Flavoring company choice for newb and shelf life

[Ryedan]

Do any of you have any thoughts about which flavoring company I should start out with? I've been looking at these options - Lorann, FA, Capella, Flavor West, Faeries Finest and TPA. So far I'm leaning towards TPA. They have a very informative web site and I do not see them using any colorings.

And the second part of my question in the tittle - how about shelf life? Are any of them more or less sensitive to aging? How do you know if a flavor has gone bad?

Anything else I should be thinking of but don't know it yet?

Thanks for your help!

 

[flintlock62]

subscribed!

 

[MattBott]

Do any of you have any thoughts about which flavoring company I should start out with? I've been looking at these options - Lorann, FA, Capella, Flavor West, Faeries Finest and TPA. So far I'm leaning towards TPA. They have a very informative web site and I do not see them using any colorings.

And the second part of my question in the tittle - how about shelf life? Are any of them more or less sensitive to aging? How do you know if a flavor has gone bad?

Anything else I should be thinking of but don't know it yet?

Thanks for your help!

I've only tried TPA and LA. I'm a bigger fan of TPA since they are pretty much made for vaping, where LA is made for food and candy (meaning there are colors and other random stuff added). For your TPA (also known as TFA) flavors, I'd figure out what you want from their main site, then do your ordering at Wizard Labs. $1.50 for an 8ml glass vial. The only time you save money ordering direct from TPA is if you order the 4 ounce (about 120ml) bottles.

From what I understand, shelf life of flavorings is about a year. Someone correct me here if I'm wrong.

As for other companies, I've heard that Capella is good for beginners since the strength of all of their flavors are about the same. With TPA, you may have one flavor that is perfect at 1%, another at 10% and another at 20%, where capella is all good at 15% (I'm making this number up, but I think its 10 or 20%).

 

[Ryedan]

I've only tried TPA and LA. I'm a bigger fan of TPA since they are pretty much made for vaping, where LA is made for food and candy (meaning there are colors and other random stuff added). For your TPA (also known as TFA) flavors, I'd figure out what you want from their main site, then do your ordering at Wizard Labs. $1.50 for an 8ml glass vial. The only time you save money ordering direct from TPA is if you order the 4 ounce (about 120ml) bottles.

From what I understand, shelf life of flavorings is about a year. Someone correct me here if I'm wrong.

As for other companies, I've heard that Capella is good for beginners since the strength of all of their flavors are about the same. With TPA, you may have one flavor that is perfect at 1%, another at 10% and another at 20%, where capella is all good at 15% (I'm making this number up, but I think its 10 or 20%).

Thanks for the feedback MattBott! Much appreciated.

 

[Faylool]

Ok that means I'm good for a year cause I'll need to use it up.

 

[Hoosier]

Best for a newbie? Capella. Easiest to work with and quickest to making vapable mixes.

Shelf life? That stuff never enters my mind. I can't keep track of what I have and I'd never be able to add date codes to all those bottles. Discovered I had ordered the same flavor 3 different times, same size no less, and still haven't gotten around to trying any. It's a wonder what dropping a drawer out of my mixing storage will do for enlightenment.

 

[gimmieshelter31]

I'm no pro by any means. If Hoosier says Capella then Capella it is . I would like to throw out the super concentrated Chinese flavorings offered by Vapingzone and ecigexpress as a viable alternative for newbies also as many have had success with these in the 2.5% to 8% range. I only have two of them currently since I'm a big fan of FlavourArt and TFA. Of the two sc flavorings I have, I am a fan of the Dunhill. The Doublemint sc, I'm not so much a fan of.

Just another option for you to consider.

 

[Ryedan]

Thanks for the advice Hoosier and gimmieshelter. Looks like Capella is what I'll be looking at first. Of course it's a bit more complicated for me as I'm in Canada and sometimes US suppliers charge a lot for shipping, or do not ship up here at all, but at least I know better what I'm getting into.

