OK new mixers, this is your thread to ask any questions you want of the DIY eJuice community. All posts are allowed, but we still encourage you to use the sidebar and search features before asking any questions.
- Placing your first DIY order and want to make sure you have all you need?
- Not sure about how to mix your first bottle?
- Want to get started but aren't sure how?
- Any other questions? ... then this is the thread for you. FWIW, the answers to the first three questions will eventually be found in the wiki (still in development); link at the top of the page.
Ask away!
How about a couple of recommended 2-3 flavor shake and vape recipes? What is your fav right now?
Guys what are flavors you "Must" have?
Also is their a huge difference between say, TFA cantaloupe, and FW cantaloupe Like how each vendor have their own versions or do they taste close to each other?
TFA Strawberry/Strawberry ripe, FA cookie, FA meringue, CAP VC1/2, INW dragonfruit, TFA dragonfruit, TFA apricot, FA fuji, TFA sweet cream, TFA vanilla swirl, TFA graham cracker clear, TFA marshmallow, TFA cotton candy(ethyl maltol, sweetener), FA lemon sicily, FA fresh cream.
Yes, there is usually a very sizable difference between vendors. I, for one, do not like any of the FW fruit flavors, but TFA and FLV make fruits that are fantastic.
Does anyone reuse their "disposable" pipette with the same flavor until its done? I heard a buddy saying he rubber bands a pipette to a single flavor to avoid cross contamination, but uses that pipette over and over until the flavor is out.
I reuse syringes, however I wash mine out and rinse with distilled water. You can reuse pipettes but you get get them for like 2 cents a piece so it's better to just get a big box of them.
Any advice on selecting flavorings based on components? I've got a handful of TFA flavors that I'd either like to compliment, or use as a compliment, but I'm unsure if I should be looking for - or avoiding -like-components.
If it's a TFA flavor, odds are good it's safe for vaping. You can look for flavors that have diacetyl warnings in their description if you're afraid of that.
Selecting flavorings based on components really only works if you know exactly what note you want added to your final mix. You can read my method of selecting by components in my revised nana cream clone post. But I'd suggest playing around with different flavors to really narrow down on what you feel is missing in a final mix.
Thanks for the reply! My main concern is tanking a mix by stacking components - for instance, using two or more flavors with Ethyl Butyrate. Would I be best served by cutting percentage by half for each flavor, as to not overload on one particular component?
I wouldn't worry about stacking components, especially the one you linked. Looking at the list of flavors containing ethyl butyrate, almost all mix together wonderfully. Both of TFA's strawberries make that list, and I know for a fact they go well with the VBIC, vanilla swirl, pear, honeydew, peach, coconut, blueberry candy, acai, cantaloupe, dragonfruit, honeysuckle, kiwi(double), and both pomegranates.
I would only worry about cutting flavor percentages if you're using VERY similar flavors in a mix. For instance, I mix strawberry and rip @4% each for a wonderful strawberry top note in a mix with sweet cream and vanilla swirl.(all TFA) If I were to use one strawberry in it, I would use 8%.
Thinking about which components are in your flavors for fear of ruining a mix will net you a very chemically beautiful flavor, but would more than likely be bad when vaped. I would suggest just sticking to thinking about what would taste good together, and figuring out the ideal %s for the flavors you want, and worry about the individual aroma volatiles a little later down the road. But for the time being, ethyl butyrate is one of the most versatile volatiles in flavors, and avoiding stacking it will result in a bland juice.(Looking at the list again, a lot of those flavors are even used by experienced diy-ers as additives, e.g. dragonfruit, strawberry, or pear @<1%)
Also, it's great that you're familiar with TFA's specsheetlist, it's a wonderful tool for finding a flavor that is eluding you, but has notes present in other flavors.
I want to share my flavor notes. Should I start a new thread for each flavor, or do I need to respond to the flavor note master?
Any specific line you're working on? Because I'd like to do a couple to add to the wiki, but don't want to overlap yours.
I want to make 120ml recipe any advice before start? I'm planning on Grant's Vanilla Custard clone (using v1 clone, that's OK?) also I wanted to make Nana cream but my first 10ml was a little muted, great smell, awesome flavor but really muted vape.
Start with a smaller batch and make sure it's to your liking. As far as the Nana Cream clone, did you mix it 30/70 PG/VG and with or without the Citric Acid? This recipe also requires 3 days minimum to age in my opinion.
I made 10ml of Grant's Vanilla Custard V1 and I liked, I don't know if I have to be aware of anything before a larger mix.
I made Nana cream max VG and without the citric acid, I tasted that one after 4 days.
When someone refers to a flavor as "4% for mixing". What exactly does that mean?
I figure it means if your mixing multiple flavors, that 4% will be the average you use. But then what if you are mixing say....10 different flavors....
Which leads me to my next question, is there an approximate standard amount of % total of flavorings each juice should have?
4% for mixing refers to if you want the flavor to stand out in a final mix with other flavors. It doesn't really have anything to do with the average % of all flavors, but simply the specific flavor where you see it stated. This is usually accompanied by "8% as a standalone" or something similar. These are recommendations for how to use a specific flavor. If you are using 10 flavors, you designate your main flavors(usually 2-3 flavors you want to stand out) and the find the 7-8 flavors that compliment these few main flavors. so you end up with
4% blah,
4% blahblah,
6% blahhhhhhhhhhhhh,
1% meh,
1.5% mehblah,
.75% squeee,
.5% rakakaka,
.3% hoodihoo,
.3% blarg,
and .3% QQ.
