For purists (kind of)

[vapola]

Hi all,

I don't want to sound like hypocrite, but I guess I am since I smoked analogs for almost 20 years! I don't know how I was able to live like this but I was always conflicted because everything else in my life is pretty healthy. I buy everything organic (if possible) and even natural/biodegradable laundry detergent. I am an acupuncturist, etc. you get the picture. So I don't want to sound judgmental, I judge myself mostly, not others. So this is why I call myself a purist, kind of....
Anyway, I am new to vaping (started in January, did it for 3 months, then slipped and restarted again last Saturday). Now all I want to do is mix my own e-liquid, as pure as possible. I found a source online to buy VG (NOW brand). I also found pretty cool liquid herbal tinctures (of rosehip, chamomille and passionflower) that can be used as flavoring. Now I am wondering what is the cleanest source of nicotine. Yes, it is unbelievable but I am considering getting some organic tobacco and extracting my own nicotine. I think I read on this forum that it is possible to extract it by soaking it (either in water or pure grain alcohol, sort of like an alcohol tincture). However, it would be nice to buy pure nicotine from a safe source. Also as crazy as it sounds I am wondering if there is organic VG somewhere?

Please tell me I am not the only crazy nut on this whole forum!

Thanks
-vapola

 

[LaceyUnderall]

Vapola - Purest form would be to plant tobacco in your garden

Purest form for extraction, IMHO, would be to purchase loose tobacco from American Spirit. Granted, they do use chemicals on their fields, but they do boast the "no additives".

Soak and strain. Personally, soaking it in alcohol doesn't seem right and I have found that if you put your tobacco into a glass jar and let it soak in your VG for a bit... it works quite well.

I haven't found any studies or content in negative regarding American Spirit.

If anyone else has... I would love to see what you have

 

[vapola]

Thanks, Lacey! It is a good idea. Here is organic tobacco from American Spirit - actually ORGANIC, not just additive free:

American Spirit Organic Blend Pouch
$8.00
Natural American Spirit is the only roll-your-own cigarette tobacco that is 100% certified organic. Organic Blend Rolling Tobacco, in the maroon pouch, features our premium quality, U.S. grown, additive-free, 100% certified organic tobacco. It is available in our regular cut in 40g resealable zipper pouches. Certified organic by Quality Certification Services under USDA standards. Each pouch of American Spirit Organic contains 50 rolling papers.

 

[LaceyUnderall]

ooh... just be careful with the maroon pouch as the woman in my local smoke shop said she thinks it is way stronger than that in the green pouch. I haven't tried it personally, so I am not sure... but keep that in mind when you start your concocting... which is quite fun by the way

 

[vapola]

It is OK, stronger is better, can cut it with more VG then (assuming Iwill actually undertake this alchemical project!)

 

[LaceyUnderall]

It is OK, stronger is better, can cut it with more VG then (assuming Iwill actually undertake this alchemical project!)

If you are soaking... you could use more VG, but that would yield a larger batch... or you could soak less. Either way, if and when you do partake in this little adventure, let me know how the organic works for you. Would love to hear about it

 

[Jules22871]

How would you be able to tell what the nicotine level is doing it yourself?

 

[LaceyUnderall]

I base mine on how I feel. Totally unscientific. But after 15 years of smoking... too much is obvious and since I am playing for my own benefit, I always error on the vape more with less nicotine...

 

[vapola]

I doubt some (or most or all?) of the suppliers or DIY'ers know how much nicotine there is in their e-juice. After all, even tobacco leaves are a product of nature and there is no way to know if they all have the same potency. This does not bother me much because I will go based on how I feel

 

[Jules22871]

I doubt some (or most or all?) of the suppliers or DIY'ers know how much nicotine there is in their e-juice. After all, even tobacco leaves are a product of nature and there is no way to know if they all have the same potency. This does not bother me much because I will go based on how I feel

Wasn't trying to discourage you at all from doing it this way. I was honestly just curious if you could tell what the nic level was.

 

[vapola]

I read the DIY forum until I found this - scroll below (posted here a while ago).

