquid depot for virtually colorless liquid that has no flavor. Boring but perfect. Use this and you have removed another variable from the mix and avoided a potential pothole also if you invest in a one-liter bottle you will save a small fortune in vaping costs too, follow this example to see what I mean: Making 30ml of 18mg PG/VG juice needs 10ml of 54mg PG nicotine base and 20ml of glycerol. (54/3=18). If you use vegetable glycerol (VG) carrier you will have a 33/66 % PG/VG mix. Add a few drops of flavor and give it a vape. The cost of the glycerol and flavor will be just a few pence, and with the nicotine base costing this works out at just few dollars for that 10ml used thus bringing the total cost for 30ml of vaping juice to about couple of dollars.

 

As an ending note you should be aware that nicotine is a poison, it can permeate skin and can also be an irritant. When mixing your own juice, you should wear protective gloves and eye ware. Mixing should be conducted in a ventilated area and all your vaping supplies must be locked away from children.