Guide to DIY Flavoring

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Nikhil

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Should I sticky this? I'm too modest to just do it without knowing people feel that it's worth being a must read type of thing. If it were to be a sticky, what other information do you think would be vital in a guide like this?

Also, I just got some flavors from Perfumer's Apprentice and will post after more thorough testing (so far Apple is ok, Caramel is great, Lime is great, and the Sweetener is great).
 
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Kurt

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PureVapor, outstanding job! Bookmarking this thread, as I am sure I will be referring to it often. Thank you for posting this.:thumb:

I agree with Levy, DIY noobs should start with low nic levels until they get the inevitable mess-stage of mixing behind them...and it will get messy. I recommend getting syringes of a variety of sizes and get used to using them. They are cheap, and they will remove much of the safety concerns, and make DIY very fast and very accurate. Drops sizes can vary dramatically between liquids of different viscosities, and if you are using very high-nic liquid, this can mean the juice you make may have a LOT more nic than you think. Safety first, last, and in the middle.

And I agree, this should be a sticky.
 

Nikhil

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Lilibet, 80 proof should be sufficient since the rest is mainly water. The point of using a high proof is to maintain purity so you don't vape anything you don't have to, as well as using a small amount with strong results. However, you can get up to 100 proof vodka in any state. You might also try to get Bacardi 151 which is 151 proof. Just ask the guy at the liquor store for the highest proof alcohol at the lowest price. :p

Thanks Kurt, and I did put in a warning about using no more than 50mg/ml in the guide after his post. I'll update with the syringe information now.
 

Lilibet

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Lilibet, 80 proof should be sufficient since the rest is mainly water. The point of using a high proof is to maintain purity so you don't vape anything you don't have to, as well as using a small amount with strong results. However, you can get up to 100 proof vodka in any state. You might also try to get Bacardi 151 which is 151 proof. Just ask the guy at the liquor store for the highest proof alcohol at the lowest price. :p
Thanks! I checked online and our state-owned liquor stores do carry Bacardi 151 so I'll pick up some. I lived in California for years and there you can buy pretty much anything at any corner store. Here, it's much more stringent and restrictive.
 

Lilibet

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By the way Lilibet, you said you use Tasty Puff, which I don't have much information for. Could you share at what strength you use the flavors you have and what you'd rate them?
Sure, but as I said, my experience so far is limited. The flavors I use most are:

Chumpy Chocolate, about 15%, love it: 5/5
Chick Magnet Cherry, 10%, also 5/5
Pucked Up Pineapple, 15%, 4/5

Others I've tried are:

Midnight Spice, 10%, interesting at first, but doesn't wear well, at least for me: 2/5 It's also hell to get out of my atomizer; I soaked it in Crest Pro Health a few times and I think it's finally gone.
Joosy Froot, 15%, nasty chemical taste: 0/5
Perhaps these two would be better at lower concentrations but there are so many good flavors that I haven't gone back to them.

I also have, but haven't yet tried:

Cool Menthol
California Orange
 
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Nikhil

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Nice review, I've updated with your ratings. I was surprised at the Joosy Fruit rating, the other couple of reviews I found have been pretty good, but if it does have a chemical flavor it definitely isn't for everyone. I've also updated with some PA flavors from my recent testing. Since it's a new brand I'd appreciate some reviews on them.

Is the Midnight Spice a licorice flavor or something else comparable to other brands? I'm asking because it would be unfair to those who like licorice to pass over a brand because it was rated by someone who dislikes licorice. That's probably my biggest concern with my average rating system - someone who hates an actual flavor rating it low when they wouldn't like that flavor no matter how true it was. I'm not picking on you, just wondering what flavor it is.
 

Lilibet

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Nice review, I've updated with your ratings. I was surprised at the Joosy Fruit rating, the other couple of reviews I found have been pretty good, but if it does have a chemical flavor it definitely isn't for everyone. I've also updated with some PA flavors from my recent testing. Since it's a new brand I'd appreciate some reviews on them.

Is the Midnight Spice a licorice flavor or something else comparable to other brands? I'm asking because it would be unfair to those who like licorice to pass over a brand because it was rated by someone who dislikes licorice. That's probably my biggest concern with my average rating system - someone who hates an actual flavor rating it low when they wouldn't like that flavor no matter how true it was. I'm not picking on you, just wondering what flavor it is.
Of course, it's very subjective and I bought the Joosy Froot because I read a few positive comments about it and I like the gum. I mixed it in a PG solution with 0 nicotine and disliked it so much that I threw it out.

The Midnight Spice possibly has licorice in it (which I like) and maybe some clove (which I also like) but the predominant taste and aroma was perfumy. I wish I could break it down for you but I don't know what it is. In the beginning I rather liked it but then it just became overwhelming. It's not a subtle flavor. :D
 

Nikhil

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Thanks again Lilibet. I've been testing the PA flavors, but I'm having a field day with their strengths. They're strong and variable, so I could really use some second opinions. Remember that all values up there are tentative, if you disagree just post! Also, any links you guys think are invaluable and might get buried would be useful for the last part of the primer.

