Hello, long time lurker, occasional commenter and first time poster here. :)
I have made a few mixes that are just "ok", but seem a wee bit hollow, if that makes sense. Some have been straight up "dry". I'd like to make something full bodied with tobacco notes, that does not taste like straight tobacco. I'm in love with caramel tobaccos. My favourite juice from a vendor that I am never without is a Caramel Tobacco that is very mildly sweet, almost creamy, mildly yeasty (I got A.P on a hunch that this might be responsible for that note) and almost with smooth premium rye whisky notes. Not at all an RY4. I don't want to clone this, but it's definitely set the standard I want to reach.
Vanillas and fruits and bakery notes also sound good. I've had some interesting results with adding florals to the mix, like honeysuckle and rose. Just got TPA horehound to test out. I've been making mixes with 2+ flavours as I'm not keen on many standalones where tobacco is concerned.
I'm not fussed on throat hit, and one of the big reasons I've gotten into DIY is so I can make my own high VG juices as I've not found many in Canada that suit my tastes. I'm wondering if I need to nudge my percents with the non tobacco notes up a bit to account for my 70-80% VG. I tend to work low and add flavour as my very first mixes months back were simply so strong that I lost all flavour and fried my tastebuds.
I've had simple successes with TPA's dRY4, DK Tab, Tobacco Absolute (I dilute it in 10mL of PG) and FA's Desert Ship. Currently playing with TPA Cowboy, RY4, Black Honey Tobacco, M type and FA Maxx Sunset. I'm not sure I can do anything with FA RY4 Oriental. It just tastes weird no matter what. Hoping to get some Seedman's Commercial if I can get my mitts on it in the new year.
I haven't tried many additives, though E.M, apple cider vinegar and Smooth are in my toolkit and used frequently. I just got some AP that I've started to use diluted (it kinda smells like corn chips/dog feet to me). Would Vape Wizard help more than TPA Smooth or ACV or does it have a similar result?
To moisten up the dry, I've read adding marshmallow might help? I have FA marshmallow and TPA toasted marshmallow. Any other ideas? I use about 1% of a 10% EM mix in my tobaccos. It does soften out the harsh somewhat. Would adding more help? I find EM noticeably sweetens a juice at >3%. I think I have my percents for each of the tobaccos down to where I like them. Usually 1-2% or less for the strong ones, and as high as 10% for the dRY4.
Any ideas on how to "put flesh" on my skeletal tobacco juices? I'm still familiarizing myself with the various types, trying them standalone to choose which flavours may complement them. Of all the juices I've been mixing, these have proved the most challenging to me, and as a coffee drinker who also likes the odd bit of beer or whisky, I definitely prefer tobacco/dessert tobacco vapes with my coffee or drink.
Thank you for any suggestions you guys might have, and apologies if my question is a bit vague and all over the place.
I highly suggest using that TPA Toasted Marshmallow to add body to your tobaccos. Start at 3-4% and go up from there, but seriously I think that's exactly what you're looking for. Any juice I make that is too "dry" or "hollow" I add toasted marshmallow. Also the AP does smell like corn chips and feet, but if you limit it to one drop per 10ml, it can be quite good. It's more of a nutty note than anything else IMO. It turned a caramel banana mix of mine into banana nut bread after resting a few days.
That sounds like a plan. I'd kept seeing marshmallow mentioned, but haven't seen any starting points to go from. I actually diluted my AP 3 drops in 6mL PG to use 1 drop per 10 mL after finding 1 drop undilute in 10mL to be too strong for my tastes. It definitely does add something beneficial to the mix. Thanks :)
As far as moistening, you can use 0.9% saline solution. I have just started using it so I don't have much experience, but it seems to work well in tobacco and bakery flavors. Another benefit is that it is made of salt and it supposed to aid in bringing out the flavors, much like salt on food does.
I have had success with adding Capella graham cracker and cinnamon danish swirl to tobaccos.
There is a recipe somewhere, on ecf I think, for a tobacco base. It was EM combined with Seedman's commercial. I forget the percentages, and there may be more ingredients. I need to track it down again because it has gotten good reviews.
I think I know the ecf thread you're talking about. I thought I had it saved, but I can't seem to find it. IIRC it was 2% Seedman's commercial and 2% TFA Tobacco Blend (Tobacco absolute, PG and EM mix). I don't know if this is the recipe you were thinking of, but I use it often and it's quite good. I also sub other seedman's concentrates for the commercial (Light Brand is excellent) and go as high as 4% on both the SM and TB.
I will definitely try cinnamon danish swirl and graham cracker, as I have those on hand right now. Was also contemplating Capella Gingerbread in a dessert tobacco. If I can get some Seedmans (not many Cdn vendors offer this), I will certainly be experimenting with that. Cheers!
I've only recently started playing with AP... it has very different effects depending on it's strength. If your mixes start tasting like corn chips, you've reached or exceeded the maximum useful amount.
Vanilla might help... at low concentrations it tends to not stand out so much as enhance other flavours.
Chocolate might work for you too... specifically milk or dark chocolate.
Maybe make an order from MBV for some FW flavours... specifically, Caramel Candy, Cinnamon Roll. I recently got some Vanilla Butternut and mixed it with their 555 Tobacco... very nice. Also, FW nutty flavours (Pecan, Peanut Butter, Pistachio) are all very nice and work well with tobaccos.
