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Pros or Cons regarding purchasing Nicotine in PG or VG base?
submitted almost 6 years ago by itsTrips

I mean the first thing that comes to mind is given that most of my mixing will be the typical 70vg/30pg ratios which will result in going through more VG than PG, getting nicotine in a VG base might help offset that a little bit over time?

I would imagine that nicotine in a PG base might mix ever so slightly better? Given that it has much less viscosity, yeah? Or is the difference too minimal to matter?

I dunno... random thoughts, I’m new, go easy on me.

Please add anything else you’d like. And Happy Holidays everyone! 🎅🏼

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15 points
 
by teh_moosesalmost 6 years ago

I find it *much* easier to work with getting my nicotine in 100% PG.

Advantages: You can chuck it in the freezer, and it's still able to be poured after being removed. You're mixing 70vg/30pg anyway, so you'll also find that after doing the math you won't have to worry much about keeping huge containers of PG around (you'll not need that much depending on what nicotine strength you are shooting for).

Even VG in the fridge becomes a bit of a pain to work with.

3 points
 
by ClashOrCrashmanalmost 6 years ago

I recently moved my supplies to the basement, where its about 10-15 degrees (F) cooler. Pouring VG into my small-necked bottles has become significantly more difficult.

3 points
 
by FitChemist432almost 6 years ago

Get 8oz. condiment bottles for your solvents, makes things way easier with dispensing into small mouthed juice bottles.

1 points
 
by kuri_sanToualmost 6 years agoDiketones, Schmiketones

Warm water bath. Don't do that with your nic though

1 points
 
by itsTripsalmost 6 years ago

Yeah that’s the first thing I noticed when I ordered and received PG and VG. The VG is so think, it’s like molasses. At first I even thought mine had gone bad or something 😂

1 points
 
by itsTripsalmost 6 years ago

Yeah I’ve definitely read that nic should be refrigerated or kept in the freezer in large quantities.

I’ve noticed a couple of times that liquid barn tends to be out of stock more often on PG based nic strengths more So than VG. So I presumed that most people are using PG base for nic.

I’ve been planning my mixing around using Nic Salt solution rather than freebase. I just find salt to be much smoother. I’ll be mixing 3mg to 6mg nic salt juices at 70/30 for sub ohm, and 50/50 at 25mg for my pod system. I’ve tried a few ‘sub ohm’ salts and really prefer them to your average freebase juices, so I figure If anything it’ll just make it easier to purchase one big bottle of Nic Salt solution from LB for both. Just need to figure out which strength makes the most sense based on the numbers above.

5 points
 
by kuri_sanToualmost 6 years agoDiketones, Schmiketones

100mg/ml will be just right for you

1 points
 
by JoeW1075almost 6 years ago

Completely this. I just finished off the last of my VG supply that I accidentally bought and couldn't be happier. I can't tell you how many times I overshot my nic measurements because of it.

2 points
 
by Lwn3almost 6 years ago

I got mine in a PG base, having the same thoughts of it mixing better. The last thing that I want are nic hotspots. I got mine at 60mg/ml so there is plenty of wiggle room for me to use whatever VG/PG ratio in my end mix, though I usually just do a 60/40 in the end anyway.

2 points
 
by itsTripsalmost 6 years ago

Yeah I was looking at getting the 100mg/ml but it seems I’d be having to add really small amounts of it at a time, where it might be easier to get a lower strength. I suppose it’s just preference, just curious what everyone else’s preferences are 😝

6 points
 
by kuri_sanToualmost 6 years agoDiketones, Schmiketones

100mg/ml will last twice as long and is cheaper in the end and PG / VG is also cheaper so two birds and a stone

2 points
 
by itsTripsalmost 6 years ago

Word. Thanks for the insight.

1 points
 
by Lwn3almost 6 years ago

Those were my thoughts. 1L of 100mg would get me through multiple years.

Otherwise, you could cut it down to a lower level (40, 50, 60mg) to make it easier to use. Those were my thoughts when I realized those points when I thought that I had ordered 100mg. It did turn out that I ended up deciding to order 60mg last minute, so I didn't have to.

1 points
 
by PandoraPoealmost 6 years ago

I got 500mL of 100mg nic 3 months ago. Split it into 20 small glass bottles and I'm still using the first one.

I vape a lot, like 20-30 mL a day, along with making juice for friends, but this is going to last me years.

1 points
 
by FitChemist432almost 6 years ago

Go 100, you can always dilute it down to your preferred strength for mixing if the measurements get too small to make accurately.

2 points
 
by Xb741czalmost 6 years ago

The way I see it, only advantage to buying vg based nic is if you're going to make high vg juice.

2 points
 
by Brianna_DSLRsalmost 6 years ago

Max VG juice

3 points
 
by kuri_sanToualmost 6 years agoDiketones, Schmiketones

Right, you can still make high VG juice with PG nic, though 100mg/ml or more will make it easier

1 points
 
by Xb741czalmost 6 years ago

Well, I was trying not to get pinned in a corner. I'm sure there is some "less than max" mixture that requires vg nic.

1 points
 
by wonderfulpantsuitalmost 6 years ago

If you bought a big load of PG in your first order for mixing, thinking you'd need around equal amounts of PG and VG (I thought this), you can get your first load of nic in higher VG. 50/50.

When you've burned through that first order, just get the nic in 100% PG. You'll barely have to buy any PG after that then. I have like a litre of it in the fridge I'll never touch. Don't need it.

1 points
 
by bjoramaalmost 6 years ago

I'm a PG man, much easier to work with out of the fridge. Only time it has been an issue was when trying to make a high salt nic juice in a 50/50 outcome. If I had 250mg/ml its not an issue. But if you are making a 50mg batch and it calls for a large percentage of flavor and your using 100mg/ml or less you may not be able to hit your mark.

