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I put fresh basil in PG for science - and here's my results
submitted over 9 years ago by Tabboo

I've been looking for a basil extract forever with no luck, so I thought what the hell, lets see what happens. For science, without any of the pesky scientific protocols.

Insert fresh whole basil leaves into a 30ml bottle of PG. Ignored for a month.

Results: First, it turned neon green. Like greener than food-coloring green. Glo-stick green. Then I cut it to make 30/70 pg/vg and tasted. It taste like basil! And freshly-cut wet grass. Dammit. I guess it's better off that way, surely it's probably not safe to vape in large doses. Sure looks pretty though. The search continues.

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23 points
 
by Twistedfexerover 9 years agoProud Sidebar Reader!

Hey, just letting you know. When it comes to herbs they offer a tad of a different taste when fresh. Try dehydrating the basil first and doing that again. You'll most likely get rid of that fresh cut grass taste.

15 points
 
by Tabbooover 9 years ago

Hey good idea! That actually makes a lot of sense. Coming from a culinary background it hadn't crossed my mind since fresh usually = better.

5 points
 
by Twistedfexerover 9 years agoProud Sidebar Reader!

Yeah, I only thought of it cause my grandfather specifically used dry basil I'm sauces cause fresh "gives a different taste" I figured it might directly fit your problem lol

1 points
 
by aaronious03over 9 years ago

Dried cilantro I like. Fresh cilantro I hate. It's pretty strange the difference between dried and fresh herbs.

3 points
 
by goatnapperover 9 years ago

You'll need to report back on how it works.

If you could try thyme as well, that would be great!

2 points
 
by Tabbooover 9 years ago

Well, I have some rosemary that's set for 2-3 months I still need to try.

1 points
 
by MarlDaeSuover 9 years ago

You're probably getting a lot of chlorophyll in the bottle. I know stoner friends that go to considerable lengths to stop this happening in their extracts. I've heard it gives a wet mulch or grassy taste. Maybe the pre-drying will help that?

2 points
 
by moonerdooderover 9 years ago

So let's say I wanted to vape fresh cut grass flavor....

2 points
 
by prime1ndustriesover 9 years ago

NET? Nooo, we're light-years ahead that now. Here, try some of this NAG bruh!

6 points
 
by abdadaover 9 years agoI will rip you a new one if you don't use the sidebar & search.

Basil?

7 points
 
by Tabbooover 9 years ago

A bit salty.

5 points
 
by mudclubover 9 years ago

A bit Fawlty*

3 points
 
by leapinglabratsover 9 years ago

Basil!

5 points
 
by 2muchmonehandassover 9 years ago

Wet grass taste....chlorophyll

3 points
 
by Pentika667over 9 years ago

Chlorophyll?

2 points
 
by 2muchmonehandassover 9 years ago

Noice. Anyways, solution might be don't let it turn green. Soon as you see it change, extract. I'm no scientist tho bro.

4 points
 
by elephantrainbowsover 9 years agoOne of "The Damned"

Ever try

This?

1 points
 
by Tabbooover 9 years ago

No, thank you! I could have sworn I've looked at them though, and they had oil or some sorta weird gum in there, but I'll check it out again.

2 points
 
by elephantrainbowsover 9 years agoOne of "The Damned"

Yea the gloriously confident and oxymoronically omnipotent yet absent /u/abdada told me about them when I asked him for a basil flavor. I called and they won't say if the product has oils in it. You could try calling and asking if it's water soluble. Or do what abdada suggested and do a single mix with the extract and water and see if it separates. I doubt it has more oil than your basil extraction does.

2 points
 
by abdadaover 9 years agoI will rip you a new one if you don't use the sidebar & search.

Well shit. I thought you was he. Oops.

3 points
 
by Botboy141over 9 years agoGunner's Gold Gourmet E-Juice

Did a dried basil extraction about 18 months ago. Worked great with my dried mint extraction. Thought about selling it as a limited time only flavor for Christmas in 2014 but opted not to as I'm not familiar with the health repurcussions.

