Most vapers come to a point when they realize just how important the steeping process of e-juices truly is. There’s a noticeable difference between e-liquids that have been steeped and haven’t, and once you experience that richer, more complex flavor, it’s hard to enjoy a vape juice that hasn’t been steeped again.
For those who don’t know what the process is, steeping is a method of “aging” an e-liquid to allow oxidization to bring out the best in a flavor profile. Steeping may also encourage a stronger nicotine hit, which many vapers find desirable. It’s the act of keeping the e-liquid in a controlled environment that allows trace amounts of oxygen to enter the formula, which changes the formula on a molecular level so that flavor compounds bind together in a more preferable way.
The process of steeping is not all that unlike the process of aging a wine or a cigar. Therefore, you can understand why so many vapers won’t go for a vape juice that hasn’t been steeped.
Two Primary Ways in Which an E-liquid’s Steeped
One is pre-steeping, and one is post-steeping. We’ll cover what these terms mean, and comparing them based on their pros and cons so that you can decide which option you may end up preferring.
What is Pre-Steeping?
A vape juice that is pre-steeped is one that has been steeped by the manufacturer, so that by the time it reaches you, you don’t need to do any steeping procedures.
Advantages
A big advantage of buying pre-steeped e-juices is that you can get to vaping them right away. Otherwise, you would have to take the time to steep them before you could enjoy them to their fullest potential. Steeping can take two weeks, and so this time-saving method of buying pre-steeped e-liquid is a great choice for those who hate waiting.
Of course, it also means that you don’t have to engage in the steeping process, which can be tedious, and is never failproof. Companies that produce vape juices likely use advanced steeping techniques that guarantee the perfect flavor profile and nicotine hit.
Disadvantages
One thing to bear in mind is that when you buy a pre-steeped vape juice, you don’t have a way to verify that the company truly used the best method possible. In other words, you have to trust that the company steeped their e-liquid properly, or else you’ll end up with a disappointing vape. Over-steeping an e-juice, for instance, can cause the flavor and nicotine content to both weaken.
Also, when you’re buying pre-steeped vape juices, you have to make sure that the bottles were only stocked recently. Pre-steeped e-liquid that’s moving toward its expiration date is going to weaken in terms of its flavor and nicotine potency.
What is Post-Steeping?
Then, there is post-steeping. This simply means that you, the customer, steep the e-liquid, as it arrives fully mixed but not steeped by the manufacturer. There are various methods for steeping vape juice, with the most common one involving the storage of e-juice bottles in a cool and dark place for two weeks.
Advantages
Steeping your own obviously gives you more control over the actual steeping process. Some vapers do have unique steeping methods that they believe produces the best end result, and therefore would rather manage this process themselves rather than relying on a company to do it properly.
Disadvantages
Post-steeping may not be suitable for everyone, however. After all, not all of us have the patience or storage capacity for steeping batches of vape juice prior to vaping them. And, some of us fairly just want to be able to buy our e-liquids and get to vaping them without any effort whatsoever on our part.
With post-steeping, there are ways to do it properly and ways to do it improperly. Therefore, opting for post-steeping means that you’re willing to take the risk of ending up with a vape juice that has, in fact, steeped poorly. Some vapers may understandably choose to leave this process to the e-liquid companies, as a result.
Which is Right for You?
So, is it better to opt for post-steeped or pre-steeped e-juices? Well, as you can see, it all depends. It depends on your storage abilities, your patience level, your confidence in your steeping capabilities and how much overall effort you are willing to put into your vaping hobby. Therefore, we recommend reading over these pros and cons carefully to decide which choice is ideal for you, as there is no right or wrong answer.
If you wish to enjoy steeped e-juices, you have two options: doing it yourself, or buying e-juice that has already been steeped by the manufacturer. Whichever you choose, expect a bolder flavor that hits the spot over and over again.