September 8, 2026

How to Mix DIY E-Liquid

DIY e-liquid mixing comes down to two methods: by volume using syringes or by weight using a kitchen scale. Both produce the same result. This guide explains each method clearly, how to use a calculator and how to get consistent, reproducible results every time.

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Quick answer: Always run your recipe through a free online DIY e-liquid calculator before touching any ingredients. The calculator tells you exactly how many millilitres (or grams) of PG, VG, concentrate and nicotine shot to measure. Mixing by weight on a 0.01g kitchen scale is the most accurate method and the cleanest. Mixing by volume using syringes works well and is fine for beginners. Add nicotine first, then PG, then concentrate, then VG. Seal, shake for two minutes and steep before vaping.

The Two Methods: Volume vs Weight

Mixing by Volume (Syringes)

You measure each ingredient in millilitres using syringes with blunt-tip needles. Use a separate syringe for each ingredient to avoid cross-contamination. Volume is the more intuitive method for new mixers because e-liquid recipes are usually listed in millilitres. The main downside is that syringes need cleaning between uses and measuring small volumes of concentrate precisely can be fiddly with larger syringes. A 10ml syringe for nicotine and concentrate and a 30ml syringe for PG and VG covers most batch sizes.

Mixing by Weight (Digital Scale)

You measure each ingredient in grams using a 0.01g digital kitchen scale. Because different liquids have different densities (VG is significantly heavier than PG per millilitre) your calculator will provide separate gram values for each ingredient. Mixing by weight is faster and significantly less messy than using syringes once you are comfortable with it. The scale is placed on the work surface, the empty bottle is placed on it and each ingredient is poured in sequence, pressing tare between each addition. Recommended for anyone making batches regularly.

Step 1: Use a Calculator Before You Start

Every DIY mixing session should begin with a free online e-liquid calculator. Celtic Vapours recommends makemyvape.co.uk or vapinghardware.com for their clarity and reliability. Enter your target total volume (start with 30ml or 60ml for a first batch), your PG:VG ratio, your target nicotine strength and your concentrate percentage. The calculator outputs the exact volume (in ml) and weight (in grams) of every ingredient to add. Print the result or keep it visible on a second screen throughout mixing.

Never estimate or eyeball ingredient quantities, particularly nicotine. Even a small error in nicotine volume produces a noticeably different finished strength. The calculator removes all guesswork and makes every batch reproducible.

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Flavour boost concentrates, PG and VG diluents and nic shots for DIY mixing. Welsh-made quality.

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The Mixing Process: Step by Step

This sequence applies whether you are mixing by volume or weight. The ingredient order is important for control and accuracy.

Prepare Your Workspace and Put On Gloves

Lay kitchen roll across your work surface. Put on nitrile gloves before handling any nicotine shots. Arrange your ingredients, syringes and empty bottles in front of you with the calculator result visible. Label an empty bottle with the recipe name, strength and date before adding any liquid, so you never confuse an unlabelled nicotine-containing bottle with a safe container.

Add Nicotine First

Add your nicotine shot to the empty bottle first. Handling nicotine at the start of the session means you are most alert and have the cleanest setup. It also means any nicotine measurement error affects only the nicotine volume rather than altering a bottle already containing other ingredients. If mixing by weight, press tare on the scale after placing the empty bottle, then pour in the nicotine to the calculated gram weight.

Add PG and Flavour Concentrate

Add the PG next, then the flavour concentrate. Measuring the concentrate after PG allows any residual concentrate in the syringe to be flushed through by the subsequent VG addition, reducing waste. Use a small 1ml or 5ml syringe for measuring concentrate because precision matters more at small volumes. If a recipe uses two concentrates, add them one at a time, pressing tare between each if mixing by weight.

Add VG Last

VG is the thickest ingredient and is best added last. Its viscosity helps rinse any thin residue left from the PG and concentrate additions down into the bottle as it flows through. If pouring VG by volume, warm the bottle briefly in a bowl of warm water first to reduce its viscosity and make it flow more easily through the syringe. If measuring by weight simply pour directly from the VG bottle onto the scale.

