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Testing ph balance
submitted over 8 years ago by iihacksx

So after reading just about evert article google could offer me about ph balances in e juice still left me with a few questions.

  1. Do you guys really feel its worth the extra time/money
  2. I read a few people saying the simple test strips work fine and some people saying there not acurate enough and your better off buying a ph meter
  3. If ph meter is worth it which ones do you guys use
  4. It was very hard to find a lot about which flavors can heavy move the ph level one way or another to balance the juice

Any input is nice thanks 😀

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3 points
 
by MrBurgundy314over 8 years ago

abdada has some good info here:

abdada's site

Personally, I think it's worthwhile. It won't magically make a bad recipe good though. If you put a lot of time and effort into developing recipes, a $30 meter is worth investing in to help push those recipes to their greatest potential. I've never used strips, only digital meters, so I can't say if they work or not. I've always picked up my meters at a local hydroponics store for another DIY endeavor, but you can find them on Amazon.

2 points
 
by iihacksxover 8 years ago

Ya that was the best article i had read.

Ok thats all im looking for is it help tweek some recipes ive been working on for awhile to b smoother or have that more dense vape.

I had browsed amazon most looked like you had to submerge the stick into a whole jar though. I was hoping there was one that i could just drop a few drops on

1 points
 
by BuryMeInSmokeover 8 years ago

There is a brand of pH strips that are more accurate and reliable than most - the name escapes me although I know they're popular with homebrewers - searching some homebrew forums would be a good bet (homebrewtalk.com is/was a good one).

A couple of drops on a stick should be fine. You may get more accurate results by submerging though.

1 points
 
by Craftywineauxover 8 years ago

I've been looking for a decent probe type. Any suggestions out there?

2 points
 
by MrBurgundy314over 8 years ago

I just use the Hanna Pocket Tester. It was like $45 at the hydro store. Probably cheaper online. Works great, but I do have to use like 15ml to test with it. Edit: I test out of a container that's millimeters bigger than the cap of the tester.

If probes are the same as soil testers, those run pretty expensive. Outta my price range. Sorry. :(

1 points
 
by iihacksxover 8 years ago

After googling soil ph tester meter i found a few ranging from 7$ to a couple hundred. I think i might get one

1 points
 
by nanjingpeterover 8 years ago

Great link...been looking for something like this.

2 points
 
by Feydenover 8 years ago

I feel it's definitely worth it, and this little guy is simple and accurate. I'm colorblind, and can't use strips, but I can't imagine them being accurate enough.

Also, be sure to test your liquids after adding nic base...I don't know if you steep completed liquids or add nic just before vaping, but be sure to test with the nic in it.

1 points
 
by iihacksxover 8 years ago

Ive seen those of that style but do you have to dip that whole thing into your juice or can you just drop some on the sensor

1 points
 
by Feydenover 8 years ago

The probe needs to be immersed. I have an extra cap that I removed the sponge from, and I just pour my juice in that, and put the cap on. I don't let a test batch steep, btw...I just mix a quick small batch, add nic, and test immediately. If you're worried about wasting juice, that company makes a slim one that will fit in a dram bottle (which can be difficult to clean, so I'd recommend using fresh ones...making the juice you saved kinda pointless); it has good resolution, but isn't quite as accurate as the one above.

You have to keep the probe clean and keep the storage solution in the cap to protect it. The strip is just a way to make the probe last longer, as older styles would get solutions trapped at the junction, throwing off your readings. It's not especially difficult, but you should definitely follow procedures consistently.

1 points
 
by VaporAlchemistover 8 years agoOne of "The Damned"

Maybe someone can explain this better for me.. So I make a strawberry lemonade recipe and delicious, but it's the pH is low like say 5.5 due to citric acid among other things. I test it, and the pH meter confirms this. Now what? Am I supposed to add pepto-bismol to it to balance the pH? milk of magnesia? Am I supposed to trash the recipe and start over? What is the purpose of this?

1 points
 
by iihacksxover 8 years ago

No for simplicity lets say you current juice is max vg witg ph of 5.5. Well pg has a ph level of 10. So by adding some pg you can raise your ph level. There is also certain flavoring that will also

1 points
 
by VaporAlchemistover 8 years agoOne of "The Damned"

Thanks. I'll test this theory, but based on this, in some cases, a 50/50 mix might have better mouthfeel than an 80/20. Interesting..

1 points
 
by blytzkriegover 8 years ago

what is the ph level of saline solution? i think its near 7 since it is from distilled water but when i googling then i found saline solution ph level is 5.5 (acidic), is that true?

1 points
 
by maxpolsfussover 8 years ago
  1. I think it's really important for you health. It's not expensive to use, of course.
  2. Well, I tried many of that strings and these are the best: https://www.amazon.com/pH-Test-Strips-Balance-Accurate/dp/B06XG6Z2XC/ref=sr_1_3_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1496652297&sr=1-3&keywords=ph+test+strips+bonus
  3. You don't need ph meter if you have good test strips.
  4. You can find some information in that free bonus book.
-3 points
 
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