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Short Fill E-Liquids – A Guide to Short Fills & Nicotine Shots - Tablites Vape Store

Short Fill E-Liquids – A Guide to Short Fills & Nicotine Shots

What are Short Fill E-Liquids?

A lot of our customers have been asking about Short Fills, so we decided to write a blog explaining everything you would need to know.

Short Fill eLiquids are large bottles of nicotine-free, with space in the bottle for adding your own nicotine shots. They come in varying bottle sizes in a large selection of flavours and have become increasingly popular throughout our stores.

In this blog we’ll be focusing on the UK made e-liquid from Sugar Pie Vapes; Sweet Apple Pie. Short Fill E-Liquids are high VG liquids which are perfect for sub ohm vaping tanks.

Short Fills are pretty much for anyone who vapes a High VG e-liquid and simply wants a larger bottle for convenience.The TPD regulationscame into effect on the 20th of May, 2017, which states the maximum size bottle of nicotine-containing e-liquid must be limited to 10ml. Since Short Fill bottles in the UK do not contain nicotine, they do not fall under these regulations.

What is a Nic Shot?

Nic Shots are 10ml bottles of flavourless VG based e-liquid with nicotine, designed to add to a Short Fill E-Liquid. We’ll be focusing on the 18mg TABnic Nicotine Booster Shot. Nicotine Shots aren’t meant to be vaped on their own, rather they’re designed to be mixed into a larger bottle of e-liquid which usually has a High VG Base.

When the TPD Regulations added a 10ml maximum size for nicotine-containing e-liquid, some people were slightly worried prices would increase and the variety of e-liquids would diminish, but you can always count on the vaping industry and community to come up with new and exciting innovations.

If your Nicotine Booster is in an 18mg nicotine strength, adding one to a 50ml Short Fill bottlewill make 60ml of 3mg nicotine strength e-liquid. In the same way, adding two Nic Shots will make 70ml of 6mg eliquid.

Short Fill Mixing Guide

Knowing how much nicotine to use is normally where people give up on the idea of Short Fills when it’s actually as simple as filling your device.

Although you can add as much nicotine as you like, most Short Fills are designed with extra space to accommodate a maximum of two Nic Shots (meaning you can have a maximum strength of 6mg).

While there are stronger Nic Shots and now even Nic Salt Shots, the industry standard is an 18mg nicotine shot which will make 50ml of nicotine free liquid into 60ml of 3mg e-liquid.

Confusing? We thought so too at first. Here’s a little diagram explaining the different bottles sizes and the nicotine strengths you can achieve.

How do I add Nic Shots to my Short Fill E-Liquids?

Adding nicotine to your own liquid may seem daunting but it’s actually really straightforward. The Nic Shots come in the same bottle as your regular 10ml e-liquids which makes decanting them really easy.

This diagram shows a simple three-step process to get you vaping quick. If you want a little more information though just follow the steps listed below:

  • Grab your Short Fill bottle and your Nic Shot bottle.
  • Unscrew the Short Fill lid and pop off the cap.
  • Open your Nic Shot bottle.
  • Squeeze the contents into your Short Fill bottle.
  • Replace the Short Fill cap and screw the lid back on.
  • Throw away your Nic Shot bottle and wash your hands!
  • Shake your Short Fill bottle to mix the liquids.
  • Steep the liquid for better flavour (optional).


  • Steepverb
    gerund or present participle: steeping
    1. soak (food or tea) in water or other liquid so as to extract its flavour or to soften it. “the chillies are steeped in olive oil”

    What is E-Liquid ‘Steeping’?

    Once shaken, you can jump straight into vaping if you like, but waiting has its benefits too. It’s advised to ‘steep’ your Short Fill E-Liquids for up to 24 hours in a cool, dry place. This gives the nicotine time to blend with the eliquid creating a much more flavoursome vape. While you don’t need to steep your liquids, you’ll understand why it’s recommended if you give it a try.


    Why do people buy Short Fill E-Liquids?

    People swap to Short Fills for many reasons but mainly to save money.

    It’s much more convenient to travel around with too (you can just carry one bottle instead of six) making it ideal for travelling. They’re also better for the environment. A single bottle has much less packaging and takes less energy to produce.

    You’re able to refine your nicotine content too. Want less than 3mg? No problem, just add less of the Nic Shot. Is 6mg not strong enough, but 12mg is pushing it too far? That’s fine too! Simply add your desired nicotine amount and you can fully personalise your vaping experience.

    Short Fills are also popular with vapers who’ve given up nicotine completely. Eliquid is completely fine to vape with no nicotine, and for some people, it’s the final step in giving up nicotine for good.


    Tips & Information

    1. Find a flavour you really like before committing to a Short Fill bottle.
    2. Take care when popping off the top cap! (Why not buy a Shortfill Tool)
    3. Be careful with your Nic Shots, wash your hands after you’ve finished with them!
    4. The more Nic Shots you add to the Short Fill, the less intense the flavour will be.
    5. You may need to turn the power up on your device with higher VG based e-liquids.
    6. Shake well before use! If you don’t, the liquid and nicotine could separate.
    7. Use a sub-ohm vape mod (rather than a Vape Pen Style e-cig) with a variable power output so you can adjust to your preference.

    Glossary of Terms

    E Liquid – eLiquid, e-Liquid, eJuice, e-Juice are all names for vaping liquids.
    Sub Ohm – Refers to a device which uses coils with less than 1ohm resistance.
    Nic Shot – Otherwise known as Nicotine Shot, Nicotine Booster, Booster Shot.
    Short Fill – Shake ‘n’ Vape, Short-Fill Juice, Short Fill E-Liquid.
    TPD / Tobacco Products Directive  An EU directive with various regulations to e-cigarette products.
    High VG – E-Liquid with a High Vegetable Glycerin content for larger clouds.

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