Basic Guide to Vaping - Part 4. E-liquid all you need to know including mixing.

Part 4 All you need to know about E-Liquid

First a warning.

Nicotine is a poison. E-liquid contains nicotine unless it is zero nic, or 0mg/ml.

The lethal dose of nicotine for a child is about 10mg and for an adult its 40-60mg.

So 10 drops of 24mg/ml strength e-liquid can kill a child.

And 20 drops (1ml) of 54mg/ml strength e-liquid can kill an adult.

Sorry to scare you but you need to know this.

If you treat e-liquid with respect then you should have nothing to worry about. Keep your bottles of e-liquid in a locked container and always wash your skin immediately if you spill some onto it. Clean up e-liquid spilt on surfaces. If you get e-liquid in your mouth, from an overfilled cart etc, then rinse your mouth out with water.

When you vape your nicotine intake is spread over 24 hours so you can happily vape more than 6ml of 24mg/ml per day. Read the warnings that come with high strength nicotine. If you think that you may be suffering from nicotine poisoning seek medical advice immediately.

E-liquid – The Basics
E-liquid or Juice is the basic requirement of an e-cig. It produces the vapour and may contain nicotine.

E-liquid comes in many nicotine strengths and flavours and usually contains 4 ingredients :-

Nicotine
Water
Base liquid:- PG (Propylene Glycol) or VG (Glycerine) or PEG 400 (Polyethylene Glycol)
Flavourings

Most suppliers offer the user a choice of PG, VG or PEG 400. PG is most commonly used. Some people use VG as it produces more vapour, but has a sweeter taste. PEG400 is usually used by people who are sensitive to PG and don’t like the sweetness of VG.

PG is Propylene Glycol and is an organic compound used as a food additive (E1520) and as a solvent in oral, injectable and topical medicines.

PV is Glycerine and is an organic compound used as a food additive (E422) mainly in sweeteners or for sweetening and as a thickener. It is commonly found in cough syrups and toothpaste.

PEG 400 is Polyethylene Glycol and is a polyether compound. It is commonly found in toothpaste, mouthwash, eye drops, and skin creams.

The flavourings in e-liquid are usually based on food flavourings. Some are created especially for vaping.
Flavourings can contain many different substances which are too numerous to list here. Try to find a supplier who lists the ingredients in the flavourings so that you can research them on the web if desired.

Note: We all know about the nasty chemicals in tobacco smoke. To avoid similar problems with vaping look for a supplier offering high quality e-liquid based on the pharmacological grade ingredients. Avoid e-liquid bought from overseas, as the quality is not up to UK standards.

Store e-liquid is a cool dark place (locked away). Refrigeration is not necessary. Some suppliers give a use-by date for e-liquids which is usually around 2years.

There are load of suppliers offering e-liquid and loads of different premixed flavours to choose from but if you want to be adventurous then you can try creating your own.

Basic equipment needed to create your own e-liquid.

Empty childproof bottles, mostly in 5ml sizes but a few larger ones are also useful.
A pipette and or syringe (preferably with a blunt needle).
Absorbent paper – to mop up any spills.
Labels or a marker pen that writes on the bottles.
A ceramic tile, large plate or mat that is easily cleaned – this avoids damage to surfaces.

Mixing your own e-liquid

Creating your own e-liquid is a trial and error process; at first it is mostly error.
Please read this part in full before having a go at mixing, there are several tips to help avoid errors.

With practice it soon becomes second nature. The flavours produced may be very nice or they may turn out not as expected. For this reason it is best to only mix small quantities of around 2ml (Tip: try keeping a mixes recipe book, looking back at the good ones and comparing them to the failures will improve your technique).

Always label your bottle containing your creation with a name and the nicotine strength. If you’ve made a nice new flavour then keep a record of the mixing ingredients and quantities for use later. If you like a mix then you can easily scale up the ingredients to make a larger batch (Tip: to easily scale up replace drops with ml (using a syringe or pipette)– this will make 20 times the amount).

