As legislation prohibits e-liquid bottles with nicotine of more than 10 ml, the shortfill was created. A shortfill is a large bottle (50 ml on average) of nicotine-free ready-to-use e-liquid, to which nicotine boosters can be added for different strengths.

Types of shortfill

There are three main types of shortfills,

Shortfill

Shortfill is a juice (e-liquid) with 0 mg/ml nicotine, ready to vape, to which you can add boosters of 20 mg/ml neutral nicotine. As it is not ZHC, the flavour concentration BEFORE adding boosters is the same as for your usual 10 ml juice. Also, AFTER the boosters have been added, the flavour will be a little more diluted and therefore a little less intense.
The maximum number of nicotine boosters recommended by the manufacturer is indicated on each product sheet, so as not to lose too much flavour intensity.

ZHC shortfill

ZHC (Zero High Concentration) shortfill is a 50 to 70 ml bottle of 0 mg nicotine with a higher concentration of flavourings than normal because it is designed to be mixed with one or more nicotine boosters. AFTER the booster has been added, the flavour concentration is normal. For 0 mg use, we recommend adding 10 ml of neutral base to dilute the flavours a little, as they are more concentrated than in a conventional e-liquid.

Shortfill with the same flavour booster

The shortfill with booster of the same flavour is the simplest of the three: a 0mg juice ready for vaping, not overboosted with flavour, to which you can add boosters of the same flavour (these are bottles of the same brand and flavour, generally 18mg/ml nicotine). As the 50ml bottle is not ZHC, the flavour concentration is the same as for your usual 10ml juice. For greater simplicity, Calumette sells these bottles in packs where you can choose your nicotine strength directly, so you'll receive a large-capacity bottle of a 0mg flavour and boosters of the same flavour.

Mix and vape

Most large-capacity bottles are not completely filled to allow room for one or more nicotine boosters. However, be aware that some bottles only accept 1 booster, so if you want to add 2, you'll have to prepare the mix in a larger capacity bottle. Please check the product details before you buy to avoid any surprises when you receive your order.

Advantages and disadvantages of shortfill

The advantage of shortfill is that you can buy large-capacity bottles, which are cheaper than 10 ml bottles. The disadvantage is that the nicotine dosage is limited, which can be a handicap for vapers using a high nicotine strength. If you vape at more than 6mg/ml, you can forget about shortfills, as this would require too much booster to be added and the flavour to be diluted too much.

Tips

We advise you to shake your bottle well after adding booster, and to let your e-liquid steep (maturate) for 24 hours before use, so that it is perfectly mixed with the nicotine boosters and steeped.