DIY for 6 months, still haven't been able to make a good juice

[ThatAintRight76]

I use 100mg nicotine in PG base, flavoring, and 100% VG. I have capellas, TFA, and FA flavors. About 100 of them. I have tried concentrations from 5% to 30% flavoring and still haven't found a juice that is good. Nothing I have made can even come CLOSE to the flavor of a purchased juice. I'm losing hope fellas. I have all of this money and time invested in DIY supplies and can't seem to make a juice. They always smell AMAZING and usually taste (don't judge me) really really good. However, the taste when vaped is always extremely muted. I hadn't used any purchased juice for the last 4 months and yesterday I snapped and put about .75ml into my RSST. Now, even after 4ml of my DIY juice I can still ONLY taste the residuals of the purchased juice. I need some help guys I feel like I have lost the battle.

My "favorite" recipe thus far is 25% flavoring with 50% of that being lemon lime, 40% blueberry, and 10% French Vanilla. It smells so tangy and delicious but after about 3 vapes it's just a hint of vanilla flavor. Literally just a few drops of any purchased juice and you can't taste my DIY AT ALL anymore.

 

[Harlen]

When you buy juice is it 100%Vg ?
What I make is great for me

 

[ThatAintRight76]

When you buy juice is it 100%Vg ?
What I make is great for me

I usually aim for "Max VG"

 

[gingersnaps]

Have you tried to Lower the % of flavoring? If its too high it can seem muted. Tpa should ave around 10% and fa around3-5%.

 

[WillyZee]

hello ThatAintRight76 ... go back to the drawing board.

pick only one single flavour you like (Capella or TFA) and make 3 test batches of 5-10 ml ... do one at 5% flavour, one at 10% flavour and one at 15% flavour.

I may be new myself at DIY ... however, I have already created some juices I am very happy with.

Good luck ... and please let us know how this works for you

 

[FinallyQuit]

Sounds like a classic symptom of overflavoring, in which the smell is divine and the taste is like unfiltered air. Good for you for not giving up after 6 months of that!

I know it sounds counterintuitive, but reduce the amount of flavoring you use, you will notice improved taste! See Hoosier's blog for hints.

 

[cookiebun]

I use 100mg nicotine in PG base, flavoring, and 100% VG. I have capellas, TFA, and FA flavors. About 100 of them. I have tried concentrations from 5% to 30% flavoring and still haven't found a juice that is good. Nothing I have made can even come CLOSE to the flavor of a purchased juice. I'm losing hope fellas. I have all of this money and time invested in DIY supplies and can't seem to make a juice. They always smell AMAZING and usually taste (don't judge me) really really good. However, the taste when vaped is always extremely muted. I hadn't used any purchased juice for the last 4 months and yesterday I snapped and put about .75ml into my RSST. Now, even after 4ml of my DIY juice I can still ONLY taste the residuals of the purchased juice. I need some help guys I feel like I have lost the battle.

My "favorite" recipe thus far is 25% flavoring with 50% of that being lemon lime, 40% blueberry, and 10% French Vanilla. It smells so tangy and delicious but after about 3 vapes it's just a hint of vanilla flavor. Literally just a few drops of any purchased juice and you can't taste my DIY AT ALL anymore.

Try making a good SINGLE FLAVOR liquid first.
I've been doing this 2 years and I seldom try mixing flavors yet. I can make about 4 or 5 good single flavor vapes.

 

[DetraMental]

It's too true that too much flavor gives no flavor. It seems so backwards but that's how it is and I've done it. I seldom go over 10% on any one flavor because of that. There's some good advice up above and the best one is "don't give up"!

 

[savagemann]

Vg tends to mute flavors when used in high amounts.
Do you have a pg sensitivity?
I usually aim for 50/50 or 60% vg 40% pg at the most.
I mixed up some of my known good recipes with 100% vg base and compared side by side with their 50/50 brethren, and the 100% vg definitely had less flavor.
If I had to wager a guess, I would say about 25% less flavor.
Some people may say I'm crazy and their vg mixes are great, but I have done this experiment with 5 different known good recipes and had the same results with all of them.
Also, are you thinning the mixed juice at all with distilled water?
If not, you may have wicking issues, which will not really help you in your quest.
I'd say start around 2.5 - 5% distilled water and mix well.

 

[ThatAintRight76]

Vg tends to mute flavors when used in high amounts.
Do you have a pg sensitivity?
I usually aim for 50/50 or 60% vg 40% pg at the most.
I mixed up some of my known good recipes with 100% vg base and compared side by side with their 50/50 brethren, and the 100% vg definitely had less flavor.
If I had to wager a guess, I would say about 25% less flavor.
Some people may say I'm crazy and their vg mixes are great, but I have done this experiment with 5 different known good recipes and had the same results with all of them.
Also, are you thinning the mixed juice at all with distilled water?
If not, you may have wicking issues, which will not really help you in your quest.
I'd say start around 2.5 - 5% distilled water and mix well.