There are several different ways to create your own e-liquids:-
Straight blending
Cutting premixed
Cutting high strength flavoured
DIY flavouring
DIY mixing
Mini Mixing

Straight blending
This method combines 2 or more premixed flavours of the same strength. For example:-
18mg/ml chocolate, 18mg/ml cherry and 18mg/ml mint might create a minty chocolate cherry flavour at 18mg/ml strength.
Method
Drip 7 drops of each flavour into an empty bottle. Shake gently and vape.
If one flavour is too strong try adding 3 more drops of the other 2 flavours. If one flavour isn’t coming through than just add a few more drops of that one. Shake and vape it again and adjust once more if necessary.
If it’s not working then it is probably better to give up than to waste any more e-liquid.

Cutting premixed
Using 2 or more flavours at different strength you can create a new flavour at an average strength. For example:-
24mg/ml coconut and 14mg/ml chocolate mixed in equal quantities might recreate the flavour of a tropical chocolate bar at 18mg/ml strength.
Method
Drip 10 drops of each flavour into an empty bottle. Shake gently and vape. Again the flavours can be adjusted by adding more drops of one of the flavours, but this does affect the resulting strength.
The maths for the exact strength is quite complex especially if you use more than 2 premixes. But for simplicity sake just take it that the resulting strength is some where around the average of the strengths used (See calculating the strength of a mix below).

Cutting High strength flavours
This is for the budget conscious. By buying a higher strength than you would normally use and mixing it with a zero nic base liquid (PG, VG and/or PEG4000) you can reduce the overall cost of your e-liquid. For example:-
10 drops of 36mg/ml Watermelon mixed with 10 drops PG and 10 drops VG will produce 1.5 ml of 13mg/ml watermelon.
Note by diluting the strength of the liquid you are also diluting the flavour. A way around this is to replace 4 drops of the base liquid with 4 drops of flavouring (or whatever number of drops required for your flavour preference). The flavouring can be the same as the nicotine e-liquid or a different one if preferred.
Method 1 – Dilute flavour
Drip 10 drops of 36mg/ml e-liquid, 10 drops of VG and 10 drops PG (or 20 drops of VG whatever your preference is) into an empty bottle. Shake and vape.
Method 2 – Full flavour
Drip 10 drops of 36mg/ml e-liquid into an empty bottle. Add 8 drops of VG and 8 drops of PG (or 16 drops of VG if preferred). Then add 2 drops of your flavouring. Shake and vape. Finally add up to 2 drops more of flavouring to get a stronger flavour or 2 drops more of base liquid if the flavour is OK.

DIY flavouring
Another method of reducing the cost of e-liquid is to buy unflavoured e-liquid at a strength near your normal vape strength and add your own flavourings.
Several suppliers supply unflavoured e-liquid at vaping strength (36mg/ml or lower).
Method
Simply add 20 drops to an empty bottle and add a few drops of flavouring. Shake and vape. Add more flavourings as required.
The resulting e-liquid will be a slightly lower strength than the unflavoured e-liquid, so buy the unflavoured e-liquid at a strength 10% to 20% higher than you normally vape. To calculate the exact strength of your liquid see calculating the strength of a mix below
(Tip:You can make your own unflavoured base mix e-liquid to the exact strength required by using the DIY mixing method below – Just omit the flavourings)

DIY mixing
Ok this is the complicated one, but can produce the best results, but it can also produce a lot of disasters. It is usually the cheapest way of producing your own e-liquid.
DIY mixing usually involves high nicotine strength e-liquid (above 36mg/ml) so extra care should be taken.
DIY mixing is done by combining the basic 4 ingredients of e-liquid, For example:-
An apple pie with custard e-liquid at 18mg/ml can be made from 14 drops of 54mg/ml unflavoured e-liquid. 18 drops of base liquid (PG, VG, PEG400 or any mix of the three), 4 drops of apple pie flavouring, 3 drops of cream flavouring and 1 drop of egg yolk flavouring.
Method
Drip the 14 drops of unflavoured 54mg/ml into an empty bottle add the 18 drops of the base liquid then add the 8 drops of flavourings. Shake and vape. If the flavour is too weak then 1 or 2 more drops of flavourings. If the flavour is too strong then add more drops of the 54mg/ml and base liquid as follows – for every 1 drop of 54mg/ml add 2 drops of base liquid (this will keep the strength at about 18mg/ml).
Keeping the strength at a consistent level is quite hard when adjusting the flavour (Tip: to keep costs down practice using just base liquid first ie use 22 drops of base and 8 drops of flavouring. After adjusting the flavour you will know how many drops of flavouring it takes to get it right Then you can progress to a nicotine mix using 14 drops of 54mg/ml and a total of 26 drops of flavourings and base liquid).

