For those tagging along and reading my Deeper DIY weekly series of posts, this content that follows isn't by me, but by well known flavorist John Wright.
My initial post is here, and my follow-up is here.
Disclaimer
Deeper DIY is not for beginners. This is not something you want to mix in your garage with pets crawling around sniffing. Mixing aroma molecules isn't about mixing by the 0.1mL or the 0.01g, this is about mixing parts per million, or even parts per billion. Some aroma molecules are mixed at 1 drop of molecule to hundreds of kilograms of solution. If you don't have incredible safety standards and a clean room, don't bother trying this at home -- but it will be a fun adventure to see how the same aroma molecules are used for widely different flavors.
Preface
This article I am linking to covers 2-acetyl pyrazine, which is an aroma molecule used in vape flavors such as graham cracker crust, many tobaccos, peanut butter, and some other nutty/bready flavors. You can order the 5% molecule in PG from TPA's site, but please note: if you spill this, you will smell like popcorn and peanuts for life and never get it out of your floor, clothes and possibly skin.
A 5% mixture of 2-acetyl pyrazine in PG is used at 10%+ in popcorn flavoring, 1-10% in peanut butter flavoring, and under 1% in graham cracker crust flavoring.
My hope is to mix my own 5% 2-acetyl pyrazine into a VG base so that I can create my own PG-free flavors similar to the Big Boys. No one sells 2-acetyl pyrazine in VG base, unfortunately.
The Article
Please note -- I suggest opening the following link in an incognito window as most visitors are limited to 5 page views due to cookies being created.
You can read the 2-acetyl pyrazine aroma molecule article in full at Perfumer & Flavorist magazine -- I suggest downloading the 2 zoomed-in page images in case this sample article is taken down.
NSFW? Is this about the Beaver Anuses or something? Reading the article right now, very interesting!
I figured it was wiser to put some kind of warning up on these posts since these aren't for the kind of folks who mix 50% flavor and then immediate complain that their DIY tastes like anus and are angry that we forced them to lose $22 on their FastTech flavor+PG order.
Apropos of our earlier exchange. :) Love this series, keep sharing!
It'll eventually go on my website with a lot more information, but I am still in the early tinkering stage.
I am super excited to get my masses of molecules and get to mixing things up. I already have over 150 blends I want to make and test, all PG-free and hopefully useful towards an open source flavor line.
>you will smell like popcorn and peanuts for life
There is a sense of seriousness to your post, up to this point. C'mon, stop scaring me like that.
> Some aroma molecules are mixed at 1 drop of molecule to hundreds of kilograms of solution.
Thanks for that info. I was kind of eying the possibility. Sounds like it is probably a no go.
Others, though, like vanillin and ethyl vanillin, you're just paying someone to mix at 5 or 10% in pg for you. You can have a lifetime worth of vanilla (in VG, if you prefer,) for very little. I bought 100g of vanillin for about $10 w/s&h, 50g of ethyl vanillin for a little less. If you made 10% solution of the vanillin, and used it at 10% (pretty heavy,) that's in the neighborhood of 10l of vanilla juice for $10 + liquids.
Thanks for the perspective. I mixed up some proper 10% citric acid solution last week. I was thinking about doing the same for sucralose. There is a lot more for me to learn.
For all of us to learn, including pro mixers.
It'll probably cost me $10,000 this year to get everything I want and get lab mixing time and do testing and analyses, but I think it could revolutionize the vape industry.
Of course, it could also be a mess if amateurs try to play professionals -- but we don't know what is in most eliquids anyway. This way, we get to create totally unique concoctions.
I am completely bored with generic tasting e-liquid, and everyone is using the same flavorings from the same companies and hoping for magic ratios. But eventually that'll run out, hence the addition of unlimited ratios.
Well, my initial post I linked has ~10 molecules that can be mixed up to 10% on concentrate -- stick to these types and mixing at home is probably safer.
But keeping the chems locked up is mandatory.