How To Steep E Juice?

Have you been trying to find the right e-juice for the right flavour but can’t seem to put your taste buds on it? Your vaping experience depends on your finding the right e-juice. However, sometimes, finding the right vape juice is easier said than done. You always wish there was a little difference with any juice you pick that would make its flavour the best for you.

Well, there’s something you can do about that. It’s called steeping. It a great way to improve the flavour of your vape juice. It’s a method that has been used for many years to revolutionise the vaping experience and you could be the next one to benefit from steeping.

What is Steeping?

Steeping is a method used to improve the flavour of your vape juice. There are many processes used to get the right results. But, in essence, it involves letting the liquid suit for a long period of time and exposing it to air in addition to other processes to improve the flavour. 

By steeping, vapers can better combine different properties of the vape juice and come up with a more mature and improved flavour.

Different Methods of Steeping E-Liquid

The vaping movement is very strong and as you would expect, there are different schools of thought on what the best steeping method is. If you don’t fancy the conventional method of letting the e-juice sit in your cupboard for a couple of days, then there are a variety of other popular ways that you can add flavour and depth to your vape juice. 

Why not read: How Much Nicotine In a Vape?

Water Bath

If it’s your first time steeping, the water bath method is advised. It’s simple, cheap and easy. The method involves dunking the e-liquid into warm water helps the molecules to mix up faster.

The most common process is placing the vape juice bottle up to the neck in a cup of hot tap water (not from the kettle) with the top off.

You have to leave the juice in the cup until the water has cooled off. Once the water has cooled down, replace the top and shake the bottle. Take a whiff and test the flavour. It’s recommended you use a dripper for the testing.

If the flavour is not yet there, just repeat the process until you get the desired results. If you prefer to have it done with the cap on, you have to place the bottle in the plastic bag.

UltraSonic Steeping

For vapers that want super-fast results and have a budget for a good ultrasonic cleaner, this steeping method is for you.

The scientific explanation of the process is a little complicated. In a nutshell, the energy pulses that vibrate through the liquid help to speed up the process of steeping.  For the best results, use an ultrasonic cleaner with a built-in heater. The heat produced will serve the same purpose as that of the water bath.

Agitation

This method is useful with pre-steeped liquids. It’s also called the ‘shake and vape’ method. It only requires some vigorous shaking of the juice like you do your ketchup bottle. The agitation method should also be used after all the other methods of steeping having been completed.

Resting

We mentioned the ‘leave it in your cupboard’ approach below. It’s the same one here. The approach is simple and involves letting the juice sit for a while and letting it brew slowly. Most vaping juice sites have conducted studies and claim that the longer the juice sits the better it’s going to taste.

All you have to do is find a nice cool spot to place the bottle and leave the rest to father time to take care of everything.

To give the juice better and deeper taste, you should let some air into the bottle by removing the cap and gently squeezing the bottle.

If you’re steeping for the first time, you should try the juice after a week. If it’s not ready, you can pop it back in the spot and give it more time. Within 5 weeks, the vape juice should be at its best. If the flavour is still not right, then you should try a whole new flavour.

How Does Steeping Help?

Now that you know how you can steep your vape juice, you must be wondering, exactly how does steeping help?

Why not read: Vaping For Beginners Ultimate Guide

Vape juice is a result of different ingredients. The main ones are vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol. Some also have some level of medical grade nicotine, distilled water and alcohol. The number of ingredients used depends on the type of juice and the recipe.  

To get the juice to taste and work as it should, the molecules from the different ingredients have to be introduced to each other. With the shake and vape approach, the molecules might mingle a bit but you will still have the raw taste.

By letting the bottle of e-liquid sit, you can give the molecules time to combine and come together. The result is usually an excellent flavour from your e-liquid. If you let some air in, you let the oxidation process take place which makes the reaction more effective.

Depending on your preference and the type of e-juice you’re steeping, the bottle can take anywhere between 2-3 days and a few weeks to properly steep. It’s also worth noting that some of the more volatile compounds of your juice will evaporate and this might change the flavour of the e-juice.

Storing the E-Liquid after Steeping

You definitely don’t want to ruin the flavour you worked so hard to build. So, storing the e-liquid after the steeping has been completed is very important. The most important thing to note when working the e-liquids is to avoid keeping them under direct sunlight. You can keep your refined juice in a dark and cool cupboard where the steeping process can slowly continue as you enjoy the bottle. If you don’t have a cupboard or a draw, you can use some shoe boxes to keep your e-juice safe.

There’s everything you need to know about steeping your e-juice. If you haven’t yet found a flavour you fancy, you can just pick the one that came close and try steeping it and see how close you get to something you will love. Just remember, not all vapers think of steeping as a way to add some flavour in their e-juice. Some just like their puffs straight off the shelf.

Terminology To Understand

Before we go into the details of steeping, there are a few terms that you should be aware of just in case this is your first time steeping. These will ensure you’re using the right lingua and don’t get confused in the process.

• Raw e-juice – this is a type of e-liquid that has just been mixed and has very little flavour. It is the term given to vape juices that have not yet been steeped.
• Streathing – When you’re steeping for the first time, you need to streath your juice often. This is the process of testing the e-liquid so you can identify the perfect steeping time. The testing is done in different stages of the steeping. You might want to keep track of how the liquid tastes so you can identify the best steeping times so you don’t have to go through this process every time.
• Breathing the juice – you will come across this process a handful of times when reading about the different methods of steeping. It generally refers to taking the cap on the e-juice bottle off to allow air into the e-liquid for oxidation processes to take place.