It just dawned on me recently, after buying some (somewhat) premium eliquid that, actually, my DIY stuff isn't as bad as I thought.
All along I was getting mediocre results, even following good recipes. But man, the juice in the online stores with the 4.5 star ratings and 50 reviews is just crap most of the time.
I can only speak for US liquids though, when I lived in the UK they had some fairly good stuff, and it had little to no sweetener (same principle goes for chocolate in US vs Europe). But after new laws that may change as all the recipes have to change.
So yeah, keep mixing, you might not suck as much as you thought.
First attempt at mixing tonight as my supplies are waiting for me on my doorstep! I'm very excited to dive right in. Thanks for the encouragement!
Good luck and don't get disheartened if you make a "dud" juice.
Personally I'd recommend starting out with a bunch of 1 shot flavors 10% of just 1 flavoring to get an idea of how it tastes and reacts with steeping. I always made a ton of 10 mil bottles just to get a feel for any new flavors I order
This, so much. When I started mixing, I had a proverbial horseshoe up the wazoo. Got lucky on my first several mixes, then had a streak of duds. Almost gave up, but my wife kept me motivated.
Even yesterday. Made a peach bubblegum mix that was a dud. Peach flavor was so strong that the bubblegum was barely present and made my throat raw. It's been awhile since I worked with FA Peach and FA White Peach and the % was too high.
Didn't deter me, though. I'm going to bump down the peach by a few percent, up the bubblegum a percent or two and go from 60/40 to 70/30 for less throat hit.
My grape bubblegum OTOH, it's like crack that I just can't put down. 2 60ml's and still no fatigue and hasn't lost its charm yet :)
Keep on mixing everybody! :D
Any chance of the grape bubblegum recipe? I have been playing off and on with a grape bubblegum and would love to see what you came up with.
Here is the one I currently tinker with. Lacks that bubblegum note I have been searching for.
Test 2 - BG Grape v2.1
Ingredients|Ing %| :---|---:|---:|---:|---: Bubble Gum (Lorann Flavors)|4.00%|36.0|1.865 g|1.800 ml Oba Oba (FlavorArt)|1.00%|9.0|0.466 g|0.450 ml Vanilla Swirl (TFA)|1.00%|9.0|0.466 g|0.450 ml Sweetener - Erythritol|3.00%|27.0|1.686 g|1.350 ml Grape (Flavorah)|1.50%|13.5|0.699 g|0.675 ml Grape (Inawera)|2.00%|18.0|0.932 g|0.900 ml Marshmallow (FlavorArt)|0.50%|4.5|0.233 g|0.225 ml Boysenberry (Flavorah)|0.75%|6.8|0.350 g|0.338 ml
Thanks! Yea my assumption going in is that it would be a minor miracle if I managed to make something delicious on my first attempt especially considering (after I get through solo taste testing all of my flavors) I won't be starting by following any given recipe but rather experimenting on my own with what makes sense to me.
At least I know I have the option for a more "sure thing" by following one of the many recipes which I'm sure exist here.
The biggest thing you need to know is that there are very definite percentiles for certain flavorings. If you look up FA Cookie and notice that everyone is using around 0.5-1.5% it's for a reason. You can not say, well I really want that cookie flavor so I'm going for 4%.
Some flavors you can, and again, read the notes on that flavor. So say TFA Strawberry Ripe, you can use that at 2-3% just for some vague sweetness, or up to like 8% for full strawberry.
Once you do this you'll be able to say, ok I was these 4 ingredients, what are they commonly used at?
And one final note: many times a flavor isn't really what it says on the tin. FA coconut doesn't really taste like coconut, FW Hazelnut doesn't really taste of hazelnut, likewise FA almond. But they're all well rated flavors because they do something else than their name suggests. Good luck!
take your flavors and research them here. it'll give you a good idea of starting points.
Honestly, if you follow other people's lead it's not unlikely that you'll mix something you really like the first time- the physical process of mixing isn't that difficult. It's much easier to follow a recipe for juice as a new mixer than it would be to follow a recipe for a dish as a first-time cook...
Otoh, if you just buy flavors and put them together in ways you think might be good, at percentages you guess at... well that's not likely to work out very well. A lot of people have spent a lot of time experimenting with flavors, percentages, etc. and have produced a lot of un-vapeable dreck in the process. There's no reason for you to repeat all that work from scratch.
a lot of people will encourage you to follow recipes to start. but I applaud you for going in on your own. when I first started I made one single recipe, from then on every juice I've made has been my own original recipe. Most have been successful and I put that down to me being a chef by profession so I'm able to understand flavours and how they work together. don't be fooled tho, I've had my fair share of nasty juices too, but I make myself vape them as a punishment
I've been mixing for 6 months. I normally keep it to myself and don't tend to share any of my mixes. Not because I'm stingy or greedy. More so I was extremely self conscious. Got a few coworkers into vaping over the last couple of years but never told them what I was vaping in my limitless classic.
One guy in particular was always bringing into work all of these expensive "premium brand" juices that he was buying at a b&m for outrageous prices. I was running low on juice and forgot my extra bottle at home. He offered me some of his jam monster that he had been raving about for weeks. Took one vape and yuck it was all fucking sweetener.
Long story short I brought him in a sample of 3 of my mixes and he says they are better than anything he's bought from the store. That was one hell of an ego boost to say the least.
Currently waiting for my vape budget to replenish before I start mixing. I just bought my RDA for when I start. (Dripping will be so much easier for testing my mixes.) Just a couple more weeks and I can process the DIY supply orders that I've already put together, waiting there for when I have the money.
The waiting is killing me though. You would think the waiting would give me time to do more research, but the research is just making me more anxious to start mixing lol
I started mixing 1.5 years ago. About 6 months ago I started thinking all my flavors were crap. So I bought a few bottles of "premium " juice. Man they were so weak and muted, I ran back to my Diy and haven't looked back. I have also started rotating flavors a lot more. And trying things I never thought I'd like. Turns out I like a whole lot more than I thought I did.
there's only 2 vendors I'll buy juice from, they don't (not that I know of) claim to be premium, but their juices taste great. I'll buy their stuff when I cbf mixing my own, which happens a lot, or rather did, until I started mixing in bulk. I wouldn't say my juices are better than theirs, but I aim for around that same level of quality when I mix my own juices.
I think most people get overwhelmed just thinking about mixing their own juice, thinking it's something extremely complicated when really it's just accurately measuring out some liquids and leaving them for a month or so.
> But man, the juice in the online stores with the 4.5 star ratings and 50 reviews is just crap most of the time.
99% crap, I agree. I did not find a single juice that I enjoy. The most hyped ones are the worst. 4 times overflavored with a ton of sucralose. Disgusting.
DIY was my savior. Of course it is trial and error too. But in no time you will have at least half a dozen recipes you like. Just bin the duds :)
Beware those ratings... I know for a fact that Vape Wild rejects low reviews sometimes.
After doing DIY for over a year I wasn't all that impressed with other premium vape juices either, some were just bad. Then the one I could make out VBIC in, I laughed at.
The couple I have found searching for recipes that were amazing are my go to after an unsuccessful mix. They always perk me up.