Chocolate flavoring HELP NEEDED

[devilmama]

Hi guys...
So, I'm not too bad at the DIY thing (I bartended for many years, it's a horse of a different color but still a horse), but the two things I can't nail are tobacco blends, and surprisingly, chocolates.
The tobacco, I'm not too concerned with.
The chocolate though...sheesh, how easy could it get? The issue is, I have Double Chocolate from Capellas & PA, Milk Chocolate from PA, and Chocolate (among any chocolate variety, like mint etc) from LorAnn's.
THEY ALL TASTE WEIRD. Chemical-y, sorta. The PA Milk Chocolate is as close as you can get but it's a light, faint chocolate.
I've tried "cutting" the chocolates with Dulce de Leche from PA. That helps, but doesn't FIX it.
Any recommendations? I just want a TRUE, smooth chocolate flavoring!!! (Side note, many of these juices have steeped for days or weeks and still taste "off").
Any help is appreciated.

 

[Hoosier]

Well, you picked the two most difficult types of flavors to get right.

I spent nearly 5 months to get a certain tobacco taste

I have another 5 month in chocolate. The closest I have come tastes like tootsie rolls and a hint of dove dark have been melted with hot milk to form an odd hot coco.

To these extended experiments I have recently added mojito and rootbeer which sounds much easier than it has turned out to be.

Chocolate is tough, but it does sound like you are making progress.

 

[mwa102464]

and you still wont give me that dang tobacco recipe either one of these days you will surrender it over to me Hoosier

 

[zoiDman]

What percentages are you mixing? If you posted a recipe we might be able to help.

Also, what are you using for sweetener?

 

[sugismimi]

hi Devil,
I use the double chocolate from PA. Ive mixed it with mint, PNut Butter, marshmellow, and not had that chemical-y taste.
the one constant is I use PA's Cotton Candy as a smoother. I found at a grocery store a huge bottle of liquid sweetener in the baking isle, I use that also. I'd say try the Cotton Candy to make it smooth.
Also I only use VG for my base, altho I don't think that has any thing to do with how it tastes, just a note.
Good Luck!

 

[Hoosier]

and you still wont give me that dang tobacco recipe either one of these days you will surrender it over to me Hoosier

Whatever you do, do not ask mary_d or biffette what it tastes like!

(No, they don't have the recipe either.)

 

[Safira]

Just a thought, has anyone tried mixing chocolate with a little coffee. I know when baking they sometimes do this maybe with flavors it might work too.

 

[zoiDman]

Just a thought, has anyone tried mixing chocolate with a little coffee. I know when baking they sometimes do this maybe with flavors it might work too.

Along those same lines. Most people who work with Chocolates will tell you that a touch of Vanilla is added to many recipes.

Vanilla is a wonder flavoring in my mind. It works with so many different things and makes flavors more complex.

Very few good recipes only have on flavor in them. Most are a base flavor and then a pinch of this and a dash of that.

 

[donnah]

Just a thought, has anyone tried mixing chocolate with a little coffee. I know when baking they sometimes do this maybe with flavors it might work too.

chocolate coffee? Mmmm

 

[Shantia]

Ok, couple of thoughts. I mainly use PA flavorings, and i have never run into the chemical taste with their chocolate flavors. The double chocolate does have a floral taste to me, but not chemical. The white chocolate doesnt taste anything like white chocolate to me, smells more like cheesecake...I mix it with *any* cheesecake concentrate, to actually make the cheesecake not taste like sour milk. The bitter chocolate well..i dunno. It is definitely like putting straight unsweetened coco powder into your mouth. And the Ethyl alcohol does not help with the taste much, but i'm sensitive to the taste of alcohol. Recently ordered the PA double chocolate dark, and its not bad..I dont get the floral taste, tastes like true dark chocolate to me at about 5-10% flavor. I also ordered capella's chocolate fudge brownie, and by smell alone i cant really tell a difference between PA's double dark and the brownie..they both smell great. Taste i think the brownie is just a smidge richer then PA's double dark. No chemical flavor for me on either of these. Have not tried capella's double chocolate...did try their dutch chocolate mint. Good flavor, but light on its own, added some brownie and creme de menthe to boost it.

Flavor west was kind enough to send me some 2dram sample sizes (which apparently they no longer sell) hopefully the dutch chocolate i requested comes with the samples, so i can taste that one and let you know my impressions of it.

 

[Safira]

Shantia, just my opinion, but I've tried the Capella chocolate brownie and it tastes like chocolate and caramel to me. Capella's double chocolate has a bit of a darker chocolate taste to it, maybe semi-sweet chocolate, not quite dark chocolate but not the sweet milk chocolate. It's a nice chocolate but it's still missing that creamyness of milk chocolate. Unfortunately I haven't tried any of the PA'a chocolate to compare them to for you.

 

[donnah]

I just mixed some of the capellas dbl chocolate and added a bit of vanilla custard. I'm going to have to add some sweetener to it cause it's on the bitter side.. has a funny "after taste" to it. I've got some capella chocolate brownie coming, I'm hoping I'll like that better.

Shantia, just my opinion, but I've tried the Capella chocolate brownie and it tastes like chocolate and caramel to me. Capella's double chocolate has a bit of a darker chocolate taste to it, maybe semi-sweet chocolate, not quite dark chocolate but not the sweet milk chocolate. It's a nice chocolate but it's still missing that creamyness of milk chocolate. Unfortunately I haven't tried any of the PA'a chocolate to compare them to for you.

