Why Custom Vape Juice?

What are the advantages of custom vape juice?

Vaping equipment available today is so varied, and vapers preferences in e-liquids so wide that the traditional one-size-fits-all approach to vape juice manufacture has become completely unsatisfactory. This approach to manufacturing e liquid leaves the vaper with a product that is aimed at the ‘average’ vaper, and very few vapers fall into the average category.

Custom vape juice has become more of a necessity than a luxury, at least for that great vape. There are just too many variables at play in today’s vaping scene. Being able to customize your e-liquid can be very important in achieving the most satisfactory vape for YOU.

Typically, which flavour you like best is imagined as the main criteria for choosing an e-liquid, but other factors will reduce or elevate the vaping experience greatly. It is the difference between a mediocre experience and a very satisfying vape.

Vaping Variables – the Vaper, Vape Equipment and Vape Juices

In seeking a good, satisfying vape there are many variables you need to consider in three main areas – you the vaper, the equipment and the e liquid you’ll use. The design and composition of the e-liquid – or vape juice – that will suit you best depends greatly upon your personal preferences and needs, as well as your vaping devices. One size definitely does not fit all in vaping.

Let’s take a quick look at the variables at play in these three main areas and why custom vape juice has become an important factor in satisfying your vaping needs.

You, the Vaper

Some of the factors that will influence your choice of vaping devices and e-liquid are:

• Vaping for smoking cessation or pleasure (a hobby if you will). Or both.
• Vaping at the office, at home or a night out. Probably, but not necessarily, all three.
• Do you like to blow great, dense clouds with a wallop of flavour or vape discreetly, drawing as little attention as possible.
• How much nicotine do you need to satisfy any craving for it.
• Do you wish to reduce your nicotine intake gradually over time to eliminate the ‘shock’ of a sudden drop.
• Do you like a strong throat hit, or a very smooth vape.
• Are you allergic to Propylene Glycol – a small yet significant minority of people are.

Vaping Equipment

Vape equipment can be subdivided into two broad categories:

• MTL (mouth to lung) Vaping Devices
• DTL (direct to lung) Vaping Devices

MTL Vaping Devices

MTL vaping devices are used by drawing the vapour into the mouth then into the lungs, much like you would do with a cigarette. A very wide range of these vape devices are available. They include Twisp, Pod and pen style devices, amongst others.

MTL devices are typically lower powered, use less vape juice but require higher nicotine levels to satisfy. They also typically require a higher PG (Propylene Glycol) ratio in the e juice in order to wick (draw the juice into the coil for vaporizing) properly so no dry hits result.

DTL Vaping Devices

DTL vape devices are used by drawing the vapour directly into the lungs. These are usually sub-ohm (the coil resistance is below 1 Ohm) devices attached to higher powered Mods. DTL vaping devices generally provide huge clouds of vapour and a mouthful of flavour that MTL devices cannot match.

DTL vape devices use more vape juice, lower nicotine levels and are typically used with higher VG (Vegetable Glycerin) ratios.

Vape Juice

Vape juice consists of 3 main ingredient groups:

• The Base – This usually consists of varying ratios of Propylene Glycol (PG) and Vegetable Glycerin (VG).
• Nicotine – Freebase nicotine or nicotine salts
• A combination of flavourings, almost always carried in PG, carefully blended to produce a particular flavour profile

The 4th item to consider is the packaging which is important in delivering the juice into the vaping device with as little mess, spillage and waste as possible.

The Base

Generally vape juice bases range from a VG/PG ratio of 40%VG / 60%PG  (40/60) to 100% VG*.

*Note that because vape juice consists of the base AND flavourings 100%VG juice is practically unobtainable, especially in South Africa, for reasons set out in this article on PG allergies.

Depending on whether you are using a MTL or a DTL vape device the optimal base ratio will be different. Typically MTL devices work best at a 50/50 or 60/40 ratio while DTL devices can normally handle most base ratios well.

If you are PG allergic you will need to eliminate as much PG in your vape juice as is practically possible and go for Max VG juice.

Higher VG ratios produce more ‘clouds’, something some prefer.

PG helps increase throat hit, if you like a stronger throat hit you may opt for a higher PG ratio in your e-liquid or a higher VG ratio if you want a smoother vape with more ‘clouds’, within the range suitable for your device of course.

Nicotine

Nicotine comes in varying strengths in two forms – freebase and nicotine salts. This article on nicotine explains the difference between the two forms of nicotine available.

Generally freebase nicotine is used in high power DTL vaping equipment and nicotine salts in MTL vape devices.

Freebase nicotine delivers a higher throat hit while nicotine salts give a smoother vape. The nicotine level (mg/ml) that will suit you best in your e-juice will depend on many factors discussed above, you can find some guidance in our summary and recommendations on custom vape juice in this article.

If the juice description does not specify nicotine salts it contains freebase nicotine.

Flavourings

The flavour profile of an e-liquid is carefully designed, balanced and tested to give you the best flavour possible and any change in the percentages of any of the many flavour components that make up that profile can seriously alter the juice to the point of it being horrible to vape.

For this reason we do not offer to change these percentages in making your custom vape juice. However, there is one component that will bear variations in some juices, not all. We do offer you the option of menthol strength in most, not all, of our Chilled range of juices.

Because menthol is such a important component in our Chilled range for menthol lovers, we have tested the juices in that range under three menthol strengths – standard, strong and very strong. Some, like our Chilled Mint are not offered in varying menthol strengths as the balance is too fine.