So I ordered organic American Spirit RYO tobacco, pure VG (NOW brand) and herbal tinctures online. As soon as it arrives, I will be making my own, first pure and organic e-liquid If you are interested, I will be posting updates here.
--------
Originally Posted by RedBullHighBride

I took a 95ml former mouthwash bottle (no idea what that is in real money, not big, not tiny) and stuffed it halfway full with coarse shag (haha) RYO tobacco. I wet that down with about 10ml vodka and let it sit for an hour or two.
Stuff was leeching out into the vodka so I topped it up with about 50ml VG and let that sit for 24 hours, giving it a shake occasionally.
After that time had a straw coloured liquid that smelled tobaccoey and was pretty much e-liquid consistency. I drew a few drops off with a syringe and gave it a vape. I got a fairly good tobacco flavour, loads of vape but it tasted a bit 'organic' if you catch my drift. In went a few drops of vanilla essence and a few drops of rum flavouring.
So while it had been sitting all day I had been thinking that nothing goes quite as well with tobacco as a coffee (apart from single malt but there's no way I'm vaping Laphroaig) so into the bottle went another good 5 rollies worth of baccy and a big spoon of coarse ground Java. I topped up the bottle to about 90ml with VG and let it sit again, for another 24 hours. Shake, shake, sit, sit.
When I got home from work and opened it up and had a sniff I nearly passed out from bliss. I filtered it through a coffee filter paper, then squeezed the rest out from the solids though a cotton wool bung'd syringe.
The results - 70ml of strongly flavoured liquid, dark like cola, tastes yummy, appreciable throat hit if taken in a long slow hit with a little air through the corner of the mouth. I cant imagine it has a very high nicotine content but I can see this being a highly sessionable liquid for in the evening - it tastes great, produces lots of vapour and is very satisfying. It's likely to become my liquid of choice for when I'm sat in front of the computer with a passthrough and vaping frequently.

 

[nikomoul]

Woa! Good job making your own. That's quite an experiment. I may have to try making my own "flavors" to add to vg.

 

[vapola]

Woa! Good job making your own. That's quite an experiment. I may have to try making my own "flavors" to add to vg.

Why not? It sounds like fun. It is kind of like cooking and sounds easier than making dinner for 8

 

[vapola]

I will be updating this thread with additional finds that can be included in the organic e-juice.
After some easy googling, i found this website that sells organic flavors: Take Your Diet to the Next Level with Organic and Natural Flavored Syrups and Toppings!
they have a ton of different organic based flavors that can be used for flavoring e-liquids. Here is the excerpt from their site (found when I clicked on Organic Green apple flavor):

The processes for making organic flavors are much the same as for making natural flavors. The ingredients are organic rather than just natural. You start by using only certified organic ingredients when available and when not you may use naturals provided they fit with in the definition of natural and only comprise less than 5% of the total amount when calling it 95% organic. When calling it 100% organic you must use only certified organic ingredients and nothing else.

Nature’s flavors carries both 95% and 100% certified organic flavors. It is our goal to produce only 100% organic flavor concentrates and extracts as the ingredients become available. In many instances we produce our own organic ingredients to satisfy our strict quality control requirements. Because the industry is still very young the technology's to make these ingredients are still evolving. The only solvents that we use in the development of organic and natural flavors are filtered RO water and organic alcohol. If we can’t extract the ingredients thru these methods then we don't do it.

Steam distillation is another method we employee. Fortunately this is in most cases the only methods needed to manufacture these unique flavor concentrates and extracts. A simple and common process for making vanilla extract is to take organic vanilla beans and grind them to a pulp then allow them to soak and extract in an organic alcohol/water mixture for a period of time sometimes for up to several months. Normally for a standard organic vanilla extract you would extract for a period of not less than fourteen days. That's how long Nature’s flavors allows its organic vanilla extract to age and extract. This method is common for our citrus and other fruit flavor extracts as well. There are usually some filtering and clarifying techniques that follow the extraction process before being bottled or packaged.

