How To Make Your Own DIY E Liquid: The Ultimate Guide
A look at the process of DIY E Liquid homebrewing and what goes into making your own vape juice.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the simple steps to create personalized vape juice that hits all the right notes for your palate and wallet. Learn how to select and mix the perfect blend of flavours, control nicotine levels, and save with DIY E Liquid craftsmanship.
Key Takeaways
- DIY E Liquid mixing offers the freedom to create custom flavours and nicotine strengths while being cost-effective, allowing you to save money and tailor your vaping experience.
- You’ll need precise tools and quality ingredients to start mixing your own DIY E Liquid—including scales, syringes, PG/VG, flavour concentrates, and optional nicotine shots, along with bottles and labelling for storage and organization.
- Creating your own E-Liquid involves a straightforward process of measuring bases and flavour concentrates accurately, the option to customize nicotine levels, and mastering flavour blending, with steeping to enhance the results.
The Benefits of Crafting Your Own E-Liquid
Creating your DIY vape juice offers several benefits:
- Artistic pursuit: It allows you to create unique flavours and experiment with different combinations.
- Cost-effectiveness: You can make larger bottle sizes, bypassing the usual 10ml limit found in retail stores. This translates to more savings, especially for nicotine strength, which often influences the price of pre-prepared E-Liquids.
- Reduced cost per bottle: Purchasing larger quantities of flavour concentrates and other ingredients can significantly reduce the cost per bottle compared to regular purchases of smaller, store-bought bottles.
Creating your own vape juice opens up limitless possibilities for customization. With DIY E Liquids, you take charge of your vaping experience, adjusting every aspect to your preference. A cocktail of flavours is in your hands with DIY E-Liquid products. You control the nicotine levels, the mix of flavours, and even the PG/VG ratio.
Essential Tools and Ingredients for DIY E Liquid Enthusiasts
Starting your DIY E Liquid mixing experience necessitates certain vital tools and ingredients. Precision is key in this process. Whether you’re mixing by volume or weight, you’ll need accurate measuring tools. Here are some essential tools and ingredients you’ll need:
- A scale with at least 0.01g accuracy for precise measurements
- Empty bottles for mixing
- Measuring cylinders for volume measurements
- High-quality syringes with blunt tip needles for accurate liquid transfer and measurement
The base of your DIY E Liquid is a combination of Propylene Glycol (PG) and Vegetable Glycerine (VG). PG is favoured for carrying flavour and providing a desirable throat hit, while VG contributes to vapor production and adds a slight sweetness.
Read our complete guide to VG/PG E-Liquid ratios to get the best perspective.
Flavour concentrates are the heart of DIY E-Liquids, and using those from reputable sources is essential for safety. If you prefer a nicotine hit, you can add nicotine shots to your mix in a TPD compliant way.
Blending and storing DIY E-Liquids requires:
- Mixing bottles
- PET crystal clear Boston round bottles with child-resistant caps are preferred for larger batch mixing and flavour concentrate storage
- Labelling your creations clearly is also important for organization and identification.
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your DIY E Liquid
While the thought of making your first DIY vape juice may be overwhelming, the process is more straightforward than it appears. An online E-Liquid calculator can help you calculate the specific quantities of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, flavourings, and nicotine required.
Let’s delve into the specific steps, starting with measuring your base mix accurately before you start mixing.
Measuring Your Base Mix Accurately
It’s important to get the base mix correct. This mix, usually Propylene Glycol (PG) and Vegetable Glycerin (VG), lays the foundation for your vape juice. Typically, they are mixed in a 50:50 or 70:30 VG: PG ratio to create a balanced base for your vape juice.
Precise measurements are necessary to achieve the ideal balance of flavour delivery, throat hit, and vapour production in our extensive range of products.
Adding Intense Flavour With Concentrates
The flavour concentrates you select will dictate the taste of your DIY E Liquid.
You have the freedom to control the intensity of flavours such as sweetness or creaminess by adjusting the amount of flavour concentrate added to your DIY E Liquid.
Note that the high concentration of some flavour concentrates means that adding a few drops per 10ml of juice can drastically change the taste, making experimentation crucial.
Popular E-Liquid concentrates include fruity options like strawberry, grape, raspberry, or decadent flavours like chocolate and vanilla.
The beauty of DIY E Liquid mixing is the ability to create unique flavours by combining different liquid concentrates, offering endless variety and opportunities for personalization.
Mixing in Nicotine
The addition of nicotine is a customizable step based on your preferred strength. Whether you prefer vaping with or without nicotine, DIY E Liquid mixing provides precise control over nicotine content, enabling the creation of custom nicotine strengths that might not be offered in pre-mixed E-Liquids.
The amount of nicotine in an E-Liquid is usually written as a number of mg. The most common in the UK are 3mg, 6mg, 12mg and 18mg.
How much nicotine do I need to add to make a 3mg E-Liquid?
To create a 3mg E-Liquid, you should mix one part of 18mg nicotine liquid with five parts of your nicotine-free base liquid.
For a volume of 120ml with a nicotine strength of 3mg, you would combine 100ml of your nicotine-free base with 20ml of 18mg nicotine liquid.
To prepare a 60ml bottle at 3mg nicotine strength, mix 50ml of your base liquid with 10ml of nicotine.
For a small batch of 12ml at 3mg nicotine strength, you need to blend 10ml of your base with 2ml of nicotine liquid.
How much nicotine do I need to add to make a 6mg E-Liquid?
To achieve a 6mg nicotine concentration in your DIY E Liquid, mix two parts of your nicotine-free base with one part of 18mg nicotine liquid.
For a total of 120ml of E-Liquid at 6mg nicotine strength, you would blend 80ml of your base liquid with 40ml of 18mg nicotine liquid.
