Finally did it ... but NEED ASSISTANCE AND SUGGESTIONS please :)

[Sandiej02]

Well, after vaping for a couple of years, I finally did it ... DIY!

I've made several juices - mainly from recipes I've gotten from the ECF that sound delicious and are exactly what I'm looking for. They smell wonderful and weren't hard to do at all! I've had SO much fun doing this and planning on doing this instead of "buying" juice from now on.

HOWEVER ... even though every juice I made smelled great (and yes, I made them exactly as stated in the various recipes), they just "needed" something else. I mean ... they didn't "taste" like they "smelled". Not sure what I'm doing "wrong".

I'm looking to make them "creamier, with more body, and of course, sweet". I've used Bavarian Cream, Cheesecake, Vanilla Custard, and Vienna Cream (not sure on this one yet, just added a few drops of this last night and it smells like it added "alcohol" - think it needs to breathe and steep), to add some "depth" and "creaminess" to the juices ... but they're not working the way I was hoping for.

Anyone have any suggestions? Is there something you use to add a creamy, sweet "body" to your juice? I LOVE the sweet juices (it's all I vape) ... like Peanut Butter Cookie (been trying like mad to make a great one), and cookies, and gooey butter cake ... well, anything "sweet" (not into fruits or tobaccos).

I'm thinking about ordering something like Sweet Cream or Fresh Cream. Hum ... which one? Will either of these give juice "body"? Or, what am I missing?

Help. Thanks guys!



PS Here's an example of a few recipes I've done. Do you see a pattern, or "what I'm missing?" I'm doing a 60pg/40vg mix.


15% Peanut Butter, 2% Vanilla Custard, 2% Marshmallow OR

10% Peanut Butter, 6% Cookie, 4% Marshmallow OR

8% Sugar Cookie, 6% Peanut Butter, 2% Vanilla Cupcake, 2% Bavarian Cream, 2% Marshmallow


THANKS FOR ANY SUGGESTIONS!

 

[Shilo]

You might try to incorporate some Ethyl Maltol into the mixture as Peanut Butter and Vanilla Custard tend be dry flavors on their own. Th EM seems to add moisture to a base in addition to some sweetness. I do not do bakery items so I am not sure but one thing I have found is that caramel or butterscotch seem to be good at adding a richness. Others who specifically do bakery vapes will probably chime in soon--- not sure if Tart N Sour or Apple Cider Vinegar are helpful in this situation as they are with fruits and tobaccos.

 

[Sandiej02]

Thanks Shilo.

I've used a sweetener and also Cotton Candy (I think that's the same as EM, isn't it?). Maybe I have the percentages wrong ... not quite sure. I followed recipes, too.

I did make one that smelled exactly like the peanut butter cookie I love from a vendor ... but it sure didn't taste like it. Ha,ha. I wonder what in the world gives juice "body". Hum ...

Appreciate your reply!

 

[Shilo]

even 1% EM can give much more body to a recipe the only other thing I did not mention which you probably allready know is steeping time is necessary to make a complete decision on the taste outcome. The marshamallow should be helping too--- to smooth it out. I wish you much luck maybe ask the recipe maker if you found it here.

 

[jackbox]

It is possible you are using too much flavor and overloading your taste buds. The juice would smell great but if too much flavoring is used the flavor can disappear.

 

[Sandiej02]

It is possible you are using too much flavor and overloading your taste buds. The juice would smell great but if too much flavoring is used the flavor can disappear.

I'm actually mixing most of my recipes at 20% flavor. I always order "extra flavor" (even double flavor) when ordering from a vendor - and that works great. At 20%, would THAT be considered "extra flavor" ... or what exactly IS considered "standard flavoring"??

Thanks Jackbox.

 

[gentlemancole]

Congrats on taking the plunge into DIY mixing! Not only is it more economical, but flavoring is an absolute blast!

You might try to incorporate some Ethyl Maltol into the mixture as Peanut Butter and Vanilla Custard tend be dry flavors on their own. Th EM seems to add moisture to a base in addition to some sweetness. I do not do bakery items so I am not sure but one thing I have found is that caramel or butterscotch seem to be good at adding a richness. Others who specifically do bakery vapes will probably chime in soon--- not sure if Tart N Sour or Apple Cider Vinegar are helpful in this situation as they are with fruits and tobaccos.

I use 1-2% sucralose (TFA Sweetener) to sweeten my bakery recipes, and I've found that 2% each of Caramel and Vanilla is a good starting point to give a crusty top note.

I'm actually mixing most of my recipes at 20% flavor. I always order "extra flavor" (even double flavor) when ordering from a vendor - and that works great. At 20%, would THAT be considered "extra flavor" ... or what exactly IS considered "standard flavoring"??

10%-15% seems to be the "sweet" spot for flavoring. I've tried 20% on a couple of 5mL samples, and as jackbox says, it actually ends up not tasting as strong.

 

[Sandiej02]

Congrats on taking the plunge into DIY mixing! Not only is it more economical, but flavoring is an absolute blast!

I use 1-2% sucralose (TFA Sweetener) to sweeten my bakery recipes, and I've found that 2% each of Caramel and Vanilla is a good starting point to give a crusty top note.

10%-15% seems to be the "sweet" spot for flavoring. I've tried 20% on a couple of 5mL samples, and as jackbox says, it actually ends up not tasting as strong.

THANKS! I'm having a lot of fun with it!

Hum ... went by "recipes" posted. But I'll definitely try a couple at a lower % and see what happens. Thanks much!

 

[GrannyM]

Lots of good ideas here, but a few more thoughts Sandie.

The usual disclaimer ... taste is subjective ... might apply here. What is great for one may not be so great for another. So while it might be the perfect recipe for the one who created it, it might not be the perfect recipe for you. That's the beauty of DIY. You can adjust it to suit you.

Are you using the same brand flavorings as the recipe poster? It could make a difference. Peanut butter from Capella is different from TFA's Peanut Butter.

Have you tried any of your flavorings by themselves? I find this step is critical. It is much easier to make recipes when you understand what each flavor brings to the table. And then you'll be able to look at someone else's recipe for the basic idea and tweak it according to your own preferences.

Good luck!

 

[Sandiej02]

No ... think I was in a "hurry" to jump right into it ... didn't try each flavor individually - just started mixing.

Good suggestions - and THANKS for the info

 

[zoiDman]

If you are using High % Flavorings, like 20%, you might try adding a Few drops of Water to ever 10ml of e-Liquids you make.

 

[Sandiej02]

If you are using High % Flavorings, like 20%, you might try adding a Few drops of Water to ever 10ml of e-Liquids you make.

Thanks! Distilled water ... or tap water okay?

 

[zoiDman]

Thanks! Distilled water ... or tap water okay?

Depends where you live.

Where I live, I don't even like to wash my Car with Tap Water.

I just use a few Drops from a bottle of Bottled Water.

 

[Sandiej02]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I do have some "smooth" on the way.

PS If anyone has used "sweet cream", appreciate your opinions on that, too.