DIY n00b questions

PsyCLown

PsyCLown

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Hey guys,

So I am still relatively new to the DIY juice mixing - haven't mixed all that much and am still just following recipes for now.
Although I am curious about how you all go about these things and hopefully you can share some of your knowledge with me.

1. How do you measure all your concentrates, VG, PG etc?
I use the eJuice Me Up app, I personally feel as if drops is rather inaccurate as drops can be big or small and depend on quite a few factors.
Scales as well, especially these cheaper scales - I have had a fair bit of experience and they are anything but accurate.

I have been using needles and syringes and it works but can be quite a PITA as I have to open each concentrate bottle, remove the dripper and then suck up the right amount with a syringe. Now if I am mixing say 30ml of juice then certain ingredients come in at 0.14ml and if you are using anything other than an Insulin Syringe it isn't all that accurate then and when using an insulin syringe it takes forever due to the gauage of the needle (generally 31 to 29).
For the VG and PG I use a normal syringe with a 15G needle, still takes a bit of time when it comes to the VG though and you end up with sore hands if you are mixing quite a bit.

So any tips / secrets which you can share with me?
I think I sturggle with the idea of being a bit off with my percentages as I am not sure how much a small % difference will make to the overall flavour of the juice hence why I am trying to be really accurate.


2. There have been a few recipes posted on various threads, such as the DIY Fruit Juice Recipe thread, the Mango Crack recipe. I tried it and I find the flavour a bit mild and would like to make it stronger. What is the best way to go about this? Just increase all of the concentrate percentages a bit or would that not work?

I posted this in another thread but taking a look at the DIY juice sub-forum, I think it might be best I create my own thread here.

Thanks guys!
 
A scale is going to be the easiest and make this journey more enjoyable. I started out with syringes aswell until i had so cash for a scale. Now its just open top and drop in liquids. check vendors like blckvapour and Valley Vapour that sells scales. These are sufficient for juice mixing and if they are out by a micro nano millimeter, LOL it will not cause an adverse effect on the Juice.

Also always keep in mind that taste is subjective, so even if you do find a great recipe you might find its not to your liking. What you can do is then go to vendors websites where you bought your cencentrates from or try the manufacturers website to find out what the recommended percentages are for the flavours. then tweak the recipe from there and increase in small increments untill you get to your desired Mix.
 
I use this scale from Valley Vapour, which works perfectly for me. I think BlckVapour has the same one for less. Mixing directly into my final bottles. For PG and VG I use the Valley Vapour 500 ml bottles with these spouts. Nicotine I decant into a 50 ml glass beaker and pour from there into the bottle on the scale.

Yes, if you want to make the flavour stronger increase all the ingredients by the same percentage. Do not go overboard as too much will kill the juice.
 
I've seen some pocket scales ranging in price from +/- R100-R200. Will these work as good as the more expensive ones out there ?


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Gersh said:
I've seen some pocket scales ranging in price from +/- R100-R200. Will these work as good as the more expensive ones out there ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
You need at least 2 decimals.
 
Gersh said:
I've seen some pocket scales ranging in price from +/- R100-R200. Will these work as good as the more expensive ones out there ?
Click to expand...

Probably not as accurate but a lot of people who use them are happy with the results of their DIY juice. The most common type of scale in this price range is the cheaper one sold by Blck and by The Flavour Mill, among others. This is the type I use. At that price, they are not going to have the best manufacturer quality control in place and I think it's pot luck whether you get a good one or a bad one. I bought one at my local China mall and it was unacceptable. It would not display any weight below 0.3g which is no good for DIY. Unless you make giant batches, you will add flavours at less than 0.3g. Then I bought a similar model from The Flavour Mill and have been much happier with that. It displays weights down to 0.03g and seems to be quite consistent.

My only potential concern with these scales is the one word that you will rarely hear DIYers use: calibration. Even if scales are accurate as delivered from the factory, they will drift over time. So they need to be recalibrated periodically. That requires having weights of exactly 100g and 200g. Unlike with the more expensive Valley scale, these weights are not supplied with the cheaper scales. So you either accept your scale becoming inaccurate over time or you have to buy proper calibration weights, an expense which the DIYer didn't reckon on initially.

You can wing it, using a set number of coins instead of calibration weights. Coins have a known mass and are manufactured to very precise tolerances. So it should be very nearly as accurate as a calibration weight. But it's still a PITA. Anyway, you pays yer money and you takes yer chances.
 
I too was not aware that you needed to calibrate your scale at first, max weight on mine is 200g. i didnt have a weight but i had a 200g Danone yoghurt in the fridge and it worked just fine LOL. I agree its not accurate but it works. I got the exact same scale as in this pic of @incredible_hullk for R199 at a soundtech store at my local mall. i will get a proper calibration weight when Valley Vapour opens in the new year to recalibrate the scale.

