Will any old food flavouring do?

[intaview]

I have been reading ECF and improving my knowledge of mixing your own flavours etc. I've read the sticky which says to avoid oil-based juice because of atty clogs, and I've read the the recommended flavourings such as LorAnn etc. What I was wondering is if any food flavouring would work and is it all a matter of trial and error?

I see some cheap food flavouring on Ebay from one store (I probably have lots more to investigate) and the only information they really give is "non alcoholic" and "This is an artificial flavouring".

eBay.co.uk Shop: Search results for THE OLD FANTASY STORE.


Do you think these would be any good? If possibly so and I were to contact the vendor, what would be best questions to ask re e-liquid use?

I just hate the thought of paying so much for a tiny little 3.7 ml bottle of LorAnn - especially as the only one I've tried so far didn't work out too well. I believe they are more highly concentrated than some others, but still, I want lots of alternatives. I've bought some more LorAnn from Ebay a bit cheaper than I've previously paid at £2.00 per 3.7ml bottle (they're two-packs, free postage when you buy 3 packs of 2) but I'd still like to find different and less expensive flavourings.


Here's the LorAnn Ebay UK link for anyone who's interested:
eBay.co.uk Shop: Search results for craft rubber stamps acrylic paint fimo Wilton Cake Fabric.


I'm looking to get good flavourings at good prices and any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

Good luck experimenting.

The above quote was taken from the last line of the last post in the only thread that comes up when searching General E-Liquid Discussion using the term flavoring.

 

[Hellen A. Handbasket]

This is probably the best thread on all the different flavorings http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/74109-guide-diy-flavoring.html

Most of the grocery store type inexpensive flavors aren't concentrated enough to be of much use. You're better off spending a bit more for a good extract that many have tried and find flavorful and know what the ingredients are. If you do inquire through ebay, see if they have a list of all the ingredients.

 

[intaview]

Most of the grocery store type inexpensive flavors aren't concentrated enough to be of much use.

Oh dear. This is what I was wary of.

I was kind of hoping to be able to get good quantities of flavourings for around the same price as PG/VG. Is there a certain thing in the ingredients list that I should look for in order to know whether or not it's concentrated enough?

I'll read more thoroughly the link you posted - thanks. I think I'm trying to take in too much information at once and not slowing down enough to study it all fully.

 

[PlanetScribbles]

I use Dr Oetkers flavours and colourings, just to add hints of flavour and colour to unflavoured juice. For those times when I just want to chill and not be overcome by strong flavour. It serves a purpose. I also have some Silver Spoon sprearmint and vanilla flavours too.
The colourings are VERY effective, so just a dash will do, not even a full drop.

 

[intaview]

Hey, thanks for that timely post. I've just been looking at both Dr Oetker and Silver Spoon on Ebay. I think I'll put in a small test order and see how I get along with them.

This is one of those times I just wish I could fast forward my knowledge on a subject

 

[AlexTM]

Give them a try, but be prepared for failure. And no sugar or corn starch. Although, frankly, E-Liquid is local shipping, and they have Flavourart in small bottles, which is excellent, so why bother?

You also need to calculate: A 5ml bottle of FA flavours may be 3 Pounds, and a bottle of baking flavour that, say, has 15ml and also cost 3 Pounds may look cheaper. Only, if you need 5% from the FA flavour, and 20% of the baking flavour, the latter is more expensive: It will only flavour 75ml of juice, while the FA will flavour 100ml. (And you need less than 5% with many FA flavours.)

And considering that most flavours, even very concentrated ones, consist of mostly PG or water - what quality do you think you can get if you only want to pay the same price as you pay for plain PG? Nothing I'd want in my lungs!

 

[intaview]

You're probably right and I am striving for false economy. It's just that I have spent so much money on this e-cig caper that it is now time to start thinking long term and rein in the running costs.

I used to buy imported tobacco at £7.00 per 50 grams, and I smoked about 75 grams a week - not far off a tenner a week. Now, with buying 3 PVs, chargers, adapters, passthroughs, e-juice, unflavoured nic, flavourings, bottles, syringes, batteries, PG, VG, carts, Fluval, sticky lables, ploythene bags etc. etc. etc. I think I'm running somewhere around £750.00 (off the top of my head) - mind you, I have bought a fair amount of e-juice plus lots of batts and attys.

With batteries, attys and e-liquid as ongoing costs, I'll be lucky to ever vape at the same price it cost me to smoke - but that's not really the issue. I prefer the taste of vaping, hope that there will be long-term health benefits, and love the aromas that greet my me when I enter my lounge. Vaping satisfies my nicotine needs, and I don't feel I have given anything up. I really like vaping, but these flavouring prices jump out at me as being too high for what they are and what you get - I am determined to find them cheaper - even if I have to do some studying and devise my own solution (terrible pun, I know).

Thanks for the Liberty Flights link - that was the first place that was ever recommended to me, but they had hardly any stock a few weeks ago - seems they've got more things in now and I'll definitely be trying their liquid, until . . . ?

Some kind soul please fill in the blank.

