I was hesitant to make the initial investment primarily because I have a local shop that mixes to order while you wait and after many attempts (custom or their recipes) I never found one I really, really liked (even after steeping). I pictured my own home attempts turning out the same. I had found some commercial ADV's that fit the bill, paying anywhere from $18-$30 for 30ml. I was only vaping about 3ml/day, so it was still economical.
When I changed to a dripper and high wattage regulated mod as my primary setup, however, several things changed. I needed to lower my nicotine level, I found most commercial juices had too much flavoring, and I was going through about 10ml/day. It was going to get expensive real fast.
So...I took the plunge.
My first recipe was easy: 6mg unflavored. IMO, based on my experience, I think every DIYer should start with unflavored. I had seen it recommended a lot on this site and those people were right. It was surprisingly good, clean, slightly peppery, wonderful. I now don't go anywhere without some unflavored and, if I had to, could go without flavor forever.
I bought a variety of Capella and TFA flavors to mess around with. I didn't necessarily order them with recipes in mind, I mainly focused on getting the single flavors from those two vendors that have received strong reviews. With that in mind, I got some TFA Vanilla Cupcake and TFA Pineapple, along with Capella Sweet Strawberry, Strawberries and Cream, Vanilla Custard, NY Cheesecake, and Graham Cracker.
My second attempt (after unflavored) was 15% Vanilla Cupcake by itself. Great flavor. Too strong. Set it aside to steep to see if I need to mix some base and cut it to reduce the flavor percentage (while keeping the nic level, thank you DIY).
Third attempt was 10% Cheesecake, 5% Graham Cracker, 3% Sweet Strawberry. I wanted that "edge of the cheesecake with extra crust" bite. Turned out great, bumped the Strawberry up to 5%. Overall flavor percentage barely too strong on my dripper, but still wonderful. I'll dial it back a touch next batch.
Latest was to come up with something pineapple. Pineapple is one of those fruits I have a love/hate relationship with (for example, it should never be allowed on pizza). It is a mandatory addition to smoothies, however, and I like eating fresh pineapple and hate canned. This flavor was risky. The common recipes call for 5%-10% with around 2% EM as a sweetener, which I don't currently have. I decided to do a 5% Pineapple and 2% Sweet Strawberry as an experiment. It's perfect, like sipping from a can of fresh juice. It's my current ADV.
As a former Mother's Milk, Oh Face!, Seduction, and Boosted strawberry flavor fan that simple first experiment with a strawberry cheesecake with graham cracker crust would be my first choice among them. Add to that the ability to tweak the flavor profile and the nic strength on a whim for pennies and it's a no brainer. The pineapple/strawberry is unique, refreshing, delicious and at the top of the list of the "premium" recipes I've tried even though it's a simple flavor blend. Being able to whip up some unflavored in minutes is convenient and great when I'm "flavored out".
Next project might be to figure out a replacement for my wife's preferred Kahlua and Coffee flavor. Fortunately it's from an inexpensive vendor who makes it locally so she gets it for about $36/120ml. It's a coil destroyer and I think it's horrible but it keeps her off the analogs. At $3/10ml it might not be worth the experimenting.
I'm very happy I decided to try it. I also want to thank every single person who has ever posted advice in the DIY section. I read a lot (flavor choices alone for my first order was pretty overwhelming), learned a ton, got pointed in the right direction, and have had a wonderful DIY experience as a result. Thank you.
When I changed to a dripper and high wattage regulated mod as my primary setup, however, several things changed. I needed to lower my nicotine level, I found most commercial juices had too much flavoring, and I was going through about 10ml/day. It was going to get expensive real fast.
So...I took the plunge.
My first recipe was easy: 6mg unflavored. IMO, based on my experience, I think every DIYer should start with unflavored. I had seen it recommended a lot on this site and those people were right. It was surprisingly good, clean, slightly peppery, wonderful. I now don't go anywhere without some unflavored and, if I had to, could go without flavor forever.
I bought a variety of Capella and TFA flavors to mess around with. I didn't necessarily order them with recipes in mind, I mainly focused on getting the single flavors from those two vendors that have received strong reviews. With that in mind, I got some TFA Vanilla Cupcake and TFA Pineapple, along with Capella Sweet Strawberry, Strawberries and Cream, Vanilla Custard, NY Cheesecake, and Graham Cracker.
My second attempt (after unflavored) was 15% Vanilla Cupcake by itself. Great flavor. Too strong. Set it aside to steep to see if I need to mix some base and cut it to reduce the flavor percentage (while keeping the nic level, thank you DIY).
Third attempt was 10% Cheesecake, 5% Graham Cracker, 3% Sweet Strawberry. I wanted that "edge of the cheesecake with extra crust" bite. Turned out great, bumped the Strawberry up to 5%. Overall flavor percentage barely too strong on my dripper, but still wonderful. I'll dial it back a touch next batch.
Latest was to come up with something pineapple. Pineapple is one of those fruits I have a love/hate relationship with (for example, it should never be allowed on pizza). It is a mandatory addition to smoothies, however, and I like eating fresh pineapple and hate canned. This flavor was risky. The common recipes call for 5%-10% with around 2% EM as a sweetener, which I don't currently have. I decided to do a 5% Pineapple and 2% Sweet Strawberry as an experiment. It's perfect, like sipping from a can of fresh juice. It's my current ADV.
As a former Mother's Milk, Oh Face!, Seduction, and Boosted strawberry flavor fan that simple first experiment with a strawberry cheesecake with graham cracker crust would be my first choice among them. Add to that the ability to tweak the flavor profile and the nic strength on a whim for pennies and it's a no brainer. The pineapple/strawberry is unique, refreshing, delicious and at the top of the list of the "premium" recipes I've tried even though it's a simple flavor blend. Being able to whip up some unflavored in minutes is convenient and great when I'm "flavored out".
Next project might be to figure out a replacement for my wife's preferred Kahlua and Coffee flavor. Fortunately it's from an inexpensive vendor who makes it locally so she gets it for about $36/120ml. It's a coil destroyer and I think it's horrible but it keeps her off the analogs. At $3/10ml it might not be worth the experimenting.
I'm very happy I decided to try it. I also want to thank every single person who has ever posted advice in the DIY section. I read a lot (flavor choices alone for my first order was pretty overwhelming), learned a ton, got pointed in the right direction, and have had a wonderful DIY experience as a result. Thank you.