PG really dries me out and kills my throat so I try to stay away from it. I have no problems with wicking and my juice isn't all that thick. I'd say after flavorings and nicotine I'm realistically running about 75/25 vg to pg.

 

[dannyv45]

I've had the same fustration from time to time. I'm glad your not giving up so easy. Being that you have been at it for quite a while I'm not going to bore you with the usual beginner mistakes like over flavoring, over sweetening or not steeping stuff. I'm sure you read every thing there is to read about that stuff and tried many many combinations of flavors and percentages. But instead I'm going to suggest that you spend just a little more money and change your flavoring to hangsen flavorings. At this point we are just going to start over from scratch flavor wise and leave all this fustration behind. Ive worked with the TFA flavors and there so hard to get right. The hangsen flavors are very easy to get right the first time and people have been raving about these flavors. Just buy 3 - 4 of your favorite flavors and try them out. Let me give you a few links that also may be helpful.

Here's where to get hangsen.

Hangsen e-Liquid Flavoring | ecigExpress

The recommended percentages are 3 - 7% so start out with 5% and adjust after a few days of steeping. Start with 1 flavor at a time so you know what each flavor tastes like. This will give you an idea of what may combine well together.

Read this thread so you have an idea on the hangsen flavors and what others are saying about them. It's a long thread so just skim through it.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/440440-hangsen-thread.html

Also read my blogs as well as a few others I'm going to recommend you will find a lot of very helpful information there.

My blogs

E-Cigarette Forum - dannyv45 - Blogs

hoosier's blogs.

E-Cigarette Forum - Hoosier - Blogs

The stickies at the top of the page are also very helpful.

Good luck and ask questions and keep us updated with your progress and successes.

 

[ThatAintRight76]

Holy Moly dannyV commented in my thread. Cool. I've near memorized both of those blogs by now haha. I haven't tried Hangsen. Are that really that strong at 3-7%? Even at 10% flavor I have trouble dicerning my DIY from just plain VG.

 

[gingersnaps]

Ditto on mixing one flavor at a time. Even now i never add a new flavor to a blend till I've successfully mixed it alone. Some flavors are stronger than others. Example I use a dab of butter flavoring in waffle. But from mixing it alone ive realized it is so strong i use it at 1/4 of what I use other flavors from the same vendor. Most of what I call accent flavors are that way.

 

[dannyv45]

Holy Moly dannyV commented in my thread. Cool. I've near memorized both of those blogs by now haha. I haven't tried Hangsen. Are that really that strong at 3-7%? Even at 10% flavor I have trouble dicerning my DIY from just plain VG.

I use hangsen exclusively and like the flavoring at about 7%. That don't mean you will like it at 7% that is unless you stole my taste buds 5% is a good starting place but that does not mean that's where you will wind up. You may go as high as 15% or more it's up to your taste buds. But 5% is a safe place to start. Then you will work up from there in small increments until you find perfection. Also don't try to copy or clone a store bought juice you will have nothing but fustration along the way if you do that. Just say to yourself "does it taste good" and adjust accordingly. When it finally does taste good be elated at your success knowing it's your own original.

 

[Caridwen]

I've been talking to someone else about this issue too- I used to make big batches and they lost their flavor. Now I only make smaller batches of liquid. Like 30 ml bottles.

 

[Caridwen]

I use hangsen exclusively and like the flavoring at about 7%. That don't mean you will like it at 7% that is unless you stole my taste buds 5% is a good starting place but that does not mean that's where you will wind up. You may go as high as 15% or more it's up to your taste buds. But 5% is a safe place to start. Then you will work up from there in small increments until you find perfection. Also don't try to copy or clone a store bought juice you will have nothing but fustration along the way if you do that. Just say to yourself "does it taste good" and adjust accordingly. When it finally does taste good be elated at your success knowing it's your own original.

Do you ever go to vape meets? Are you North or South Jersey?

We should have a DIY mixing party!

 

[dannyv45]

I've been talking to someone else about this issue too- I used to make big batches and they lost their flavor. Now I only make smaller batches of liquid. Like 30 ml bottles.

Same here I make 30ml at a time for my non ADV's and 2 seperate 30ml bottles at a time for my ADV's. I never really ever made large batches.

 

[dannyv45]

Do you ever go to vape meets? Are you North or South Jersey?

We should have a DIY mixing party!

I'm in bergen county in north jersey. Where are you?

 

[Caridwen]

I'm central /burlington county- maybe 45 min/hour from you. My niece goes to Montclair- that's in Bergen county, right?

 

[dannyv45]

Not exactly sure where Monmouth is but as far as a mixing party sure just let me know the time and place and I'll be there. I haven't gone to swaps I don't really follow where they are being held but if you know of any close by I would love to go.