Shortfill E-Liquid
Big on flavour and built for clouds; discover shortfill e-liquid from Riot. Our shortfill bottles come in a 60ml size, filled just under capacity with 50ml of 0mg e-liquid so you can drop in a nicotine shot for that extra kick. Vape your own way - get a free nic shot with each short fill that you add to your cart.
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A Riot Guide to Shortfills
If you’re new to shortfills and want to find out more, let us demystify them for you, with our simple guide to all things shortfill.
What are shortfills?
Shortfill e-liquids are bottles of vape juice that have been deliberately underfilled. They contain no nicotine so you can add your own using a nicotine shot. Riot shortfills come in 60ml sized bottles, filled with 50ml of e-liquid, with space for a 10ml nic shot.
You can choose different nic shots strengths and mix them into your shortfill to create your desired nicotine level. You’ll need to know how to mix your shortfill e-liquid with your nic shot to get your levels right.
Why use shortfills?
Lots of vapers choose shortfills for several reasons, including:
- Cost - Buying larger bottles can work out cheaper per millilitre for regular vapers
- Customisation - You can choose to vape with no nicotine, low-nic shots, or somewhere in between by adjusting the number of nic shots
- Variety - Shortfills are available in a wide range of flavours to suit different tastes
- Sub-ohm friendly - Ideal for vapers using sub-ohm devices who typically prefer high-VG liquids and lower nicotine strengths
- Vape experience - Shortfills are most often mixed to be low in nicotine, providing a smoother throat hit
- High VG - Many shortfills have a higher VG ratio, which makes them perfect for big clouds and direct-to-lung vaping
Shortfill VG/PG ratios
VG (Vegetable Glycerin) and PG (Propylene Glycol) are two of the main ingredients in e-liquids.
- VG (Vegetable Glycerin) - A thick, sweet liquid that produces dense vapour clouds and provides a smoother inhale.
- PG (Propylene Glycol) - A thinner liquid that is an excellent carrier for flavour and provides a stronger "throat hit," mimicking the sensation of smoking.
Most shortfill vape juices come in high-VG ratios, typically 70/30 VG/PG or 80/20 VG/PG. They’re generally designed for low-nicotine, cloud-heavy vaping, with smooth inhales and a more gentle throat hit.
Best vape kits for shortfill e-liquid
With shortfill e-liquid usually high VG, it pairs best with specific vape kits.
- Sub-Ohm vape kits - These powerful devices are designed for direct-to-lung (DTL) vaping and are the ideal match for shortfills. They use low-resistance coils (below 1.0 ohm) and high power to vaporise the thick, high-VG liquid. This produces massive clouds and a rich flavour experience.
- Pod vape kits - Basic pod vape kits are typically for thinner 50/50 e-liquids, though some advanced pod mods are powerful enough to handle high VG shortfills. Look for pod devices with sub-ohm coil options and adjustable airflow to get the best performance.
Using a high VG shortfill in a basic starter kit or standard pod system is not recommended, as the thick liquid can struggle to wick properly, leading to dry hits and burnt vape coils.
Adding nic shots to your shortfill
One of the biggest benefits of shortfill e-liquid is the ability to mix it with nic shots to create your own customisable e-liquid in your desired nicotine strength.
A nicotine shot is a 10ml bottle of flavourless, high-strength nicotine. Riot nic shots come in an 18mg strength, ready to be mixed into your shortfill. You can manipulate the amount of nic shots you add to your shortfill e-liquid to get different levels. You can also choose not to add any nicotine at all if you prefer to vape nicotine free.
How to add nic shots
| Remove the lid from your shortfill and carefully pour the nic shot into the shortfill bottle | Screw the cap back on and shake vigorously for at least one minute to make sure the dense liquid mixes | Leave your mix to steep in a cool, dark place for a few days to let the flavours settle. This step is optional |
Calculating your perfect nicotine strength
Achieving your preferred nicotine level follows a fairly simple equation: Adding one 18mg, 10ml nicotine shot to a 50ml shortfill (creating 60ml of liquid) results in a final nicotine strength of 3mg.
- 50ml shortfill + 1 x 18mg nic shot = 60ml of 3mg e-liquid
- 100ml shortfill + 2 x 18mg nic shots = 120ml of 3mg e-liquid
To achieve a 6mg strength, you would add two nic shots to a 50ml shortfill. To do this, you would need a bottle with 20ml of extra space, which is often hard ot find. You could, of course, use a DIY kit and your own bottle. However, for this reason, shortfills are mostly suited for vapers who prefer lower nicotine strengths.
Does Adding Nicotine Reduce Taste?
Nic shots are unflavoured, but adding one does slightly dilute the original flavour concentration of the shortfill. At Riot, we account for this with highly concentrated shortfill e-liquids that deliver a sucker punch of taste; once the nic shot is added, your vape liquid will taste exactly as intended.
Creating your own shortfill flavours
For flavour chasers who aren’t afraid to experiment, you can try mixing your favourite shortfill flavours and creating your own mash up using our e-liquid calculator. Riot vape juice is already designed for maximum impact but we’re all for vapers doing things their own way. You can also experiment with different nicotine strengths to find the perfect balance. Shortfills give you epic taste, total customisation and a super smooth, big-cloud-energy vape experience. Give them a go today.