If you’re aiming for a 60ml mixture at 6mg strength, combine 40ml of your base liquid with 20ml of nicotine.
And for a smaller preparation, to get 12ml of E-Liquid with a 6mg nicotine level, mix 8ml of your base with 4ml of nicotine liquid.
For working out other measurements, it would be a good idea to use an E-Liquid calculator.
Want to learn more about E-Liquids? Check out our #1 Beginner’s Guide to the Best E-Liquids, which discusses the importance of VG/PG ratios, nicotine, ingredients, and more!
Mastering the Art of Flavour Blending
The exciting part of DIY E Liquid mixing is mastering the art of flavour blending. It’s like being a gourmet chef, but instead of food, you’re blending flavours to create the perfect vape juice. The first step is understanding basic flavour profiles like:
- fruits
- desserts
- tobaccos
- menthols
And blending them together with careful consideration of the balance and intensity of each flavour. DIY mixers can cater their vape juice to their own taste preferences by adjusting the levels of sweetness, creaminess, or any other aspect of the flavour profile, offering control over the final taste experience.
Steeping your E-Liquid after mixing allows the flavours to mature and become more pronounced, enhancing the overall taste. This can be further improved by allowing the E-Liquid to ‘breathe’ by leaving the cap off to evaporate any residual alcohols in the flavourings.
However, mastering flavour blending is not an overnight process. It requires experimentation with different combinations and quantities of flavours in small batches, as well as patience to allow steeping to fully develop the desired taste.
Alternatives to Traditional PG/VG Ratios
In DIY E-Liquid mixing, traditional PG/VG ratios aren’t rigid. You can adjust the Propylene Glycol (PG) to Vegetable Glycerin (VG) ratio to customize the throat hit, cloud production, and even add flavours based on your individual preferences. The right PG/VG ratio is crucial as it influences the taste and overall vaping experience. Here are some guidelines:
- Higher VG ratios generally provide a smoother throat hit.
- If you prefer more flavour, you can increase the PG ratio.
- For bigger clouds, increase the VG ratio.
Different ingredient mixes may be necessary when crafting E-Liquids for varied devices, such as pod systems compared to mod/tank systems. Even the type of wicking material, like cotton, can provide a gentler throat hit, and using lower nicotine concentration or nicotine salts can reduce harshness in DIY E Liquids.
Premium DIY Kits For Aspiring Mixologists
If the idea of collecting all the required tools and ingredients individually seems daunting, premium DIY E Liquid products and kits are available for aspiring mixologists.
These kits come complete with essential ingredients for custom vape juice creation, including a base mixture of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine, a selection of flavour concentrates, and may also contain nicotine.
They cater to varying experience levels, from novice to advanced mixologists, offering choices to accommodate individual preferences and skills.
For ease of learning, these kits often include:
- A printed booklet with instructions, helping beginners understand and follow the e-liquid mixing process
- Options for customization through tools such as a DIY E-Liquid calculator, enabling the creation of various bottle sizes, strengths, and PG/VG ratios
- Nicotine shots
- Flavour concentrates chosen based on user preference
Advanced Mixing Techniques for Seasoned Vapers
With increased proficiency in DIY E Liquid mixing, you could consider experimenting with advanced mixing techniques.
These techniques offer more nuanced flavours and unique vaping experiences. For instance, alternative sweeteners like stevia, erythritol, and monk fruit are new to the scene, offering different sweetness profiles and potential health benefits compared to traditional options like sucralose and ethyl maltol.
Maintaining Safety and Cleanliness in DIY E Liquid Creation
Despite the fun and rewarding process of creating your own DIY E Liquid, never overlook the importance of safety and cleanliness. When handling nicotine, for instance, it’s advisable to:
- Wear gloves to prevent absorption through the skin
- Have tissue or paper towels ready to clean up any spills immediately
- Properly dispose of materials that come into contact with high-strength nicotine to avoid accidental exposure
Before you start the mixing process, ensure that your mixing environment is clean and sterile to prevent contamination. Use clean bottles and instruments for mixing E Liquid and wash your hands before and after to prevent the spread of impurities.
Proper storage of nicotine and other ingredients in a secure location, away from children and pets, is crucial to prevent accidental ingestion or misuse. E-Liquids should be kept in child-proof sealed bottles or containers and stored in a cool, dark place away from sunlight, heat, and oxygen to maintain their quality.
Troubleshooting
Don’t be disheartened by failure; troubleshooting is part of the process. If your DIY E Liquid flavours aren’t as pronounced as you’d like, steeping might be the solution.
Steeping E-Liquid helps improve the flavour by allowing the ingredients to homogenize and develop a more uniform taste. The Maillard reaction that occurs during steeping can enhance the colour and flavour of E-Liquid similar to aging wine or balsamic vinegar.
It’s also important to:
- Avoid overestimating nicotine content
- Use an E-Liquid calculator correctly
- Ensure the equipment is clean between batches to prevent cross-contamination of flavours
- Dispose of the mixture if the E-Liquid changes colour or separates and does not mix after shaking
- Maintain clean coils and replace them when necessary for a consistent vape taste
Summary
DIY E Liquid mixing is an exciting experience, brimming with cost-effective solutions, endless flavour combinations, and the freedom to customize your vaping experience. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned vaper, the possibilities are boundless.
All you need are the right tools, quality ingredients, a clean and safe environment, and a dash of creativity. Remember, mastering the art of DIY E-Liquid mixing is not about rushing the process, but about experimenting, learning, and ultimately creating a vape juice that is uniquely yours, stamping your e-cigarettes with your own style.
For more help in crafting the perfect E-Liquid, contact our support team.
