One of the main reasons why vape use has been on the rise, especially among young adults, is the vast array of flavors that e-liquid is available in. While you can buy ready-mixed vape juice to refill your vape with, available in flavors that range from churned butter to sweet potato casserole and beyond, you can customize your vaping experience even further by mixing your vape flavors.

Not only is mixing your vape juice more cost-effective, but you can pick ‘n’ mix your favorite flavors for the personal touch. Before you imagine yourself as a modern-day Willy Wonka, taking more precautions than he did to ensure you are safe during the process is essential. Here’s the scoop on how to mix vape flavors at home. 

Understanding the Basics of Vape Juice

You don't need Walter White's brains to start mixing vape juice, but you do need to prepare your ingredients before mixing, just like following a good recipe in the kitchen. The essential ingredients in the liquid are: 

• PG (Propylene Glycol)

• VG (Vegetable Glycerin)

• Nicotine (optional)

• Flavor concentrates

Most vape juice contains either propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG), which act as the base liquid or carrier for the nicotine and flavors (the ingredients that keep you coming back for more). PG is thinner than VG and produces less vapor, but it does have a stronger throat hit. 

Essential Ingredients & Tools for Mixing Vape Flavors

Now you know what goes into vape juice, it’s time to get more specific. Here’s what you’ll need if you’re planning on mixing your own vape flavors at home: 

Flavor Concentrates

To ensure your vape juice packs a punch, you’ll need a highly concentrated flavor concentrate (usually already mixed with the carrier). These flavors are so robust that they typically make up between 5% and 20% of the vape liquid.

They are available in single flavors like fruits or different types of mint and complex blends for more specific flavors like bakery items, ice creams, and other dessert flavors. For even more concentrated flavor concentrates, look out for super-concentrated options. 

Nicotine (optional)

After deciding which flavor appeals to your tastes, you can select how much nicotine you want to add to your mixture. Nicotine is available in a variety of strengths, usually starting at 3mg and going all the way up to 100 mg as a base ingredient.

Nicotine must be handled with extreme care and diligence, especially the higher concentrations, due to being absorbed through the skin quickly, which can lead to poisoning. If you’re giving up nicotine, you don’t have to add any to your mixture. 

Base Liquids (PG & VG)

The base liquid or carrier you need to add to make up most of the vapor production will most likely be PG or VG. It’s up to you whether you want the big cloud production associated with VG or prefer the throat hit that PG provides. 

Tools You’ll Need

In addition to the ingredients, you’ll need these tools to successfully mix vape juice: 

• Syringes or droppers

• Mixing bottles (glass vs. plastic)

• Gloves, safety goggles, and a well-ventilated workspace

The Basics of Mixing Your Own Vape Juice

Step 1: Choose Your Flavor Profile

If you’ve ever made a smoothie that doesn’t taste right, you may be guilty of adding too many ingredients or ingredients that don’t complement each other. Don’t make the same mistake with your vape juice.

First, select a base flavor you like, such as fruit, candy, tobacco, or mint. Then, consider what will go well with that base flavor. For example, if you’ve made mint, you may want to try adding a citrus flavor to go with it. 

Step 2: Calculate the Right Ratios

For a balanced formula that provides a nice amount of vapor production and throat hit, try a 50/50 mixture of PG/VG. Go a little heavier on the VG to produce more vapor.

The formula to determine how much nicotine you’ll need is nicotine base strength x nicotine base volume, then divided by the total volume of your e-liquid. The final cherry on top is the flavor. You’ll want to aim for something between 10-20% to taste it without it being overpowering or too harsh. 

Step 3: Mix the Ingredients

Now that you have all the necessary calculations and ingredients, add them one by one, starting with the nicotine, to a mixing bottle using a syringe.

Then, shake the bottle for around 2 minutes until everything is nicely blended together, like the smoothie we mentioned earlier. For added taste enhancement, leave the bottle to steep for a few days, shaking every day to mix the flavors again. 

Steeping and Aging Your Vape Juice

Steeping is leaving your vape juice at room temperature in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight to allow the flavors to meld. If you’ve ever left a chili overnight, you’ll know it always tastes better the next day, and vape juice works the same way (although we don’t recommend chili-flavored vape juice).

If you put your vape juice into your vape immediately and start vaping, you won’t give the flavors a chance to mix, and it can also lead to a harsh puff on the back of the throat and even taste chemically or like alcohol.

If you leave complex flavors like custards and desserts for a couple of weeks, you’ll be left with a richer flavor. Less complex flavors like menthol and fruits require a few days to steep properly. Just remember to shake your bottle every day for maximum effect. 

Testing and Adjusting the Flavor

When it comes to testing, shake your mixture up first. Then, start on a low wattage to see if the taste is correct without taking a big hit. While it’s not vital, utilizing a rebuildable dripping atomizer (RDA) is a common way to test homemade vape liquid, as it allows users to taste the e-liquid without pouring an entire cartridge full.

RDAs will let you drip the liquid directly onto the coil to take a quick puff. If it doesn’t taste right, balance the flavors to reduce the intensity. Or, steep it again if you notice a chemical flavor or your chosen flavor is too weak. 

Storing Your Custom Vape Juice

Whether you make a big or small batch, you’ll want it to pack a punch as long as possible. It’s essential to store your batch of liquid in a cool, dark place. Failure to do so can lead the nicotine to break down and flavors to weaken if exposed to heat.

If stored correctly, homemade vape juice can last up to two years. Be sure to label your different mixes with the dates they were prepared, how strong they are, and the flavor so there are no surprises when you finally crack it open. 

Safety Tips and Precautions

Nicotine can be toxic if not handled carefully. It’s essential to wear gloves when mixing vape liquid because nicotine can be absorbed quickly through the bare skin. Goggles are also good practice in case any splashes of nicotine make contact with the eyes and cause lasting damage.

Many flavorings are available on the market, but you should stick to food-grade flavors because they are much safer for consumption and don’t contain harmful oils. After each mixing session, be sure to place all ingredients safely out of reach of children and pets. 

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Here are some common problems with vape juice and how to fix them:

• Too weak or too strong flavor: If you don’t taste your flavor enough, add more and steep again. If your vape juice is too strong, add more base liquid.

• Harsh throat hit: Vape juice that hits the throat too harshly can be adjusted by increasing the amount of VG to dilute the PG. 

• Separation or cloudiness: Too much flavoring can cause this. Add more base to remove the cloudiness and steep the liquid again. 

Conclusion

Mixing vape juice can open up a world of flavors you never dreamed possible and aren't available at your local vape store. While it's quite a simple process when done correctly, it can be dangerous if you don't handle nicotine carefully.

Remember, if it doesn't taste right, you can adjust the flavors and try something different. If you make a flavor that the world should know about, share it with the vaping community.