Going to make my own Oak Barrel Reserve. Need Help, 1st Try

[Muggs]

I'm in love with oak barrel reserve juices but they are very pricey. So I'm thinking of taking the next step and making my own. I plan on getting a 1 liter oak wiskey barrel and some DIY supplies.

Ok so I'm buying 2 236ml bottles of pre-mixed unflavored 80PG/20VG nic liquid at 18mg and a few flavorings like vanilla, pipe tobacco, maple and american tobacco.

If I took 1 15 ml bottle worth of the unflavored pre-mix, what % of that mix should be the total amount of flavoring (I will divide it by the 4 flavors)? I hear anywhere from 20% to 40% but what have you guys found to be a good general starting point?

Once I nail the ratios down, i'll make a big batch of it and to the barrel it goes for a while.

Any other suggestions on flavors? I think these would go well with the chared oak barrel notes.

vanilla
pipe tobacco essence
maple
american tobacco essence
toasted almond
brown sugar

Rough cost breakdown

1/2 liter (472ml) 80PG/20VG 18mg nic unflavored e-juice - $60
1 liter white oak barrel with cleaning kit - $50
6 X flavorings @ $4 each - $24
12 X glass 30ml bottles with droppers - $13
I already have about 20 empty 15ml plastic bottles for taste testing

Grand Total: $147 to make 472ml of reserve which is about $0.32 per ml which is roughly $5 per 15ml. Not bad.

 

[MarkyD]

Try FlavourArt Oakwood and/or TPA Red Oak. Nothing spectacular, but they do work fairly well alongside tobacco flavors when used in small amounts. Both have hints of vanilla and coconut.

 

[Muggs]

Thanks for that info my friend. I plan on making a tobacco flavor juice and steeping it in the cured oak barrel for a while.

 

[MarkyD]

Anyone else with me in thinking that these companies claim of "aging eliquid in oak barrels" to be simply a ruse for getting people to pay $37.50 for 30ml? Thats quite ridiculous considering I can basically make the same thing for about $1.50. The one company even advertises "in it youll taste 2 vanillas and coconut". Hmm, isnt that what I just said about TPA Red Oak? Oak barrels... snake oil!

 

[Masterlock]

5 liter oak barrel? What if it sucks? Sounds like you will be flushing a TON of DIY supplies down the toilet if it does. Hey it might be amazing but if this is your first run at DIY liquids I would suggest you divide that quantity by about a thousand and see how a non oak barrel steeping goes for you.
On a side note I'm planning on steeping my next batch of e liquid in a human skull and selling it for a thousand bucks per 30ml if anyone is interested, it will be amazing!!!


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[Extraunordinary]

From my experience PG and VG will not pull flavor from the barrel. You need a rather high percentage of alcohol to pull flavor from the wood.

 

[Blueser]

You have just been.......................................................PUNKED!

 

[MarkyD]

TPA and FA bottled my oak barrels for me.

 

[harvinstl]

Thanks for that info my friend. I plan on making a tobacco flavor juice and steeping it in the cured oak barrel for a while.

When using smaller barrels, less is more. These smaller barrels have more surface area so you would need less time.

Honestly I'd use oak chips first. Most homebrewing stores should have them.

 

[Crunktanium]

On a side note I'm planning on steeping my next batch of e liquid in a human skull and selling it for a thousand bucks per 30ml if anyone is interested, it will be amazing!!!

If you allow it to steep with the brains intact I bet the flavor will be SUPER intense.

Need that whole decomposition process if you really want to bring out those grave worthy floral notes.

 

[dannyv45]

I'm going to steep over an open pit hickery smoke fire. I'll have it made once I Figure out how to keep the plastic bottles from melting

 

[mirandag819]

On a side note I'm planning on steeping my next batch of e liquid in a human skull and selling it for a thousand bucks per 30ml if anyone is interested, it will be amazing!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

LOL Sounds perfect for a Zombie Provari!

 

[Muggs]

From my experience PG and VG will not pull flavor from the barrel. You need a rather high percentage of alcohol to pull flavor from the wood.

So how do 5 Pawns and Steam Co. do it? I spoke to a DIY guy I know and he said get a 1 liter barrel, cure it, fill it with grain alcohol nad water for 3 days before putting the tobacco e-juice in it and let it sit.

Anyone else with me in thinking that these companies claim of "aging eliquid in oak barrels" to be simply a ruse for getting people to pay $37.50 for 30ml? Thats quite ridiculous considering I can basically make the same thing for about $1.50. The one company even advertises "in it youll taste 2 vanillas and coconut". Hmm, isnt that what I just said about TPA Red Oak? Oak barrels... snake oil!

