How To Make Vape Juice From CBD Isolate
Ever been curious about how CBD vape juice is made?
You can actually custom make vape juice at home. Whether you’re an expert or a beginner vaper, learning how to make your own vape juice from CBD isolate will allow you to enjoy your vaping experience exactly how you want to.
You get full control over the flavour of the e-liquid, the strength of the hit, its consistency and the level of vapour production. As your ideal e-liquid will be up to you, you’ll have to commit a bit of your time and effort to getting it right.
Once you’ve found that perfect balance though, your e-liquid experience will be unrivalled.
What Is CBD E-Liquid?
CBD can be extracted from the cannabis plant in a variety of ways. When extracted as an isolate, it goes through a lengthy filtration process designed to remove every other cannabinoid and organic component.
This includes THC, meaning that CBD isolates are not psychoactive. The result is a product composed of 99% pure CBD.
This CBD isolate is then infused directly into an e-liquid suitable for use in a vaping device. Unlike CBD oil, which is made using a carrier oil, CBD vape juice is made with vegetable glycerine (VG) or propylene glycol (PG).
These act as both effective carriers of the CBD itself and thinning agents to allow for easy vaporisation. Finally, many CBD e-liquids will use a range of conventional e-liquid flavourings to enhance the taste of their product.
Some will even use terpenes, other cannabis plant extracts which impart additional smells and tastes, giving the final product a “musky” and “authentic” aroma.
What You Will Need
The quality of your ingredients will also determine the quality of the vape juice you make. To have high-quality juice, it is vital that you get your ingredients from a trustworthy source.
Here are some of the ingredients that you need to make your vape juice.
Vegetable Glycerine (VG):
Also known as a sugar alcohol, this is one of the main ingredients of making vape juice. It is made by heating plant oils to separate the glycerol portion of the oils from the fatty acid components.
Though it is not full of flavour and has minimal throat hit, VG allows the vaporizer to produce the thick clouds that vapers love.
It is also hypoallergenic (doesn’t cause allergies) and is used by some as the only carrier in their vape juice when they display an allergic reaction to propylene glycol.
Propylene Glycol (PG):
This is the other primary carrier ingredient of most e-liquids. PG contains more flavour and delivers a better throat hit than VG, but will in turn produce less vapour.
Many manufacturers use both VG and PG in slightly diff3erent ratios to get the best effect from each. As mentioned however, some people do display an allergic reaction to PG.
Try it in small portions when vaping to see if it’s compatible with you.
Flavourings:
Flavourings are a cornerstone of the conventional vaping market, and CBD e-liquids are no exception. There are thousands of different types of flavours out there to choose from.
These come from both natural and entirely artificial sources. Many are available in specialist vaping shops and directly from vape juice manufacturers. However, please note that the flavours used in vape juices are not oil-based and come from very carefully chosen sources in order to ensure safety.
Never use regular essential oils as your flavouring because they are not safe to vape and risk causing extensive damage to your health.
Terpenes:
As we mentioned, these are natural flavours and aromas that manufacturers get from plants. They help in adding an undertone of flavour and smell that the regular flavourings can build upon.
They are also believed to assist in the uptake of CBD by engaging with endocannabinoid receptors, thanks to something known as the Entourage Effect.
CBD Isolate:
Last of all you’ll need your CBD extract, specifically a CBD isolate or even better a CBD Booster Shot designed specifically for vapes.
These will provide all the CBD your home made vape juice will contain, so they need to be measured carefully.
Be sure to calculate the concentration of CBD and measure the amount you use carefully to ensure you don’t over or under-cut yourself.
The Method
Apart from the ingredients, you’ll need a non-hypodermic syringe, a set of measuring scales, a mixing glass, a glass beaker with a tight lid and several storage bottles.
Make sure every piece of equipment is thoroughly cleaned and rinsed to avoid contamination. This guide is for making 30 ml of vape juice. If you want to make more, adjust the ingredients as necessary.
Step 1:
Using the syringe, measure 15ml propylene glycol into the beaker. This will form the first element of the overall carrier ratio in your vape juice.
Remember that you can skew this ratio fairly strongly one way or the other: if you want a better throat hit and more flavour, use more PG.
If you want thicker vaper and bigger clouds, lean more towards VG.
We find that maintaining a PG to VG ratio of 70:30 is the best approach, particularly for those relatively new to vaping.
Step 2:
Measure out 500mg or 0.5 grams of CBD and add it to the carrier liquid. Cover and mix until the CBD is fully dissolved in the liquid.
If you’re using a powdered isolate you may have to shake the container vigorously to dissolve it fully. Ensure that the liquid has a smooth consistency with no visible lumps or crystals.
When you mix 500mg of CBD isolate in 30ml of VG and PG, you will have a 16.6mg/ml concentration. This is ideal for day-to-day use. It also means that the 30ml bottle will have a concentration of 500mg CBD.
If you want a stronger hit then adjust the CBD additive accordingly, but be sure to keep track of just how much CBD you’re infusing into your vape juice.
This will help you measure your CBD intake more accurately. Be sure never to exceed the FSA recommended limit of 70mg of CBD in a single day.
Step 3:
Once the CBD isolate is fully dissolved, add the vegetable glycerine to it and mix well, ensuring that it does not stick to the sides of the beaker. If you’re using a standard 70:30 ratio you’ll need 7ml of VG.
Make sure to adjust accordingly as you use different ratios. You should end up with roughly 27ml of vape juice before adding 3ml of the flavourings or terpenes of your choice.
Once you’ve added these last components and missed them well, let your vape juice sit and give it some time to blend in well with the solution.
Step 4:
Once you’re happy with its mix and consistency, transfer your vape juice to those clean bottles and make sure to screw the lids on tight.
Consider steeping your vape juice to enhance its flavours further before use, but if you want to jump right in then pour some into your vape tank and vape away.
To extend the life of your juice be sure to store it in a cool dark place.
Summary
With the right attitude, good quality ingredients and a little time, you can easily make a vape juice right in your own home.
Remember that, whilst you can make as much juice as you like in a single batch, it will only last if stored correctly. Always be sure to store your vape juice upright and in a cool, dark place with the lid of the container screwed firmly on.
It’s also worth remembering that CBD e-liquids can shift slightly in flavour and consistency if left for long enough, so consider your usage before brewing up any particularly large batches.
In general, you have two years from brewing to use an e-liquid before it goes stale.
Like many other things, making your own vape juice at home will be a process of trial and error. The specific flavourings you use, the ratio of PG and VG, the CBD content, all of this will shift depending on your tastes.
It’s best to start with small batches, trying different combinations of flavours until you find one that you consistently enjoy.
As you gain more experience of this process, your technique will get better too, however, no matter how good your technique gets your vape juice will only ever be as good as the ingredients you make it from.
Always ensure you use quality ingredients to get the very best results and only ever source your CBD isolate from reputable suppliers.
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