Mini Mixing
A very simple way to mix small quantities of e-liquid is to use a clean cartridge. This method is handy when trying out combination of premixes or when mixing 2 flavours.
Combining 2 premixes
Drip 4 drops of flavour 1 into the empty cart then add 4 drops of flavour 2. Stir with a toothpick or tweezers then either drip into a clean atty to try or carefully put the cart filler back into the cart, allow to soak for a few minutes then remove and turn around (so the wettest end is near the atty) and vape.
Combining 2 flavours
Drip 8
drops of your unflavoured base mix at your usual nicotine strength into a clean cart then add 1 drop of each flavouring. Stir with a toothpick or tweezers then either drip into a clean atty to try or carefully put the cart filler back into the cart, allow to soak for a few minutes then remove and turn around (so the wettest end is near the atty) and vape.

Notes on Mixing

20 drops from a dropper, pipette or dripper bottle is about 1ml (drops from a syringe needle are smaller)

Unflavoured high nicotine strength E-liquid is usually above 36mg/ml and is not recommended for direct vaping. Due to its high strength extra care should be taken when using it e.g. wear gloves and make sure there is running water available nearby to wash of any spill on your skin.

Tobacco flavours are stronger than the other flavours and usually mix at 1% to 2 % (1 or 2 drops per 5ml), other flavours at 15% to 25% (16 to 26 drops per 5ml)

VG produces more vapour than PG, and gives a sweeter taste.

VG can be bought at Chemists, ask for Glycerine BP. It can usually be found near the cough syrups. If you want you can say it’s for cake icing or making steam for your steam engine in your railway set. 200ml is less than £2.

Flavourings are available in shops and supermarkets but they are not all suitable for vaping. Look for ones that are based on water or alcohol. If they contain oil or sugar then don’t buy them as they may damage your atty. (Note shop bought flavourings are not as concentrated as those bought from e-cig suppliers)

Calculating the strength of a mix

To calculate the strength of a home made e-liquid.
Divide the total number of drops by 20 to give the total number of ml.
For each nicotine containing liquid divide the total number of drops by 20 and multiply by the strength. To give the actual mg of nicotine added.
Finally divide the total mg of nicotine added by the number of ml to give the strength in mg/ml.

e.g.
A mix of 5 drops of 24mg/ml (flavour1), 15 drops of 12mg/ml (flavour 2) 25 drops of 8mg/ml (flavour3) and 35 drops of no nic (flavourings and VG).

The total number of drops is 80. Divided by 20 equals 4. So the total amount is 4ml.

The 5 drops of flavour1 give 6mg of nicotine (5 drops divided by 20(drops/ml) multiplied by 24(strength per ml)
The 15 drops of flavour 2 give 9mg of nicotine (15 / 20 * 12 )
The 25 drops of flavour 3 give 10 mg of nicotine (25 / 20 * 8 )

So the total number of mgs of nicotine in the mixture is 25mg.
Finally to work out the mg/ml divide the number of mg (25) by the total amount (4ml). 25/4 = 6.25.
Thus the mixture is 4 ml of 6.25mg/ml strength.

Another way of calculating the strength is to use the following formula
(nic_strength * nic_drops/total_drops) + n

So using the above example

A mix of 5 drops of 24mg/ml (flavour1), 15 drops of 12mg/ml (flavour 2) 25 drops of 8mg/ml (flavour3) and 35 drops of no nic (flavourings and VG).