 

[OaklandCA]

mmmh I'm also on a chocolate quest. but i think cocoa is more like it Something bitter (aka smoky) I've just started dabblingand alas from reading posts i may not be all that good a cook/bartender/DIY candidate but nonetheless after 20-30 sample bottles and couple hundred mls of pre-mixed i'm willing to try. I'm using some boxelder nic as the base and i think it's not the cleanest--but vaped alone it's not objectionable but when i start adding the chocolate i'm getting diappointing results--i kind of like cocoa caos from FSUSA tips? i'm afraid this might become a new money/time sink --i've been wndering round this DIY forum but still haven't found a pretty straight ahead recipe book I'm guessing 10% chocolate 10% coffee and a few drops of menthol concentrate might be a good starting point for a coffee chocolate mint. I'm using a hodge podge of flavors i got at flavors by equiquidstore branded flavors west or perfumers.

also what's the proper name for the flavoring in the hot cinnamons-- i realize not that cinnamon red hots actually means those sweet little red candies...not what i meant. all in all i want as many NOT SWEET flavors as i can find.

 

[devilmama]

Thanks for all the input guys. For clarification, I've tried different things zoiD & Shantia...3 types of sweetners (sucralose, ethyl maltol, and blue agave), and I always start any concotion with a VG only, 0 nic base - that way, if it "tastes right", I can add the nic juice and tweak it afterwards.
When using ethyl maltol, I dissolve it in PG, not alcohol...even with leaving lids off for the alcohol to evaporate a little, doesn't work great and I still get a chemical like taste when using ethyl alcohol. I love the blue agave, but you have to "cut" it with distilled water or something or it's waaaay too sweet.
Shantia...I think next up I'll try some different chocolate bases like you mentioned. I need to get some of the cotton candy, too.
Oh...FYI if anyone hasn't tried this, a decent way to get a "feel" for the flavors you're using is use a plastic artist's palette (looks like an egg carton bottom) and put a bit of distilled water in one of the divets, then add a drop of whatever flavoring you're working with. mix it up and then you can just dip a finger or dropper in the tiny mix to see what the "true flavor" is (coming from someone who went "hmm, what does it taste like?" and then tasted a drop of pure flavoring - BLECH! LOL!) I try this method before working with my bases...started to do this when I realized I was flushing 3 ml of VG down the drain constantly because something didn't mesh well or taste the way I'd expected (even after steeping).

 

[devilmama]

10% chocolate 10% coffee and a few drops of menthol concentrate might be a good starting point for a coffee chocolate mint.

I haven't even attempted blending coffee in there Oakland...hmmm good idea! I'd favor another mint over menthol though - gives too much of a "clean" taste to the mouth to me, like toothpaste...I like the chocolate to be the baritone and the mint to just be the supporting tenor

 

[ByStander1]

Along those same lines. Most people who work with Chocolates will tell you that a touch of Vanilla is added to many recipes.

Vanilla is a wonder flavoring in my mind. It works with so many different things and makes flavors more complex.

Very few good recipes only have on flavor in them. Most are a base flavor and then a pinch of this and a dash of that.

Absolutely on the Vanilla!

 

[ByStander1]

Thanks for all the input guys. For clarification, I've tried different things zoiD & Shantia...3 types of sweetners (sucralose, ethyl maltol, and blue agave), and I always start any concotion with a VG only, 0 nic base - that way, if it "tastes right", I can add the nic juice and tweak it afterwards.
When using ethyl maltol, I dissolve it in PG, not alcohol...even with leaving lids off for the alcohol to evaporate a little, doesn't work great and I still get a chemical like taste when using ethyl alcohol. I love the blue agave, but you have to "cut" it with distilled water or something or it's waaaay too sweet.
Shantia...I think next up I'll try some different chocolate bases like you mentioned. I need to get some of the cotton candy, too.
Oh...FYI if anyone hasn't tried this, a decent way to get a "feel" for the flavors you're using is use a plastic artist's palette (looks like an egg carton bottom) and put a bit of distilled water in one of the divets, then add a drop of whatever flavoring you're working with. mix it up and then you can just dip a finger or dropper in the tiny mix to see what the "true flavor" is (coming from someone who went "hmm, what does it taste like?" and then tasted a drop of pure flavoring - BLECH! LOL!) I try this method before working with my bases...started to do this when I realized I was flushing 3 ml of VG down the drain constantly because something didn't mesh well or taste the way I'd expected (even after steeping).

OMG!!! You're a Genius!!! Do you have any idea how many of those I have in a drawer not 10ft from my testing table?! Thanks Loads for the Forehead Slap!!!

 

[donnah]

I just mixed some of the capellas dbl chocolate and added a bit of vanilla custard. I'm going to have to add some sweetener to it cause it's on the bitter side.. has a funny "after taste" to it. I've got some capella chocolate brownie coming, I'm hoping I'll like that better.

an update... after posting this I added a couple drops of sweetener ... the funny after taste is now gone and it tastes much better.. I added a few drops of TPA Bavarian cream to see what happens

 

[Shantia]

After playing with chocolate for a few days, i've got a few more tips to share. If you want a more bitter chocolate, mix bittersweet chocolate with double dark. Very light on the bittersweet!!!...White chocolate and Double dark creates a richer chocolate flavor, still dark chocolate tasting to me, but ...more depth. Still missing the creaminess...maybe some sweet cream would remedy that, havent tried it yet tho.

The only problem i have with chocolate is it eventually starts getting a smokey note for me..i dunno why, probably just my taste buds but it starts tasting like i'm vaping melted chocolate that got slightly scorched.