A little apprehensive

[theinlawjosie]

I’m excited to get started, but I’m a little nervous about whether this whole venture will allow me to cut back on my purchases of premade liquids. I have spent ENTIRELY too much on various liquids over the past nine months or so and the only way I could see a potential end was to get into DIY. I have a very good idea of what I like in a juice, but I have no idea whether I will be able to create it on my own. I placed two orders today:

Wizard Labs:

120ml – 24mg VG based Nic (I’ve been vaping 3-6ml juices lately, so I figured I would avoid messing with a higher concentration of nicotine until I get a feel for mixing)
120ml – Propylene Glycol USP
250ml – Vegetable Glycerin USP
TFA – Cinnamon Sugar Cookie
TFA – Graham Cracker (Dark)
TFA – RY4 Double
TFA – White Chocolate
Miscellaneous bottles, syringes and blunt tip needles

ecigexpress:

Capella – Blueberry Cinnamon Crumble
Capella – Cake Batter
Capella – Caramel
Capella – Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Capella – Graham Cracker
Capella – Marshmallow
Capella – Peanut Butter
Capella – Sugar Cookie
Flavor West – Bavarian Cream
Flavor West – Vanilla Tobacco
Flavor West – Double Dutch
Flavor West – Salted Caramel
Flavor West – Sweetener
FlavourArt – Virginia Tobacco
FlavourArt – Black Fire Tobacco
Nature’s Flavors – Organic Butterscotch
Nature’s Flavors – Organic Sweet Cinnamon

I wish I would have gotten some MTS Vape Wizard from FlavourArt and some Ethyl Maltol but my brain was frazzled from reading so much and filling up a bunch of carts on different sites. I also realize a lot of the flavors I got are similar in their flavor profiles, but I’m hoping it will give me a good representation of what’s available in a flavor profile I enjoy.

Anyway, any suggestions for flavors or other ingredients that should be added to my list would be greatly appreciated. If you couldn't tell, I'm a fan of dessert/bakery style vapes, but I also enjoy a nice tobacco once in a while. I also prefer VG heavy ratios and will probably aim for a 30/70 PG/VG ratio. I drip almost exclusively, but rarely sub-ohm - my coils are generally between 1.2 - 1.8ohms. I’ll continue to lurk here in DIY land and hopefully soak up all the knowledge I can.

 

[PaulBHC]

With that many flavors, you may consider making no nic sample juice to cut the cost.

 

[dannyv45]

That's a lot of flavors to start off with I usually advise to buy a few flavors to see if DYI is for you before making such a large investment in it. With that said the major up front cost of DYI is a major investment but the savings will offset that in the long run. If you figure you spend $20.00 every 2 weeks on vender juice you can make a 75.00 start up investment back in a month or two. The average cost of a 30ml bottle of juice you make yourself can cost from $2 - $4 and after the initial investment replenishment can be on average $20 a month or less. So as you can see depending on how much you vape and if you control impulse spending it can be a substantial savings. There is the impulse to buy every flavor under the sun and spend every time you see a sale but of course common sense would tell you to use a little self control which at times I even have a hard time with.

For now I'm going to suggest you get lots and lots of 5 - 8ml bottles and use these to make test samples. This will save waste. If you vape with nicotine then test with nicotine. If you vape 3 - 6mg You can pre-make your base to lets say 8mg and that should save you some time in your testing by not having to make your base for each sample. Adding flavor reduces the MG base and this is why you want to make your base a little stronger then you usually vape. You should get yourself the e-juice me up calculator so you can figure out the percentages of your mix then You'll just need to poor 5 mls figure out your flavor percentage and add your flavor. Start with individual flavors so you get an idea of how each taste and this will help you decide which flavors will combine well. Always document everything you do so if you come across that perfect recipe you can reproduce it.

Know about steeping because mixes that taste off right after mixing will change in time and that misunderstanding of steeping is a pit fall for many DYI'ers. Over flavoring is another pit fall for many as well. Over flavoring = no flavor so always start with the lowest recommended percentage of flavor and work up after steeping (If steeping is required). Always taste your mix right after mixing so you have a baseline to compare steeping progress.

I've written many blogs on the subject of DYI so to help you get started let me recommend some reading.

Read my blogs before getting started

E-Cigarette Forum - dannyv45 - Blogs

then read hoosier's blogs.

E-Cigarette Forum - Hoosier - Blogs

then read the stickies at the top of the page.

this will explain a lot of the how's and why's.

 

[03FXDWG]

I would mix 0 nic, single flavors in small batches after researching percentage of flavors. Once you fine tune single flavors to your liking, it's easier to combine them.

 

[Aheadatime]

Just keep a few things in mind.

1. Know what you're doing.

Read the stickies. Get an eliquid calculator. Learn how to use it. Be careful when handling the nic. The first mistake alot of people make is rushing into DIY. They just throw together random nic batches, throw in 20% flavor with 10% EM, and wonder why their mix tastes like nothing(over flavored) and scratches their throat(improper nic math). Just take it slow. Best to be slow and proper than fast and messy.

2. Mix in small batches.

Mistake I first made was mixing everything in 10-15mL test batches. Pretty ridiculous way to start lol. I would recommend using 5mL test batches, as the math is nice and even and you don't waste that much if its awful.

