DIY Menthol, 4mg nic: I need some help with ingredient acquisition

[interestingfellow]

SO,
It's been 81 days or so, less 2800 analogues, and $400 saved....
I started on liberty flights juice, and love it.
But i'm cheap, so I started doin stuff, and mixing a bit.

I'm not ready to make a gallon of anything, but I do some of my own mixing. I get 24mg base from LF, and cut it with VG from wally world to mix my flavored vapes. I end up with unflavored 8mg base, 90ml and it costs me about $12. Not bad.
My daily vape is the LF menthol mix, (now) 8mg, and or drip in some of this or that as it pleases me (at $12/30ml)

But now I want 4mg strength, can no longer rely on off the shelf juice, and need to mix my own.

I like the lF menthol mix, but don't like the menthol (tastes like sweat and stale beer to me). I have just tried dripping in some haselnut to the menthol, and it's tolerable.
I also REALLY like nhaler's nuport (xhale?), but it only comes 24mg (can't cut it to 4mg, it'll get too weak).

So, in you opinion, what would be my best menthol concentrate to use in my 4mg base? I'm looking for just "menthol", not mint or or the like....

 

[Wil]

You can order their 0mg juice, so you can cut it without losing flavor. I think it's kind of expensive, but it can be done... If you're already cutting it with non-flavored, you can ease some of this in and should be satisfied...

 

[interestingfellow]

eh.... I'm transitioning from just mixing what i got, to mixing what I want. or trying to, at least.

 

[salemgold]

You can get menthol crystals and dilute them yourself in PGA. I will post a link for you

 

[salemgold]

Here you go Menthol Crystals - One Stop DIY Shop Store If you get some Pure Grain Alcohol to dilute these in you will have real STRONG menthol to work with and not mint
Hope that helps

 

[smallmam]

I only have TPA's menthol and have not tried LF menthol so I am not sure if my opinion counts. but I like my TPA mix. I use about 15% total of flavors mix and match with TPA koolada and some fruits flavors like pinapple, peach, orange, etc. or lately I am hooked with cola flavor in it.

 

[LMP]

I use premixed menthol liquid from TFA.

Perfumers Apprentice - Menthol Liquid

Perfumers Apprentice - Menthol Liquid (PG)

One uses a PGA carrier and the other uses a PG carrier.

I like the premixed stuff because it's no hassle, it's mixed more accurately then I can mix it and it's very consistent from one bottle to the next.

 

[interestingfellow]

OMG, menthol crrystals? that sounds like what I'm looking for. strong as I want.... I'm looking now.

As far as the premixed juice, I do already have my LR. But, I'm looking for a good strong menthol in 4mg, and I'm a cheap bass turd, so I'm migrating to diy mixing. Heck, if it worked, then I'm getting a sample of 3 GALLONS of PG from proc&gamble, FOR FREE! So, I have to use it...


*Edit*
How many ml will a 1/4 oz of crystals make (min/max)? Of course, I know it's a subjective question, but there is a mean average, less a statistical deviation....

Also, I'm looking for VERY stron VG nic base, for mixing/diluting. Like a 60mg 6ml bottle. That way, I can just use 1 beaker with with 90ml of VG base and 6ml of nic, and end up with 4mg nic/ml...

**EDIT**
One stop has 48mg strength. GREAT. strong enough for bulk, weak enough not to kill me... :}

***EDIT***
But they're out of stock.

 

[oldsoldier]

Some pharmacies carry menthol crystals, next time you are out and about you might see if your local pharmacy does.

 

[JanuarySun]

I like the lF menthol mix, but don't like the menthol (tastes like sweat and stale beer to me).

Out of curiosity, are you talking about their pre-mixed juice? Their 24mg is currently what I'm vaping, and I absolutely love it. I'd love to replicate it (or come close) and come out cheaper by mixing it myself. So I was looking for clarification as to whether you didn't like the premixed, or if you made some yourself with their supplies and didn't like it. It really tastes more pepperminty than like menthol to me, so I'm wondering if I need to go with a peppermint flavoring...on their site, they don't seem to offer an actual menthol flavoring. If anyone else has any input, too, please feel free.

