40ml Vape Juice
A 40ml shortfill is a nicotine free e-liquid supplied in an oversized bottle with the headroom left empty so you can add your own nicotine shot. This collection holds 36 of them, priced between £7.19 and £7.99, drawn mainly from the Just Juice bar shortfill line and the Doozy Seriously Max pod fill range. The 40ml size sits neatly between a 10ml bottle and a full 100ml shortfill, which makes it a sensible way to try a flavour in volume without committing to a large bottle.
The format exists because of the regulations rather than by chance. UK law caps any bottle containing nicotine at 10ml, so larger bottles have to be sold nicotine free. Selling 40ml in a bigger bottle leaves room for the buyer to add nicotine at the point of use, which is legal, cheaper per millilitre and gives you control over the final strength. Nicotine shots are sold separately. Everything here is sold to over 18s only.
How a 40ml shortfill works
The bottle arrives part filled. You add one or more 10ml nicotine shots, replace the cap, then shake the bottle thoroughly until the liquid is uniform. The maths is straightforward. Total nicotine in milligrams divided by total volume in millilitres gives you the strength.
Add a single 10ml shot at 20mg per ml to 40ml of shortfill and you have 50ml carrying 200mg of nicotine, which works out at 4mg per ml. Add two of the same shots into a bottle with the capacity for them and you have 60ml carrying 400mg, which is roughly 6.7mg per ml. Check the stated bottle capacity on the product page before ordering shots, because a 50ml bottle will only take one.
Nicotine shots explained
A nic shot is a 10ml bottle of unflavoured nicotine base sold at the 20mg per ml legal maximum. Shots come in two types and the difference matters. A freebase shot gives a firmer throat hit and is the traditional choice. A salt shot is smoother at the same strength, which suits pod kits and lower power devices. Match the shot to the device rather than to the flavour.
The base ratio of the shot should also match the shortfill. Adding a high PG shot to a high VG shortfill thins the finished liquid slightly, which is usually harmless in small quantities but worth knowing if you are mixing multiple shots into a larger bottle.
What is in this collection
Just Juice bar shortfills
Just Juice supplies the larger share of the range in this size. Fruit profiles dominate. Watermelon, Pineapple, Grape Aloe, Dragonfruit and Raspberry, Orange and Clementine sit on the straightforward side. Cola covers the drinks category. The Below Zero sub range adds a cooling agent behind the fruit, as in Triple Mango Below Zero and Frozen Gummy Bear Below Zero. XXX Mint and Green Mint handle the menthol end.
Doozy Seriously Max pod fills
The Doozy entries are branded as pod fills, which signals a format intended for refillable pod kits rather than high wattage sub ohm tanks. Blackcurrant Citrus, Blueberry, Triple Mango, Guava Passion, Very Cherry and Strawberry Milk make up the line. Strawberry Milk is the only creamy profile in the collection and it is the one to expect the shortest coil life from.
Which device suits a 40ml shortfill
Check the VG to PG ratio printed on the individual product page before you buy, because the ratio decides the device rather than the bottle size. A thicker high VG liquid needs a sub ohm coil below 1.0 ohm with wide wicking ports. A more balanced ratio suits a mouth to lung pod coil above 1.0 ohm. Getting this the wrong way round produces either a burnt taste or a leaking pod, so it is the one specification worth reading twice.
Steeping and storage
Shake the bottle hard for a minute after adding a shot. Most flavours are usable straight away, though fruits often settle after a day and creams and desserts benefit from three to five days in a cool dark cupboard. Keep the cap on, keep bottles upright and keep them away from sunlight and heat. Nicotine darkens as it oxidises, so a brown tint after a few weeks is normal rather than a fault.
Buying shortfills in the UK
Shortfills are nicotine free at the point of sale, which is what allows them to exceed the 10ml bottle limit. Any nicotine you add must come from a compliant 10ml shot at no more than 20mg per ml. Sales of both are restricted to adults aged 18 and over. UK delivery is free on orders over £20 and the team is on 07827 210361 between 8.30am and 4.00pm if you want help working out how many shots a given bottle takes.
40ml shortfill questions
What does 40ml shortfill actually mean?
It means the bottle contains 40ml of nicotine free e-liquid with empty space left above it. That space is there so you can add your own 10ml nicotine shot before use. UK law caps any bottle containing nicotine at 10ml, so larger volumes have to be sold nicotine free. Adding the nicotine yourself is legal and works out cheaper per millilitre.
How many nic shots do I need for a 40ml shortfill?
It depends on the bottle capacity, which is printed on the product page. A 50ml bottle holding 40ml takes one 10ml shot. A 60ml bottle holding 40ml takes two. Always check before you order, because trying to force a second shot into a 50ml bottle simply will not fit.
What strength will I end up with?
Divide the total nicotine by the total volume. One 10ml shot at 20mg per ml contains 200mg of nicotine. Added to 40ml of shortfill it gives 50ml at 4mg per ml. Two of those shots give 60ml at roughly 6.7mg per ml. Those are the two common outcomes for this bottle size.
Should I use a freebase shot or a salt shot?
Match it to your device. Freebase shots give a firmer throat hit and are the traditional option for sub ohm setups at low strengths. Salt shots are smoother at the same strength, which suits refillable pod kits and lower power devices. Both are capped at 20mg per ml in a 10ml bottle under UK rules.
Do I need to steep a 40ml shortfill?
Shake it hard for a minute after adding the shot and most fruit flavours are ready immediately. Creamy and dessert profiles such as Strawberry Milk usually improve after three to five days resting in a cool dark place. Steeping is not required for safety. It simply lets the flavour compounds settle into the base.
Can I use these in any device?
Not without checking the VG to PG ratio on the product page first. Thicker high VG liquids need a sub ohm coil below 1.0 ohm with large wicking ports. More balanced ratios suit mouth to lung pod coils above 1.0 ohm. The bottle size tells you nothing about which device it belongs in. The ratio does.
Why has my e-liquid turned darker?
Nicotine oxidises when exposed to light, heat and air, which gradually darkens the liquid and dulls the flavour. A brown tint developing over a few weeks is normal rather than a sign of a problem. Keeping bottles capped, upright and out of direct sunlight in a cool cupboard slows it down considerably.