E-liquid base, choosing a ratio for your first mix

Unflavoured base comes in bottles of 100 ml, 500 ml or a full litre, labelled 50/50, 30/70 or 20/80, ratios that mean very little at first. Yet everyone who wants to mix their own liquid starts right here. Understanding an e-liquid base before you buy one saves you from a bottle that does not suit your kit, and from a first mix that goes wrong.

What an e-liquid base actually is

An e-liquid base is an unflavoured liquid made only of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerine (VG), with or without nicotine. It is the neutral carrier to which you add a flavour concentrate and, if you want it, nicotine, to end up with a finished e-liquid.

Every ready-made e-liquid rests on the same PG and VG pairing. Buying the base separately means doing yourself what a manufacturer assembles for you, while choosing the ratio, the nicotine strength and the flavour. That is the whole idea behind DIY, short for do it yourself.

The appeal is control rather than novelty. Once you know which ratio your coil accepts and which strength suits you, every bottle you mix is built around your own kit instead of an average buyer’s, and a recipe you like can be repeated exactly.

Choosing the PG/VG ratio of your e-liquid base

The ratio gives the share of propylene glycol first, then vegetable glycerine. PG is thin, carries flavour well and strengthens the throat hit. VG is thick, slightly sweet and produces denser vapour. The right ratio depends first and foremost on your kit.

50/50 for pods and tighter draws

A 50/50 base suits pods and tanks fitted with higher-resistance coils, above 0.8 ohm. The liquid stays thin enough to feed a small coil without running it dry, and the flavour comes through faithfully.

30/70 for more vapour and more open kit

At 70% VG the base is thick and gives plenty of vapour. It needs a low-resistance coil and a kit that wicks well, typically a sub-ohm tank or a rebuildable atomiser powered by a 21700 battery. In a pod, this ratio clogs the coil and leaves a burnt taste.

The ratios in between

A 40/60 and a 20/80 exist too. The first is a compromise for an all-round tank, the second is meant for heavy cloud production. When in doubt, the leaflet that comes with your coil almost always states the maximum ratio it accepts.

Adding nicotine to an e-liquid base

A base can be bought with nicotine already in it, in a small bottle, or as a large nicotine-free bottle to which you add nicotine shots, often called nic shots. This two-product arrangement is not a marketing choice. It follows directly from the rules on vaping products.

The 10 ml shot and the 20 mg/ml cap

In the UK, the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, usually shortened to TRPR, cap nicotine-containing e-liquid at 20 mg/ml and nicotine refill bottles at 10 ml. These products are also notified to the MHRA before they are placed on the market.

That is why nicotine comes in 10 ml shots, usually at 20 mg/ml, while a nicotine-free base, which the 10 ml limit does not touch, can come in far larger bottles. Some shots use nicotine salts, which feel smoother on the throat at the same strength.

Working out your mix with a real example

Take 200 ml of 50/50 nicotine-free base and two 10 ml shots at 20 mg/ml. You are adding 400 mg of nicotine to a total of 220 ml, which gives roughly 1.8 mg/ml. To reach 3 mg/ml with 100 ml of base, you need just under two shots.

An online calculator does this in seconds, but understanding the logic behind it avoids typing errors. Shots are sold in the same PG/VG ratios as bases, so choose the same ratio for both, otherwise your final mix will not have the thickness you planned.

Mixing your first liquid from a base, step by step

The kit comes down to a graduated bottle, a syringe or pipette, and a pair of gloves. Follow this sequence for a first mix without unpleasant surprises.

Pour the amount of nicotine-free base you want into the mixing bottle.
Add the nicotine shots you worked out in the previous step.
Add the flavour concentrate at the percentage its maker recommends, often between 10 and 15% of the total volume.
Close the bottle, shake it for a good minute, then label it with the date, ratio, nicotine strength and flavour.
Leave it to steep away from light, a few days for a fruit flavour and often several weeks for a tobacco or dessert profile.

Steeping lets the flavour molecules spread evenly through the base. A liquid tasted straight after mixing seems flat or unbalanced, which is not a sign that anything went wrong.

Start with a small batch, 30 ml for example, to test a flavour before making 200 ml. An overdosed concentrate shows from the first puff, and a large bottle would be wasted. Note every attempt, with ratio, flavour percentage and steeping time, so you can repeat a success without guesswork.

Storing and handling your base

Keep a base closed, away from heat and light, and use it within the dates printed on the bottle. Once opened, it keeps its properties for several months in a cupboard, but not on a sunny windowsill.

Vegetable glycerine thickens noticeably in the cold. A bottle brought in from a chilly room in winter should come back to room temperature and be shaken before use, otherwise syringe dosing turns imprecise and filling a pod becomes a chore.

Concentrated nicotine calls for care. Wear gloves, rinse any splash on the skin straight away with clean water, and store the shots closed and well out of the way. Their bottles carry hazard pictograms, and those deserve to be taken seriously even for modest amounts.

Frequently asked questions

Can you vape an unflavoured base on its own?

Technically, yes. The result is neutral, with a slight sweetness from the vegetable glycerine. Some vapers use it to dilute a liquid whose flavour is too strong.

Does a 50/50 base work in every kit?

In most, yes. It is simply less suited to very low-resistance coils at high power, where a VG-rich base gives denser vapour and a softer throat feel.

What bottle size should I buy to start with?

A 100 or 200 ml bottle is enough to test a ratio and two or three flavours. A litre only makes sense once the ratio has proved itself on your kit.

Do bases from different brands taste different?

A base is made of pharmaceutical-grade PG and VG with no flavour, so the differences between brands stay minimal. Differences in taste come mostly from the ratio, the flavour and the kit.

Do nicotine salts need a special base?

No. Salts come as shots, mixed into a standard nicotine-free base. Just choose a ratio that suits the pod or tank you vape them in.

Getting started with an e-liquid base

An e-liquid base comes down to two questions. Which ratio does my kit accept, and which nicotine strength am I aiming for? The rest, shots, flavour and steeping, follows a simple logic you can master from the very first bottle.

Starting with a small 50/50 bottle, noting every mix and adjusting afterwards remains the most reliable way into DIY, before exploring everything else a vape kit lets you tailor. Answer those two questions honestly and choosing your next e-liquid base becomes a routine decision.

Written for adults only. This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance, and vaping products may not be sold to under-18s in the United Kingdom. The mixing figures above are worked examples, not a buying recommendation.