The thread that's Still Going™! This is an AMA thread with a twist – the 'victim' gets to name who is next up in the rotation.

There are some rules:

• Try picking someone who hasn't gone yet
• It has to be someone who actively posts here
• No dead people (i.e. notcharlesmanson isn't eligible)
• Preferably a name that people recognize, 'regular poster' means someone who is a) alive and b) has posted in the last three months
• Complete the FAQ before posting

If you do the hot seat, you can add up to three names to the list of people who are potential victims.

Possible: u/AlfredPudding, u/Apexified, u/enyawreklaw, u/shyndo, u/NaCHeF, u/duncanyoyo1, u/mixman0g, u/kuri_sanTou, u/QueenBuzyBee, u/StardustCoyote, u/SteveTC, u/SpiderJRusalem, u/wolfwheeler, u/Nstewart

Already Done: u/juthinc, u/isuamadog, u/humanpuck, u/eyemakepizza, u/ID10-T, u/vApe_Escape, u/mlNikon, u/EdibleMalfunction, u/Foment_Life, u/Kittybit8, u/Vishousness, u/staybert, u/TeslaDelMar, u/UnappreciatedRobot, u/modivin, u/Max-Savage, u/FieldGreens, u/T-a-r-a-x

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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

How'd you get your handle?

• According to Urban Dictionary, a hesher is: generally described as a grungy, long-haired person with a "still stuck in the '80s" image. Usually seen wearing a leather motorcycle or denim jacket full of band patches, torn acid-washed jeans and a band t-shirt. I basically just reclaimed an insult from my school age days. Someone once asked me if my handle was in reference the 96 Nickelback EP + I had an existential crisis over it. Noted thinks I really like Hershey's though [Hersherette lol].

How long have you been mixing for?

• I started mixing shortly after I started vaping in late 2013 or early 2014, when vape shops were the cool places for sober people to hang out, cloud contests were a thing, FW Yellow Cake's horrors weren't as widely known + everyone was obsessed with trying to clone Bombies recipes. Some friends were starting their own juice company + I was hooked. However, I tapered to 0mg + quit vaping completely from late 2016 to early 2019; life happened + I pulled out my old gear in early 2019 + dove right back in.

MTL or DTL?

• I'm all over the map, it mainly depends on what I'm vaping or where I am. I have a Caliburn for days with the fam, MTL setups for tobacco or simple recipes + RDL/ DTL for almost everything else. I tend to prefer single coils, but I've been getting more into dual coil setups lately.

Current flavor or profile obsession?

• Again, I'm fairly all over the place with what I vape. I have a rule to try everything at least once (much to the chagrin of my wallet) + recently discovered that I'm pretty obsessed with black liquorice vapes, despite not liking it IRL. I also like orange/ lemon vapes + unique fruit mixes. I mainly gravitate towards all sorts of tobaccos + most desserts (bakeries cookies, creams/ custards, cakes, milky things, puddings). Most of my [private] recipes are fruity things though, since everyone I mix for seems to love simple fruits + coolant.

Most/Least disappointing flavors that was/not as expected? Secret Weapon?

• I have quite a few disappointing aspects to my palette: I'm a pepper-tasting, strawberry-mute (while I have your sympathies, I'm also allergic to nickel + a bit sensitive to PG). I never knew I was a pepper-taster until I quit sweetener so that was a really crappy surprise, especially considering I have 60-120ml of many of the worst offenders (TPA VBIC, LB VIC). Same thing with being strawberry-mute, I never had an issue with commercial SBs, so I have many ML's of SBs I'll never taste. FA Strawberry Green is an amazing SB I can taste pretty well though (I'm trying JF Ultimate SB soon to see if it's SB-mute friendly).
• My secret weapon to enjoy vaping more is oil pulling with coconut oil. I'm definitely a broken record, but I never have issues with flavor fatigue. The flavor ADHD probably helps that fact too. Another not so secret "secret weapon" would be to vape UnJuice when your taste buds need a break or if you want to quit/ reduce your sweetener. My mixing game has DRAMATICALLY improved since I kicked sweetener, as it covers up off-notes. Now I only use sweetener as an additive or an enhancer to a recipe, as it definitely is necessary in some recipes/ profiles. No shame at all if you like it or need it to taste stuff, it's just something that has really worked for me. [I read this question totally wrong + answered it correctly in the comments, but basically, I don't really like INW Custard].

