How to Trial Vape Flavours in Small Bottles Before Buying Bulk

The DIY “Testing Protocol”: How to Trial Vape Flavours in Small Bottles Before Bulk Mixing

When you buy a new flavour concentrate, it’s tempting to jump straight into a 1 litre bottle and hope for the best. Everyone’s done it, and everyone’s poured something down the drain because it wasn’t quite right. A simple testing protocol fixes that.

This method helps you trial vape flavours in small batches, learn how a flavour behaves, and dial in the percentage before you commit nicotine, PG/VG, and time. It’s also the easiest way to build a personal library of flavours for e-liquid that you actually enjoy.

Why small-batch testing saves you money (and frustration)

Testing in 10ml bottles makes mistakes cheap. Instead of wasting a full mix, you’ll catch issues early: harshness, muting, overpowering sweet notes, or a concentrate that needs more steep time than you expected. You also get repeatable results because you’re controlling just a few variables at once.

If you’re still picking what to try next, start with a flavour family you already like Fruit, Dessert, Drink, Ice, Sweet, Tobacco, or Unique concentrates.

Browse flavour families: Flavour Concentrates; Fruit; Dessert; Ice; Tobacco.

The equipment you actually need (keep it simple)

You don’t need a lab setup. For repeatable testing, aim for:

• Small empty bottles (10-30 ml is perfect)
• Something for accurate measuring (syringes/pipettes or a scale, whichever you prefer)
• Labels or masking tape plus a pen
• Your base components: PG/VG and (optional) nicotine

Testing bottles: Empty Bottles

Step-by-step: the 3-bottle “flavour ladder” test

This is the easiest protocol to follow and gives you a clear answer fast.

1. Choose one flavour concentrate and one base ratio.
Pick a consistent base ratio so your results aren’t skewed. If you’re unsure, use a standard base first, then tweak later.

2. Make three testers at different percentages.
Create three 10 ml bottles using the same PG/VG ratio: Bottle A (low %), Bottle B (medium %), Bottle C (high %). You’re not chasing perfection here – you’re mapping the flavour’s behaviour. Some vape flavours “bloom” at higher percentages, while others get harsh or perfumey.

3. Decide whether to include nicotine in the test.
For pure flavour testing, many mixers go with 0mg first (less waste, clearer taste). Once you like a percentage, repeat the winning bottle with your usual nicotine strength.

4. Use a calculator so the maths never drifts.
Even small bottles deserve accurate numbers. Enter your bottle size, PG/VG, nicotine (if used), and flavour percentage into the calculator, then follow it exactly.

Helpful pages: PG/VG Bases; Nicotine Solutions; DIY E-Liquid Calculator.

How to test properly (so your notes mean something)

Use the same routine each time so your results are comparable:

• Shake, then rest: after mixing, shake well and let it sit so bubbles settle.
• Taste schedule: test at the same times (for example: Day 0, Day 1, Day 3, Day 7). Dessert and tobacco profiles often change more with time than fruit or ice.
• Use the same device: changing coils or wattage changes the result.
• Write one-line notes: “Too sweet”, “muted”, “needs ice”, “great at 7 days”, and so on.

Your goal is simple: find the lowest percentage that gives you the flavour you want, without harshness, weird aftertaste, or coil-killing sweetness.

When you’ve found the winner, scale up with confidence

Once you pick the best tester, scaling up is straightforward: keep the same percentage and base ratio, then increase only the bottle size. Re-run the calculator, mix your final bottle, and you’ll get the same profile – just more of it.

That’s the point of a testing protocol: fewer surprises, better-tasting e-liquid flavours, and zero regret when you finally mix a bigger batch.