 

[tidegirl]

I've only tried TPA and LA. I'm a bigger fan of TPA since they are pretty much made for vaping, where LA is made for food and candy (meaning there are colors and other random stuff added). For your TPA (also known as TFA) flavors, I'd figure out what you want from their main site, then do your ordering at Wizard Labs. $1.50 for an 8ml glass vial. The only time you save money ordering direct from TPA is if you order the 4 ounce (about 120ml) bottles.

From what I understand, shelf life of flavorings is about a year. Someone correct me here if I'm wrong.

As for other companies, I've heard that Capella is good for beginners since the strength of all of their flavors are about the same. With TPA, you may have one flavor that is perfect at 1%, another at 10% and another at 20%, where capella is all good at 15% (I'm making this number up, but I think its 10 or 20%).

To expand a bit on what Matt said, it's not that one percentage works for every person with every flavor. It's more every flavor usually works at the same percentage for that individual.

For example, I have made many capella juices at 10%. I chose 10% based on making samples at 5, 10, 15, and 20%. Since I now know that 10% is my personal sweet spot for Cap flavorings, I am pretty much willing to throw together a bottle of any new flavor at 10%, because I know that is 99% of the time where it is going to work for me. Your personal sweet spot, however, may be 5%, or 20%, or 12%... you get the idea. But once you find that percentage where you like a capella juice it is a pretty good bet that it is where you will like them all.

 

[Ryedan]

Thanks for the info tidegirl

 

[Vappa]

To expand a bit on what Matt said, it's not that one percentage works for every person with every flavor. It's more every flavor usually works at the same percentage for that individual.

For example, I have made many capella juices at 10%. I chose 10% based on making samples at 5, 10, 15, and 20%. Since I now know that 10% is my personal sweet spot for Cap flavorings, I am pretty much willing to throw together a bottle of any new flavor at 10%, because I know that is 99% of the time where it is going to work for me. Your personal sweet spot, however, may be 5%, or 20%, or 12%... you get the idea. But once you find that percentage where you like a capella juice it is a pretty good bet that it is where you will like them all.

Hmm, i tend to disagree with this. Maybe that works for Cap flavors, but certainly not for all brands. I use LorAnn, Inawera and FA and all of their flavors i need to mix at various ratios. Some work at 1-2%, other only at 15-20%. For example, FA 7Leaves is use at 2%, but their hazelnut needs 4%. Of course this is all personal preference.

For me, i test each individual flavor to get its (for me) optimum ratio. It takes some time (with 85+ flavors ) but the advantage is i know each flavor's taste, before i start to mix them together.

 

[tidegirl]

Hmm, i tend to disagree with this. Maybe that works for Cap flavors, but certainly not for all brands. I use LorAnn, Inawera and FA and all of their flavors i need to mix at various ratios. Some work at 1-2%, other only at 15-20%. For example, FA 7Leaves is use at 2%, but their hazelnut needs 4%. Of course this is all personal preference.

For me, i test each individual flavor to get its (for me) optimum ratio. It takes some time (with 85+ flavors ) but the advantage is i know each flavor's taste, before i start to mix them together.

I was only referring to Capellas flavors.

 

[JUDGMENT AFFIRMED]

Best for a newbie? Capella. Easiest to work with and quickest to making vapable mixes.

Shelf life? That stuff never enters my mind. I can't keep track of what I have and I'd never be able to add date codes to all those bottles. Discovered I had ordered the same flavor 3 different times, same size no less, and still haven't gotten around to trying any. It's a wonder what dropping a drawer out of my mixing storage will do for enlightenment.

Hi Hoosier,
But, if you would let it enter your mind, could you reassure those of us who may have gotten carried away on flavors. Have you ever thrown a flavor in the trash because you felt it was bad? And if so, how old was it?

 

[Hoosier]

Yes, I have, but it was because the "flavor" was actually burnt sugar suspended in PG and not actually a flavoring.

I have some old Kona sealed in two ziplock baggies as I refuse to touch it again, but can't bring myself to throw it away...yet...

I have yet to have a flavor "go bad" on me. That may change sometime down the line...