Make Your Own Vape Juice: The Complete Guide
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Make Your Own Vape Juice: The Complete Guide
18/07/2023
By
Jonny Stevenson
We know that with the rising costs of everything, people are looking for ways to save money and one of the best ways to do this is by making your own DIY E Liquid.
Not only can you save money by making larger batches of E Liquid, but you can also create a completely customised mix and craft your perfect E Liquid flavour.
We know it is a daunting task when just getting started, and you may be thinking to yourself ‘Can you make your own vape liquid?’ but the answer is of course YES!
There’s a few steps you will need to follow, so we’ve made a really handy list, let’s get started.
1. Get Your Ingredients Ready
One of the most common questions we get asked is: What ingredients do you need to make vape juice at home? Well there’s really only 4 ingredients:
- E Liquid Flavour Concentrates
- Vegetable Glycerin (VG)
- Propylene Glycol (PG)
- Nicotine Shots (if required)
But you will also need:
- Scales / Measuring Equipment
- Empty E Liquid Bottle
It is also a good idea to have a recipe ready to go, including the final mix ratio and nicotine strength.
We do recommend mixing your own E Liquid by weight, however this can also be done by volume using a syringe.
Before starting to make your own E Liquid, clean the surfaces around where you are mixing to ensure that no contaminants end up in your mix.
Flavour Concentrates vs One Shot Concentrates vs Short Shots
Flavour concentrates are the basis of every E Liquid – these are flavours that can be used on their own or layered to create a more in depth recipe.
One shot concentrates are a pre-made E Liquid recipe in a bottle. The recipe has been premixed so you can just add that as your flavouring and have the recipe already created for you.
Short Shots / Bottle shots are a large bottle (usually 250ml or larger) that contain all of the flavourings already, all you need to do is add the VG / PG and nicotine shots (where required).
2. Add Your Flavourings
We would always advise you to add your flavouring first. If you are using a single flavour, this is the only point where you are able to remove excess flavouring (if you go over the measurement you were looking for) as this is the only ingredient in the bottle.
Each flavour will be completely unique with a recommended mixing percentage (which can be found on all of our product pages). As an example, TFA Sweet Strawberry has the following text:
Recommended Mix (Single Flavour): 6%
Recommended Mix (Multiple Flavour Recipe): 3%
Taking the above flavour as an example, for a single flavour mix (the only flavour you are adding), it should be used around 6%. This would be 3.6ml in a 60ml bottle.
If you are planning to use this flavour as part of a more complex mix (and add other flavours), it should be used around 3%. This would be 1.8ml in a 60ml bottle.
The recommended mix percentage does change for each flavour and is only ever meant to be a recommended starting point – you may prefer the flavour to be used at a higher or lower percentage but this is only something you can find out through trial and error (and why E Liquid manufacturers like ourselves often spend months working on flavours to get the best results).
3. Add Your Nicotine
If you prefer to have nicotine containing E Liquid, this is the point where you need to add your nicotine shots.
We’ve produced a quick guide for how many 18mg nicotine shots to add to your bottle to achieve your desired nicotine strength:
3mg | 6mg | 9mg | 12mg | |
30ml | 0.5 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 |
60ml | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
120ml | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
4. Add Vegetable Glycerin / Propylene Glycol
Now you have added your flavour (or multiple flavours), it’s time to add your Vegetable Glycerin (and / or Propylene Glycol where required).
This is the point in the recipe where you are having the most effect on the overall mix ratio.
A higher VG percentage will give you a thicker E Liquid (which produces more vapour), while a higher PG percentage will allow the juice to wick more effectively in a smaller device (such as a Pod Kit).
Most sub-ohm devices work best with around a 70VG 30PG ratio, while pod kits are better with a 50VG 50PG ratio.
When calculating the amount of Vegetable Glycerin and Propylene Glycol to add, you need to take into account your flavourings and nicotine shots too.
5. Mix Thoroughly
Now your DIY E Liquid is complete, add the top to your bottle and give your mix a good shake.
It’s also a good idea to add a label to your bottle at this point so you know what flavour is which when you are making several bottles.
6. Time To Steep
To get the most out of your custom E Liquid, it’s a good idea to let it steep – this means leaving the bottle for a certain amount of time before vaping it.
Here are some basic steeping time recommendations:
- Fruit flavours – 3-4 days
- Candy / Sweet flavours – 3-4 days
- Dessert flavours – 2-4 weeks
These can vary depending on the brands of flavourings used, current temperatures and personal preference but are a good place to begin with if you are just starting your journey onto creating your own DIY vape juice.
Next Steps
Once you’ve created your custom vape juice, let it steep for the required amount of time and tried it – it’s time to adapt it!
If you enjoyed it, change your recipe to make a larger amount of your DIY e juice mix next time to ensure you don’t run out.
If you feel like there was something missing, it’s time to get creative. Change a flavour to something different, or add an extra layer with a flavour enhancer.
There are simply thousands of different E Liquid Flavour Concentrates available so if you are struggling to find some to begin with, take a look at our 5 best DIY e juice flavour companies article for a starting point or browse our one shot flavour concentrates
Now you know how to create your own vape mix, there are unlimited flavour creations to be made. Take a look at your favourite e liquid flavours for inspiration, try substituting a flavour to create something unique or grab a bottle of one of our own e liquids in one shot form and see if you can improve on it by using it as a base for your own creations!
Author
Jonny has over 10 years experience in the vaping industry. Key area of expertise are Mixology, Regulatory and Technology. Being one of the new inal members of the team, makes Jonny a fountain of knowledge when it comes to vaping.
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