Seal, Shake and Record

Seal the bottle cap tightly and shake vigorously for two to three minutes. This distributes all ingredients evenly throughout the mix. After shaking, write any recipe notes immediately while the session is fresh. Record what you changed from any previous batch and how the result tasted after steeping. Good notes are what allow you to repeat a successful recipe exactly or refine one that was almost right.

Steeping: How Long Different Flavours Take

Steeping means leaving your mixed e-liquid in a cool dark place to allow the flavour concentrate to fully integrate with the PG and VG base. It is optional but almost always improves the flavour quality of the finished liquid.

Flavour Type	Minimum Steep Time	Optimal Steep Time	Notes
Fruit and menthol	0 to 24 hours (shake and vape)	1 to 3 days	Often vape-able immediately. Short steep improves smoothness and rounds out sharp edges
Drink and candy	24 to 48 hours	3 to 5 days	Fizziness or artificial notes reduce noticeably with a short steep
Dessert and cream	3 to 5 days	1 to 2 weeks	Custard and cream profiles develop significantly with steeping. Do not rush this category
Tobacco	1 week	2 to 4 weeks	Tobacco concentrates are the slowest to settle. Fresh-mixed tobacco often tastes sharp and chemical. A long steep transforms the result

For a full guide on what e-liquid flavour concentrates are and how to choose the right percentage for your recipe, read our guide to What Are E-Liquid Flavour Concentrates? The Celtic Vapours DIY E-Liquid Guide covers every aspect of mixing at home.

Common Mixing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Mistake	Result	Fix
Not using a calculator	Wrong nicotine strength or incorrect PG:VG ratio in the finished liquid	Always run the recipe through a calculator before mixing. Never estimate
Too much concentrate	Artificial or chemical aftertaste, muted flavour or harsh inhale	Start at the lower end of the recommended percentage and increase in subsequent batches
Cross-contaminating syringes	Flavour contamination between ingredients affecting taste	Use a separate syringe for each ingredient or rinse thoroughly with the next ingredient before measuring
Vaping too soon after mixing	Peppery nicotine taste, underdeveloped flavour or harsh inhale	Shake thoroughly and allow to settle for at least one hour before the first taste. Steep fully for best results
Not keeping recipe notes	Unable to reproduce a successful batch or identify what went wrong in a bad one	Record every batch immediately. Even a rough note of date, recipe and initial impression is enough to build on

Frequently Asked Questions

Which free DIY e-liquid calculators are recommended for UK mixers? The most reliable free calculators used by UK DIY vapers are makemyvape.co.uk, vapinghardware.com and steam-engine.org. All three accept UK nicotine shot strengths (18mg and 20mg) and produce results in both ml and grams. Use any of these before every mixing session rather than estimating ingredient volumes by memory.

Is mixing by weight more accurate than mixing by volume? Yes. Weight measurement using a 0.01g scale is more precise than volume measurement using syringes because it removes the human error of reading meniscus lines in graduated cylinders. It also tends to be cleaner and faster once you are comfortable with the method. For small volumes of flavour concentrate in particular, a scale with 0.01g resolution is significantly more accurate than a syringe.

Can I mix a large batch and bottle it? Yes. Making a larger batch in a mixing beaker or jug and then decanting into individual 30ml or 60ml bottles is an efficient approach once you are confident in a recipe. It reduces the number of separate mixing sessions needed and makes it easy to share recipes with other vapers. Always shake each final bottle individually after decanting and label each bottle clearly.

Why does my freshly mixed liquid taste harsh? Freshly mixed liquid often has a peppery or sharp quality from the nicotine and concentrate that has not yet fully integrated. This almost always improves significantly after 24 to 48 hours of steeping for fruit flavours and up to several weeks for tobacco and dessert profiles. Give every batch at least one full day before judging whether the recipe needs adjustment.