Getting started in one paragraph

[sofarsogood]

@zoiDman as promised

The purpose of this approach is to garrantee you will like the taste of your first batch. So mix a batch of unflavored with the same percents of pg, vg, and nic as the pre mix flavor currently in your tank. Put a ml or two of the full flavored liquid in an empty dripper or dropper bottle and add an equal amount of your unflavored DIY. When your tank almost dry refill with the 50% diluted mix you just made. (There is no need to start with a clean coil since you are vaping the same flavor.) Give yourself time to get used to the reduced flavoring and you might like it better than the full strength original. If you like the reduced flavor recipe and can keep vaping it you've just reduced the cost of that flavor by 50% and proved you can mix successfully. Most likely all your pre mixes can be diluted. (25/75 may also work.) The next step is try some all-in-one flavorings. Add them in very very low percents and work your way up if necessary. Most recipes "fail" because there is too much flavoring. All in one's are easy and will be far less expensive than diluting pre mix. After that try recipies with complicated multiple flavorings, if you still feel the need.

 

[zoiDman]

That is kinda a 5 Mile View of One Way of doing DIY for the 1st Time.

 

[zoiDman]

@zoiDman as promised

...

BTW - If anyone is Wondering, this is where it came from...

A beginner road map should fit into one paragraph. The complicated stuff can come after he's proved too himself he can make something he likes to vape. Some people will want to invent the next million dollar flavor. Others might be content with all--in-ones or diluting premix. The more DIYers the better.

That sounds Great in Theory. But I'm not sure in Practice it could be Done. Explaining DIY to someone might take a Little More than a paragraph.

But go ahead and Post your Paragraph. I would love to see it.

 

[Jdurand]

If this was my intro to DIY, i'd still be buying store bought juice.

If the intent here was to simplify the "getting started" process then it missed the mark. Are you guys looking for a simple DIY guide? Or am I missing the context somehow?

 

[zoiDman]

If this was my intro to DIY, i'd still be buying store bought juice.

If the intent here was to simplify the "getting started" process then it missed the mark. Are you guys looking for a simple DIY guide? Or am I missing the context somehow?

I'm Not. But please Post It if you know of One. Good Information is Always Welcomed.

I just Didn't Think that an Intro to DIY could be Summed Up in One Paragraph. But wanted to give the OP the Benefit of the Doubt until I saw the Paragraph.

My thoughts Haven't changed.

LOL

 

[sofarsogood]

That is kinda a 5 Mile View of One Way of doing DIY for the 1st Time.

What discouraged me for months from starting to mix was the perception that I'd buy $100+ worth of stuff plus a shoebox full of flavorings and then I'd mix a bunch of them together but I couldn't try the results for days while it "steeped" and I'd have to have an rda for testing which means I'd have to be rebuilding and I wasn't involved in either of those at that point. None of that is necessary simply to get started and prove it can work, is easy and worth the time.

Instead of recommending all these prerequisites and complexities to beginners how about just dilute some pre mix that's already in the tank you are using and try vaping that. If it works you're vaping flavors already proven for half or a quarter of the cost. For many people that will be as far as they want or need to go, at least until the government bans their favorite pre mix. When that happens may be they'll at least have some nic in the freezer because they weren't scared off by over complicated mixing advice.

 

[zoiDman]

What discouraged me for months from starting to mix was the perception that I'd buy $100+ worth of stuff plus a shoebox full of flavorings and then I'd mix a bunch of them together but I couldn't try the results for days while it "steeped" and I'd have to have an rda for testing which means I'd have to be rebuilding and I wasn't involved in either of those at that point. None of that is necessary simply to get started and prove it can work, is easy and worth the time.

Instead of recommending all these prerequisites and complexities to beginners how about just dilute some pre mix that's already in the tank you are using and try vaping that. If it works you're vaping flavors already proven for half or a quarter of the cost. For many people that will be as far as they want or need to go, at least until the government bans their favorite pre mix. When that happens may be they'll at least have some nic in the freezer because they weren't scared off by over complicated mixing advice.

