Lots of folks start out doing DIY juice, and most expect their concoction to be the next Boba's Bounty or Ms. T's confection.
Lots of those mixers soon realize that while shooting for the stars is great; sometimes you need to take babysteps and ease into the DIY field.
I, myself, am not a master but I am (I hope) on the path to being a DIY'r who can make some really good juices.
"What does monasticism have to do with DIY e-juice, J_fro?" you may ask?
Well, lots. Monks and cloistered religious women must be industrious. Many are required to produce some kind of trade craft that they sell or barter to provide for themselves. This labor of production is at the core of the day of many orders, I am most familiar with the work done at an Abbey close to me. This Abbey, of the Order of Cistercians (Strict Observance) aka Trappist, makes bread that is sold in supermarkets across the country.
When someone wishes to enter monastic life, they are reviewed by the Order and given some kind of "pre-novice" status. During this time the applicant does much introspection, asking the question, "is this right for me?" So too the prospective DIY'r must read up and think of the positives and negatives involved. "Do I want to spend the time and energy researching safety and practices?" "Do I wish to make really complex juice, or single flavor profiles?" etc.
When the applicant is found to be ready they take on a learning role, often titled "Novice." In this novitiate stage of life the person learns more about the way of life and practices the customs of the order. This can include waking as early as 3 am to pray the hour of Vigils from the Liturgy of the Hours.
So to does a novice DIY mixer being to learn flavor profiles, complimentary flavors, etc. The novice religious practices humility and is often assigned to low priority tasks. The novice mixer makes single flavor juices, experimenting with VG/PG levels and concentrations of flavors ( One percent of some flavors is great, while five percent is overpowering).
After a period of introduction and learning the Novice takes his or her first vows. Now that person is a full member of the community, but must renew the vows (for another set period of time, or eternally). Here the DIY'r knows what is required and experiments, making various juice concoctions. If the DIY'r sticks with it, practicing the craft work sometimes a great juice comes to vaping fruitiong. Sometimes mixing yields no tasty results. SOMETIMES that juice we thought was for not, the labor that would yield no fruit, steeps... and steeps... Perhaps on a whim we try it. Revisiting that "lost juice" brings forth a WONDERFUL vaping experience. All was not lost. Patience won the day.
So we labor in the DIY field, dedicating ourselves to making a good juice that can be enjoyed. It is sometimes good to look on "unrelated" things to draw inspiration, or to see that our labors are small compared to the labors of others. I was reminded of this as a juice I thought would be delightful ended up being not so tasty and I was really frustrated.
I have started a monastic naming convention of my DIY flavors that are up to snuff:
My applebacco has been dubbed "Brother Charlie", in a slightly tongue in cheek homage to Charles Borremeo- Patron of Apple Orchards
A new creation a fruity peach/tobacco juice is "Brother Ray" - named after Ray Charles
If you come across this, written the Saturday of the Octave of Easter, I hope you have a great vapin' day and if you DIY - mix that juice!
Lots of those mixers soon realize that while shooting for the stars is great; sometimes you need to take babysteps and ease into the DIY field.
I, myself, am not a master but I am (I hope) on the path to being a DIY'r who can make some really good juices.
"What does monasticism have to do with DIY e-juice, J_fro?" you may ask?
Well, lots. Monks and cloistered religious women must be industrious. Many are required to produce some kind of trade craft that they sell or barter to provide for themselves. This labor of production is at the core of the day of many orders, I am most familiar with the work done at an Abbey close to me. This Abbey, of the Order of Cistercians (Strict Observance) aka Trappist, makes bread that is sold in supermarkets across the country.
When someone wishes to enter monastic life, they are reviewed by the Order and given some kind of "pre-novice" status. During this time the applicant does much introspection, asking the question, "is this right for me?" So too the prospective DIY'r must read up and think of the positives and negatives involved. "Do I want to spend the time and energy researching safety and practices?" "Do I wish to make really complex juice, or single flavor profiles?" etc.
When the applicant is found to be ready they take on a learning role, often titled "Novice." In this novitiate stage of life the person learns more about the way of life and practices the customs of the order. This can include waking as early as 3 am to pray the hour of Vigils from the Liturgy of the Hours.
So to does a novice DIY mixer being to learn flavor profiles, complimentary flavors, etc. The novice religious practices humility and is often assigned to low priority tasks. The novice mixer makes single flavor juices, experimenting with VG/PG levels and concentrations of flavors ( One percent of some flavors is great, while five percent is overpowering).
After a period of introduction and learning the Novice takes his or her first vows. Now that person is a full member of the community, but must renew the vows (for another set period of time, or eternally). Here the DIY'r knows what is required and experiments, making various juice concoctions. If the DIY'r sticks with it, practicing the craft work sometimes a great juice comes to vaping fruitiong. Sometimes mixing yields no tasty results. SOMETIMES that juice we thought was for not, the labor that would yield no fruit, steeps... and steeps... Perhaps on a whim we try it. Revisiting that "lost juice" brings forth a WONDERFUL vaping experience. All was not lost. Patience won the day.
So we labor in the DIY field, dedicating ourselves to making a good juice that can be enjoyed. It is sometimes good to look on "unrelated" things to draw inspiration, or to see that our labors are small compared to the labors of others. I was reminded of this as a juice I thought would be delightful ended up being not so tasty and I was really frustrated.
I have started a monastic naming convention of my DIY flavors that are up to snuff:
My applebacco has been dubbed "Brother Charlie", in a slightly tongue in cheek homage to Charles Borremeo- Patron of Apple Orchards
A new creation a fruity peach/tobacco juice is "Brother Ray" - named after Ray Charles
If you come across this, written the Saturday of the Octave of Easter, I hope you have a great vapin' day and if you DIY - mix that juice!
