Any advice from the Vets to a noob?

[N00bx7]

I'm going to start ordering some DiY supplies in the next couples days to try my hand as mixing juice. Is there anything that you know now that would have aided you greatly when you first started?

I'm probably gonna order my Nic from Xtremevaping.com. I plan on getting either 50mg or 100mg in a 30-60ml bottle. The only reason I would think of starting with 100mg is I want to mix some TV doubler as well as other stuff and I read that 100mg is the best way to go to not lose the flavor..

As far as flavoring other than the TV doubler I've been looking at Perfumer's apprentice. I like the idea that owner seems to be part of this community. Also probably gonna get my pg and vg from pharmacy and feedstore(tractorsupply).

With the bottles I haven't decided which supplier to try out, but there are alot that seem to have similar prices.

At the end of the day I hope to be able to mix up a 50/50 pg/vg 18mg juice that doesn't taste like week old spaghetti. Anyway any advice on vendors or just tips would be greatly appreciated. Sorry if a lot of this info has been covered and im beating a dead horse.

 

[Youthful313]

Perfumer's apprentice is excellent. I've tried both Lorann and PA and PA mix to me has a better taste but that just imo.

 

[NCC]

Sounds like you've been doing your homework.

I find my syringes to be indispensable when mixing. A 1ml is great for flavoring due to the fine graduations, it gives the greatest precision. It could also be used for PG/VG, but for anything larger than sample batches, you'll also want a larger syringe ... say, 3ml or 5ml. The 3s are available for 4/$1 at Wal Mart, but come with a needle which is useless for this purpose (bore's too small for PG/VG), but it is replaceable with something more appropriate. I spent a lot more and got some glass syringes with fused graduations. Nice, but pricey.

You'll want a needle of gauge 15 or bigger (15 or smaller gauge number). And, I highly recommend blunt tipped needles for safety purposes. The ones I like best are here, in the second group of needles. The 2" and 4" are the same price. I bought the 2", but if I could do it over, I'd have bought the 4" to get to the bottom of deeper bottles.

 

[sjohnson]

This may be an advanced tip, to be used once you know you are into DIY, but

I mix up 100ml or more of "base" liquid - unflavored e-liquid that's at or a bit above my targeted nicotine concentration. That way I can measure out 3 or 6 ml of unflavored and simply add flavor when creating new (to me) flavors. Makes it a simple task and - while it's tedious to measure out the PG, VG, and water/vodka/PGA - it's just as tedious to mix up 3 ml of unflavored as it is to mix up 100 ml.

But, it's simple and easy to measure 3 ml of unflavored to try a new flavor, then add flavor to it.

 

[Hoosier]

Best tip I wish I had used when I first started: mix without nic first.

You will throw out batches. Cheaper to toss the no-nic batches.

Good advice, if you want to reproduce anything again, or scale it up to a larger batch (because you always work up recipes small), keep notes and try to be accurate. When something works, convert your notes to a recipe.

If you are working on a mix and it seems close. Stop. Let it sit. Come back to it in a few days. Taste it again. Sometimes a few days can really change the flavor, sometimes not, but if you keep adding flavor to one that does take time to mature, it will either get nasty or the taste will disappear.

Best advice is to just start. Try something. Try a recipe, see if it works. There are quite a few posted and it's the best way to start. (Dan's calculator has some recipes built in it too.)

Great advice: Have Fun! Because in the end that is the real reason we do this.

 

[N00bx7]

Thanks for all the great advice. I got bills payed and I'm going to start ordering everything tonight.

I can't wait to start because it seems like fun..makes my vice a bit cheaper..and should get me thinking a bit which is always good.

 

[Ast_Isis]

Farm Supply stores also carry syringes of various sizes.

Keeping notes when mixing can not be stressed enough! It is so frustrating to come up with a mix you really like but can not replicate it.

 

[LedGecko]

Keeping notes when mixing can not be stressed enough! It is so frustrating to come up with a mix you really like but can not replicate it.

... or one you really hate, but you keep making it anyway ...

Keep your notes from the bad batches too.

 

[7thCabal]

For me, all the less than ideal creations get put into a collective to be fiddled with later, I just keep track of nic strength-- don't care what the flavs are... usually after a couple of days sitting I wouldn't be able tell you what the hell it taste like, but for sure mostly vapeable--& sometimes it ends up being pretty tastey.

But, yea definitely TAKE notes...

 

[MaxUT]

Labeling the bottles is good...

Honey/Virginia
70/30 24mg
7/8/10​

 

[MrsJaaxx]

Here is a nifty little tool my other half made that is helpful when DIYing.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/tips-tricks/5712-hack-o-matic-e-liquid-calculator.html