How long are u willing to wait? A steeping question

[Lethalp]

, I know many if you have very strong feelings about steeping. I am curious, how long are u willing to wait for a juice to develop? A day? A week? A month? Longer?

What are your steeping practices?

Do u think that more vendors should steep their juices?

Would u or have u bought a juice that is pre steeped?

Thanks!

 

[GWG73]

I have a hate hate relationship with steeping. Quite frankly, I think it's a bunch of crap. I understand that it's necessary, but as far as I'm concerned juice should leave the vendor vapable. I can appreciate that juice develops more after you get the product, but I think it should end there. I have gotten some really nasty juice from very high profile vendors. The answer to an un-vapable juice is all to often "let it steep". Fine...that seems to be the way of the vape world, and from what I can see it's largely accepted. For me, however, I cannot understand how a business would allow a product to leave their shop in that form. Not fully developed is one thing, but un-vapable is another. I will no longer touch a vendor unless it is commonly know that the juices are good right out of the gate. "Fresh to order" to me is code for "I don't want to chance loosing money having some product pre-steeped and ready to go".

 

[EleanorR]

Good evening, Lethalp.

As you know (cough), I am an inveterate steeper, who unfortunately has to steep her juices longer than most people before I think they are "just right"! Unless it's Chinese (rare) or pre-steeped by the vendor (some do this: usually 7-10 days; the "born on date" will tell you), I generally steep natural tobaccos for six weeks, and everything else for 3-4 weeks. cry

It's a matter of time and chemistry, like simmering a soup or sauce ALL DAY on the stove, or even making a dish two days before-hand so it can "rest" in the fridge before it's served. (Yum!)

There is ONE tobacco juice I actually steep for two months, because it's just that good. The secret is to always order multiple bottles, and have plenty of other juices on hand to vape while the "newborns" are sleeping steeping.

It's a PITA for noobs, and some lucky lucky dogs find it unnecessary (they enjoy even "unripe" juice), but alas for most of us it is just a common factor in vaping high-quality or custom-made juices.

Signed,
The Steep Nazi

 

[Pete54]

I DIY and whenever I make juice I add a "Born On" date to each bottle. If vendors did this you would at least have an idea if it was just made or is 6 months old!

 

[EleanorR]

Many vendors do put the "born on" date on their bottles -- if they don't, I add the "ship date" to the label!

 

[Mr.Mann]

Absolutely as long as it takes. It really doesn't matter to me because there are enough flavors that don't need steeping that I keep on hand. The cool thing about waiting is, the window gets larger. From my experience, those kind of juices are best at 2-4 months. So, once it has blossomed, you have many, many weeks of pure bliss. I am going to let one of my BWB RY4 bottles and some E-Joker age up to 8 months! I rarely if ever think about it, they just chill in the hibernation cave, a.k.a "my drawer". LOL

 

[ckgjt]

IDK. I make my own juice and if I mix up a bottle and vape it immediately, it tastes very generic. In other words, if I lined up 5 different flavors of just made juice, they all have the same underlying tone to them. But after a week, there is a definite change and each flavor seems to have developed its own personality. However, my experience is that after one week I can't tell any change the longer it steeps. I have vaped on a particular flavor after the first week and then gone back to it a month later and it tastes the same to me. I guess the only way to know for sure would be to separate some and vape them a month later, one after the other.

 

[ShelleyF]

I test mine out of the bottle and most of them aren't even vapable. Then I let them steep for about 4 days and try again and sometimes it takes a few weeks to be able to like it. The Vape Dudes is a great vendor because they stand behind their ejuice. If you don't like the flavor they take it back. It is on their website that they do this. That is a huge bonus in my book.

 

[Mr.Mann]

{I just want to add something else}

I have said this before, but...the notion of "steeping" implies an action. I don't look at it like I am doing anything exactly, thus, the term waiting is a slight misnomer. I look at it as "aging", "ripening" or "maturing". It is just about plain ol' time. All of those ideas inform my mindset, thus, how I feel or perceive it. It is time when it is time! I am not waiting on anything to happen necessarily. It's just that I have it, and when it is ready it to be vaped, well...I will be here for it, like a fiend.

I am cracking myself up.LMAO

 

[Lethalp]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Glad to see u came and shared your steeping wisdom El, I am wondering tho, how on earth did u figure out u had to steep that long and not to back to smoking???? I mean I understand u have a system down now, but how did u vape when u first started? Did u really just keep putting juices back off another week then try and then out then back for another week? Did u just end up vaping juices u couldn't taste to keep from smoking?? I don't know how u handled that, but I can tell u I would have been a total gear to live with if I couldnt taste a thing I vaped!


So do u guys think vendors should offer both steeped or aged juices as well as fresh to order?? I wish they would offer steeped juices, but my only concern is that some less than upstanding vendors would take advantage of the idea and just start selling old and nasty juice as "steeped". I can see where in that case it could cause a problem. But of course I wouldn't expect that at all from vendors I trust, but that list is short.

 

[EleanorR]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Glad to see u came and shared your steeping wisdom El, I am wondering tho, how on earth did u figure out u had to steep that long and not to back to smoking???? I mean I understand u have a system down now, but how did u vape when u first started? Did u really just keep putting juices back off another week then try and then out then back for another week? Did u just end up vaping juices u couldn't taste to keep from smoking?? I don't know how u handled that, but I can tell u I would have been a total gear to live with if I couldnt taste a thing I vaped!


So do u guys think vendors should offer both steeped or aged juices as well as fresh to order?? I wish they would offer steeped juices, but my only concern is that some less than upstanding vendors would take advantage of the idea and just start selling old and nasty juice as "steeped". I can see where in that case it could cause a problem. But of course I wouldn't expect that at all from vendors I trust, but that list is short.

It was easy! Because for the first 3 months or so all I vaped was Chinese juice (V4L), which had already steeped aplenty before leaving customs!

Both NiteLiteVapor and Vermillion River pre-steep their juices prior to sale; both give you at least a month/year if not a day/month/year born-on date on the bottle.

One vendor actually volunteered to make my juices up and steep them for me (with a daily shaking to boot!) before I actually purchased them; however I don't think I'll ask him to do that again since I feel like it was really too much to ask.

I learned about my excessive steep needs the hard way, when I first started trying out custom made juices: no problem, as long as I had other already-steeped juices on hand!

 

[base234]

All I can add to this discussion is my experience. With DIY, I expect to steep with vigorous shaking for several days, sometimes up to a week. When I order a juice I try it right out of the mailbox and if it needs it, steep for several days. That's about it. If I don't like it right away, chances are about 25% it will get better. but that's just me.

BTW, ElanorR, I love your sig.
George
Virginian by birth.

 

[Mr.Mann]

I mean I understand u have a system down now, but how did u vape when u first started? .

Quite simple...ignorance was bliss!