Blue raspberry cotton candy help

[ChelsB]

You are BOTH right:
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And since we are talking about that site; @ChelsB do you click on the "notes" bar to expand and read the comments? It will give you a better idea of how individuals are using it and can reveal some worthwhile descriptions. One user (MintyMods is the name) has a good write-up for this CAP flavor. He/she mentions using 4% single flavor and giving it a 28 day steep before they got a good feel for it.

I have always thought of it as such, but after reading the "note" I just mentioned, I am wondering.

I hope you mean you are simply cutting it with unflavored base and not making a complete fresh mix. It saves on your flavorings. If it were me; I would also be doing it to only a portion. If I had a 10 to 15mL trial batch to start, and I thought I wanted to try it at a lower percentage, I might only take 5mL of the original and add 5mL of my unflavored base to it. That way, if it is no better (or worse) I have only 10mLs of "oh well" instead of 20 to 30mLs.

Also, if you don't like it right away, and if you have enough spare bottles, I wouldn't be afraid to park it for a week or more and then revisit it later to see if it has changed at all. I know you have mentioned your impatience in other threads so I understand this can be challenging! But it really will help you understand your concentrates better.

Sweetener on sweetener (EM)? That wouldn't be my first thought... but I have seen (and mixed) recipes that do use both (Sweetener/sucralose and Cotton Candy/ethyl maltol) with success. If I were going to try that; I (again) would try it on only a portion. I also wouldn't do a lot of tweaking until I saw how time (steeping) was going to affect it. If I "needed" a "right now!" ballpark idea of percentage I would use the Flavoring Chart, that @Bill's Magic Vapor shared some time back, and I think I shared with you in another thread (of course this method will not tell you how the flavor changes over time). It may "seem" like too much work, but honestly, it is no more time consuming than what you are doing right now and a lot more methodical/thorough than the "lets go up some/lets go down some/lets start over" method and uses a lot less of your ingredients. Just a suggestion...

Thank you so much for the info. You're always so helpful! Yes, I simply added more pg and vg. I kept the nic out as I'll be decreasing my nic amount soon!

 

[Darth Omerta]

All great advice @IDJoel !

I would also hesitate to add EM to a Cotton Candy mix. I vape my TFA Circus CC at 5% as a shake and vape. I like it as is, no sweetener needed.

 

[IDJoel]

Thank you so much for the info. You're always so helpful!

I simply added more pg and vg. I kept the nic out as I'll be decreasing my nic amount soon!

I know some say the amount of nicotine you use can affect the way flavors taste (stronger/weaker) but I have never noticed it. I imagine it can depend too on how much of a change there is as well (reducing nicotine 5% vs. 50% as an example). But since you intend to reduce anyway I sure don't see the harm.

I will say that when I am running a new flavor though its paces to see where I am going to like it best; I do try not to change too many things at once (same for recipes). It can become difficult to tell which change(S) is/are creating the effect. That is why, when I dilute, I use a premixed unflavored base at my normal PG/VG and nic% (plus I like to vape it plain too; so I always have it handy). But that is just me.

 

[ChelsB]

I know some say the amount of nicotine you use can affect the way flavors taste (stronger/weaker) but I have never noticed it. I imagine it can depend too on how much of a change there is as well (reducing nicotine 5% vs. 50% as an example). But since you intend to reduce anyway I sure don't see the harm.

I will say that when I am running a new flavor though its paces to see where I am going to like it best; I do try not to change too many things at once (same for recipes). It can become difficult to tell which change(S) is/are creating the effect. That is why, when I dilute, I use a premixed unflavored base at my normal PG/VG and nic% (plus I like to vape it plain too; so I always have it handy). But that is just me.

For me, 12 mg juice tastes better and more flavorful than 18 mg nic.

 

[IDJoel]

I would also hesitate to add EM to a Cotton Candy mix.

Good point! I have to agree that adding one EM concentrate to another EM dominant concentrate doesn't sound like it would be productive. If anything I would think it would diminish the blue raspberry component of it and make it just more EM(y/ish?). Not to mention that many start to complain of harshness and/or "chemically" flavors with too much EM.

Though..., I guess, we do use "like flavors" (2 or more strawberries, peaches, watermelons, tobaccos, creams, etc.) to get a "more perfect" flavor. Maybe it could work. I guess I shouldn't say "No!" without trying it first. (But I'm still placing my money on it being a bust.)