20161221_074317.jpg
 
Tockit said:
I too was not aware that you needed to calibrate your scale at first, max weight on mine is 200g. i didnt have a weight but i had a 200g Danone yoghurt in the fridge and it worked just fine LOL. I agree its not accurate but it works. I got the exact same scale as in this pic of @incredible_hullk for R199 at a soundtech store at my local mall. i will get a proper calibration weight when Valley Vapour opens in the new year to recalibrate the scale.

View attachment 79188
Click to expand...
thx @Tockit didnt know u had to calibrate
 
RichJB said:
Probably not as accurate but a lot of people who use them are happy with the results of their DIY juice. The most common type of scale in this price range is the cheaper one sold by Blck and by The Flavour Mill, among others. This is the type I use. At that price, they are not going to have the best manufacturer quality control in place and I think it's pot luck whether you get a good one or a bad one. I bought one at my local China mall and it was unacceptable. It would not display any weight below 0.3g which is no good for DIY. Unless you make giant batches, you will add flavours at less than 0.3g. Then I bought a similar model from The Flavour Mill and have been much happier with that. It displays weights down to 0.03g and seems to be quite consistent.

My only potential concern with these scales is the one word that you will rarely hear DIYers use: calibration. Even if scales are accurate as delivered from the factory, they will drift over time. So they need to be recalibrated periodically. That requires having weights of exactly 100g and 200g. Unlike with the more expensive Valley scale, these weights are not supplied with the cheaper scales. So you either accept your scale becoming inaccurate over time or you have to buy proper calibration weights, an expense which the DIYer didn't reckon on initially.

You can wing it, using a set number of coins instead of calibration weights. Coins have a known mass and are manufactured to very precise tolerances. So it should be very nearly as accurate as a calibration weight. But it's still a PITA. Anyway, you pays yer money and you takes yer chances.
Click to expand...

lol I mistakenly praised your comment on another thread instead of this one, which it was actually meant for .. but they both are great anyway.
 
So most seem to use scales. I have a small pocket scale or two actually and having used them for supplements and such is how I know they can be quite inaccurate at times.

Trying to fit the right amount into a capsule for example, you are adding more and more powder and nothing then suddenly a big jump to a certain number or a specific item weight one amount when you first start then weighing a different amount at the end.

It is actually recommended to turn on a scale and allow it to "warm up" for a bit, then calibrate it each time before use for the best results as moving it and packing it away can affect how accurate it is. I did a bit of research into it and paying for an actual proper scale which is highly accurate you are looking at over R2k which is crazy for DIY and general home use.

How accurate do your mixes need to be though I guess?

Well interesting and good to know. I can imagine it sure it easier using a scale.
 
@PsyCLown, I usually judge by pouring the first drop in. If the scale moves from 0.00g to 0.03 or 0.04g, then I figure it's accurate enough. If it doesn't move from 0.00g for the first and then the second drop... uh-oh. That's what my China mall scale did. Drop-drop-drop-drop... nothing. And then, after continued dropping, it would suddenly jump to 0.3g. That is a red flag so I keep that scale for kitchen use now. My new scale reacts immediately and (seemingly) accurately to the first drop.
 
RichJB said:
@PsyCLown, I usually judge by pouring the first drop in. If the scale moves from 0.00g to 0.03 or 0.04g, then I figure it's accurate enough. If it doesn't move from 0.00g for the first and then the second drop... uh-oh. That's what my China mall scale did. Drop-drop-drop-drop... nothing. And then, after continued dropping, it would suddenly jump to 0.3g. That is a red flag so I keep that scale for kitchen use now. My new scale reacts immediately and (seemingly) accurately to the first drop.
Click to expand...
Alright, interesting. Do you have the larger scale which blck vapour sell or the small pocket scale?

That larger one does look nice and useful.

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Capture.PNG
I'm looking at starting with a little DIY for personal use. I ordered this scale yesterday. Any thoughts on it.
 
:NAUGHTYEYE:Good day. I have started DYI'ing about 3 weeks back. So far so good. However i just want to ask a stupid question. All the concentrates and flavors are all or mostly, clear liquids that some times changes color over time. However I just want to know if you get anything that will color your juice. Like into a blue color or red etc. (The clear juices) Was just wondering?:wondering::tiburon:
 
Why do you want colourful juice? It will add nothing to the flavour and will probably:
1) Gunk your coils
2) Not be very healthy for you

If I could get colourless juices with every mix, I'd take it with both hands.
 
:lipssealed: Was just wondering if you get something that will color it. Not going to color MY DIY juice.
 
I suppose commercial kitchen food colourings would work as effectively in juice as they do in foodstuffs. But I don't know anybody who uses it or would recommend it.
 
Food colourings use PG, but as to what else I'm not sure. Better to just not.
 
Mogwai79 said:
:lipssealed: Was just wondering if you get something that will color it. Not going to color MY DIY juice.
Click to expand...

I color my "clear" menthol vape with ordinary green food coloring every year on St Patrick's day - you only need a few drops and in a menthol e-juice you won't notice any other "off" flavor. PS; haven't tried it with other "softer" flavored e-juice.
 
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