 

[gashin]

Avoid experimentation with vanilla extract - all I've had is failure with achieving a real vanilla flavor - mostly just a sweetness that doesn't hit the spot.

 

[AlexTM]

Actually, the Vanilla Bourbon from FA is great. Very very close to real vanilla, and not very sweet, just as it should be.

Intaview, it's true that especially if you like to stock up, or try a lot, vaping costs quite a bit in the beginning; those 200€ I'm supposed to have saved in my sig always make me laugh, too. On the other hand, there are considerable health benefits, and it's merely me wanting to try so much different flavours that make up a considerable bit of my costs. Given that I was happy with exactly one brand of analogs for years, and that I had already found half a dozen perfectly vapeable and enjoyeable flavours and do not really need more, I don't really consider any more flavour tests to be something I can count against the savings from not smoking any more - guess I have to chalk those up to "a new hobby" instead. Everything else would be unfair.

 

[PlanetScribbles]

Give them a try, but be prepared for failure. And no sugar or corn starch. Although, frankly, E-Liquid is local shipping, and they have Flavourart in small bottles, which is excellent, so why bother?

You also need to calculate: A 5ml bottle of FA flavours may be 3 Pounds, and a bottle of baking flavour that, say, has 15ml and also cost 3 Pounds may look cheaper. Only, if you need 5% from the FA flavour, and 20% of the baking flavour, the latter is more expensive: It will only flavour 75ml of juice, while the FA will flavour 100ml. (And you need less than 5% with many FA flavours.)

And considering that most flavours, even very concentrated ones, consist of mostly PG or water - what quality do you think you can get if you only want to pay the same price as you pay for plain PG? Nothing I'd want in my lungs!

You are right of course, but I found my flavourings at Sainsburys at 95p for 38ml, and if you want to experiment to see if a flavour agrees with you before investing more on it then it works for me.

 

[AlexTM]

Problem is, all flavours are different: A Vanilla from one company won't taste like the Vanilla from the next, and both are going to taste differently from a third. So at most you can find out whether DIY is something you would like to do - and not very well, either, since the baking flavours contain so many unknown stuff, or rather, unknown quantities of PG and/or water and/or alcohol that the result may have little to do with what you get when you use professional flavours.

 

[sadtranz]

Whatever you try make sure it is not oil based, water and alcohol is fine

 

[intaview]

Do you think there willl ever be dedicated (to the e-cig market) flavourings available and therefore prices will plummet? I mean, the market for flavourings must be expanding as the supply we use (constantly) must increase the demand. I imagine vaping it all day must use a lot more than baking the occasional cake. Will there soon be manufacturers who will cater for us so we won't have to "borrow" from another market? I'm guessing the online stores that sell doublers and such also borrow from this other market. Am I wrong?

And, Alex, I know exactly what you mean about one-brand analogs vs lots of e-juice flavourings. I even vape two PVs in relay, with different flavours - putting one down for a bit to let it wick and picking up the other. I love it. I even love being a chain-vaper.

Sainsburys is good for me, PS - they deliver my online shopping. Now where to find good supplies of distilled water . . .


EDIT:


Silver Spoon Flavouring Peppermint 38ml
Price Promotion
£0.52/unit
£0.14/10ml

Ingredients
Alcohol, Water, Flavouring.

Now look at that for a great price - 14p per 10ml - surely it would be worth putting more in (using more of the flavouring) - even 50/50 PG and flavourant would be so cheap - any ratio with the flavouring being that cheap would be so cool. What would it vape like?

Can't wait to find out.

 

[JohnnyVapor]

Do you think there willl ever be dedicated (to the e-cig market) flavourings available and therefore prices will plummet? I mean, the market for flavourings must be expanding as the supply we use (constantly) must increase the demand. I imagine vaping it all day must use a lot more than baking the occasional cake. Will there soon be manufacturers who will cater for us so we won't have to "borrow" from another market? I'm guessing the online stores that sell doublers and such also borrow from this other market. Am I wrong?

I'm not sure that it will. There are a lot of uses of flavourings apart from the occasional cake, and the flavoured foods market is rather larger than the e-cigarette market. However, some vendors have turned an eye towards their flavourings being used by e-cigarette users, for example Flavourart in Italy and the Perfumer's Apprentice in the States.

Personally, I'm perfectly willing to pay higher prices for a good flavouring product. They're usually of very high quality and strength, and you generally don't need to use much.

 

[intaview]

There are a lot of uses of flavourings apart from the occasional cake, and the flavoured foods market is rather larger than the e-cigarette market.

Hehehe - that's just my thinking. I've never met anyone who I know has used food flavouring, but I've met lots of smokers - and in my mind whenever a smoker tries vaping they'll be a convert. Therefore, I imagine a huge vaping market and hardly anyone else using flavouring

However, some vendors have turned an eye towards their flavourings being used by e-cigarette users, for example Flavourart in Italy and the Perfumer's Apprentice in the States.

That is good to hear - I hope they have their chemists hard at work as we speak.

Personally, I'm perfectly willing to pay higher prices for a good flavouring product. They're usually of very high quality and strength, and you generally don't need to use much.

I quite expect that after my honeymoon and experimentation phase is over I will share this view.