I shop at all the usual places: BCF, EcigExpress, GremlinDIY, Real Flavors, etc. Ethyl vanillin used to be sold at EcigExpress, but they don't offer it anymore.
It is commonly described as being 2 to 2.5 times stronger than vanillin. I have also found information that leads me to believe it is more interesting than just concentrated vanillin.
It is available directly from FW and TPA in crystals.
Does anyone use this? How many grams of crystals are mixed with how many ml of PG to make a useful solution?
Just cut out the middlemen, and go straight to the source,
https://shop.perfumersapprentice.com/p-6078-ethyl-vanillin.aspx
Can use up to 200 ppm in the flavor. Can use up to 8% of total concentrate.
1 ppm = 1mg/l = 0.0001%
So you can calculate from there
1g/L (or 100mg/100mL) = 0.1% = 1000ppm
0.2g/L (or 200mg/L = 20mg/100mL) = 0.02% = 200ppm
Ethyl-vanillin is also a main ingredient in their tobacco ejuice kit that teaches you how to make tobacco ejuices (if you're interested). You'll be surprised how often it is added in tobacco flavors. In the tobacco kit, it comes already dissolved in PG. Cant seem to find it dissolved as a product alone on TPA's shelf. Could always ask them for a special order.
*edited the bottom calculation
I assume you mean ethyl vanillin crystals/powder. I recently grabbed a 4oz of TFA Ethyl vanillin 10% from bull city, I was surprised GremlinDIY didn't have it tho.
As to why, margins might be to slim, it's rarely purchased, or reluctance to sell the powder form, because lets face it, people are stupid and may mix/use it incorrectly.
Personally, I would make a 2% solution (20g/L which is same as 2g/100mL) in PG.
That would be my concentrate.
Then when testing recipes, I would start with 1% of the concentrate (3 drops/10mL using a short tip dropper bottle)
The final EV concentration in your ready-to-vape ejuice will then be 0.02% (0.2g/L or 200ppm).
You can then work your way up or down from there to your liking.