EDIT: I also want to add a little section in Post 2 for flavor shops like http://www.medicineflower.com/flavorextracts.html that appear safe but haven't been tested. If you know some other potential suppliers, let me know.
 
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AlexTM

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This section is taken from FlavourArt's site as suggestions for flavoring usage:
(Removed all that had not changed. Alex)
Cowboy blend 2%
Desert ship blend 2%
Black cherry 4%
Vanilla bourbon 4%
Tiramisu 4%

There have been a few additions to that, when they updated the site to www.flavourartexpress.biz, not just new flavours added, but also some numbers changed:
Maxboro ultimate 2%
Cowboy blend 1%
Camtel ultimate 2%
Shade 2%
Desert ship blend 1%
Hazelnut 2%
Chocolate 4%
Vanilla 2%
Tiramisù 3%
Anise 1%
Peppermint 3%
Spearmint 3%
Menthol 3%
Licorice 4%
Cinnamon ceylon 3%
Black cherry 3%
(These are only the new and changed)

I'm not entirely sure the "Cinnamon ceylon" is the same as their plain Cinnamon they sold before, but I suppose so. In that case, I use it, as well as both mints and Vanilla Bourbon, at 4-5% instead. The 2% for Coffee Espresso I concur with.

All rated 5/5, except the Cinnamon, which I rate at 4/5. It's very good, but a wee little something is missing. More to come, have a few here and am testing them out.
 

HappyCamper

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PureV, awesome thread... thanks!!!
I hope this is a little help with the Tasty Puff.
I mixed up quite a few recipes all at once with Loranns, Cappella and Faerie's finest.
In the end, I needed to buy the Tasty Puff to fix some of them.
I can't really rate the % because my juices had no flavor or they were crappy and I used the TP to FIX them... but it only took a few drops for my 10ml and 15ml bottles.. AND Tasy Puffs get stronger after a few days.

Tasy Puff:
Rasta Rootbeer... 4/5- 1 drop at a time because after 2 days the flavor gets stronger, it's STRONG!!! Best used with Capella Vanilla Custard to mellow it out.
Electric Banana... 5/5- a few drops, yummy like Runts candy.
Pimpy fresh peach... 10/5- a few drops, .......ing Fantastic!!!
Convicted Melon... 4/5- about 2 more drops than the others, yummm.
Chumpy chocolate... 5/5- few drops, gonna have to buy more, almost used it up.. mmmm.
Awesome apple... 4/5- few drops, very tangy, like a cross between a sour apple jolly rancher and apple taffy.
Cotton Mouth Candy... 15%, one of the weaker flavors but reminds me of the circus. Probably great if you like the cotton candy flavor, not for me.
Joosy Froot... 3/5.. 10%, smells good but i agree with the chemical aftertaste.
Jungle Juice... 10/5, 5-8%, Tastes like Hawaiian Punch, :pyummmmm.
Blueberry... 3/5, few drops, It fixed my blueberry cheesecake that had no flavor. I first used Loranns, then Capellas.
Strawberry... 5/5, 5-8%, yummm.
Saved the best for last....
Nilly Vanilla...10/5, few drops will add flavor to the ickiest juice you have.
I love mixing 1/2 of this with 1/2 Capella Vanilla Custard, my FAV!!!:p



Faerie's finest:
Pumpkin... 1/5- used a TON, never got a pumpkin flavor.:(
Pie Spice... 3/5- few drops, tastes "spicy", I will use them in my pies, not my juice, (for use in pies I will grade it at 5/5 :rolleyes:... yummy).
Grape... 5/5- 15-25% (tastes like grape soda).

Whew, finally done typing:rolleyes::p;)
Trish
 
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vapor crew chief

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i have read over the posts and am still confused. can you use flavorings they sell in stores? like i have vanillia flavoring already. and it has pg in it but i dont know how much.

also, i dont understand the % that are used. i am trying to make 0 mg liquid for my wife. so if i wanted to make a flavor would i just mix pg with flavoring and water? sorry if i sound like a newb.
 

AlexTM

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VCC, if what you can get in stores in Ramstein is what you can get in Cologne, forget it, you need to order proper flavours. The flavours you get in stores are far too weak, and usually contain stuff like sugar and colouring, both of which you don't want.
I strongly recommend Flavourart, either from them directly or via Liberty Flights. LF has smaller bottles of the same flavours, neat, but of course more expensive in the end.

If you read German, have a look here and here, the 2nd article has a suppliers list of stores that are German or do ship here without insane shipping charges or customs problems.
You can of course, if you make no-nic juice, leave out all the bits about calculating nicotine content.

What you put into the bottle is PG, probably some VG, so the liquid is not too thin, but that's a bit a matter of taste, and flavouring. With mostly PG, extra water is usually not needed. The % tell you how much flavour you need to put into the juice. Some people use drops instead of %, but while it seems easier, there is so much variation in drops, numbers are next to meaningless, in my opinion.
But then, since you'd only throw away PG at around 18 Euros a liter, if things go wrong, you might give them a try.
 
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