Below are answers to the questions we get most often.  If you can't find your answer here, please contact us.

Index

• Ingredients
• Nicotine Strengths
• I'm going to order the 24 strength. If it is too strong for me, how do I thin it out?
• What material to use to refill used cartridges?
• How Many Cartridges Can You Fill With a 30 mL Bottle?
• If I switch to cartomizers, is there filler material to replace? Do I clean it? How do I know when to toss it and begin using a new one?
• If I use the eGo battery and cover… what is the problem with the cartomizer you mention? Is the cartomizer not sticking out enough from the cover?
•  Can I charge an eGo battery with the Joye 510 standard battery charger?  How long does the eGo battery take to charge compared to the standard battery?
• Simple Mixing / Recipe Instructions
• If I get your flavorings, how much do you add to say 60 mL unflavored nic juice?
• I ordered and received a bottle of 60ml/60mg. This will last me quite a while how do you recommend storing it?
• What eCigarette do you recommend?
• eCig Basics:  Dimensions, Battery Life, Atomizer Life, Cartridge Life
• Propylene Glycol (PG) vs. Vegetable Glycerine (VG), which is better?
• How do you fill a cartomizer?
• Free Shipping
• When will I receive my order?
• How do I pay by Money Order?
• About Us

 Ingredients

AmericaneLiquidStore.com proudly manufactures our eLiquid right here in the USA from the finest raw ingredients available.  We do NOT purchase "premade nicotine liquid" from China and then mix it and resell, as many of our competitors do.

Our ingredients list is short:

• Pure, Food Grade Propylene Glycol (PG)
• Pure Vegetable Glycerine (VG)
• 99.8% pure Nicotine, (the purest available)

• Flavorings

Nicotine Strengths

We're often asked exactly what 12 mg or 24 mg strengths mean for nicotine.  It is the amount of nicotine, in milligrams, for each milliliter of eLiquid.  This can also be expressed as mg/mL.  So, for example, a 30 mL bottle of our 24 mg strength would contain 30 x 24 = 720 mg (milligrams) of nicotine.  Gotta' love the metric system!

I'm going to order the 24 strength. If it is too strong for me, how do I thin it out?

Before answering this question, we need to mention this isn't medical advice (had to put in that disclaimer), just our opinion...  Our experience is that you may or may not notice the difference if you change the nicotine level, unless you change it a lot.   Studies on "Light Cigarettes" have shown that people who smoke light cigarettes tend to smoke more of them, and take deeper drags, resulting in approximately the same nicotine consumption.  So, you're likely to vape until you "feel" like you've had the right amount.  If the nicotine level is a bit higher than what you're used to, you may vape less.  If it's too low, you may vape more.

With that out of the way, here's the answer to the question:

• No matter what you do to thin the liquid, please be aware that you will reduce not only the nicotine level, but also the flavoring accordingly.  So, for example, if you purchase 24 mg/mL eLiquid that you feel is too strong...  If you dilute it by 20%, then it will have 20% less nicotine per mL, or 24 - 4.8 = 19.2 mg/mL, and also 20% less flavor.
• We hate to answer with a "buy something" kind of answer, but the best way to reduce the nicotine without reducing the flavor is to purchase the same flavor with less nicotine, and mix the two.  For example, if you wanted to take your 24 mg/mL eLiquid down to 12 mg/mL, you could buy some zero nicotine of that flavor, and mix the two 50/50.  If you wanted to go to 15 mg/mL, you could buy some 6 mg/mL and mix those 50/50.  To get any nicotine level you wanted, you could vary the ratios.
• Distilled water is an option, though not our favorite.  It's readily available at any grocery store, and cheap.  So, as a trial, it might be a good first option.  To our taste, eLiquid with distilled water in it  seems to really take away more of the flavor than other options below. 
• VG will also work fine, though it will tend to thicken the eLiquid.  We sell it, or you can buy smaller amounts at most health food stores, or better grocery stores.  When purchasing Vegetable Glycerin, since it is also used as a skin softener, please make sure the label says either "Food Grade" or "USP".
• PG will work fine, though we're not sure where you'd get a very small amount of Propylene Glycol.  We do sell it in 16 ounce bottles.  If you wanted us to send you a small amount, contact us, and we'll work something out.

What material to use to refill used cartridges? 

