Cordless mixer for bottled juices

[aktorsyl]

So I've noticed that DIY Vapor (on YouTube) uses this particular mixer:

Which seems great, as with the prong-attachment it fits down the neck of even the small 30ml bottles. However, Amazon being Amazon, they don't ship that to here. Does anyone use (or know of) any alternative mixer available locally that can also fit down the smaller bottle necks?

Note: I don't intend to use this for speed-steeping (well obviously not, as it's handheld), but rather for giving it a good mix once I'm done with my evening's sample batches. Had to shake 12 bottles last night and it doesn't seem very efficient.

 

[kev mac]

So I've noticed that DIY Vapor (on YouTube) uses this particular mixer:

Which seems great, as with the prong-attachment it fits down the neck of even the small 30ml bottles. However, Amazon being Amazon, they don't ship that to here. Does anyone use (or know of) any alternative mixer available locally that can also fit down the smaller bottle necks?

Note: I don't intend to use this for speed-steeping (well obviously not, as it's handheld), but rather for giving it a good mix once I'm done with my evening's sample batches. Had to shake 12 bottles last night and it doesn't seem very efficient.

I'm curious to know why Amazon or eBay doesn't do S.A.? That's too bad cause some good deals are found on these sites.

 

[Spydro]

Not a good idea. Mixing with one of these incorporates air into the juice that starts oxidizing nic (if you use it), and while you are mixing it also evaporates flavor molecules as well.

I have 3 of these exact ones that use a AA battl, and a much more robust all steel C cell model from back in the 50's/60's that are fine for mixing drinks, but not e liquid.

 

[aktorsyl]

Not a good idea. Mixing with one of these incorporates air into the juice that starts oxidizing nic (if you use it), and while you are mixing it also evaporates flavor molecules as well.

I have 3 of these exact ones that use a AA battl, and a much more robust all steel C cell model from back in the 50's/60's that are fine for mixing drinks, but not e liquid.

My idea was just to mix for about 5 seconds to ensure there's no separation of flavours & VG (with the flavours always drifting to the top before shaking). Not any continuous mixing. Or would you reckon a good shake is all that's really required?

 

[aktorsyl]

I'm curious to know why Amazon or eBay doesn't do S.A.? That's too bad cause some good deals are found on these sites.

Sometimes they do - got a few things from eBay. Never really tried Amazon though. Ironically on the product page they say that they ship to your location in SA, but when you actually want to checkout they change it to "This particular item can't be shipped to your location". Bleh.

 

[Spydro]

My idea was just to mix for about 5 seconds to ensure there's no separation of flavours & VG (with the flavours always drifting to the top before shaking). Not any continuous mixing. Or would you reckon a good shake is all that's really required?

IMO you'd be better off just capping the bottle and shaking it as that will not incorporate as much air into the e liquid as the frother, AND would not let flavor molecules escape since it is capped. FWIW I tried using one of the drink frothers with the split wand for awhile. Even just a few seconds with fully charged battery adds a lot of air into the joose, and in effect can breath away some of the flavor. Very few DIY ingredients need to be breathed with the cap off.

What I do now days is gently stir in appropriate capped lab glass with my speed adjustable magnetic stir plate and a small stir magnet. No air at all is incorporated, and I doubt the flavor molecules get overly disturbed. How long depends on the batch size... but a gentle stir can be from a few minutes on up. Then via various sizes of small glass funnels they are transferred into appropriate sized amber glass bottles for aging. I have noticed the difference and like this method better than just shaking, using a frother or the UC I used to speed age with.

Picture of my setup back when I first got it. I have a lot more lab glass now in sizes from 25ml to 500ml flasks (and have caps for them).

 

[RichJB]

I have a hand-held milk frother but don't use it. The frother bit doesn't fit into the neck of my bottles, not even the 100ml ones, and I don't want to transfer to a beaker. So I do the Wayne thing: flick-a-da-wrist to swirl (cap open) once all the PG ingredients are in, then cap and shake after the VG is added.

It would be interesting to know how much initial shaking is required, especially as most mixers shake further at some points during the steeping process. One way to test it, I guess, would be to take a few different food colourings, drop a few drops into base VG/PG and then shake until you have a uniform colour with no 'hot spots' of colour nor any 'cold spots' where there is no colouring. My sense is that it would take less shaking than many assume. That also assumes that you leave decent headroom in the bottle. If you fill almost to the brim, I think that would take a lot more shaking as there is less room for the liquid to be agitated.

I must confess to not shaking very much at all, maybe thirty seconds or so, and then thirty seconds again maybe twice during steeping. I haven't noticed any funkiness with hot spots or other weirdness in the juice. In fact, it's not a complaint I've ever heard about any juice ever. Hence my wondering just how much of a problem 'unmixed' juice is.

 

[playa4life]

In my thinking, wrt to shaking up a mix is that, if you're gna be shaking it up regularly during the steeping process then eventually, somewhere along the line, you would meet that ideal shake time.
PS: Is there something as shaking up a mix too much?
I've been looking into these magnetic box thingies and I must say... I've been intrigued by them for the last few weeks. I'm just too lazy to make my own.

 

[Silver]

To shake or not to shake....

Shakey shakey... Lol...

 

[craigb]

To shake or not to shake....

Shakey shakey... Lol...

Well that isn't disturbing