A very extremely tiny amount of cherry goes a long way. Apple or pear flavours too... but as background, just to round out the tobacco. Allspice can enhance other flavours in unexpected ways too, use it both strong and weak for different effects.
I was wondering about chocolates actually. I have Capella double chocolate and am not really liking it alot. The TPA ones are better I take it?
With FW I'm limited to what I can get in Canada or are willing to import from the US (which can have steep shipping costs depending on the vendor, and several don't even ship up here anymore if nic is involved), but a nice lady at FW just emailed me that she can arrange via paypal and email for me to order direct from them. Their salted caramel looks really good. TPA I discovered has reasonable shipping prices to Canada, and in a pinch I can get 3mL bottles of many flavours at Happy Vaper up here online. edit: MBV does ship to Canada and if I only get DIY stuff, shouldn't have much issue at the border. Plus it looks like everything is on sale!
I have and use hazelnut in my tobacco mixes and found it goes nicely with DK tab. I'll try to get some more nutty flavours for sure. Blackberry or plum and walnut would be good in tobacco I'm sure. With Allspice, is that a DIY extraction in PG or an actual spice flavour from one of the flavour manufacturers?
I only have TPA White Chocolate, and it's pretty tasty but a bit hard to mix with other flavours. Also, it seems to burn easily.
I really like FW Milk Chocolate.
I'm in Canada too, and have ordered flavours from MBV several times... it's cheap, and I've had no trouble at the border (but maybe that's because the only nic juice I got was small freebie samplers). You need to buy a pretty significant quantity from Flavor West directly to be a better deal than MBV's 15ml for $2.99.
My allspice extraction is DIY, yes... I know there are flavour manufacturers who make it as well. It's pretty easy to extract yourself.
I have the white chocolate too. I'm finding it quite yummy with dRY4 (inspired by a vendor juice with that combo that I like). Yeah the pricing at MBV is really good. Also noticed ecigexpress ships up here too. Other than TPA I haven't really shopped the US for vape stuff.
Just tried a coffee extraction last week but now you have me thinking about anise and vanilla pod extracts :)
TPA Smooth is the exact same thing as MTS Vape Wizard. It is used to tone down heavy notes and bring out the somewhat hidden notes. TPA Smooth was made by reverse engineering MTS.
ACV is used to add some "zing" to tobaccos. Sorry, I know that's a bad description, but that's what it does.
AP adds a nutty bread note.
If you want to add body and depth, try mixing in some alcohol flavors, such as whiskey, cognac, or butter rum.
Is it confirmed that smooth and MTS are the exact same? I was going to order some MTS but I already have smooth. I think smooth is just triacetin diluted in PG.
No, there is no 100% confirmation that they are exactly the same. It's all speculation and rumor. What is the same between the 2 is that they both have a very similar effect on flavor.
According to a TFA rep, Smooth is a "group of chemicals that alter the natural actions of taste receptors/taste buds."
Good to know on the Smooth/MTS topic. I also use ACV in my bakery juices as well. I found a really informative thread on ECF earlier this summer and tried with vs without and it definitely makes a difference.
I'll be trying the bourbon and brandy I have, though the bourbon still makes me shudder a bit. I made a really pukey "French 75" cocktail juice months back. It tasted exactly like being sick after drinking cheap whisky. This time I'll use it in extreme moderation. ;)
Link to that thread if you have it on hand?
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/252238-vinegar.html
It's been a few months, but I think this is the thread. I lurk on ECF, but I find it a useful forum for info. It's long thread. I recall scrolling for at least 2 hours. Some really interesting info in it.
When I mix with booze flavors, I always use a complementary flavor with it. When I mix with TFA Bourbon, I also use FA Vanilla Bourbon to tone it down. If I use LA Butter Rum, I also mix in some LA Butterscotch. Just about any sweet flavor can be used for this purpose, such as cotton candy, toffee, maple, caramel, marshmallow, and so on. I just wish I could find a sweet corn flavor, something that tastes like the grilled corn you get at the state fair, if you know what I mean.
I often see lots of discussions on tobaccos but seldom, especially here, of any mention of Hangsen tobaccos. I'm using HS almost exclusively and have been really impressed with the taste.
I use TPA marshmallow in most all my tobacco mixed. Been hearing some good reports on the toasted marshmallow, I'll have to give it a try on my next order. FA Catalan Cream works excellent with tobacco. I normally mix HS at 7-8%, 4% Catalan cream, 2-3% marshmallow...mixing TPA Cowboy at 1-1.5% gives a nice kick to my mixes...just starting to experiment with the 0.9 saline @ 1 dp per 5 mls.
Can't say enough about Catalan cream, at least for my taste, it add a smooth, faintly subtle sweet creaminess and plays well with marshmallow.
I say it a lot, but, FA Virginia is so good. I notice you have their others, so you should get some of their Virginia, too.
After a few months of mixing single flavors and finding very little that I love, I have begun mixing the various single flavors into tobacco bases, and I am loving it. It is interesting how just a touch of some single flavors will work so well with a base of one or more tobacco flavors at 1%.
I have been mixing the single flavors with the tobacco right in the tanks (evods) and if I find one I like I mix it up in a bigger tank and vape it up.