I think where you are Missing it is when people Post Suggestions or Recommendations, that they are saying you have to do it this way.

And just because something Doesn't Work for you, doesn't mean it will not work for Other People. Or what you think is Enough to get someone going in DIY is enough to get someone Else going with DIY.

I also think you are being kinda Disingenuous to the Amount of Good Advice that is Posted in the name of what you consider Too Complicated or Not Necessary.

Simplifying DIY is Great. But thinking that Everyone can do DIY by reading One Paragraph seems kinda Naïve. Many People come to this Sub-Forum looking for Detailed Information about DIY. And for the Why People do DIY the way that they do.

 

[sofarsogood]

I think where you are Missing it is when people Post Suggestions or Recommendations, that they are saying you have to do it this way.

And just because something Doesn't Work for you, doesn't mean it will not work for Other People. Or what you think is Enough to get someone going in DIY is enough to get someone Else going with DIY.

I also think you are being kinda Disingenuous to the Amount of Good Advice that is Posted in the name of what you consider Too Complicated or Not Necessary.

Simplifying DIY is Great. But thinking that Everyone can do DIY by reading One Paragraph seems kinda Naïve. Many People come to this Sub-Forum looking for Detailed Information about DIY. And for the Why People do DIY the way that they do.

My first days vaping are still vivid memories. I was nervous and jumpy about the simplest things. How do you fill this thing, am i doing everything right, blah blah. It's a time of high anxiety because you're going to war against smoking, in effect yourself, a tough adversary. If I get to advise someone just starting I'm going to recommend what I believe will be their best chance for an easy early success because it's all about confidence. The endless details are irrelevent if you're not confident you can produce a vapable batch.

 

[zoiDman]

My first days vaping are still vivid memories. I was nervous and jumpy about the simplest things. How do you fill this thing, am i doing everything right, blah blah. It's a time of high anxiety because you're going to war against smoking, in effect yourself, a tough adversary. If I get to advise someone just starting I'm going to recommend what I believe will be their best chance for an easy early success because it's all about confidence. The endless details are irrelevent if you're not confident you can produce a vapable batch.

Sounds like you had it Pretty Bad.

But not everyone is in such a State when they get into DIY. So once Again, what might have been Better for You is Not Necessarily Best for everyone.

 

[sofarsogood]

Sounds like you had it Pretty Bad.

But not everyone is in such a State when they get into DIY. So once Again, what might have been Better for You is Not Necessarily Best for everyone.

The impression I got reading advice in this forum is that mixing is tricky and complicated. The only reason I didn't abandon the topic was the FDA threat. But I kept scanning the forum hoping to see some sensible advice and finally someone suggested diluting pre mix. That was all I needed to realize there is a failure proof way to get started. The option should be routinely, not rarely, offered to beginners. Let them decide if they want DIY to be hard or easy.

 

[PapawBrett]

One Paragraph ;
Read Blogs by @dannyv45, @Bill's Magic Vapor, and others. Read, read and read some more. Research as many recipes as you can. Look for simple, easy recipes. Familiarise yourself with the 20 drop, 50 drop, and 100 drop Test Methods. Buy in small quantities. Eight milliliter bottles of flavor concentrate are plenty to start. Make test batches of easy to follow recipes. Always Practice good cleanliness when mixing. 90% Isopropanol and Hot Water should be readily available. Start small, don't over complicate it, keep everything clean.
Good Luck !

dannyv45's blog | E-Cigarette Forum

Bill's Magic Vapor's blog | E-Cigarette Forum

Recipes for Dummies

 

[zoiDman]

The impression I got reading advice in this forum is that mixing is tricky and complicated. The only reason I didn't abandon the topic was the FDA threat. But I kept scanning the forum hoping to see some sensible advice and finally someone suggested diluting pre mix. That was all I needed to realize there is a failure proof way to get started. The option should be routinely, not rarely, offered to beginners. Let them decide if they want DIY to be hard or easy.

Like I said, One Size Doesn't Fit All.

And Many People who come to the ECF looking to do DIY are not going to be Satisfied by doing this...

