Longfill E-Liquids Explained
What are longfill E-Liquids, the new trend sweeping the UK vape scene? These juices, designed for DIY enthusiasts and vapers who want to save on supplies, open up a whole new world of possibilities. Let’s dive in!
Longfill E-Liquids, once only found in niche markets like Germany, are a new trend in the UK. They offer a DIY cost-saving solution to vapers who don’t mind a little mixing at home. And once the UK Vape Tax comes into effect, they’ll save you loads compared to pre-mixed E-Liquids.
But, like many things in the world of vaping, longfill E-Liquids can be complex and a bit daunting to use if you’re just starting out. Let’s break down how these vape juices work, how to mix in your nicotine shots, and which devices they pair best with.
What is Longfill E-Liquid?
Longfill E-Liquid, also know as longfill E-Liquid flavour concentrate, is a type of DIY vape juice allowing you to customise your vape juice to your desired strength and PG/VG ratio (meaning you can tailor the liquid to suit your type of vape kit).
Long fills are typically supplied in a 60ml bottle containing 20ml or 30ml of flavour concentrate (sizes may vary, but this is the most common format).
The rest of space in the bottle is for you to add the supplied booster nicotine shots and base mixture, creating 60ml of E-Liquid in the nicotine strength of your choosing.
There are options for both nic salts and freebase nicotine shots in an array of nicotine strengths, so you can choose which type of nicotine and strength you like best.
Plus, there are various options for PG (propylene glycol) and VG (vegetable glycerin) ratios depending on which type of device you use, so you can ensure your DIY vape juice will be compatible with your vape kit and coils.
How do longfills work?
Long fills typically use 2 or 3 ingredients. What you’ll need to complete your longfill E-Liquid will depend on which brand you get.
For example, Nixer E-Liquids require only 2 ingredients: the longfill itself and the “mixer kit” sold alongside it. Longfills from other brands like Vampire Vape and Nasty Juice require the longfill, the base mixture, and nicotine shots. You’ll usually have to purchase all the parts separately.
Generally speaking, you’ll have a 60ml bottle containing 30ml of flavour concentrate. There may be more or less flavour concentrate depending on the brand.
For Nixer longfills, simply add all of the contents of your Nixer Mixer kit into your 60ml bottle. The mixer kits include 3 x 10ml bottles, which will result in 60ml of E-Liquid once you’ve added in the contents of the mixer kit.
For other longfills, you’ll need to add a base mixture, then add in your nicotine shots.
Let’s break it down.
Step 1: Choose Your Longfill Flavour Concentrate
The most exciting part of the longfill journey is choosing your flavour profile. Fancy a tangy cherry or a rich, decadent custard? Or, dare I say, a cherry custard flavour?
With so many options to choose from, you’re spoiled for choice.
Step 2: Choose Your Base Mixture
To decide what type of base mixture you need, you’ll need to consider what type of vape kit you’ll be using.
For MTL (Mouth-to-Lung) vapes, including most pod kits and starter vape kits, you’ll want to aim for a 50/50 blend of PG and VG.
For DTL (Direct-to-Lung) and sub-ohm vape kits, you’ll need a higher ratio of VG to PG—70% VG and 30% PG is the standard, but you can use anything above 60% VG in a sub-ohm kit.
You’ll want to ensure you leave 10ml or 20ml of space in your bottle to add nicotine shot(s).
If you’re using Nixer longfills, you won’t need to worry about calculating ratios or saving space in the bottle. All you’ll need is the longfill and a mixer kit—the nicotine is included!
Step 3: Add Your Nicotine Shots
Using 10ml nicotine shots, vapers are able to tailor the nicotine strength of their longfills to suit their needs. You can opt for freebase nicotine, which provides a stronger throat hit, or nic salts, which are smooth on the throat and can satisfy your cravings faster.
Nic shots are usually unflavoured, though you can get ones with added ice or menthol for an extra cooling hit.
Nic shots are sold in 10ml bottles and are available in various nicotine strengths and VG/PG ratios. When buying nic shots, you should double-check the the VG/PG ratio of the nic shots matches the VG/PG ratio of your vape juice. Otherwise, adding the nic shot will alter the ratio in your E-Liquid.
Step 4: Shake the Bottle
Now that you’ve got all your ingredients filled up inside the longfill bottle, it’s time to mix it!
We recommend shaking your bottle for at least 5 minutes to ensure all of the flavour concentrate and nicotine is evenly distributed. For best results, shake for 5 minutes, let the juice settle for a few minutes, then give it another good shake.
Once you’ve thoroughly mixed your juice, it’s ready to vape.
Some vapers like to “steep” their DIY E-Liquids by leaving them in a cool, dark cupboard for a few days. This gives the juice more time to let the flavour permeate and deepen, resulting in a flavour that’s rich and full. Steeping is optional, but it’s preferred by vapers seeking the most satisfying vaping experience.
Can I vape a longfill on its own?
No. Longfills are not designed to be vaped on their own and would be wildly unpleasant due to the ultra-concentrated taste and its high level of PG. Imagine taking a big swig of undiluted lemon squash—you’d be tasting it for a week!
What’s the difference between a shortfill and longfill E-Liquid?
Shortfill E-Liquids contain the flavourings and the base mixture, while longfills only contain flavourings. On both counts, you’ll need to add your own nicotine—though shortfills can be vaped as-is while longfills can’t.
Shortfills are generally standard, premixed E-Liquids which are “short filled” with space for you to add 1 or 2 nic shots. A standard shortfill will come in a 60ml bottle containing 50ml of 0mg E-Liquid, or a 120ml bottle with 100ml of E-Liquid. Simply add 1 nic shot to a 60ml bottle or 2 nic shots to a 120ml bottle, and you’ve got a complete E-Liquid.
By contrast, a longfill separates all of the main ingredients, allowing you to mix them in yourself and fine-tune everything from your nic strength to your PG/VG ratio.
Summary
With the upcoming vape tax and crackdown on vaping products in the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill, it’s unclear how longfills will factor in—but if history tells us anything, it’s that the UK vape industry will find ways to deliver what vapers need regardless.
When the TPD volume limit of 10ml on all E-Liquids containing nicotine came into effect, shortfills were born, allowing sub-ohm vapers to buy larger volumes of nicotine-free E-Liquid to feed their juice-hungry tanks and coils.
We’re not sure if longfills will be taxed in the same way as pre-mixed juices, but for many vapers, going DIY will inevitably be the cheapest solution for those who want to keep up their vape habit.
As always, you can find an array of options in our online vape shop. We’re always thrilled to help a smoker make the switch! If you need any advice or recommendations, you can contact us via live chat or email for personalised help.
