# Zenith 2, matching your DIY e-liquid to the coil

> Zenith 2 and DIY, the PG/VG ratio to aim for with each coil, two worked 30 ml recipes with an 18 mg shot, mixing by weight and filling without a valve.


A tight-draw tank has little patience with a liquid that is too thick. Innokin's **Zenith 2** shows why, since it moves from a 1.6 ohm coil run at around 10 W to a 0.3 ohm mesh pushed to 40 W. One homemade bottle cannot serve both. And the ratio that matters is not the one printed on the base, but the one that comes out of the bottle once the shot and the flavour are in. Here is how to work it out before you mix.

## Which homemade e-liquid suits the Zenith 2?

With the 0.8 and 1.6 ohm coils, a 50/50 base, a 50/50 nicotine shot and a flavour carried in propylene glycol give a finished mix of 55/45 PG/VG, whatever the nicotine strength. That is the simplest starting point for this tight-draw tank. On this site, ratios are always written PG first.

Innokin rates the 0.8 ohm Z Coil at 15 to 18 W on its product page, while two retailers that agree give 10 to 14 W for the 1.6 ohm. The 0.3 ohm mesh, run at 30 to 40 W, is the coil Innokin pairs with the tank's restricted direct lung setting.

## What the maker and retailers publish

Innokin's Zenith II page publishes no PG/VG ratio. One retailer advises, in a reply published under its product page, keeping a 60/40 mix for the 1.6 or 1.2 ohm coils. Beyond that, the principle is a general one, a tight-draw wick takes up a thin liquid more easily, while a mesh pushed to 30 W copes with a mix richer in vegetable glycerine.

For a homemade liquid, the real question is therefore not "which base should I buy" but "which ratio comes out of the bottle". That figure is what reaches the cotton, and it depends on three ingredients, not one.

## Working out the final ratio, shot and flavour included

The base ratio is only part of the sum. The nicotine shot and the concentrate bring their own carrier liquid, and it is the total of all three that reaches the Zenith 2. Two assumptions hold for everything below, an 18 mg/ml 50/50 nicotine shot and a concentrate used at 10 per cent whose label lists propylene glycol as its carrier.

### Why a 50/50 base ends at 55/45 at any strength

With a 50/50 shot, a 50/50 base keeps the same ratio whatever the nicotine strength, since both ingredients share the same make-up. Only the concentrate moves the result. With 10 per cent flavour in PG, half of the remaining 90 per cent is PG, which gives 10 + 45 = 55 per cent PG in the finished mix. That 55/45 stays close to the 60/40 one retailer advises for the 1.6 ohm coil.

### Base options for 30 ml at 3 mg/ml

For 30 ml at 3 mg/ml, the shot volume follows the formula used across this site, target strength multiplied by final volume and divided by shot strength, so 3 × 30 ÷ 18 = 5 ml. The concentrate takes 3 ml and the base fills the remaining 22 ml.

| Base used | PG from the shot | PG from the flavour | PG from the base | Final ratio PG/VG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70/30 | 2.5 ml | 3 ml | 15.4 ml | about 70/30 |
| 50/50 | 2.5 ml | 3 ml | 11 ml | 55/45 |
| 30/70 | 2.5 ml | 3 ml | 6.6 ml | about 40/60 |
| Max VG | 2.5 ml | 3 ml | 0 ml | about 18/82 |

The table shows the gap between what you buy and what you vape. A 50/50 base gives the thin mix that suits the 1.6 and 0.8 ohm coils, while a 30/70 base ends at about 40/60, better suited to the 0.3 ohm mesh. Our guide to [choosing a VG/PG base](/uk/diy-base-liquid/) covers the bases on sale in more detail.

## Two worked 30 ml recipes for the Zenith 2

The two recipes below target the 1.6 and 0.8 ohm coils. They are weighed with the density of about 1.15 g/ml used across this site for 50/50 base and 50/50 shots.