Here's what we do in the office (and you can also carry in a ziploc bag): 

• We keep a bag of "poly-fill" in the office.  It's 100% polyester.  That's the stuff that is used to make pillows (not down pillows).  You can buy a pillow sized bag of it at any fabric or craft store, or probably even at Wal-mart for a couple dollars.  You can pop out the factory filling with either a tweezers or a bent paper clip.  Then, just tear off a small piece, and push it into the cartridge.  I use the thick end of a broken tooth pick for that.  Don't pack it too tightly or too loosely, about the feel of the factory cartridge. 
• One thing to watch out for is that you don't want the "non-bunching" stuff, just regular polyfill, it should feel a lot like cotton.  The non-bunching stuff feels like fish line.
• Put the polyfill in the cartridge first.  FYI, assuming you have a cartridge like a 510, and not like a Blu or Smoking Everywhere, then the polyfill should go all the way up to the top of the cartridge, or even a little higher. 
• Then drip the eLiquid into the cartridge, about 5 drops is all they'll hold.  And with the VG eLiquid, which is a little thicker, it may take a little while to soak in, takes a little patience.  Reason you want it to the top is it acts like a wick (like an oil candle wick), so the eLiquid moves up the polyfill to the atomizer, and you want the atomizer to touch the polyfill.

This is also really handy if you want to change flavors in the same cartridge.  Not changing the filler between flavors is how one of our taste testers found out that Cherry - Clove - Coffee flavor is actually pretty good!  We don't sell it, but we do sell all the flavors to make it.  He didn't clean his cartridge, or replace the filler, between tests, and all 3 of those are pretty strong flavors, so he could definitely taste them all. 

 How Many Cartridges Can You Fill With a 30 mL Bottle?

• To fill a cartridge, most users put in about 10 drops from the eyedropper in our cartridges. The eCig manufacturers say a full cartridge is about equivalent to 1 pack of cigarettes. Our experience is those 10 drops are like a pack of cigarettes.
• Please be sure not to overfill your cartridges. Overfull cartridges can cause problems like getting liquid in the atomizer (causing eLiquid burning instead of vapor production) or eLiquid in your mouth (causing very strong, not so good taste).
• There are about 20 drops per mL, so a 30 mL bottle translates to 600 drops, or about 60 cartridges full, or about 60 packs of cigarettes. Not bad for $17.99!

 So for a typical 1 - 2 pack/day smoker, a 30 mL bottle lasts roughly a month.

If I switch to cartomizers, is there filler material to replace? Do I clean it? How do I know when to toss it and begin using a new one?

The filler material in cartomizers is not replacable.  Reason for that is how the electronics are inserted.  The heating element in the cartomizer goes right down the center in a small straw, with the wires attached at both ends, so you can't remove the filler.  FYI, because the heating element goes the entire length, that's one reason cartomizers vape better, in effect the heating element is closer to all the eliquid.

Because it's not replacable, it's also not cleanable.

You'll toss it either when the heating element dies, or ifit starts to taste funny...  FYI, the most common reason for taste changing is running it too dry.  If it starts to taste burnt at all, this usually means it's too dry, and starting to heat the filler material.

If I use the eGo battery and cover… what is the problem with the cartomizer you mention? Is the cartomizer not sticking out enough from the cover?

Cartomizers are just a tad shorter than the combination of atomizer/cartridge, so there will be a bit less cartomizer sticking out the end of the cone shaped cover on the ego.  If your lips cover the seal between the cartomizer and the cone, that will block all air flow, and you won't get any vapor.   For most people, this is not a problem, just a slight inconvenience.  If it is an issue for you, the eGo will vape just fine (but not look as good), with the the cone removed.

Can I charge an eGo battery with the Joye 510 standard battery charger?  How long does the eGo battery take to charge compared to the standard battery?  

Trick question, the answer is "yes and no".  Yes, you can charge the eGo battery with a standard Joe 510 USB charging cable.  But if you have the AC charger where the 510 screws right into the adapter, with no cable, then the eGo battery won't fit on charger. 

The eGo battery will charge in a couple hours, if using the eGo charger, so about the same amount of time as a standard battery.  However, if you use the standard 510 charger, then it will take about 4x as long, since the standard battery is 185 mAH, while the eGo battery is 650 mAH.