There is no "standard" amount of flavoring to use, it all depends on how much you feel you need. Some mixes will end up with 35% flavoring, and some will end up with 5%. It's a learning process, but the beginner's recommended starting point is no more than 20% flavoring. This will usually keep you from overflavoring, but still give you some tasty juices.
edit: I just realized my fake recipe kinda rhymes. Huh, cool.
There is no standard, every flavor from every vendor varies but less than 20% of all flavors combined is a safe bet. Sometimes less than 8% total mixed, it really just depends...
4% refers to the amount of that particular flavor used in a final mix.
IE 50% VG, 46% PG, 4% Flavor.
You can obtain a better understanding by downloading and playing with one of the calculators linked in the sidebar.
Ok I got ya on the total amount, from my recipe practicing it seems like the average tends to be around 8-16 in most situations.
Just to clarify about the 4% question I had. Are they basically saying that if you have a recipe with multiple flavorings, in most cases that flavor will average about 4%
For example..
2% Bavarian Cream, 2% Waffle, 3% Butter, 4% Blueberry, 3% Vanilla Custard
If you have a cake recipe that calls for 2 cups of flour and 2 tbsp of sugar you can't just put 1 cup and 1tbsp of each into the mix and call it done. Every recipe has specific values for specific flavors, and mucking about with those ratios without forethought or purpose can result in pretty terrible juice.
Now, having said that, there are typically suggested values for particular flavors. If someone said to me that blueberry is generally good at 4% for mixing I would read that as:
> Any more blueberry and it might overpower the other flavors, any less and it will fade into the background. While there may be combinations that require more or less than 4%, that is a great place to start experimenting".
I just mixed my first 0 nic test batches yesterday. I'm supposed to be getting my nicotine in the mail today. My question is do I need to really shake/mix and/or give time for the nicotine to evenly disperse throughout (sorta like with finished e liquid)
Or can I just start using it for mixing right away? It's from Nude Nicotine btw, 50pg/50vg, 36mg/ml.
I just placed my first diy order on my freedom smokes for everything to make fizz mustard's strawberry cream. I didn't pick up any pg because of budget and I prefer max vg. I also got my nicotine all vg. Anything I should look out for or be aware of?
VG nicotine bases are a lot more viscous, and considering how sensitive nicotine is to heat, there is no way for you to make it easier to work with. I'm 100% against beginners getting VG based nicotine, as it is much harder to work with safely than PG.
Be sure to shake your nicotine extremely vigorously before you use it. I've noticed VG nicotine going bad faster than PG as well, so I suggest storing your bulk unused nicotine in a freezer or basement, away from the sun. Fill a 50mL bottle like half way with nicotine for daily mixing, this way there is plenty of room for that VG to mix with nicotine.
I'd suggest getting in the habit of accepting PG,(unless you have an allergy) because it is a much better base for flavors and nicotine, as well as making the flavors in some juices pop. On top of this, PG-free is an extremely difficult way to mix juice, just ask /u/abdada
To steep my mixes (custard/cream w/o nic) : amber glass bottles, thin colorless glass bottle or normal plastic bottles?
It really doesn't matter. Just keep it at room temperature and use a bottle that you can easily vent for an hour a day.
Thank you, didn't know that vent process. Room temperature here is 28C to 32C (Caribbean) should I keep it cooler or its ok?
AFAIK, the heat only does damage to the nicotine, and is actually helpful to the actual aging process the flavors go through, such as venting off the ethyl alcohol in their bases. I'd suggest keeping it in a dark closet, or somewhere slightly cooler in your house if the heat concerns you. I would, however, keep it out of sunlight, as UV rays are just bad mkay.
Hey guys, I need to use some more of my Dragons Fruit TFA bottle, can you point me some good recipes and steep times of them.
I know e-liquid-recipes.com have that "What can I make" tool but most of those recipes aren't reviewed. I want to shoot safe until I learn more of this and can tell what's good and what's not.
There is my stash:
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Flavor (TFA) Kiwi (Double) Flavor (TFA) Butterscotch Flavor (TFA) Cream Fresh Flavor (FA) Marshmallow Flavor (TFA) Whipped Cream Flavor (TFA) Sweet Strawberry Flavor (CAP) Watermelon (Colorless) (LA) Watermelon Flavor (TFA) Vienna Cream Flavor (FA) Vanilla Swirl Flavor (TFA) Vanilla Custard Flavor (CAP) Sweet Cream Flavor (TFA) Strawberry (Ripe) (TFA) Strawberry Flavor (FA) Strawberry Flavor (TFA) MTS Vape Wizard Flavor (FA) French Vanilla Flavor (CAP) Dulce de Leche Flavor (TFA) Dragonfruit Flavor (TFA) Cotton Candy Flavor (TFA) Cheesecake (Graham Crust) Flavor (TFA) Caramel Flavor (FA) Biscuit Concentrate (INW) Bavarian Cream Flavor (FW) Bavarian Cream Flavor (TFA) Banana Cream (Colorless) (LA) Acetyl Pyrazine Flavor 5% (TFA)