I have vaped Steam Co.'s oak barrel Gentlemen's Reserve and there are many more flavors and complexity to it. It's a unique flavor.

 

[Stosh]

When using smaller barrels, less is more. These smaller barrels have more surface area so you would need less time.

Honestly I'd use oak chips first. Most homebrewing stores should have them.

Considering Bud's famous "Beechwood Aging" is done with chips and not barrels this would be a great idea.
Personally, I would char the oak chips first, maybe in a tin-foil pack first to get that "smokey" bourbon flavor, but I love a good bourbon....


edit: I got to stop reading these threads...the hobby is getting out of hand...

 

[disco180]

Muggs at the end of the day its all about perception and taste buds....If I was to hand you a bottle of e-juice and tell you that it uses fresh cut rose pedals from the White House Lawn mixed with Dom Pérignon champagne your brain will trick you into tasting just that when in fact its TFA Champagne and TFA Rose Candy, I won't tell you about the orange and lemon i threw in it and then it becomes unique.

 

[Muggs]

Considering Bud's famous "Beechwood Aging" is done with chips and not barrels this would be a great idea.
Personally, I would char the oak chips first, maybe in a tin-foil pack first to get that "smokey" bourbon flavor, but I love a good bourbon....


edit: I got to stop reading these threads...the hobby is getting out of hand...

Oak chips are another idea. I would char the inside of the barrel if I go that route but chips are also interesting. Same concept and cheaper than a $45 1 liter oak barrel.

Muggs at the end of the day its all about perception and taste buds....If I was to hand you a bottle of e-juice and tell you that it uses fresh cut rose pedals from the White House Lawn mixed with Dom Pérignon champagne your brain will trick you into tasting just that when in fact its TFA Champagne and TFA Rose Candy, I won't tell you about the orange and lemon i threw in it and then it becomes unique.

What? I just want a smokey cured tobacco flavor juice man I would never belive your White House rose pedal story haha.

 

[dannyv45]

Well I see 2 steps to this.

step 1

Perfect your base mix. And do it in small test batches (5ml) until you get the desired flavor. This way you wont be wasting liters of materal.
Once you come up with that final formulation just steep it the traditional way and see how it comes out. This way you'll have a baseline to compare it to barrel steeping.

Step 2.

Once you've found your formula for that final mix then make a big batch and barrel steep it.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

[Muggs]

Thanks danny I appreciate that and will do.

Ok so I'm buying 2 236ml bottles of pre-mixed unflavored 80PG/20VG nic liquid at 18mg and a few flavorings like vanilla, pipe tobacco, maple and american tobacco.

If I took 1 15 ml bottle worth of the unflavored pre-mix, what % of that mix should be the total amount of flavoring (I will divide it by the 4 flavors)? I hear anywhere from 20% to 40% but what have you guys found to be a good general starting point?

Once I nail the ratios down, i'll make a big batch of it and to the barrel it goes for a while.

Any other suggestions on flavors? I think these would go well with the chared oak barrel notes.

vanilla
pipe tobacco
maple
american tobacco

 

[dannyv45]

Thanks danny I appreciate that and will do.

Ok so I'm buying 2 236ml bottles of pre-mixed unflavored 80PG/20VG nic liquid at 18mg and a few flavorings like vanilla, pipe tobacco, maple and american tobacco.

If I took 1 15 ml bottle worth of the unflavored pre-mix, what % of that mix should be the total amount of flavoring (I will divide it by the 4 flavors)? I hear anywhere from 20% to 40% but what have you guys found to be a good general starting point?

Once I nail the ratios down, i'll make a big batch of it and to the barrel it goes for a while.

Any other suggestions on flavors? I think these would go well with the chared oak barrel notes.

vanilla
pipe tobacco
maple
american tobacco

Your way off the mark with tobacco percentages. THis is why you need to make test samples. tobaccos come in different strengths depending on the manafacture. So you can use anywhere from 5 - 15% depending on the flavor and manafacturier. If your going to do tobaccos you should be using a flavor made with a natural tobacco essesence that will react with the wood barrel and not the synthitic crap. I recommend hangsen flavors.

Before you even start you need to do some research. It's not as simple as mix/shake and vape. Please read the following

Read my blogs before getting started

E-Cigarette Forum - dannyv45 - Blogs

then read hoosier's blogs.

E-Cigarette Forum - Hoosier - Blogs

then read the stickies at the top of the page.

this will explain a lot of the how's and why's.

 

[emus]

Sounds like a fun project. I would steep a few 30 ml batches w/ different types of charred wood shavings. I would leave the nic out. I would draw a sample annually. I'd probably get impatient and use JD for flavoring in the mean time.

Stosh is right, this hobby can get out of hand.