 

[interestingfellow]

Yes, I started on off the shelf.
Then I started mixing off the shelf mixes and/or a bit of flavoring.
Then I tried premixed 24mg base mixed with walmart glycerin (USP) and flavoring.
Now, I'm moving on to real mixing. It's just too much cheaper. I had seen a post on here comparing a quality name brand to diy. It turns out that a gallon of juice off the shelf would cost close to $4k,and the same DIY would be close to $120 per gallon. I thought "duh, make it yourself, interestingfellow"

Off the shelf, I started on 18mg Menthol Mix from liberty flights, got some 8mg and mixed with the 18mg to make 14ish mg, and now I'm on 8mg. I had purchased a bottle of 14mg Menthol (no "mix", the "tobacco" flavore addative). To me, it tasted like stale beer mixed with some old sweat. Couldn't do it. Being cheap, I added some hazelnut flavoring to what I had left of the menthol, and it's quite tolerable. Reason being: I had a friend try the LF menthol mix, and he asked me if it had some sort of nut in it. I hadn't really picked up on the fact that it was actually a subtle nutty background flavor. So I tried it, and it works well enough for me. I think I'll be using it when I mix my own menthol juice.
Also, I had purchased some nhaler's xhale nuport 24mg, and mixed up a concoction of all of them (I can't do too much pg, it tears me up).

We'll see what we see.
BTW, i can't find crystals locally, but I'll keep looking. I'm almost out of menthol juice, but still have some 8mg base left....

 

[markfm]

The perfumers apprentice, as previously mentioned, sells both menthol crystals and menthol liquid. This gives you a strong, pure, menthol, fine as is or to add a hint of menthol to other flavors. http://shop.perfumersapprentice.com/c-151-menthol-and-mint.aspx

The menthol liquid is simpler to use, for consistency. Crystals also work, but they can be a pita to get used to using.

Add a couple percent, shake, taste, add more as needed to get your own desired flavor level.

For a first pass, just trying to get the right % flavor, don't bother with nic, just mix it into some pg or vg cut with distilled water or pga.

Concerning nic, nic 60 is often on sale. Check this forum area and look at the deals and steals thread in pay it forward (my signature has a link to that area, I believe - I don't see sigs in tapatalk).

Good luck!

 

[interestingfellow]

WELL!
I should have 3 gallons of VG coming from P&G
8oz menthol crystals from ebay
Another 1oz menthl crystals, and some flav concentrates comin from perfumersaprentice
and 100mg nic coming from MFS.

Looks like I'm gonna be knee deep in menthol juice!

I'll be mixing up a few dozen samplers for friends...I'll PIF or sample some out to get some feedback

 

[JanuarySun]

Just wanted to say that I got my unflavored juice and menthol crystals from MyFreedomSmokes today, and holy cow--fantastic! I just mixed up a couple of small crystals in about 7mls of juice--pure, perfect menthol and no funky taste. I am very pleased. I think you'll dig the menthol crystals, interestingfellow, but GO EASY! They'll knock your head off!

 

[interestingfellow]

UHHHH, head knocked off.
I also got my crystals today, and messed about a bit.

First try:7.5ml & 1/2 teaspoon (google showed 2.5ml is about 5/8tsp). yeah, very minty. too minty. and not much vapor or th.

Just mixed up a %40 concentration of crystals to 100proof Smirinof Vodka for future use. Few drops of that in some vg with a drop or two of hazelnut flavoring (I don't have my other ingredients yet). Better.

Can't wait to get the rest of my crap in the mail!!!

 

[JanuarySun]

1/2 teaspoon? Whooo! I bet that WAS minty! I wound up using two crystals, each about 1/2 in by a scant 1/8 inch, for about 7ml...and it's pretty darned strong. I've mixed mine with a 75 PG/25 VG mix, and I'm getting great vapor. Most of the premixed juices I have are 80/20, and this is much thicker with much more vapor. I guess I'm to assume their mix was 80/20 before flavoring, hence the thinner consistency.

 

[interestingfellow]

Yeah.... minty....
Is it normal for menthol crystals to grow in your juice when it gets to room temp??? :O

I mixed up the vodka and crystals to add "by the drop" to future experiments.

 

[JanuarySun]

Yeah.... minty....
Is it normal for menthol crystals to grow in your juice when it gets to room temp??? :O

Huh, I don't know. Mine dissolved completely, and in an air-conditioned house, I haven't noticed that happening. At least not yet.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Yeah.... minty....
Is it normal for menthol crystals to grow in your juice when it gets to room temp??? :O

I mixed up the vodka and crystals to add "by the drop" to future experiments.

In VG juices with a lot of menthol in them maybe. Menthol is not very soluble in VG. If the crystals are dissolved in PG or PGA first (which menthol is much more soluble in) before you mix with the VG then they'll be less likely to reform I think.

 

[interestingfellow]

I posted over on the menthol drops recipe thread, and didn't get a response (I do realize I'm just being impatient though).

MY pga*/crystals solution separated to 3 layers, very clear on top, slightly opaque on bottom, and a thin opaque sheet inbetween. which layer should I be using?

*pga meaning 100 proof vodka, cause it's the strongest clear liquor I could find.