Upper limit of steeping effectiveness?

[BigStu81]

Currently wondering if there is an upper limit where juice is effectively 'fully steeped'...

I had some Yaeliq juices (2x100ml) and they DEFINITELY tasted much better at six weeks than they did at four. This was a closed lid steep with me removing the lid a couple of times a week to refresh the small amount of air, before putting it straight back on.

I've had other juices previously where the flavour was way too prominent and these needed up to three days of cap off steeping to be smooth and non acidic/sharp. Even after a good month's steep, and having sat uncapped overnight before steeping, they still needed another couple of days afterwards with the cap off for the overstrong flavour to dissipate.

However, with the Yaeliq juice it was more of a maturation/settling of flavour, and the timbre of the juice changed dramatically with me having only given it minimal additional air exposure - as opposed to just being 'milder' like when I breathed the overstrong juice. I firmly believe that it steeped further over those two weeks.

So...would there be a difference between say a closed cap two month steep and a closed cap eight month steep? Somebody must've tried this...

 

[jjatl]

Currently wondering if there is an upper limit where juice is effectively 'fully steeped'...

I had some Yaeliq juices (2x100ml) and they DEFINITELY tasted much better at six weeks than they did at four. This was a closed lid steep with me removing the lid a couple of times a week to refresh the small amount of air, before putting it straight back on.

I've had other juices previously where the flavour was way too prominent and these needed up to three days of cap off steeping to be smooth and non acidic/sharp. Even after a good month's steep, and having sat uncapped overnight before steeping, they still needed another couple of days afterwards with the cap off for the overstrong flavour to dissipate.

However, with the Yaeliq juice it was more of a maturation/settling of flavour, and the timbre of the juice changed dramatically with me having only given it minimal additional air exposure - as opposed to just being 'milder' like when I breathed the overstrong juice. I firmly believe that it steeped further over those two weeks.

So...would there be a difference between say a closed cap two month steep and a closed cap eight month steep? Somebody must've tried this...

I think, as you have already started to discover, it completely depends on the juice., and I do not believe that there is a cut and dry answer for this.

I purchased some nicoticket frenilla. 1 bottle was 5months steeped and the other was steeped almost 1year. I was unable to taste a difference.

I think that steeping gets to a point of diminishing returns, but that point will depend on the manufacturer and flavor. For one particular flavor I get from a local B&M, the juice is nice and steeped after 2 weeks. After that, the color doesn't really change much and neither does the flavor.

 

[PaPaJae]

Pretty much reiterating the same thing from my experience. Really depends on flavor. I found custards/desserts taste better after nearly 2 months. Have found tobacco flavors can continue to get better after nearly 4 months. But can also be ruined towards 6 months. Kinda test each flavor. I usually order two bottles and let one steep and vape the other while the bottle steeps. Hope this helped. Cheers.

 

[BigStu81]

Interesting! One of the flavours which I feel improved around the 6th week was Yaeliq's Custard V2 (the other being Maple Pecan).

 

[Leo Bak]

I've been experimenting with steeping tobacco liquids for some time now, i often use a yoghurt machine (YM) to speed up the steeping process. A model like this:

I leave the liquids in the YM for about 8 to 9 hours, with the jar-lids off. After that, it takes at least another two weeks for most of my flavours to steep well, also removing the lid a couple of times a week to refresh the small amount of air, before putting it straight back on and then giving it a thorough shake.

I've had several YM-steeped flavours that were ready after two weeks, some still took four weeks or longer. Very few flavours got better after a month or two, and some had become unvapeable after five or six months. Then i have some liquids that i made well over a year ago, and they are still just as good.

I've also compared liquid that was made in the YM to liquid that wasn't. Some flavours really benefit from speed-steeping, others don't. Sweet flavours like candy, dessert are instantly vapeable after the YM, neutral tobacoo flavours take two weeks after the YM, the more complex and spicy, nutty tobacco's still need at least three to four weks after the YM.

In my experience, the sweeter flavours (with caramel, cotton candy) will become less sweet in time and the tobacco taste comes to the foreground; the spicy flavours (pepper, cloves, nutmeg, paprika) become more balanced after a while; the nutty flavours tend to blend in with the tobacco, only after a week or three to four. I have a few very nutty and sweet flavours that taste mainly like tobacco after six months to a year.

So to answer your question, yes there's an upper limit of steeping effectiveness, but it mostly depends on the flavours you use, and sometimes on the base and nic used.

 

[Rickajho]

In a general sense I have found that 30 days is it. At that point good stuff doesn't get any better and, unfortunately, no amount of cap on or off steeping is gonna make a bad liquid improve. I have some liquids - all from the same place (hmm...) - that taste as bad a year later as they did 30 days after they arrived.

 

[skelley]

In a general sense I have found that 30 days is it. At that point good stuff doesn't get any better and, unfortunately, no amount of cap on or off steeping is gonna make a bad liquid improve. I have some liquids - all from the same place (hmm...) - that taste as bad a year later as they did 30 days after they arrived.

That pretty much nails it for me too. Actually if I don't like it in the first week I never will.
I then move on to another manufacturer or buy juice that's already steeped.
I won't waste my money on junk juice, I want a good product for my money, YMMV.

 

[BigStu81]

Cheers for your thoughts guys...

It pretty much supports my view that six weeks is the point at which most juices are at their peak. I mainly go for dessert / sweet flavours and FWIW Yaeliq has been quoted as saying that full VG needs 'at least four weeks'. I mainly vape 70/30 or 80/20.

 

[skelley]

Cheers for your thoughts guys...

It pretty much supports my view that six weeks is the point at which most juices are at their peak. I mainly go for dessert / sweet flavours and FWIW Yaeliq has been quoted as saying that full VG needs 'at least four weeks'. I mainly vape 70/30 or 80/20.

Another way to speed up steeping is a ultra sonic cleaner. Food for thought...

 

[BigStu81]

Interesting stuff.

I could do with a quicker method as I currently have to buy a month ahead of when I want to use. I tend to buy 100ml bottles and although I'm not a tightarse I don't see the point in getting ripped off by a middle man. I like buying off guys like Yaeliq and they often tend to mix to order - i.e. sending juices which need steeping.

 

[BigStu81]

Last time I had to buy an 'interim' bottle from a vape shop to tide me over as my juice wasn't fully steeped after a month.