DIY flavourings?

[Mindfield]

I've been thinking about this a bit.

Todd over at Vaperite does some of his own house extractions. Now, I don't know the particulars nor the full range of what flavours he extracts, but I do know that he has his own house-extracted tobacco flavour as well as his own house-extracted coffee, and though he doesn't go into details, he does say that he steeps his extracts in PG for 3 days and filters.

I was reminded of this in another thread where emus mentioned that to add TH to 0-nic juices he extracts freshly ground black pepper essence by soaking in PG for 24 hours and filtering.

So I'm thinking about trying this, but I do have a few questions.

1. Is this just a matter of steeping in a warm, dry place (possibly heating briefly at the beginning to speed the extraction) and then filtering once or twice through, say, a fine coffee filter? Is there more to it? I mean, coffee for example has oils, so would you have to skim the oils off first or can you add an emulsifier? And if the latter, what emulsifier?

2. After reading some posts here about tobacco extraction (for flavouring, not so much for nicotine) it seems like the main problem is impurities. So is there an accepted method for extracting tobacco flavourings? Clearly Todd does it and though he doesn't go into details about his methods he does have a small picture and it looks fairly simplistic.

3. What other flavourings could be extracted with this method? Cinnamon? Clove? Anise? Vanilla bean?

I'm really curious how easy this is. I really, really want to make a good coffee flavour but have yet to come across a premade coffee flavouring that hit the spot.

 

[Kurt]

I cannot comment on other extractions, but I make a pipe tobacco essence in VG:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/liquid-extraction-tobacco/99774-vg-pipe-tobacco-essense.html

I don't make much at once, and filter it through cotton in a 12 mL syringe while it is warm, pushing it through with the plunger. I call it an essence because the process does not get much of the alkaloids out, namely nicotine. The flavor is remarkable, and this essence has lasted me well over a year at room temp. If anything the flavor gets better with time.

 

[Mindfield]

I cannot comment on other extractions, but I make a pipe tobacco essence in VG:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/liquid-extraction-tobacco/99774-vg-pipe-tobacco-essense.html

I don't make much at once, and filter it through cotton in a 12 mL syringe while it is warm, pushing it through with the plunger. I call it an essence because the process does not get much of the alkaloids out, namely nicotine. The flavor is remarkable, and this essence has lasted me well over a year at room temp. If anything the flavor gets better with time.

Very nice! I'm not a huge tobacco vaper, but that is something I am definitely going to have to try. Do you cut or grind the pipe tobacco up any? Your original post didn't say.

 

[Iffy]

I make a pipe tobacco essence in VG:

Thanx for the link. I gonna have to try some Captain Black! I do miss some of my pipe flavs...

 

[Kurt]

Very nice! I'm not a huge tobacco vaper, but that is something I am definitely going to have to try. Do you cut or grind the pipe tobacco up any? Your original post didn't say.

Nope. Just right from the can. I find DIYs with PTE as a flavoring in cartos is especially nice. Seems the hot carto after a few top-offs starts to be more and more smokey...without the smoke of course. Tends to take a beating to attys however, although I didn't try it with a very thin juice. Excellent in a carto, very convincing.

 

[Mindfield]

Nope. Just right from the can. I find DIYs with PTE as a flavoring in cartos is especially nice. Seems the hot carto after a few top-offs starts to be more and more smokey...without the smoke of course. Tends to take a beating to attys however, although I didn't try it with a very thin juice. Excellent in a carto, very convincing.

Sweet. I think I'll pick up a small soft pack tonight and give it a try. It'll probably be nice to vape, but I'm thinking it might be even better to try making a nice RY4 to start, or maybe some other blends. After trying a few AVE juices I know a good tobacco base can add a real richness to a juice.

 

[DaveP]

I've always wondered how many the other chemicals in tobacco that are harmful survive such a straining process. I'm not aware of how commercial nicotine is extracted. It may be similar to the home process.

OTOH, vaping temperatures don't burn the product and may not release the toxins that smoking does. Anyone ever seen a report that addresses this? I think DIY tobacco extracts are a good thing, I just wonder if home extraction exposes us to more chemicals in the vapor.

 

[Kurt]

I've always wondered how many the other chemicals in tobacco that are harmful survive such a straining process. I'm not aware of how commercial nicotine is extracted. It may be similar to the home process.

OTOH, vaping temperatures don't burn the product and may not release the toxins that smoking does. Anyone ever seen a report that addresses this? I think DIY tobacco extracts are a good thing, I just wonder if home extraction exposes us to more chemicals in the vapor.

Good point. I cannot vouch for the hot VG not getting some of the processing compounds from pipe tobacco. The PTE should, however, contain very little nicotine or nitrosamines. And of course none of the pyrolysis (burning) products. Others have done this with cleaner tobaccos to get those flavors, but again, this is NOT a way to get nicotine, just flavors.