Mixing Milestone?

• I have almost 30 recipes + I haven't made a single one of them public yet, so I'm probably not the best person to be doing this AMA haha. My goals this year are to release some public recipes (currently have 2 in development), mix more recipes from other mixers + to join Mixer's Club. I've been told by many that Mixer's Club is the move to make if you want to challenge yourself to become a better mixer.

Recipes you admire/love?

• I spent most of 2019-2021 getting to know my stash through SFTs + sharpening my own mixing skills, so I haven't gotten the chance to vape as many recipes from others as I'd have liked to, but here are some standout recipes I really enjoy: NICE (Cookie) by Sensory_Overload, Cocoliconut Cream Pie by SpdrJrslm (one of my favorite recipes of all time + my ROTY nom, I left a detailed review on the ATF page), Return of the Mac by SpdrJrslm, Bronx Style Vanilla Birthday by DavidN2KL, Satoru Gojo by Wolfwheeler, GTK 2019 by ID10-T, DAAPled Pears by Foment_Life, Lemon Premcake by Sanctum, Rhino Cream by KittyBit + Dico + Cubanamella by Duncanyoyo1.

White whale?

• I have a few that I'm working on, the most difficult one has been a sweet dessert brezel with butter (if anyone saw the Pretzel Noted episode recently, then they understand the struggle with pretzels). I've also been trying to find a way to make FA Amarula shine without trampling on it's delicious uniqueness. I will hopefully be releasing my actual white whale recipes soon if I can get them dialed in though ;) currently chasing 2 different specific, unique cake profiles + a pudding I've never seen done before.

How would you describe your mixing style?

• For recipe development, I have a mixing style that's a bit OCD-level meticulous: I get an idea into my head, then I brainstorm flavors that may work in the profile (aka ask in the discord), then I SFT all of those flavors or check my SFT notes. Once I'm familiar with the flavors, I'll combine 2-3 of them (usually with 2-4 different versions of %s or flavor combos) + do more tests, then keep adjusting or adding from there. For simple profiles, I like to wing things as I do in cooking + just pick ingredients to work with. I've done enough SFTs to understand which flavors I like + which may work well together. It still takes some trial + error, but it ~~usually~~ sometimes leads to a quicker reward of having something vapable.

Advice for new mixers?

• ALWAYS test your nicotine alone before mixing with it (UnJuice).
• As per usual, read the sidebar + join the discord server (get help in real time, find recipe recommendations + see what flavors/ recipes/ gear that other mixers are loving, get input on finalizing orders so you don't waste $, talk hardware + so much more, it's a great time).
• Make 10ml testers of every juice until you've tried it + know you like it.
• Boost blueberry with a touch of lemon/ pears or INW Cactus can add some juiciness.
• ~~Buy a 4oz bottle of FLV Cured + FA Vanilla Cookie~~ (jk pls buy 10mls of every flavor until you know you like them)
• Don't be afraid to steal parts of other mixer's recipes or tinker with them (give them credit ofc).
• Build your own recipes from the bottom up (start small, test regularly before adding more, don't be afraid to layer).
• Single Flavor Tests (SFTs) are so important if you want to get a better grasp on how you subjectively perceive your flavors, but watching Noted or reading notes is a fairly acceptable substitute if you're not into SFTs (just take someone else's tastes with a grain of salt).
• If you're very new to mixing, it's definitely less stressful to buy flavors for well recommended recipes instead of trying to just wing your own recipe (fruits can be an exception to this advice).
• Keep your stuff organized in a way that works best for you (ie ABC order, by flavor category, etc).