Published on: 16/12/2023
PREPARATION OF DIY ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE LIQUIDS: COMPLETE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
Have you already experimented with using ready-made vape liquids and now want to make them at home by purchasing the various components on Terpy? Excellent idea, but if you’re a beginner you’ll need to know the exact method for mixing them: you’re probably wondering how to dose e-cigarette liquids, and today we’ll give you the answer!
You will know in detail the composition of the electronic cigarette liquid in percentage, the mixing methods, the maturation times and much more.
Are you ready? So let’s get started right away.
What to buy to best dose e-cigarette liquids
In order to obtain professionally prepared vaping liquids, you must first of all know what to buy among accessories and ingredients. Here are two short lists that will serve as a sort of shopping list:
Accessories for making electronic cigarette liquids at home
A graduated container, like those used in the kitchen. In this case, dedicate it only to the preparation of liquids.
Latex gloves, to protect your hands from the substances you will touch (especially liquid nicotine, if you intend to use it).
A syringe, possibly with a large, blunt needle.
A large bottle to prepare the liquid, preferably with a cap as you will have to shake the contents. Alternatively you can purchase a magnetic stirrer which will make your operations easier.
Smaller vials into which to pour the e-liquid base (if you think you want to compose liquids of different flavours). The 60 or 100 ml ones are fine so you can carry them comfortably even on the plane.
A permanent marker or, alternatively, customizable adhesive labels so you can note down the details on the various liquids you make. In fact, you will have to write the preparation date, the flavorings used, the VG/PG ratio and any quantities of nicotine present.
Ingredients for customized electronic cigarette liquids
Vegetable Glycerin (VG)
Propylene Glycol (PG)
Electronic cigarette flavors of various flavors
Nicotine sideburns (optional). Nicotine is always diluted in PG or VG: choose the substance to use based on your preferences, considering that you will then mix the nicotine bases with the neutral base.
And now let’s see how to mix liquids for DIY electronic cigarettes.
Read also: The complete guide to the types of electronic cigarettes on the market
Make your own e-cigarette base liquid
The first step to implement to make DIY vaping liquids is to create the e-liquid base, also called neutral base because it has no taste (as it does not contain flavourings).
Put on gloves and first decide how much to make (we recommend 1 liter so you have a large quantity ready to use) and what percentages of Propylene Glycol and Vegetable Glycerin to use. If you are already familiar with ready-made vape liquids you will know your preferred PG/VG ratio well, alternatively you can choose to start with a 50/50 and then add a few more ml of one or the other component.
After combining PG and VG, shake the container or mix the neutral base well with the help of a clean tool.
Combine flavorings and possibly liquid nicotine
Now that you have your basic e-cigarette liquid, you can add flavourings, nicotine bases and create your own personalized vaping liquids.
Before proceeding, however, it is necessary to do some in-depth analysis of one of the ingredients you will use: the concentrated aroma. The quality of the final product will depend on your ability to choose the right one and dose it correctly in your e-liquid.
Organic or synthetic flavor? It all depends on what type of device you have
The first choice to make when selecting the ideal concentrated aroma for you is: synthetic or organic?
Synthetic flavorings are usually produced in the laboratory starting from molecules that are not extracted from the substance whose taste you want to reproduce, but which have a similar flavor to the latter. Organic ones are the exact opposite: they are obtained using exactly the natural ingredient whose aroma you want to reproduce as a base.
The ideal choice between these types depends on the type of electronic cigarette you are using.
Organic aromas have a more intense taste, but contain numerous impurities that tend to quickly dirty the coil cotton. For this reason they are suitable for use with regenerable e-cigs in which the resistance is changed frequently. However, there are also organic products with a relatively low impurity content created specifically for use with interchangeable head e-cigarettes.
Synthetic flavors, on the other hand, have a more delicate flavor and can be vaped with any type of device.
So which ones to choose?
If you have a regenerable electronic cigarette and the usual e-liquids don’t satisfy you, you could try creating your own by mixing it with an organic flavor. Conversely, if your e-cig works with interchangeable heads, I recommend using exclusively synthetic liquids so as not to reduce the life of the resistors.
The types of aroma that every vaper should know
Flavors are also divided into various types based on their flavour:
tobacco;
fruity;
creamy.
Tobaccos are those with the flavor most similar to traditional cigarettes. As you can easily guess from their name, they reproduce the taste of tobacco and are perfect for cheek vaping at low wattages. If you have recently stopped smoking I recommend you focus on these aromas so as to fully satisfy the desire for traditional cigarettes that you are probably still experiencing.
Fruity ones, obviously, are fruit-flavored aromas. They are ideal in the warmer months and, as a rule, have a delicate taste which also makes them suitable for all-day vaping. They perform very well with both lung and cheek e-cigarettes, at low wattages in order to produce a fresh vapor that enhances their flavor.