 

[IDJoel]

For me, 12 mg juice tastes better and more flavorful than 18 mg nic.

Perfect! Less of the costly ingredients (cancentrates and nic), making it less expensive to make, and you like it better. If that isn't a "win/win" I don't know what is! Not to mention you are learning what you like and therefore are becoming a better mixer. Way to go!

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Can't wait to see if it works.Or maybe add some sweetener?

You are BOTH right:
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Sweetener on sweetener (EM)? That wouldn't be my first thought....

You two are cracking me up. LOL at that one ChelsB. Only you.......
Kinda expect to re-coil and re-wick a little more often when using EM(cotton candy). Like any sweetener, it gums them up pretty quick.....

I am curious tho, do you think your taste buds have begun to come back. I am slightly doubting they have fully returned yet cause it does take a while for them to heal after giving up the stinkies.

 

[ChelsB]

You two are cracking me up. LOL at that one ChelsB. Only you.......
Kinda expect to re-coil and re-wick a little more often when using EM(cotton candy). Like any sweetener, it gums them up pretty quick.....

I am curious tho, do you think your taste buds have begun to come back. I am slightly doubting they have fully returned yet cause it does take a while for them to heal after giving up the stinkies.

You have no idea how much of a sweet tooth I have! So there's my solution: add more sugar to sugar...duh! I just realized that was ridiculous!

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

You have no idea how much of a sweet tooth I have! So there's my solution: add more sugar to sugar...duh! I just realized that was ridiculous!

Actually the vendors who mix ejuice to sell to the public agree with you. Why do you think they use such high % in their commercial blends? They know peeps just coming off of cigarettes can't taste anything except for maybe the sweet stuff. And when the peeps start to DIY they actually follow that because they is what they already learned. Don't feel like a lone wolf, I would think the majority of DIYers(including me) did the exact same thing(.....well almost). LOL

I wasn't trying to pick on you, just poking a bit a fun and to let you know it happens more than you think.

 

[Sylvie]

BRCC is not a mix and vape.
-on day 1-2, its simply a plain cotton candy/EM vape,
-on day 5 it becomes more of a light blue raspberry cotton candy with a slight tart aftertaste at 10% & 15% with max vg,
-on day 10 the BR got muted and mix tasted like a blah light sweet & sour type mix.

i ignored it after that and next time i tried it, think like a month or so later, the blue raspberry was slightly back and cotton candy was overpowered by a sour/tart note. Basically to me, BRCC tasted best on day 5 only and actually does need a drop of sweetener added in after it ages/steepd awhile to tame that sour note if you prefer sweet notes instead.

 

[Rin13]

You are BOTH right:
View attachment 636793

I don't pay much attention to the "single mixed percentages" on that site because as you can see it's a ridiculous margin. 4%-25%... is not helpful IMO. She already mixed it on the higher end. That is why I suggested that she try it on the lower end.

 

[Rin13]

BRCC is not a mix and vape.

Off topic, but I love that heart mod in your avatar pic.

 

[ChelsB]

I don't pay much attention to the "single mixed percentages" on that site because as you can see it's a ridiculous margin. 4%-25%... is not helpful IMO. She already mixed it on the higher end. That is why I suggested that she try it on the lower end.

Thanks, Rin. Yeah, that's a ridiculous range!

 

[Sylvie]

Off topic, but I love that heart mod in your avatar pic.

me too
it's a highpockets custom wooden VV boxmod i got back in 2012 for $30 i believe it was.

 

[IDJoel]

it's a ridiculous margin. 4%-25%... is not helpful IMO.

I agree. The numbers themselves don't offer much help (though i do find the average/median line for each a bit more helpful) . I always like to "open" the Notes bar and see if anyone has saved a more thoughtful/reasoned critique of the concentrate in question; I find these to be the most useful. The Notes section also presents a little more detail (understanding?) of the preferred single flavor use range listed at the top. I can see the majority "prefer" flavor X at 10-15%, while there are a few who like it in the 1-3% range, and there is only one oddball that is using it at 40%. I can also see if there are any notes by users I am familiar with; users I know share a palate similar to mine. I will give these notes/recommendations more weight when deciding where I might want to start.