1 points
 
by FitChemist432almost 6 years ago

I buy 100mg/mL @ 50/50 so my max vg's are around 85%. Gotta use a 14awg syringe tip but it's not bad when it's >60F. I also buy PG as well for adjusting ratios, like for making pod bottles and during the winter when I drop to all my stuff to 60/40.

1 points
 
by Loonicorn420almost 6 years agoSoul, Schmoul

I personally like a 50/50 mix. My first big bottle of nicotine was 100% VG. It was a real pain to work with. You have to worry about hot spots and such. I was mostly mixing at 80% VG or higher, so it seemed like a solid choice, A little too solid tho!

100% PG is too runny for me. I'm messy enough without having my nicotine all splashy!

I now use 50/50 100mg/mL. I can customize to whatever easily. I buy smaller bottles of PG cuz I don't need much. Its viscosity is near perfect for me. My basement is a little cold, but 50/50 is still very easy to work it once I thaw it from the freezer.

1 points
 
by mesavoidaalmost 6 years ago

Agree on that. I got vg but it’s too thick to drop easily.

1 points
 
by The-Real-Pidgeonalmost 6 years ago

Seeing as I’m in EU, with max nic in a bottle being 20mg, I buy 70vg30pg because If I have 100% PG nicotine I have to pour so much of it in, it makes some juices come out 60/40 even if i want 70/30 or higher VG. I’m planning on a high nic order from across the pond and I’m definitely ordering 100% PG 200mg that I can store in the freezer.

So it’s circumstantial I guess

1 points
 
by fekryaalmost 6 years ago

if you have a recipe that needs more than 30% flavour and your aiming for 70vg/30pg final mix then you probablly need VG nicotine. thats the only thing I think about.

shouldnt PG nic provide more throat hit than VG nic ?
maybe thats another reason to use VG nic if you dont fancy throat hit as much

1 points
 
by xijtixalmost 6 years ago

It depends on what you get your flavors in. I've only ever gotten flavors in PG so having nic in VG lets me maintain a 30/70vg ratio across the board of nic strenghts. For example if I wanted to make a 50/50 blend for pods and had PG nic but also PG flavors at 50MG, I wouldn't be able to achieve that.

1 points
 
by zigmus64almost 6 years ago

I used to get my nic 100% VG, in 120 mL “samples”. At the onset of the discussions about the massive tax proposals on mixing supplies I hurriedly ordered a full 1 L bottle of nic. Accidentally ordered in PG. seems to be for the best. I’ve only mixed one batch, but it seems like the lower viscosity makes it easier to mix the nic easily before use. There have been times where I got lazy with mixing the nic up before pouring it into the dilutants, and I’d get “hot spots” where it seemed like the nic was higher than I intended. No such problem with PG. plus as someone else said, the PG holds up well to freezing.

I’ve got it broken out into 120 mL bottles, each double wrapped in plastic wrap, then single wrapped in aluminum foil, then paper towel for shock absorption, then double ziplock freezer bags.

1 points
 
by TheRealSailCatalmost 6 years ago

10-year vap0er here, mixing about six. A PG-base nicotine liquid is so much easier to work with than the alternative and has so little carrier relative to the other ingredients in any recipe, there is no perceptible difference (to my taste) compared to the same recipe using VG-base.

IIMHumbleO, YMMV but I'd urge home-brewers to try to see if it's preferable. For you, personally, the only one who really matters in this scenario.

Final tip, particularly useful when you get frustrated: It's supposed to be fun.

1 points
 
by zigmus64almost 6 years ago

Yeah, I’ve not been mixing as long as you. Been doing it for 2 years or so though, so I’ve got a pretty good process down at this point. The issue with the VG was adequately mixing up the nic base so that there were no high nic spots and then inadvertently overshooting on nic level for a batch.

So far as the flavor of the mixed juice, yeah I can’t taste a difference.

1 points
 
by TheRealSailCatover 5 years ago

Indeed. What I do means nothing, but I mix a base of my preferred percentage nic, 18% saline/water, equally with the remaining percentage VG. This is what I enter into the calculator prior to entering flavors and weighing my ingredients. Again, strictly to my taste but if you choose to use even a similar amount of pure water will make it.

Something I picked up from one of the real pros here is to mix VG-based nic liquid, roll the container rather than trying to shake it which will fill the base with bubbles, arguably leading to problems during and after mixing.

Hope this is more help than hindrance but if the latter, post back. If I don't pick up, somebody smarter than I will answer back.

1 points
 
by dopegeebeealmost 6 years ago

Pg is my go to. It's easier to stir and dispense, and if you buy it at 100mg/ml, the strength is equal to the percent used in a mix. So if you're making 70/30 at 3mg, anywhere up to 27% flavor (which is insane) won't mess with your ratios.

1 points
 
by fredoe48almost 6 years ago

Ive used both but vg based nic is far easiar to use than pg.

1 points
 
by kuri_sanToualmost 6 years agoDiketones, Schmiketones

How so?

1 points
 
by fredoe48almost 6 years ago

When mixing I find that vg comes out slower so its easiar to get a more accurate fill. Also less chance of spilling or splashing it and since i mix 100% nic thats important. I mix by weight. Using syringes wouldnt matter I wouldnt think.

1 points
 
by kuri_sanToualmost 6 years agoDiketones, Schmiketones

Holy shit, you mix 1000mg/ml?

0 points
 
by Rotor_Tilleralmost 6 years ago

I prefer a little thickness to my nic. It makes it easier to pour from the bottle. So I usually get 30/70 vg/pg

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