VG - to dilute or not dilute?

[allen]

HI all

I've been mixing my own liquid for a couple of years. I've always used the same base:
20% PG (inc PG based nic)
80% VG ( actually VG that's been diluted with 15% distilled water)

I've always done it, it works for me and I thought this is how you're supposed to do it as VG is far thicker than PG and needs diluting to the same viscosity as PG.

Yesterday I noticed a major PG VG supplier sells their liquid premixed as VG/PG blends; being a lazy git by nature, I thought I'd check..... is it only VG/PG or has it been diluted with water too.
the answer I got is
"None of our Base Mix products are ever diluted down with distilled water. You can buy Distilled water separately from our website if you wish. We will in the next 2 weeks be releasing Aqueous Glycerine which is special blend of 80% VG and 20% Distilled water. "

So, I want to check - am I alone in diluting my VG or do other people still do it as well?

would you buy a mix that is 20% PG and 80% VG in it's thicker, undiluted form)?

Thanks

 

[scrumpox]

No, I never dilute my VG ... other than adding PG based nic and flavourings.
If you have a problem mixing because the VG is too viscous try warming up the VG first. I often weigh out the VG into a jug first and give it 10-20 seconds in the microwave. Don't cook it, just warm it through. That makes it just as runny as PG and I'm then able to use a milk frother to mix everything thoroughly.

Personally, I wouldn't bother buying VG and PG as a premix as I never add PG to my mixes, just the nic and flavouring.

 

[allen]

No, I never dilute my VG ... other than adding PG based nic and flavourings.
If you have a problem mixing because the VG is too viscous try warming up the VG first. I often weigh out the VG into a jug first and give it 10-20 seconds in the microwave. Don't cook it, just warm it through. That makes it just as runny as PG and I'm then able to use a milk frother to mix everything thoroughly.

Personally, I wouldn't bother buying VG and PG as a premix as I never add PG to my mixes, just the nic and flavouring.

thanks for your reply.
I'm just canvassing opinions.

Once upon a time, when I first started making my own liquid, diluting VG with water or alcohol to get it to the same viscoity as PG was the normal thing to do .......not because of mixing issues - it's done (was done?) to help with wicking.

 

[Badboybez]

thanks for your reply.
I'm just canvassing opinions.

Once upon a time, when I first started making my own liquid, diluting VG with water or alcohol to get it to the same viscoity as PG was the normal thing to do .......not because of mixing issues - it's done (was done?) to help with wicking.

Yup, I use Aqueous VG 10% DW.
Just helps the wicking in my atty.
Some people use vodka.

 

[scrumpox]

thanks for your reply.
I'm just canvassing opinions.

Once upon a time, when I first started making my own liquid, diluting VG with water or alcohol to get it to the same viscoity as PG was the normal thing to do .......not because of mixing issues - it's done (was done?) to help with wicking.

OK, understand what you're saying.

I'm intrigued though - what kind of set up do you use that requires this to obviate wicking issues?

 

[Badboybez]

OK, understand what you're saying.

I'm intrigued though - what kind of set up do you use that requires this to obviate wicking issues?

Well its a long story, but will try to condense it.

Number 1

Okay, started off using cartomisers, pretty soon got sick of that as a 40 Marlborough a day man.

Got hold of a Nautilus, forget coil, think it was 1.8 ohms.
Used 12mg most of the time 60/40 vg/pg. Shop bought juice.
Got fed up with that after about a year, to much throat hit...
A year or so a friend was going on holiday, and could not be bothered to fanny about taking it on the plane.

I had tried it in the pub before, and liked it, so she lent it to me with a full tank of juice for the two weeks she would be away.

Bloody loved it, paid through the nose for exactly the same kit !
Same atty, same mod, same battery's.

After a while switched back to my old favourite black cherry juice, but this time at 6mg, 70/30 VG/PG.

Started mixing my own juice.
Worked okay for a time, but then got massive throat hits !!!!

Tried lots of things to get to the bottom of it, in the end it turned out it was 72mg nic from one particular supplier.

I know my current kit can handle 100% VG out of that, as I spent a whole weekend vaping 100% VG, no nic, no flavour, quite interesting actually.