There are no chemical residues because there are no chemical solvents used. Many of the organic flavoring ingredients are derived this way first before being incorporated in to water based or oil based organic flavor concentrate. To make the organic flavor concentrates water soluble you must emulsify the oils that were derived and separated from the extraction process or steam distilling and that usually involves using an organic gum or starch and under high pressure and shearing. This process forces the oils and gums to be broken into very small particles and cling to one another with out reforming into there basic building blocks again. The entire process is safe and effective for producing the finest organic flavor oils, flavor concentrates, and flavor extracts. Nature’s flavors has pioneered many of these methods for producing these organic products. We are proud of our flavorings, spices, coffees, and all our organic products. We hope they bring you much enjoyment and satisfaction.

 

[vapola]

OK, so here are the ORGANIC flavors I am getting.
Interestingly when I went to check out, their site informed me that due to unusually high number of orders, it may take up to 14 days. I guess I am not the only e-smoker who discovered organic flavors, LOL.
Unless everyone started baking more? (I never in my life bought a flavor other than vanilla for anything until now!)

1 xOrganic White Chocolate Flavor Extract (Kosher, Vegan, Gluten-Free) Excellent for baking, ice cream, coffee syrups and in beverage applications!
- Sizes: 1 oz. (+$6.50)0%$6.501 xOrganic Vanilla Extract *Sugar Free* (1x Fold, Vegan, Kosher, Gluten-Free, 100% NOP Certified Organic)
- Sizes: 2 oz. (+$9.50)0%$9.501 xOrganic Raspberry Flavor Extract (Kosher, Vegan, Gluten-Free) Excellent for baking, ice cream, coffee syrups and in beverage applications!
- Sizes: 1 oz. (+$6.50)0%$6.501 xOrganic Hazelnut Flavor Extract (Kosher, Vegan, Gluten-Free) Excellent for baking, ice cream, coffee syrups and in beverage applications!
- Sizes: 1 oz. (+$6.50)0%$6.501 xOrganic Apple (Green) Flavor Extract (Kosher, Vegan, Gluten-Free) Excellent for baking, ice cream, coffee syrups and in beverage applications!
- Sizes: 1 oz. (+$6.50)0%$6.50

Sub-Total:$35.50FedEx Ground + Handling Fee:$12.76Total:$48.26

 

[Scubabatdan]

How about this? If you vape a batch of your mix then use a saliva nicotine test swab like this:
TobacAlert - Quantitative Instant Saliva Nicotine Test
or this:
NicAlert - Quantitative Instant Saliva Professional Nicotine Test + Second Hand Smoke
It should tell you how much nicotine is in your saliva.
Since it is affected by nicotine we should be able to dip it into the ejuice and come up with a ball park figure on the ng/ml level.
Just a thought.
Dan

 

[Nestran]

Is that a wise thing to do, making mixes from real tobacco? Don't some of the carcinogens <sp> leach out also?

I posted in my newbie thread that I tried an analog last night after a 21 day quit and I do not want that flavor in my vapor Yuka phatoee!

nestran

 

[Scubabatdan]

Is that a wise thing to do, making mixes from real tobacco? Don't some of the carcinogens <sp> leach out also?

I posted in my newbie thread that I tried an analog last night after a 21 day quit and I do not want that flavor in my vapor Yuka phatoee!

nestran

If it is organic RYO tobbaco, then the only thing leaching out should be the flavor of the leaf and the nicotine. The organic should not have all the pestocides and presevitives and additional stuff they add to tobbaco. All of the other carcinogens are from the burning process. At least you know what is in this juice, best would be to grow your own IMO.
Dan

 

[Nestran]

Ah ok, I didn't realize that. I did some surfing on tobacco and see what your talking about. Lead me to snus lol which is steamed and seems to be MUCH safer than the snuff here in the states.

Nestran

 

[vapola]

If it is organic RYO tobbaco, then the only thing leaching out should be the flavor of the leaf and the nicotine. The organic should not have all the pestocides and presevitives and additional stuff they add to tobbaco. All of the other carcinogens are from the burning process. At least you know what is in this juice, best would be to grow your own IMO.
Dan

That is exactly my thinking too. Organic tobacco should not have any additives or pesticides, at least in theory. Still waiting for my orders to arrive here and still wondering about PG vs VG to add to my future tobacco juice!