"So mix a batch of unflavored with the same percents of pg, vg, and nic as the pre mix flavor currently in your tank. Put a ml or two of the full flavored liquid in an empty dripper or dropper bottle and add an equal amount of your unflavored DIY."

... because their Goal is Not to Dilute what they Already, but to be able to Make Retail Tasting Flavored e-Liquids from Scratch.

And, Like it or Not, for a New Person making e-Liquids from Scratch it involves Many Steps, Options, Methods, Techniques, and Questions.

Now, you may see these All these as Tricky and Complex. But they Really aren't. As Many/Most who have tried DIY know and Understand.

 

[Eskie]

One Paragraph ;
Read Blogs by @dannyv45, @Bill's Magic Vapor, and others. Read, read and read some more. Research as many recipes as you can. Look for simple, easy recipes. Familiarise yourself with the 20 drop, 50 drop, and 100 drop Test Methods. Buy in small quantities. Eight milliliter bottles of flavor concentrate are plenty to start. Make test batches of easy to follow recipes. Always Practice good cleanliness when mixing. 90% Isopropanol and Hot Water should be readily available. Start small, don't over complicate it, keep everything clean.
Good Luck !

dannyv45's blog | E-Cigarette Forum

Bill's Magic Vapor's blog | E-Cigarette Forum

Recipes for Dummies

Water is good. What's the isopropanol for?

 

[leftyandsparky]

Water is good. What's the isopropanol for?

Cleaning

 

[Eskie]

Cleaning

See? There's something new to be learned here every day.

 

[PapawBrett]

I clean my mixing equipment (pipettes, syringes) with 90% Iso then hot water after each use. Not each recipe - each use. The only exception is going from VG to VG-base Nicotine. I try to keep everything clean - countertop, equipment, everything- when mixing using 90% Iso and Hot Water.

 

[Cosmic_Glaze]

So I've been researching DIY ejuice for a bit now.... think I'm gonna pull the trigger and put an order in at the end of the month. This is what I've gotten out of it.... I've studied the process. Steeping, understanding the calculators, mixing by weight, understanding the differences in flavorings (ex. companies differ and a "strawberrys" are not the same everywhere), the effects of sweeteners & AP, differences in creams/custards/marshmallow and how they compliment each other through balance. But the best advice I got was (K.I.S.S.) Find 3-4 recipies that I want to try and purchase the flavoring for them... 2-4 ingredients to them to start... I decided to focus on some simple fruit recipies, menthol recipies, and basic fruit and cream recipies.... from there I can cross utilize the fruits together as blends and also in fruit cooladas and menthols.

Hope that made sense. Does that sound like a good start up plan?? Open to any advice, thanks.

 

[leftyandsparky]

So I've been researching DIY ejuice for a bit now.... think I'm gonna pull the trigger and put an order in at the end of the month. This is what I've gotten out of it.... I've studied the process. Steeping, understanding the calculators, mixing by weight, understanding the differences in flavorings (ex. companies differ and a "strawberrys" are not the same everywhere), the effects of sweeteners & AP, differences in creams/custards/marshmallow and how they compliment each other through balance. But the best advice I got was (K.I.S.S.) Find 3-4 recipies that I want to try and purchase the flavoring for them... 2-4 ingredients to them to start... I decided to focus on some simple fruit recipies, menthol recipies, and basic fruit and cream recipies.... from there I can cross utilize the fruits together as blends and also in fruit cooladas and menthols.

Hope that made sense. Does that sound like a good start up plan?? Open to any advice, thanks.

That is a good plan!
Do you have bottles and mixing wares?

 

[Cosmic_Glaze]

That is a good plan!
Do you have bottles and mixing wares?

No I have not bought anything yet.. just started doing some pricing on vendors. Do you have experience with Ecigexpress???

 

[leftyandsparky]

No I have not bought anything yet.. just started doing some pricing on vendors. Do you have experience with Ecigexpress???

I understand they are a good company, I've never ordered before from them. I usually order from my freedom smokes.
I only diy with menthol crystals and vg, and they carry both.