Number 2

Laziness, I have found that I like 70/30 VG/PG, I like strong flavour, so 20% pg concentrate, easiest thing for me then is Aqueous VG 10% DW, 20% PG flavour, and I am there, with not much fannying about.
Okay, nic addition to take into account, but I buy that in VG base.

Number 3

Maybe just luck, my kit can handle 100% vg, but I prefer 70/30.

Nothing is being stressed, on the nautilus I used to go through a coil every 2 weeks or so.

Don't want to count my chickens, but I have only used 2 coils in 6 months running like this.

 

[allen]

Well its a long story, but will try to condense it.

Number 1

Okay, started off using cartomisers, pretty soon got sick of that as a 40 Marlborough a day man.

Got hold of a Nautilus, forget coil, think it was 1.8 ohms.
Used 12mg most of the time 60/40 vg/pg. Shop bought juice.
Got fed up with that after about a year, to much throat hit...
A year or so a friend was going on holiday, and could not be bothered to fanny about taking it on the plane.

I had tried it in the pub before, and liked it, so she lent it to me with a full tank of juice for the two weeks she would be away.

Bloody loved it, paid through the nose for exactly the same kit !
Same atty, same mod, same battery's.

After a while switched back to my old favourite black cherry juice, but this time at 6mg, 70/30 VG/PG.

Started mixing my own juice.
Worked okay for a time, but then got massive throat hits !!!!

Tried lots of things to get to the bottom of it, in the end it turned out it was 72mg nic from one particular supplier.

I know my current kit can handle 100% VG out of that, as I spent a whole weekend vaping 100% VG, no nic, no flavour, quite interesting actually.

Number 2

Laziness, I have found that I like 70/30 VG/PG, I like strong flavour, so 20% pg concentrate, easiest thing for me then is Aqueous VG 10% DW, 20% PG flavour, and I am there, with not much fannying about.
Okay, nic addition to take into account, but I buy that in VG base.

Number 3

Maybe just luck, my kit can handle 100% vg, but I prefer 70/30.

Nothing is being stressed, on the nautilus I used to go through a coil every 2 weeks or so.

Don't want to count my chickens, but I have only used 2 coils in 6 months running like this.

and there it is in a nutshell for me too

when I started vaping the CE2 was the latest and greatest thing and PG allergy / intolerance was an unknown concept. we moved onto genesis atties - they couldn't wick high VG juice.
when I got my first nemesis mod people started playing around with low resistances - a daring few would sometimes go below 0.5A (believe me, with the batteries around then, this was pushing your luck) and the tanks seriously were shite at wicking.
people started to notice diluting the VG a) aided wicking and b) made coils last longer. rewicking a clearo was a huge PITA

I still dilute VG, I find it helps for those same reasons.
We surely can't be the only 2 left doing this?
lets face it, lucemill, lubrisolve, flavourart and many other businesses don't advertise distilled water just to fill a gap on their websites

 

[Tubbyengineer]

Nope you're not alone, I don't do it myself but for people who can't tolerate or just don't like PG it's the best way of thinning the VG to aid wicking...

 

[scrumpox]

Well its a long story, but will try to condense it ... Maybe just luck, my kit can handle 100% vg, but I prefer 70/30.
Nothing is being stressed, on the nautilus I used to go through a coil every 2 weeks or so.

Yes, it was a long story and my takeaway from it is that you don't actually need to use it, you simply prefer to use it.

and there it is in a nutshell for me too
... genesis atties - they couldn't wick high VG juice ... the tanks seriously were shite at wicking.
people started to notice diluting the VG a) aided wicking and b) made coils last longer. rewicking a clearo was a huge PITA

I still dilute VG, I find it helps for those same reasons.
We surely can't be the only 2 left doing this?
lets face it, lucemill, lubrisolve, flavourart and many other businesses don't advertise distilled water just to fill a gap on their websites

Would it be fair to say you continue to add water to juice for use in your newer gear out of habit, because your older gear couldn't wick?

 

[allen]

Would it be fair to say you continue to add water to juice for use in your newer gear out of habit, because your older gear couldn't wick?

No, not really.

But it's fair to say if it ain't broke, don't fix it (at the risk of screwing up a perfectly satisfactory combo)
And it's fair to say I'm happy changing coils less frequently than I would probably need to otherwise

[emoji4]