Simple Mixing / Recipe Instructions 

First, you need to know what nicotine level you are starting with, and what you want to end up with.  For example, many people purchase our 48 mg/mL DIY liquid when they want to end up with 24 mg/mL flavored.  That way, they know they need to use 1/2 the total volume of 48 mg/mL.

Second, you need to decide how much flavoring to use.  With our concentrated flavoring, the true answer is "it depends"...    You'll find that, like in nature, some flavors are very strong, while some are more delicate.  For example, our Blackberry and Champagne are lighter flavors, while Black Cherry or Coffee are quite strong.  In addition, the tobacco flavors (Marlborough and Menthol) are the most concentrated of all.  As a general rule, we use between 20% and 30% flavoring, depending on the flavor.

So as a starter, you might want to try about 20% flavoring.  That way, if you don't think it's strong enough, you can add a bit more flavoring to get it where you like it best.  (It's hard to take the flavoring out, once it's in the mix :).

Finally, we recommend you start by making very small trial batches.  Our bottles have eye droppers in them.  Take a small glass, maybe a shot glass, and make a 10 drop batch, that way each drop is 10% of the total volume, and if you really don't like it, you can just rinse the glass and start over.  

EXAMPLE:  So with your 48 mg/mL DIY eLiquid, if you want to end up with 24 mg/mL, simply add 5 drops of 48 mg/mL, then add 2 drops of flavoring, 3 drops of PG or VG, and you have your own custom initial "recipe" to adjust more or less flavoring from. 

Once you have the recipe the way you like it using individual drops, you can make bigger batches just replacing the "drops" with "eye dropper fulls".  If that doesn't fill the bottle you're using, then just double it. 

If I get your flavorings, how much do you add to say 60 mL unflavored nic juice?

With our concentrated flavorings, the true answer is "it depends"...

First, flavor is very personal, using Cherry as an example, some people want just a hint of flavor, with no after taste, and others want it to taste like they are drinking a cherry soda, so it really is up to you.

 Second, you'll find that, like in nature, some flavors are very strong, while some are more delicate. For example, our Blackberry and Champagne are lighter flavors (you may want to use more flavoring), while Black Cherry or Coffee are quite strong (you may want less).

Third, you may find your taste changes over time. Several people have commented that as they are off regular cigarettes for a period of time, their taste buds "come back", so they actually use less flavoring over time.

As a general rule, we use between 20% and 30% flavoring, depending on the flavor. So as a starter, you might want to try about 20% flavoring. That way, if you don't think it's strong enough, you can add a bit more flavoring to get it where you like it best. (It's hard to take the flavoring out, once it's in the mix :).

Finally, we recommend you start by making very small trial batches. Our bottles have eye droppers in them. Take a small glass, such as a shot glass, and make a 10 drop batch, that way each drop is 10% of the total volume, and if you really don't like it, you can just rinse the glass and start over.

I ordered and received a bottle of 60ml/60mg. This will last me quite a while how do you recommend storing it?

Here are some things to consider to keep your DIY eLiquid fresh as long as possible:

• Keep it in the amber glass bottle, that helps to keep light and air out.
• Store in a cool, dark place, refrigerator is fine.
• It will also last longer in the DIY form, so we'd recommend not mixing it with flavorings or cutting it down with PG/VG for storage. Just make batches of flavored as you need them. Our experience is that for a 1-pack-a-day smoker, 30 mL lasts about a month, so making 30 mL of total volume at a time might work well.
• As a DIY eLiquid, there are literally only 2 ingredients, nicotine, and either PG or VG, whichever you ordered. Adding other ingredients can introduce contamination, and depending on what you use for flavoring, can introduce ingredients that can spoil. We use natural ingredients wherever possible, for example several of our flavors are made with pure essential oils, which last a long time. However, some of our flavorings do contain artificial ingredients that will impact storage.
• Lastly, for maximum freshness, we do custom manufacture each order from fresh ingredients after the order is placed, so your order was likely manufactured 1 day after you placed the order. The industry consensus seems to be that flavored eLiquid has a shelf life of about 2 years. If you store your DIY eLiquid per the instructions above, it should last at least that long, probably longer.

What eCigarette do you recommend?