3. Start with lower %'s.

As stated above, lots of people think that more = better. In some cases, it definitely is. In most cases, though, it's not. I usually test new flavors that I've never tried before at 5% solo, let them steep for 5 days or more, and then adjust from there. This goes hand in hand with small test batches. If I buy 6 new flavors, I make 6 batches of 5mL 5% single flavors to see what's going on with all these different flavors. Sometimes people advise to use 15% on a single flavor, while I personally enjoy it at 2%.

4. Take it easy

Don't get discouraged if you make a few nasty batches. It's happened to literally every single DIYer. Just take it slow, try to figure out what went wrong, and start it over again. Wash out your bottles thoroughly (I just use really hot water and sometimes alcohol), and reuse them.

5. Ask the community

If you're iffy on a certain flavor, percentage, awkward taste, funky color, weird white film, random sock in your liquid, or creepy guy staring at you through your window, just let us know and see if you can get some valuable insight from the community. This community is very giving, and I genuinely appreciate that about this forum.

 

[Rat2chat2]

I think you are off to a good start and your flavor choices are very nice. There are so many sites that you can put in one of your flavors and it will give you recipes. (ex. e-Liquid Calculator) ECF of course is a neverending supply of information and recipes and some excellent advice. One thing that you did not put on your supply list is a graduated cylinder. I got mine from Wizard Labs and I use them all the time. After you get comfortable mixing (which BTW is the fun part) I would possibly suggest looking into the super concentrated flavorings. The cost just a little bit more but IMO saves a lot of money because you use to much less. VapingZone has some excellent concentrated flavorings and gourmet flavorings. I know I have saved a lot of money making my own and to tell you the truth, I enjoy what I've made far more than most of the premixed juices I have purchased. The only other thing I would tell ya is to keep really good notes to what you are mixing. (learned from experience) Good luck to you and have fun. There are lots of DIY threads to help you with any question.

 

[36tinybells]

Just a congrats on plunging in! Best investment I ever made, switched to diy exclusively a long time ago. A couple of things I learned the hard way- use less flavorings then you think you need and add more only if it's needed and keep in mind how spices work when cooking (you have a main flavor or two and enhance with a very small percentage of sugar/salt/cinnamon/whatever). My ADV's are all heavily one or two flavors with just a couple of % of enhancing flavors. Good luck and don't be afraid- read and learn. It's not magic, it's just learning to cook for your own personal tastes by trying recipes, following your instincts and gaining experience. Although, come to think of it, when you finally get it right, it is kind of magical!

 

[theinlawjosie]

Wow, thanks for all of the responses – a lot of useful information here. I actually downloaded and started playing around with the eJuice Me Up calculator several months ago - my curiosity was piqued when I realized MyFreedomSmokes sold their 4 Star General as a flavor concentrate because I love the flavor of it, but prefer VG heavy juices and they only have it available in their PG line. I started watching some videos and reading about mixing on here, but it took me a while before actually taking the plunge.

Over the past few months I have literally spent hundreds of dollars on liquids – ordering from places like Vaperev and Giant Vapes at $22 per 30ml bottle. I have found some really excellent juices from those places, but I’m just too tempted to keep trying different brands/flavors and couldn’t see my excessive spending coming to an end unless I distracted myself. I’m really hoping I can come up with some stuff I enjoy! One thing is certain though, I will definitely continue to read a lot here and lean on the community to help me get it right. All of this feedback is greatly appreciated and just one of the many reasons I enjoy being a part of the ECF community.

 

[PaulBHC]

You can play around with store bought juice as well. I have a tobacco juice from one place that has a hint of apple. Another a hint of butter creme. I'm going to try adding each of those to the other in small amounts. Might find a new favorite.

 

[dannyv45]

Just keep a few things in mind.

1. Know what you're doing.

Read the stickies. Get an eliquid calculator. Learn how to use it. Be careful when handling the nic. The first mistake alot of people make is rushing into DIY. They just throw together random nic batches, throw in 20% flavor with 10% EM, and wonder why their mix tastes like nothing(over flavored) and scratches their throat(improper nic math). Just take it slow. Best to be slow and proper than fast and messy.

2. Mix in small batches.

Mistake I first made was mixing everything in 10-15mL test batches. Pretty ridiculous way to start lol. I would recommend using 5mL test batches, as the math is nice and even and you don't waste that much if its awful.

3. Start with lower %'s.

As stated above, lots of people think that more = better. In some cases, it definitely is. In most cases, though, it's not. I usually test new flavors that I've never tried before at 5% solo, let them steep for 5 days or more, and then adjust from there. This goes hand in hand with small test batches. If I buy 6 new flavors, I make 6 batches of 5mL 5% single flavors to see what's going on with all these different flavors. Sometimes people advise to use 15% on a single flavor, while I personally enjoy it at 2%.

4. Take it easy

Don't get discouraged if you make a few nasty batches. It's happened to literally every single DIYer. Just take it slow, try to figure out what went wrong, and start it over again. Wash out your bottles thoroughly (I just use really hot water and sometimes alcohol), and reuse them.

5. Ask the community

If you're iffy on a certain flavor, percentage, awkward taste, funky color, weird white film, random sock in your liquid, or creepy guy staring at you through your window, just let us know and see if you can get some valuable insight from the community. This community is very giving, and I genuinely appreciate that about this forum.

Great advice