I just started mixing yesterday. I made a few recipes with FA flavors and they're all good to go right away.
Custards, especially Mother's Milk clone and Zoochberry Cream needs a lot of time to steep.
I tried speeding up the process by shacking the crap out of them every 10-15 minutes and stashing them in warm rice. It has taken quite a toll on my hands and I can't keep doing this for every recipe :(
Is this why I should get an ultrasonic cleaner? Don't really want to drop $80-90 on a magnetic stirrer as I just spent quite a lot getting DIY supply. The DIY magnetic stirrers are not heated and seem like a lot of work :(
Some blends just take time, regardless of the process or tools utilized. Ultrasonic cleaners and magnetic stirrers are useful, but they aren't the holy grail of DIY. You just need to be patient
You're right, but my Scilogex DEFINITELY helps me when i'm testing multiple flavors or flavor batches.
Mine is great too, best purchase I made for larger batches. It doesn't make magic in my complex blends though, they are still relegated to the curing shoe. Single flavors are ready almost instantly though! Definitely great for stuff like that. I find 20ml is about the minimum I can agitate though, even with the smallest stir bar. Not always ideal when sampling!
That's exactly why I need them to steep fast. I don't mind waiting around for recipes that I like already, but for tweaking and revising a recipe I need it done fast.
Scilogex stirrers are pretty out of my range right now :(
I completely understand - mine was an Xmas present, though I would've bought one with bonus money anyways (although I would've had to wait several months). Definitely worth saving for. My next level up is to get a scale so I can weigh everything out, then mix with the Scilogex.
Make a bunch of fluid and use what taste good first. When you run out of that the other stuff should be ready. Just take the top off squeeze the air out then shake daily. You just have to start a cycle so you always have nicely blended juice.
I made this little attachment for my sawzall..... you can also make something similar for a jig saw...... my sawzall has 3100 strokes per minute....that's a LOT of hand shaking....turns the juice to white froth in a matter of 10 seconds.
I shake each bottle for about 30 seconds....put them into my food dehydrator set on 140 degrees and heat them for 2 hours, shake them again and put them back for another 2 hours.
I take them out...and they're good to go. Some juices will still take a few days to a week for the full flavor to come out but this really helps speed things along for most of my juices.
I saw this type of setup when I was first looking into diy. Except I was just going to tape a large pill bottle to the blade and put some foam in the bottle.
Alas I don't have a sawzall so the fruition never came to be. I just make liquids that are good to go right after mixing.
I personally use this Crockpot Little Dipper. This thing is only $9.97 and takes up very little room. Plus you can use it for kitchen cooking too!
If you have a drill, this is what I do. Take a straw, cut vertical slits about an inch up starting from the bottom. About 10 little "flaps" is what I usually get. Put the other end in your drill, the cut end in your bottle, and speed stir that shit to your heart's desire. I usually stir for about 3-5 minutes after mixing, put it in my crockpot for about an hour on low, stir another 2 or 3 minutes, and just repeat that for like 6 hours. After the last stir, I usually see a noticeable color change and I let it breathe for about an hour and it's good.
Small crockpot, or even a cup of hot water from the microwave will do the same for less.
One thing that is helpful is one of the battery powered frothing devices for coffee. Less than ten bucks and a AA battery will mix the hell out of your juice. (it aerates and adds oxygen/bubbles to your juice while stirring)
Both heat and mixing will help, but everything needs time. It just depends on how much time you want to spend.
I have no problem shaking a bottle for about 5 minutes straight.
I can think of no reason why I can maintain this action for that length of time. -.-
Or with some planning, you can save the money from buying a stirrer and simply wait. I always have 2-3 30ml bottles steeping while I make my way through the current bottle.