First time (for real this time) DIY

[bwh79]

Today (or perhaps tomorrow) I'm going to mix up my first* batch of DIY juice. I've got NN's Minty Menthol and OMFG It's Chocolate flavors, going to try each one at 5% on its own before I try mixing them together to make a chocolate mint. I don't have a scale yet, so I'll be mixing by volume this time with graduated syringes (3x 1ml syringes for the nic and two flavors, and a 5ml for the base liquid). Quick last-minute check, do these numbers look right to you folks? (I don't have a notebook handy either, so this post will serve as my initial note-taking for the batch.)


Minty Menthol (6mg/ml):
6% (0.3ml) 100mg nic (50/50)
5% (0.25ml) NN Minty Menthol flavor (VG/alcohol)
89% (4.45ml) premixed PG/VG (50/50)
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Total: 5ml, approx. 52.5% VG/47.5% PG


OMFG It's Chocolate (6mg/ml):
6% (0.3ml) 100mg nic (50/50)
5% (0.25ml) NN OMFG It's Chocolate flavor (VG/alcohol)
89% (4.45ml) premixed PG/VG (50/50)
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Total: 5ml, approx. 52.5% VG/47.5% PG

*(First time from scratch, anyway. I previously added some 100mg nic to some 0mg juices I had received, but I don't really call that "mixing up a batch.")

 

[hooplah101]

Yeah your math looks good, but what PG/VG are you going for? I usually try to go for a specific %, like 40/60 or 30/70. Not important at first, but as you tweak your juices you might want to think about it. There are some great juice calcs out there that are super easy to use. Scubadans is the most complete, but a lot of simple ones to download right on your phone. 5% is a little weak for me, but right on for some, if you start out lower you can always raise the flavor level, remember, some flavors have to develop, or age/steep, so if it doesn't taste good right away, a little time in a dark closet might do it wonders. Good luck, and have fun!

 

[bwh79]

The PG/VG ratio that I'm aiming for this time is "it only comes in 120ml and larger, so it was cheaper for me to get a 50/50 premix than to buy one of each." If DIY turns out to be for me, I will of course start to order them separately and mix to taste, but for this first time around I figured "about 50/50, give or take the flavorings" should be good enough to get my feet wet and so I just got my nic and my base liquid in that mix.

NN flavors are "super-concentrated" and recommended for 2.5-7.5%. I checked some threads and decided 5% each was a good place to start. Some people said the chocolate needed a bit more than that but, like you and others have said, it's a lot easier to add a little bit more than subtract what's already been put in.

 

[Rat2chat2]

Good luck to you but I know you will be just fine. Look forward to reading how everything goes for you. Let us know. I love reading mixing success stories. Have fun.

 

[Boletus]

Math looks good to me, assuming the flavor as 100% VG (which is plenty close enough for your purposes). Nic comes out to 6 mg/ml, in case you wanted verification of that. For the flavorings, you are off to reasonable start, and you can let your taste be your guide moving forward.

I will add that I personally find 5 ml batches difficult for flavorings at low percentages, even with a 1 ml syringe, so I usually start at 10 ml, but if you can work it at 5 ml, that is great.

 

[bwh79]

I will add that I personally find 5 ml batches difficult for flavorings at low percentages, even with a 1 ml syringe, so I usually start at 10 ml, but if you can work it at 5 ml, that is great.

Can I work it? Who knows? Only one way to find out...

 

[dannyv45]

Your math looks good and it looks like you've done your research. Sounds like your off to a good start. Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[bwh79]

Well better late than never, I always say. Life happened, and I didn't get around to mixing anything over the weekend, but I did get it done today. I mixed up 5ml of each at the levels I mentioned in the first post. .25ml flavoring didn't look like a lot in the big 15ml bottles I am using, but the taste came through well enough (although a little on the weak side, see below). Tasted them individually in a 510 atty, and then tried dripping in a few drops of each to see how well they go together. I tried cleaning it out with PG/VG mix in between flavors, but it turned out the vodka got the job done better.

The good news: they do taste better than the flavor concentrates smell themselves, which I was kinda worried about (especially the chocolate). The bad news: I think I'm gonna need more than 5% (again, especially the chocolate). The mint is, well, it's minty. No real surprises, there. It's like an Altoid, although not as strong. The chocolate, definitely needs a bit more than I put in, but I'm getting a nice (but faint) "brownie" flavor from it by itself. It is a little "perfumey," though I'm hoping that will go away after a little aging.

The other good news: they mix together pretty well, although it's less of the "Girl Scout cookie" I was aiming for and more of a "Peppermint Patty" kind of flavor. All in all, I'm calling it a success. I made juice, I vaped it, it tastes good...I am now officially a DIY juice-maker. Huzzah!

(The straight PG/VG mix ain't bad by itself, either. Maybe next time I'll mix up a batch of unflavored with nic and see how I like it.)

 

[bwh79]

Even after some steep time, the flavors are still very light, so today I whipped up a second batch with twice the flavor. The flavor percents will be a little lower than what's written here, since I just mixed this straight into the bottles with what was still left from the first go-round:

Minty Menthol / OMFG It's Chocolate (10ml each):

6% (0.6ml) 100mg nicotine (50/50)
10% (1ml) flavoring
84% (8.4ml) premixed PG/VG 50/50
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Total: 10ml, 6mg nic, 10% flavor (x2)

I also mixed up a bottle of unflavored:

.6ml nic
9.4ml* premixed PG/VG
(*roughly. I measured the nic into a 10ml bottle and then just eyeballed it to the top with the premix. I had previously filled it with 10ml [measured] of 0mg premix, so I had some idea of where the 10ml level was at. So I measured in the nic and then just topped it off.)
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Total: approx. 10ml, approx. 6mg nic.

 

[bwh79]

...why can't I edit my post? Anyway, here's a follow-up on my latest batch of mixes from the previous post.

I am really loving this unflavored stuff! A nice sweet flavor from the VG, and just a little bit of kick from the 6mg nicotine. This may very well become my go-to ADV. As for the other two, well...at 10% the flavors are definitely more prominent than they were at 5%. The mint is nice, and they're still okay when mixed together, but the chocolate isn't real "chocolate-y" to me. It's chocolate-ish, you know, sort of chocolate-like but not actual "cocolate" flavor, if that makes any sense. There's kind of a citrusy, maybe "orange-peel" undertone to the flavor...I don't think I really like it on its own. Maybe it'll be better if I add some sweeteners or creams to it or something, but by itself, I don't see this becoming one of my favorites...

Edit: ...strange, I can edit this post, but not the one above it or any of my other posts in the thread. Is there a time-limit for editing after the initial post time or something?

 

[Das Auto]

Chocolate is a tough one to find that is good stand alone. usually need to mix it with others! But sounds like your off on the right path!! I suggest you could add a Little sweetner to your Chocolate next time, could give it that "chocolatey" your looking for.

I bought some Double Dutch chocolate from FW - its like a white and dark chocolate mix. It's pretty good, but goes great with other flavors!
right now I am going for a chocolate covered strawberry...