Simple standalone or two flavor sweet/fruity recipes

[Letitia]

This one seems to have so little flavor % or are those flavors intensive?

I normally would use TFA dragon fruit at 2% but can see pushing it up to 4 with guava. Those percentages are solid for those flavors.

 

[IDJoel]

This one seems to have so little flavor % or are those flavors intensive?

Taste perception is unique to all of us. It is dependent on so many different things: the hardware we are using (attys, coils, wicking material); the way we set the hardware up/use it (power/temp., airflow); our own personal likes and dislikes; and what our taste buds perceive.

The way I look at it; there is no "right," or "wrong" recipe. Only what works, or doesn't work, for me.


If I am exploring someone else's recipe, to see if I might personally like it; I try to retain the original ratio of each flavor, to the others. So, if I use the 4% Dragon Fruit and 5% Sweet Guava recipe, as an example:
-- I can see there is a total of 9% of combined flavoring.
-- That means the flavor ratios are 4/9 (44.44%) Dragon Fruit; to 5/9 (55.56%) Sweet Guava.

So, whether I think I may want to raise, lower, or keep it the same; I try to maintain that ratio. If I was a "Super-Taster," and I never mixed above 6% total flavoring; I would use 2.67% (44.44% of 6) Dragon Fruit and 3.33% (55.56% of 6) Sweet Guava. Or, if I always mixed at least 15% total flavoring; I would use 6.66% (44.44% of 15) Dragon Fruit, and 8.34% (55.56%) of Sweet Guava. Both of these keep the original 44.44%/55.56% ratio.

If I really have no clue where I might want it (such as when I am using concentrates I am unfamiliar with), I will do one of two things:
-- I begin, by mixing the recipe as stated, and decide where I think I might need to go from there.
Or,
-- I will make a flavor base using only the flavor concentrates (no nic, PG, or VG). Then, using this flavor base as a glorified concentrate, I can easily mix up several small test mixes a various percentages. It makes mixing several different-percentage mixes fast and painless.

An example of this second method might look like this:
The original recipe is:
3% Mango
2% Jackfruit
0.25% Sweetener

That's 5.25% total flavoring.

The flavor ratios are:
57.14% Mango (3 ÷ 5.25 = 0.551428)
to
38.10% Jackfruit (2 ÷ 5.25 =0.380952)
to
4.76% Sweetener (0.25 ÷ 5.25 = 0.04761904)
for 100% of the flavor profile.

I don't know about these concentrates so I want to try bracketing the original recipe. I think I want to start with a 4% (total flavoring) version, the original 5.25% version, and a 7% version. 4 + 5.25 + 7 = 16.25% of the flavor base needed to mix all three testers. The person sharing the recipe says this is a shake & vape recipe; so, I know I won't need large test batches for lots of repeated testing as the recipe ages. I decide three 2mL batches should give me a reasonable idea where (and if) I might like this. That means I need 0.325mL (16.25% of 2mL) of my flavor base to mix all 3 test mixes. I want to make sure I have enough to make all three; but I don't want to waste a bunch of extra concentrates, so I think I will mix up 0.5mL of my flavor base... that should give me plenty, without too much waste.
So, for 0.5mL of flavor base, my base recipe looks like:
0.29mL Mango
0.19mL Jackfruit
0.02mL Sweetener

Mix these three concentrates together, and I have my flavor base.

Now, all I have to do is:
-- add 0.08mL to 1.92mL of my preferred nic, PG, and VG (which can also be pre-made as a base), for my 4% mix.
-- add 0.105mL to 1.895mL of my preferred nic, PG, and VG, for my 5.25% mix.
-- add 0.14mL to 1.86mL of my preferred nic, PG, and VG, for my 7% mix.

All 3 are done, and mixed with exactly the same flavor ratios, but at three different strengths.


The other thing to keep in mind is: that just because 5 different flavor manufacturers, all make a flavor they have named "Mango" (or whatever); does not mean they will taste the same, nor taste their best when used at the same percentages. It is never "wrong" to substitute brand X for brand Y; but know you will not be tasting the same thing, as using the specified ingredients. Adjust expectations (and judgement) accordingly.

 

[SP013]

Had some TFA Nectarine left over and decided to just make a small batch in combination with TFA Vanilla bean icecream, have to say this is really good after at a 4 day steep!
10% Nectarine TFA
5% Vanilla Bean Icecream TFA