On eCigs, all but one of our testers use a manual 510, so for now, that's all we plan to sell.   And, we recommend the one's with a manual button to push to turn on the atomizer, rather than the "draw activated" automatic version.  The manual versions (with a button to light the atomizer, instead of a "puff" switch) have several advantages:

• You can push the button as you bring the eCig up to your lips, pre-heating the atomizer, getting more vapor, and reducing how hard you have to draw
• The battery compartment on the manual 510's are sealed.  In the automatic, there is a hole in the end of the battery compartment (as the puff switch is in the battery compartment).  So with an automatic eCig, if you overfill the cartridge or it leaks, eLiquid can get in where the electrical components are, and damage the switch
• 510 cartridges are very easy to refill.  On some brands, like Blu, the filler is way down at the bottom, and you need to either pop it out to refill it, or use a very long skinny dropper needle.  On the 510's, the filler is right at the top, just pop off the cartridge, and drop in the eLiquid.  We also believe that because the filler is closer to the atomizer heating element, you get more vapor.  That said, there is one downside to having the filler really close to the heating element, 510's are more susceptible to overfilling.  So, our testers say they only put about 5 drops in a cartridge.  We've seen some manufacturers claim their cartridges hold up to 18 drops, but overfilling can be a real problem.

eCig Basics:  Dimensions, Battery Life, Atomizer Life, Cartridge Life

• Dimensions:  A Marlboro 100 is a 100 mm long cigarette.  A 510 eCig is 112 mm, so just a bit longer...  in inches instead of mm, 100 mm = 3.9 inches and 112 mm = 4.4 inches.
• Battery life: The battery will last about an hour of constant vaping, though that's not how most people vape.    If a cigarette lasts you 5 minutes, that's the equivalent of about 12 cigarettes.   In an A/C wall charger, it takes about an hour or two to fully charge.  FYI, I carry my eCig in one of our Portable Charging Cases, so it gets charged every time I put it away to carry it, so it's pretty much always fully charged. I need to recharge the PCC about every 2 days.
• Atomizer life:  Atomizers are electronic parts that heat up, so the heating elements do wear out.  Life is hard to predict, like a light bulb filament, some will fail quicker than others and it's not predictable.  I'd say a typical average is at least 2 months of life.  And atomizers, like everything we sell, have a 30 day 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if they fail within 30 days, we'll replace or refund, at your choice.
• Cartridge refills:  You can refill a cartridge an almost infinite number of times.  I've been vaping about 6 months, and am still on my first 3 cartridges.  That said, about once/week, or when I change flavors, I will replace the filler material and rinse out the cartridge.  In the office, we use 100% Polyester for filler, so it's very easy and inexpensive to replace.  I do know customers who chew the tips of their cartridges, like chewing on a pen, so your mileage may vary .

Propylene Glycol (PG) vs. Vegetable Glycerine (VG), which is better?

To quote a famous politician, the answer is...  it depends.  Each has it's pluses and minuses.  A plus for PG is that it was the original base liquid of all eLiquids.  As such, it is likely the atomizer in your eCig was designed for PG.   The downside of PG is that a small number of users develop a slight irritation from its use.  So the big plus for VG is, if you are intolerant of PG, there is an alternative.  Another side benefit of VG is that it tends to create a heavier vapor than PG.  A potential downside of VG is that it is thicker than PG.  A small number of users have had problems with burning out their atomizer.  With our flavored eLiquids, this problem is avoided by our blends of VG and flavorings.  If this is a problem for you with a DIY eLiquid, it can be reduced by blending in a small amount of distilled water, or other thin liquid of your choosing.

How do you fill a Cartomizer?

Filling a cartomizer is very easy.  Our cartomizer has a white rubber cap on the end that you inhale through, unlike other cartomizers that have a ridgid plastic end ours won't break or crack.

Using a bent paper clip insert the straightened end of the paperclip into the hole in the rubber cap.  Keep the paperclip shallow if you insert the paper clip too deep you can damage the atomizer.  Angle the paperclip so that the end will catch on the under side of the rubber cap and pull the cap off.

Using your eLiquid of choice you can now fill your cartomizer.  We  have been able to get 30 drops of our eLiquid into our cartomizers.  We suggest you wait a short time before smoking for all the liquid to be absorbed into the filler on the sides of the cartomizer.

To replace the rubber cap, simply place the cap back on top of the cartomizer and gently push it back into place.

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