DIY calculator: measure the base, booster and flavour for your e-liquid
The calculator gives the millilitres of base, booster and concentrate to mix. Enter the quantity you want, the nicotine strength and the flavour dosage recommended on the concentrate bottle: it works out the rest.
Key points
- The flavour dosage is printed on the concentrate bottle: follow it.
- The calculator assumes 20 mg/ml boosters, the maximum strength allowed in France.
- Count the concentrate as PG when you work out the ratio of your recipe.
- Let your mix steep before vaping it, as the concentrate maker advises.
- Store bases and boosters away from light, out of reach of children and pets.
The calculator
DIY Calculator
La recette que vous cherchez à réaliser est impossible à exécuter car les boosters en 20mg/ml ne permettent pas d'atteindre le taux de nicotine souhaité.
Base
70 ml
you are missing ml
base
Nic Shot
15 ml
you are missing ml
Nic Shot
Flavour
15 ml
you are missing ml
Flavour
How to use the calculator
The calculator starts from three inputs: the quantity of e-liquid you want, the nicotine strength and the flavour dosage. It assumes a nicotine-free base and a 20 mg/ml booster.
- Enter the quantity
Enter the volume of e-liquid to prepare, in millilitres, in "Expected quantity".
- Choose the nicotine strength
Enter the strength you want in mg/ml, from 0 to 18, in "Nicotine rate". With 20 mg/ml boosters, the final strength stays below 20 mg/ml, because the base and the flavour dilute the booster.
- Enter the flavour dosage
Enter the percentage recommended on the concentrate bottle in "Flavour Dosage", for example 10%. The calculation needs a dosage above 0%.
- Declare your ingredients if needed
Tick "I already got some ingredients", choose base, booster or flavour, then enter the quantity you have. The calculator shows what you are missing.
- Read the recipe
The result gives the base, booster and flavour to mix, in millilitres. If the recipe is not possible, a message says so (in French): lower the nicotine strength or the flavour dosage.
Example: 100 ml at 3 mg/ml with a flavour dosed at 10%
For 100 ml of e-liquid at 3 mg/ml, with a concentrate dosed at 10%, the calculator gives the following recipe.
| Ingredient | Quantity and calculation |
|---|---|
| Flavour concentrate | 10 ml (10% of 100 ml) |
| 20 mg/ml booster | 15 ml (100 x 3 / 20) |
| Nicotine-free base | 75 ml (100 - 10 - 15) |
The formula works for any booster: booster volume = final volume x target strength / booster strength. Our Fuusters come in 10 ml bottles: 15 ml is one and a half bottles.
With our 10 mg/ml Fuuster, designed mainly to top up bottles of nicotine-free e-liquid, you need twice as much booster: 30 ml for the same example, and 60 ml of base. The calculator does not handle this case.
You can also use the calculator to lower your nicotine strength step by step once you have stopped smoking tobacco: keep the same recipe and reduce the target strength, at your own pace.
Follow the dosage recommended on the concentrate bottle: it is the one used to develop the recipe. For Frankensteiner by Catch the Flavors, for example, it is 10% in a 60/40 base, that is 10 ml of concentrate in 90 ml of base and booster for 100 ml of e-liquid.
Choosing your base and booster
The base is a mix of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), without flavouring, with or without nicotine. Choose its ratio according to your equipment: about 50/50 for a pod system or a tight draw, 20/80 for a sub-ohm coil and a loose draw.
The booster adds the nicotine. Our Fuusters come in 100% PG, 50/50, 60/40 and 20/80: choose the ratio of your base so that your recipe’s ratio does not change. Count the concentrate as PG, because flavourings are usually diluted in it.
- 1 L nicotine packs
- Ready-made nicotine bases in 20/80 and 50/50, at 2, 4, 6 or 8 mg/ml. The calculator does not apply to a base that already contains nicotine.
- Fuusters
- 10 ml boosters at 20 mg/ml in 100% PG, 50/50, 60/40 and 20/80, plus a 10 mg/ml Fuuster in 50/50.
- Anything Salts
- A 20 mg/ml nicotine salt booster, in 50/50, for making a nicotine salt e-liquid.
Ratios, Fuusters and Perfect Mix bases are explained in DIY bases and boosters; for a nicotine salt e-liquid, see Making a nicotine salt e-liquid yourself. The whole DIY process is covered in DIY: making your own e-liquid.
See the DIY products
Steeping and storage
Once the mix is ready, let it rest before vaping it: this is steeping. It gives a balanced e-liquid. How long it takes varies from one recipe to another: follow the concentrate maker’s advice.
Store bases and boosters away from light, in a cool place with a stable temperature. Do not keep them in the fridge with food.
When you receive it, a base should be clear with no strong smell. As it ages, a nicotine base turns orange and its smell gets stronger. The date on the bottle is set by the manufacturer.
Dosage and steeping for our concentrates, recipe by recipe, are covered in Dosing concentrates.
A booster contains nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Wear gloves when mixing and close each bottle after use. Keep bases and boosters out of reach of children and pets, and never with food.
A flavour concentrate is always diluted: never vape it neat.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate a DIY recipe?
Start from the final volume. The concentrate is the flavour dosage applied to that volume. The booster is calculated as final volume x target strength / booster strength. The base makes up the rest. For 100 ml at 3 mg/ml with 10% flavour: 10 ml of concentrate, 15 ml of 20 mg/ml booster and 75 ml of base.
What flavour dosage should you use for DIY?
The one shown on the concentrate bottle. This dosage, given as a percentage of the final volume, matches the recipe developed by the manufacturer. For our Catch the Flavors concentrates, it ranges from 10 to 15% in a 60/40 base and from 14 to 18% in a 20/80 base, depending on the recipe.
How do you get 3 mg/ml with a 20 mg/ml booster?
Divide the target strength by the booster strength, then multiply by the final volume: 3 / 20 x 100 = 15 ml of booster for 100 ml of e-liquid. Add the concentrate, for example 10 ml for a 10% dosage, then top up with 75 ml of nicotine-free base. Fuusters hold 10 ml: allow one and a half bottles.
Should the flavour count in the PG/VG ratio?
Yes. Count the concentrate as PG, because flavourings are usually diluted in it. With 10% concentrate and 90 ml of base and booster in 50/50, your final e-liquid is close to 55/45: slightly more PG than VG.
How long should a DIY e-liquid steep?
Follow the concentrate maker’s advice, on the bottle or its product page. The time varies from one recipe to another. While it steeps, keep the bottle closed, away from light and out of reach of children.
Read next
Sources
- French order of 19 May 2016 on vaping products containing nicotine (Légifrance, 2016)
- French order of 19 May 2016 on health warnings for vaping products (Légifrance, 2016)