(24mg/ml * 5/80) + (12mg/ml * 15/80) + (8mg/ml * 25/80) + (0mg/ml * 35/80)
1.5 + 2.25 + 2.5 + 0
= 6.25 mg/ml

For simplicity there are a number of e-liquid strength calculators on the web (you can even get an app for you phone). Below are links to 3 of them.

The first is very simple and ideal for beginners.
http://www.todmuller.com/ejuice/ejuice.php

The second allows for 2 different strength e-liquids
http://www.tji-java-ide.com/e-cigarette/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=88

The final one is from USA and is more suited to the advanced mixer (you probably need a degree in maths to work it out), but it does have a useful section on users recipes.
http://www.filesanywhere.com/fs/v.aspx?v=896e698861666ea76e9e
(Just click on the link and enable macros when asked. You need MS-Excel to read it)

DIY menthol e-liquid
For menthol fans you can make your own menthol flavour using menthol crystals. Get them from the chemist or the dispensing counter at some supermarkets. A small pot costs about £1.50.
Using a premixed or home mixed unflavoured e-liquid (at your favourite strength) just add some of the crystals into the bottle. Shake well and leave overnight to dissolve. (Tip: some people crush the crystals first). For 5ml you need about 2 large crystals (again do a vape taste test and add more crystals if required).
You can also make your own menthol flavouring. Fill an empty bottle with crushed menthol crystals then add alcohol of your choice (any clear alcohol will do e.g. vodka, gin). You could also use distilled/de-ionised water. Shake well and use as a normal flavouring.

Mixing tips
By using a zero nicotine base for trial mixing you will avoid expensive mixing disasters. Once the recipe for the mix has been worked out you can then make a batch using nicotine e-liquid. Note nicotine has a bitter taste and at high strength you may need a little more flavour to hide this.

Always do your vape testing with a clean atty, as old flavours linger. Clean the atty with unflavoured between vape tests until no flavour is detected.

Use a broken in atty to do you vape tests.

Adding menthol may salvage mixing disasters, as it helps soften the flavour. There is also a product called vape wizard that can also help eliminate the acid/sour perception and generally improve any e-liquid.

The best method of doing a vape test is to drip 2 drops directly onto the atty. Note only suitable for sealed/manual batteries.

Use same size drippers for mixing as a drop from a syringe and dropper are different quantities.

When you receive a new flavouring make up a trial mix of 2ml to a nice strength and note number of drops used on the bottle or in your recipe book (useful when guessing the number of drops to add to mixes).

Mix up 5ml bottles of flavours at your normal strength and use for straight blending (no calculations).

PG, VG and PEG400 can all be used in mixing. Some people regularly use 50% PV and 50% VG as their base mix. Again try out various mixes to get the best mix for you.

Glycerine PG (VG) bought from a chemist or non e-cig supplier is thicker than normal e-liquid. It can be thinned with distilled water, de-ionised water or any clear alcohol e.g. Vodka, Gin. For every 9 drops of VG added to a mix add 1 drop of thinner. Don’t use more than 20% water in your mixing.

For better flavour tasting do any vape testing using a 901 atty. If you use a 510 then make the mixes a stronger flavour (or vape test with a 510 atty).

Decant all your mixing ingredients into 5ml (for flavourings) or 30ml dripper bottles for easy mixing. Label well. Tip when decanting chemist bought VG you can add 10% of thinner (de-ionised water or clear alcohol) to give the right consistency for mixing.

When adding flavourings start with 1 or 2 drops and add more if required, it is easier to add more flavour than dilute strong flavours.

Final note
Now you have a selection of flavoured premixes remember when changing flavours of e-liquid use a cleaned atty or the previous flavour might merge with the new one. (Tip: Dripping with unflavoured e-liquid, until no taste can be detected, can be used to clean the atty of old flavours)(Tip: Instead of cleaning an atty change it and store used atty and premix bottles linked together with elastic bands)

Guide pt 4 V1.0