2 points
 
by nomacjackover 9 years agoPâtissier

There's a "deeper diy" sub that you maybe interested in

1 points
 
by bluedogmilanoover 9 years ago

ELI5: "probably not safe to vape in large doses"

1 points
 
by Tabbooover 9 years ago

Eh...it's not controlled. For example, I'm taking a guess thinking the chlorophyll is what is making it bright green. Is that safe to vape? I dunno. The whole thing might be perfectly fine to vape, I just don't know and since it tasted like wet grass, no need to really proceed in finding out. I'd rather be safe. I don't think it has a lot of oils in it, but again, better safe than sorry. If I find something that does end up tasting awesome, I can dig in a bit more to look into the safety of it.

3 points
 
by Tragedyzover 9 years ago

It's best to avoid large biomolecules in eliquid. For this reason, it is safer to use artificial flavorings as they don't release carbon when heated which will gunk up your coils and your lungs (to some unknown degree...)

Then again, who knows how other chemicals will affect the lungs? Regardless, it's still way safer than burning tobacco leaves.

2 points
 
by SolanaceaeEnthusiastover 9 years ago

The carbons not gunking coils its the polysacharides

1 points
 
by TheCatHimselfover 9 years agoPâtissier

Please do report on your additional findings! I have a vape recipe idea that includes basil and so far the closest thing to it that I've found is FA Zen Garden, but I don't know how well that's going to turn out.

1 points
 
by Paleone123over 9 years agoProud Sidebar Reader!

I'd be way too worried about proteins and lipids and sugars being in there

1 points
 
by CheebaSteebaover 9 years agoFrugivore

Idk if it's basil necessarily but have you tried FA Zen Garden? Supposed to be a oregano or basil or something from what I hear.

1 points
 
by Tabbooover 9 years ago

I have it, haven't gotten around to trying it yet. It smelled "herby". I'm not hopeful. I want basil, not "sorta basil".

1 points
 
by HocusKrokusover 9 years agoFrugivore

The basil is pretty defined in Zen Garden. It's got some oak smoky kinda notes in it too though, so it's not straight basil

2 points
 
by The_Perrycoxover 9 years agoMentholatier

It's basil, clary sage, and some other chaos. I fucking love Zen Garden.

1 points
 
by RoMaxGoover 9 years ago

Just curious, what are you going to use basil in? Just as a background flavor ?

3 points
 
by Tabbooover 9 years ago

It pairs well with certain fruits IRL - strawberries, melons, lemons, peaches. I like looking for under-served flavors.

1 points
 
by FutureMrsDowneyJrover 9 years ago

I absolutely support a fruit vape with a basil undertone

1 points
 
by HocusKrokusover 9 years agoFrugivore

Fizz has one in his Artifact line, Widow's Walk

1 points
 
by UnexpectedSandwichover 9 years ago

Strawberry Basil sounds like magic.

1 points
 
by iamjohndornover 9 years ago

A place in Columbus, OH's Short North neighborhood called Crawford and Masters does a lot of their flavors through actual extraction, instead of using flavorings. The juice is delicious, but I don't think they ship.

1 points
 
by crimezover 9 years ago

May I suggest heating VG in a crock pot on high setting, adding dried basil (to taste) reducing heat to "warm" setting, cover, allowing to steep overnight. Let cool, then filter.

1 points
 
by SolanaceaeEnthusiastover 9 years ago

Ascetic acid will cut the grass taste

Ao try 1 drop per 15ml apple cider vinegar

1 points
 
by crimezover 9 years ago

Absolutely! imo pg use is highly overrated!

1 points
 
by crimezover 9 years ago

Yes, VG is my preference.

0 points
 
by joshmaaaaaaansover 9 years ago

BUT WHY

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