Finally, creamy ones have a flavor that reproduces that of sweet foods, often combined with liqueurs. They have a very intense flavor and must be chosen carefully: a creamy aroma with a flavor that is not in line with our tastes can easily nauseate us. It is advisable to vape them with a lung device, possibly at high wattages. In fact, their taste is at its best with a hot and dense vapor.
Read also: The true history of the electronic cigarette: from the first experiments to today
How to calculate the percentage of concentrated flavoring for DIY liquids
Let’s move on to the most important topic: what is the ideal concentration of flavoring you should add to your DIY liquids?
It is not possible to give a valid answer in all cases. Each product has a different aromatic power: for some, a few drops are sufficient, for others, however, it may be necessary to add a considerable quantity. Fortunately, in most cases manufacturing companies indicate this information on the flavoring label in the form of a percentage. Once you have this data, all you have to do is mix the ingredients in the right proportions to obtain an electronic cigarette liquid ready for vaping.
Sometimes, however, this percentage is not indicated.
In this case, in the world of vaping there is a golden rule that almost never goes wrong: if you don’t know precisely the quantity of a certain aroma that you should mix with an e-liquid to obtain a balanced taste, add it so that it constitutes 10%. % of total product.
Let’s see below 5 examples of dosage, the first without the use of nicotine and the others with different percentages of this substance, always taking into consideration the 10% aroma:
Electronic cigarette liquid dosage 100 ml without nicotine
90 ml of basic e-liquid
10 ml of aroma
Electronic cigarette liquid dosage 100 ml with nicotine 3
73.3 ml of basic e-liquid
2 nicotine bases of 10ml with 18mg nicotine (uses 1 bottle for full and 1 bottle for 6.7ml)
10 ml of aroma
Electronic cigarette liquid dosage 100 ml with liquid nicotine 6
56.7 ml of basic e-liquid
4 x 10ml nicotine sticks with 18mg nicotine (uses 3 bottles in full and 1 bottle for 3.3ml)
10 ml of vaping aromas
Electronic cigarette liquid dosage 100 ml with nicotine 9
40 ml of basic e-liquid
5 x 10ml 18mg nicotine sticks (use all 5 vials in full)
10 ml of aroma
Finally, shake up your DIY e-cigarette liquid and let it sit
Now that you have combined all the ingredients, all you have to do is mix them: close your bottles and shake them vigorously, then let them rest in a cool, dry place, preferably in the dark. This last step allows you to best combine all the components of your vaping liquids and obtain an optimal flavor.
Rest times are variable and can even reach 10/15 days.
In conclusion
In this article I explained how to mix your e-cigarette liquids, what types of concentrated flavors exist on the market, what their main characteristics are and how much product to use when mixing your DIY liquids.
This last point puts many vapers in difficulty who wish to create their own e-liquids. But it is sufficient to check the doses recommended by the manufacturers, or follow the golden rule I told you about previously, to avoid making mistakes and obtain perfect liquids.
Before saying goodbye, I invite you to take a look at the many quality products available on the Terpy shop: ready-made e-cigarette liquids, concentrated flavours, nicotine bases and many other items for a fantastic vaping experience!
Take Aways
To prepare liquids for DIY electronic cigarettes, you need to purchase the necessary accessories and ingredients such as a graduated container, latex gloves, a syringe, vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, flavorings and, optionally, nicotine bases.
To create the neutral base, mix the right amount of PG and VG according to your preferences (for example, a 50/50 ratio) and mix everything until you obtain a homogeneous liquid.
When choosing aromas, you need to consider whether you prefer synthetic or organic aromas and whether you use a regenerable electronic cigarette or one with interchangeable heads.
The aromas are divided into various types, including tobacco, fruity and creamy, each of which has its own specificity and is best suited to a specific type of electronic cigarette.
To calculate the percentage of concentrated aroma to use, it is advisable to follow the manufacturer’s instructions, but in the absence of these, you can follow the golden rule of 10% of the total product. In any case, you need to mix the ingredients in the right proportions and let the liquid rest for a few days in order to combine all the components as best as possible and obtain an optimal flavour.
Questions and answers
What accessories are needed to prepare DIY electronic cigarette liquids?
To prepare DIY e-cigarette liquids, various accessories are needed, including a graduated container, latex gloves, a syringe, a large bottle with cap, smaller vials and a permanent marker or customizable adhesive labels.
What are the ingredients for customized e-cigarette liquids?
Vegetable Glycerin (VG), Propylene Glycol (PG), E-cigarette flavourings, and nicotine sticks (optional).
How to calculate the percentage of concentrated flavoring for DIY liquids?
The ideal concentration of aroma depends on the product used and can be indicated on the label. If not, add more so that it makes up 10% of the total product.
