Mmmm... delicious ginger nicotine.
March 17, 2011 4:44 PM Subscribe
How can I flavor (essentially) water with water-insoluble flavors?
I'm planning to mix up some nicotine vaporizer juice. The base fluid is water, propylene glycol, and nicotine. And then people add flavors. The most popular source for flavoring is Lorann Oils.
But some of the flavors I want to use are listed as insoluble in water. Specifically the ginger and orange oils.
Can I just dissolve them in ethanol and then mix that solution into my base nicotine juice? Or, will the oils just fall out of solution? Is there an emulsifier I can use to keep the flavorings at least in suspension?
I'm planning to mix up some nicotine vaporizer juice. The base fluid is water, propylene glycol, and nicotine. And then people add flavors. The most popular source for flavoring is Lorann Oils.
But some of the flavors I want to use are listed as insoluble in water. Specifically the ginger and orange oils.
Can I just dissolve them in ethanol and then mix that solution into my base nicotine juice? Or, will the oils just fall out of solution? Is there an emulsifier I can use to keep the flavorings at least in suspension?
Have you checked out the forums? I haven't mixed my own juice, but the folks at E-Cigarette Forum have a pretty good community.
posted by lekvar at 4:56 PM on March 17, 2011
posted by lekvar at 4:56 PM on March 17, 2011
I believe propylene glycol is in fact an emulsifier and is used for this purpose in soft drinks. See here: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/toxsubstance.asp?toxid=240
posted by GuyZero at 5:02 PM on March 17, 2011
posted by GuyZero at 5:02 PM on March 17, 2011
Any reason not to use vegetable glycerin instead?
posted by elsietheeel at 5:19 PM on March 17, 2011
posted by elsietheeel at 5:19 PM on March 17, 2011
Response by poster: Any reason not to use vegetable glycerin instead?
None, really. Does that solve my problem any better than propylene glycol?
posted by Netzapper at 5:25 PM on March 17, 2011
None, really. Does that solve my problem any better than propylene glycol?
posted by Netzapper at 5:25 PM on March 17, 2011
I have no idea, I've never made ejuice. I just prefer VG to PG and imagined it might be easier to get.
posted by elsietheeel at 5:42 PM on March 17, 2011
posted by elsietheeel at 5:42 PM on March 17, 2011
Not an industrial / food chemist, but I've come across this tangental to other research.
Propylene glycol & vegetable glycerin are both used to incorporate water-insoluble oils & flavours in water; which you use really depends on the concentration, flavour strength, and particular flavour of your additive. Propylene glycol has a nasty-ish taste - but is generally only required in minute quantities so that taste is masked by the flavouring additive. Vegetable glycerin has a reasonably pleasant 'sweet' taste - but (iirc) generally requires ~2~3 times as much to emulsify an equivalent amount of insoluble oil.
Your base fluid isn't "essentially" water, but designed to keep both water-soluble & oil-soluble flavourings in solution. If you decide to roll your own fluid at some stage you could look further into the appropriate ratio of vegetable glycerin to replace propylene glycol, and maybe subtracting a bit for the added sweetness.
posted by Pinback at 5:55 PM on March 17, 2011
Propylene glycol & vegetable glycerin are both used to incorporate water-insoluble oils & flavours in water; which you use really depends on the concentration, flavour strength, and particular flavour of your additive. Propylene glycol has a nasty-ish taste - but is generally only required in minute quantities so that taste is masked by the flavouring additive. Vegetable glycerin has a reasonably pleasant 'sweet' taste - but (iirc) generally requires ~2~3 times as much to emulsify an equivalent amount of insoluble oil.
Your base fluid isn't "essentially" water, but designed to keep both water-soluble & oil-soluble flavourings in solution. If you decide to roll your own fluid at some stage you could look further into the appropriate ratio of vegetable glycerin to replace propylene glycol, and maybe subtracting a bit for the added sweetness.
posted by Pinback at 5:55 PM on March 17, 2011
These questions are answered in the DIY sections of the ECF forum that is linked above. ECF is the best resource for all things vaping related.
posted by BryanPayne at 5:54 PM on March 18, 2011
posted by BryanPayne at 5:54 PM on March 18, 2011
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posted by RobotHero at 4:50 PM on March 17, 2011