Many people have now been successful and have joined the ranks of those who have given up smoking and using vaping as a form of nicotine replacement therapy. The majority of vapers are then completely happy using a pre-mixed e-liquid in their vape device. It’s easy, and you often find a tasty e-liquid that becomes your favourite as you stick with it. But an increasing number of vapers are now choosing to buy the separate components of e-liquid and mix them to form e-liquids to their own specific tastes or strengths.
The Important Ingredients
Prior to discussing mixing e-liquids, it is critical to understand the main ingredients of e-liquid; there are four of them, each with their own characteristics that lend themselves to creating excellent e-liquids. These principal components are –
- Propylene Glycol – known as PG, is used in the food and medicine industries. It is a thin liquid that is an excellent flavour carrier and has been used for over sixty years.
- Vegetable Glycerin – (VG) is produced from plant oils; it is a clear, odourless liquid used in food and cosmetic products and is thicker in consistency than PG.
- Nicotine – when you buy e-liquid the nicotine element used is one of two different types – we will discuss this shortly.
- Food-based flavouring – these are the standard flavours being used in the food industry for many products.
The Different Mixes
A decent percentage of e-liquids are mixed with PG and VG at an even 50/50 split giving a nice even vape, but there are also e-liquids available mixed to different levels. E-liquids with a higher level of PG are known as 80/20 and produce a superb vape high in flavour, and an exceptional throat hit. Another alternative is an e-liquid higher in VG, referred to as 70/30, designed to be used in conjunction with a vape device with a sub-ohm coil to produce large clouds of vapour.
Discussing Nicotine
There are two different types of nicotine used in e-liquid, Freebase nicotine and Nicotine Salt or Salt nic. The body does not easily absorb nicotine in its standard form, so tobacco manufacturers developed freebase nicotine over fifty years ago. It uses a harsh chemical process to refine the nicotine to be more easily absorbed. Nicotine salt is a newer product that uses a much more natural process; it is becoming more popular as it produces a smoother vaping experience.
Moving Onto Mixing
The easiest way to mix e-liquid is to use what is called Shortfills and Shots. Most good vaping suppliers now stock both; in brief shortfill e-liquid contains PG, VG, and the chosen flavour, and to this is added a separate nicotine element or the shot. Many shortfill e-liquids are supplied with bottles containing enough space, so it is easy to pour the shot into the shortfill to create your chosen e-liquid at your prescribed strength.
Further Mixing Information
It is also possible to mix your e-liquids in more significant quantities using some basic utensils and larger amounts of shortfill liquids, and the number of shots. There is no fixed ratio for mixing more considerable quantities, so it’s the best process to start with smallish amounts and work upwards when you get the desired end product.
Now you are more informed about mixing e-liquid and armed with this can try to create your perfect e-liquid.