### For the 1.6 ohm coil, 30 ml at 6 mg/ml

The shot comes to 6 × 30 ÷ 18 = 10 ml, the concentrate to 3 ml and the 50/50 base to 17 ml. To check the strength, 10 ml × 18 mg/ml gives 180 mg of nicotine across 30 ml, or 6 mg/ml. The final ratio stays at 55/45. By weight, that means 11.5 g of shot and 19.55 g of base, with the concentrate measured by syringe.

### For the 0.8 ohm coil, 30 ml at 3 mg/ml

The shot drops to 5 ml, or 5.75 g, the concentrate stays at 3 ml and the 50/50 base takes 22 ml, or 25.3 g. The strength checks out the same way, 5 × 18 = 90 mg across 30 ml, or 3 mg/ml. Swapping in a 30/70 base would take this mix to about 40/60, a ratio that thickens the liquid without helping a tight-draw coil.

The full weighing method, workstation and labelling included, is set out in our guide to the [DIY e-liquid workstation](/uk/diy-e-liquid-workstation/).

## Filling the Zenith 2 with a homemade mix

Filling itself barely changes, but two features of the tank affect how a homemade liquid behaves in it.

### A 2 ml tank in the UK

Innokin lists 5.5 ml or 2 ml depending on the version. In the UK, the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 cap tanks for nicotine e-liquid at 2 ml, so the 2 ml TPD version is the one that applies. Nicotine liquid itself is capped at 20 mg/ml and sold in bottles of 10 ml or less. The tank fills from the top by twisting the cap, to which Innokin added a silicone seal around the fill port.

### A thin mix and a tank with no shut-off

Innokin removed the automatic liquid shut-off of earlier models in favour of a replaceable glass. A homemade mix at 55/45, thinner than a VG-heavy one, runs out all the faster if the coil comes out with the tank full. Empty it before any Z Coil change.

A label showing the final ratio and the coil it was made for also stops you pouring a bottle meant for the mesh into a **Zenith 2** fitted with the 1.6 ohm coil.

## FAQ

Answers to the questions that come up when you mix your own liquid for this tank, beyond the ratio and the recipes.

### Does the Zenith 2 take a homemade nic salt e-liquid?

Innokin's page does not specify any form of nicotine. A 50/50 nic salt shot is worked out exactly like a freebase shot, with the same formula and the same effect on the final ratio.

### Should you prime a coil differently with a homemade liquid?

The principle stays the same, a new coil needs soaking before first use. A PG-heavy mix soaks into the wick faster than a thick one, which works in favour of recipes at 55/45.

### Can you use a max VG DIY mix in the Zenith 2?

Best avoided with the 1.6 or 0.8 ohm coils. Even with shot and flavour added, a max VG base ends up at about 18/82 in our 30 ml recipe, too thick for a tight-draw wick.

### How much flavour should go into a recipe for an MTL tank?

The rate to follow is the one the concentrate maker gives on its product page. The 10 per cent used in this guide illustrates the calculation and does not replace the instructions for a specific flavour.

### Is my homemade mix leaking because of the ratio?

Not necessarily. A cap left half open or a coil changed with a full tank often explains the leak. A very PG-heavy ratio can make it worse without being the only cause.

## Zenith 2, a ratio worked out before the first drop

A 50/50 base and a PG-carried flavour are enough to serve both the 1.6 and the 0.8 ohm coils, with a finished mix at 55/45. A 30/70 base, which ends at about 40/60, is better kept for the 0.3 ohm mesh.

Working out the final ratio, rather than reading the one on the base, remains the best way to prepare a homemade liquid suited to the **Zenith 2**. The same approach works for any tank, as soon as you know the coil fitted and its wattage range.

## From the same recipe book

- [VG/PG base, choosing 50/50, 30/70 or max VG for the recipe](/uk/diy-base-liquid/)
- [Nic salt shot, how to build one into a DIY recipe](/uk/nic-salt-shots-diy/)
- [DIY e-liquid workstation, set up clean and mix by weight](/uk/diy-e-liquid-workstation/)

<em>Editorial guide for adult readers only. Vaping products can contain nicotine, which is addictive, and vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. This guide describes a mixing method and is not a buying recommendation.</em>