CBD e-liquids are quite expensive, but they are also more effective and fast-acting. Not everyone can afford to buy them at $100 – $120 for a 30ml bottle. For them, it’s better to make CBD vape juice at home.
In this article, we will provide you with a simple, yet an elaborate, step-by-step, DIY method that you can do it all by yourself.
Making CBD vape juice at home may not be as easy as boiling water, but it is simple enough – almost as simple as cooking a nice bowl of soup, careful to get the proportions right, and patient enough to get the temperature just right. The complete process takes around 60 – 90 minutes.
By making vaping juice at home, you get to choose the flavor, the type of CBD extract – isolate, full-spectrum, etc. – and its concentration too. You can also select the carrier base of your choice so that you can ensure the best experience for yourself and your family.
Making CBD vape juice at home: Ingredients & Equipment
Before we jump right into the actual process of “cooking” CBD vape juice, let’s get all the right equipment and the ingredients right! Making the perfect CBD-infused vaping juice is all about the right proportions, the correct amount of heat and the sufficient amount of time to get the ingredients nicely done and well-blended.
Ingredients
- 0.5g – 1g (500mg – 1000mg pure CBD isolate, i.e., crystalline isolate. We are using CBD isolates for this process as it’s simpler and more concentrated.)
- 30ml vape fluid or carrier fluid [Propylene glycol (PG) or propanediol (PDO) and vegetable glycerin (VG or Glycerol) in 80:20 or 60:40. The proportion may vary according to your taste. While the former is cheap and feels more like any other vape fluid, the latter is costlier and produces a sweet and smooth taste and much more vapor. Nonetheless, we need PG as CBD isolate isn’t soluble in VG, but a vape juice made from PG alone would be too harsh. (MCT or any other oils are no good for making vape juice, as it produces too much smoke.)]
- 0.5 ml – 1.5ml terpenes (for natural flavors and more added enhancement of CBD’s effects)
- Flavorings (other natural extracts may be used for flavor too, use as per your liking)
Equipment
- An accurate gram scale to make sure you get the CBD isolate’s weight right
- A clean, sterile container to make the CBD vape juice
- 30ml syringe with a blunt tip
- Funnels, non-absorbent stirrers, and a fine sieve
- A mortar and pestle
- A metal pot to temper the vape juice
- A low-level heat source, like a pan of medium-hot water
- A 30ml sterile bottle with a glass dropper (1ml) to store the finished product as well as for an easy use
How to make Vape Juice from CBD Isolate at Home:
Here’s your easy step-by-step procedure to make your CBD vape juice at home:
- Using the gram scale, measure 0.5g/1g of pure CBD isolate crystals. Crush them into a fine powder with the help of the pestle and mortar.
- Prepare your vape juice (carrier fluid) as per your liking. Add the terpenes 0.5 ml/1.5ml at this stage. It is best to make this fluid 48 hours in advance. This lets the terpenes steep in the vape liquid for even distribution. Make sure to measure the fluids exactly with the blunt syringe. The complete fluid (PG, VG, and terpenes should be 30ml in total. If you’re using 1000mg, use 1ml – 1.5ml of terpenes and the remaining fluid will comprise the carrier fluids added in the proportion as discussed earlier.)
- Pour all the fluid contents into the sterile container with the help of a funnel that you had set aside for making the CBD vape juice.
- Add the CBD crystalline powder into it. Screw the bottle tightly shut. Shake the bottle well to make sure no chunks are left, allowing it to dissolve properly.
- Fill up the pot with water. The water’s level should match the level of the fluid when placed in the pot. Heat the pot in medium flame.
- When the pot is warm, place the container holding the vape juice contents in the pot. Make sure it is in an upright position. Let the flame simmer as the liquid heats up. Let the water bubble at the bottom of the pot. However, make sure the bottle container does not get too hot to touch. At this temperature, let the fluid do its work in mixing the crystals.
Alternatively, you can also warm up the vape juice slightly before pouring in the CBD crystalline powder. This helps in dissolving the crystals faster.
- Keep shaking the bottle every 3-4 minutes. Let it the fluid settle. You’ll notice most of the chunks getting dissolved into the fluid, leaving some at the bottom of the bottle. Shake the solution again to break up the larger chunks. Let it sit for 5 more minutes. Keep repeating this process, until no chunks are visible inside the bottle.
- By now, the solution would have turned cloudy, with no discernible chunks or particles in it. Let the bottle with the solution sit in the water pot at this low/medium heat for 15 more minutes. You’ll notice the solution gradually turn clear again.
- Wait for a few more minutes, and then turn off the heat. Remove the bottle of solution from the pot and let it cool off. As it cools down, you’ll notice the liquid and the air above it get a bit cloudy. This is quite normal. Once the liquid has cooled down completely, it will be fine.
- Using the fine sieve and a clean and sterile funnel, pour all the content into the 30ml bottle with the dropper to make the solution easy to use. Your CBD Vape Juice is ready for storage and use.
If you’ve used 1000mg CBD isolates, then you can be sure to get a dosage of 33mg of CBD per serving (one full dropper).
The Making: Tips & Tricks
- CBD isolates are also available in the form of powder. If that suits you, you can opt for that instead of the crystals that you’ll have to grind to dust.
- Use only 100% USP-food-grade vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol.
- While heating the fluid, don’t get impatient and put the solution into the microwave. This will result in the fluid heating up too quickly and lead to the fluid evaporating, leaving behind the CBD crystals.
- You can also add the terpenes when the vape liquid is warm. This helps the terpenes to blend in better. But while measuring the vape liquid (VG+PG), you’ll have to take the measurement of the terpenes into account and keep room for it.
- If you want to avoid the terpene-step, you can purchase pre-flavored vape liquids too.
- Try and use flavors that can mask the bitter taste of the PG, as well as subdue its harsh sting in your throat.
- Several terpenes are available in the market – caryophyllene, humulene, linalool, limonene, pinene, and many more. Choose what you prefer and use a blunt syringe to make the mix. Remember the final vape fluid must be an exact 30ml, in which the terpenes can only be up to 1ml.
- Don’t use a cheesecloth or tea towel to filter the finished product. This will absorb the fluid, leading to a lot of waste. Use only a shrimp net, fine sieve, or any other form of screen that doesn’t absorb the fluid.
- Make sure to store the end product in a cool and dark place. This will ensure the vape juice lasts up to 12 months.
- Use the dropper to fill your vape pen or e-cigarette as per your dosage. This will ensure exact dosing.
- Never use this vape juice as a tincture. PG is not suitable for oral consumption.
Ensuring your Vape Oil is high in CBD
To make CBD vape juice, work with only the best strains that are high on CBD-content, and low on THC-content. Strains like ACDC, Charlotte’s Web, Harlequin, and Canatonic are good for making CBD vape juice.
Parting Thoughts
There are many reasons for people to seize full control over their vape juice. You may want to ensure you’re getting the best quality, or you want something that is either stronger or milder than what’s available in the market. You may even want some flavoring that is currently not being provided by any brand. You may even find making it at home simpler and cheaper than ordering it online.
No matter what the reasons are, trying it at home is a good thing. Not only does it give you complete control over your recipe, but it also makes you aware of what’s going into it.
So, go ahead and try it at home! If you find something interesting during the process or you managed to make something unique, don’t forget to share your experience with us.
