Hi all,
I've been reading here for a while and have created some test-flavours. They were utter crap. 100% VG, 5% water, 10-20% flavour.
Now, before i spend any more money and find out i am doing it completely wrong, i thought it would be good to start reading up on how to create a decent liquid. But, the more i search the more i get confused and i cannot seem to find a recipe that explains step by step how to create a liquid that actually tastes good.
Now, i'm allergic to PG so i try to avoid that. I heard NudeNicotin has PG-free flavours. I also want to order some extra stuff over there, but i don't really understand how much i need of those to get a nice flavour. I'm looking to create a 'mango' or 'berry' taste (Virgin Vapor Fresh Thai Mango tastes awesome, imho)
Can anyone explain if i need and if so how much i need of the following? What do they do?
Citric Acid Solutions?
Saline?
sweeteners?
sucralose?
ethyl maltol?
Thanks in advance. Really appreciate any input. :)
Can you give us some of the recipes you've tried? Some manufacturers have flavours which are really strong, or too perfume-y if using them in large quantities.
It's likely to be caused by the individual flavours you've used!
Also, not sure if they do VG based flavours, but FA re great for the kind of flavours you like. Here's a personal favourite, a simple mix that tastes like a really sweet juice drink:
- 3mg nic
- 30% PG, 70% VG (you'll want to change this to 100%VG)
- 9% Passion Fruit (FA)
- 6% Mango (FA)
Hope that helps!
Cool. Thanks for your recipe. :). I tried a simular recipe with a local brand of flavour. THe 10% was lacking flavour and the 20% was way too heavy. But i think it's not the percentage of flavours...i think it's in the additives. (espcially saline and sugar)
Sometimes additives do help, but they aren't the difference between shit and gold.
Percentages make a huge difference.
For example, I have a peppermint juice. 8% vanillin, 8% peppermint and it tastes amazing. Any less of each flavor and the peppermint flavor mutes in a day.
I made a honey Pearry clone with 8% pear, 4% honeydew, 3% strawberry and it's great. I tried to play with it by lowering the pear and upping the strawberry, and it just tastes like honeydew because pear and honeydew are strong flavors and the percentage is the most important part because the flavors have to balance each other out.
Another recipe I found on here was 1% spearmint and 1% pear and its great.
My point is, a lot of people beginning get discouraged because they keep making bad juices by either the following the 10-20% flavoring rule or not balancing flavors. Some flavors are great on their own at 10%, other flavors make the whole juice taste like crap if you put more than 3% in.
Look up some recipes and copy them and you'll eventually figure out which flavors work together and it what percentages and be able to make your own from scratch.
It's hard to say without knowing what specific flavorings and percentages you're using. Honestly, 100% VG (or near) mixes are just going to be more difficult. You have fewer available flavorings and it simply takes longer for the flavors to homogenize in a VG-heavy base.
I assume by "5% water" that you are using distilled water, right?
Specific to Nude Nicotine, yes, their flavors are VG-based and 100% PG free. Some are very good; you may like their Very Berry. They also have a Mango Creme, but I've not tried that. They recommend 2-7% flavoring, and they're quite concentrated.
So for your questions on additives:
Citric Acid: Raises pH of juice for a bit of tanginess; the cliché is that it makes fruit flavors "pop" but that really is accurate – it will make them brighter and more apparent in the mix with a bit of bite.
Saline: Can increase the perception of sweet flavors; Others here like /u/Bluesed would be more qualified to answer this one with specific tips.
Sweeteners: Make the juice, uh, sweeter. I personally find they just gunk your coils and muddy the juice's flavor.
Sucralose: A specific sweetener; worst on the coils; tastes terrible to me; some people have a reaction/allergy ranging from mild to severe.
Ethyl Maltol: Another specific sweetener; probably the most commonly used. TFA Cotton Candy is just a 10% solution of ethyl maltol solvated in PG. Distinct and sharp "chemically" taste; I feel it ruins a juice and mutes flavor, but to each their own.
Yes, i know it will be more difficult. I'm just trying to get the 'chemical' taste out of the liquid. Maybe my base (also bought in the Netherlands) is just bad, i don't know.
I'll buy from a well known shop next time, so i can ask more specific questions and follow recipes better.
5% is indeed distilled water. I will try NN's Very Berry. :)
Awesome, thanks for explaining the additives. Should not add any of those then. Maybe just a bit saline and/or citric acid.
I suspect that you didn't give your recipes enough steep time.
Max VG recipes require a very long time to mature. Mix shake and vape will almost never give a proper preview of the matured blend, IMHO.
I steeped for 2 weeks and also used my ultrasone device. That should be enough. There is a flavour, it's just awfull in taste.