Hardest part of diy

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xpackaday

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The hardest part was reading though hundreds of posts to learn before I jumped in, but it was the best thing I ever did. I learned soo much from others mistakes and borrowed already tried concoctions to mix myself.

Plus 1 on waiting for Wizard to ship or get things in stock.

If DIY stresses you out it may not be for you. I approach it as a fun part of vaping, being an evil chemist at play. Unless you follow the recipe of someone else (not my thing), imagination goes a long ways in upping your sucess with DIY. You never know what will work out with what fro you until you try it... taste after all is speculative and individual. I start with small test batches, usually 5ml and have 12 or 15 of them going at the same time (although I have 50 bottles for test batches). And I make notes when they are dripped as they steep, what my impression is along the way, what gear they are the best in, what I might try to improve them if they need it. When one hits so well it can be a ADV for me it gets a 30ml batch. Sometimes putting two test batches together at some percentage also makes them a winner. I have never tossed anything out. The ones that don't hit still get used one way or another, maybe "reworked" or added into something else sililar that will mask whatever I didn't like about them. At present I am working with about 40 flavors/additives, but have several others on the list for the next time I buy them. One of these days I'll maybe get into the fruits more too, only have 3 flavors so far and only one I like (for a tart caramel pear). On the list for today or tomorrow is to make 1 repeat 30ml ADV, 3 30ml ADV's from test batches that scored high and 4 new 5ml test batches I've dreamed up.

I do about the same thing, but some of those test bottles still taste like crap and I do need to trash them. But, I keep think some day I will figure out what there good for.
 

dannyv45

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To me the hardest part was comnig to realize that taste is so subjective that reading reviews / comment of others is most often not all that helpful other than that sounds good, perhaps I need to give it a try. There seems to be very few ejuices that most really like and even then within the DIY group we tend to use different flavoring percentage and different brands.

That's the beauty of DYI is being able to make a juice exactly to your likes.
 

Bob Chill

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When I mixed my first couple batches I grappled with the thought process that the more complicated the mix, the better the results. I learned pretty quickly that this isn't a good way to get started at all. My favorites are all 2 flavor combinations with some em/sweetner here and there when necessary. You can easily over think the whole process. That was one of the hardest parts with my first 3 goes at the mixing table. I tried to think too much and do too much.

My first home run was a simple HS tab blended and TFA dry4. It's so good that I have a small following asking for bottles. Best of all, it's so easy to make that you don't have to think much. I've found HS tobaccos to be extremely versatile and great tasting. Took a lot of the stress out when making stuff for myself because I really like tobacco'ish vapes and it was a great feeling realizing the you don't need to be a chemist to have success.

All new mixers should follow the "less is more" guidelines. It really takes some headaches out what is supposed to be a fun hobby.
 

FinallyQuit

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Spydro

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The hardest part for me is waiting for Wizard Labs to get things back into stock.

Certainly have to agree with that one lately anyway. The notification thing when they have something back in stock is a farce for me when I have to sign up for 75% of what I want to order. They creep into stock over time, but many are out of stock again before enough of them are in stock to place an order.
 

xpackaday

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My first home run was a simple HS tab blended and TFA dry4. It's so good that I have a small following asking for bottles.

I did the same flavor, but started add sevenleaf to the mix of the DRY4. 10% DRy4 and 5% sevenleaf. I could not DRY4 one time so I ordered seedman flavors much better tobacco flavor. I like the commercial and VA.
 

williebb123

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i generally make about 6 bottles at a time all different flavors , the only time i stress is when im in the middle of it and i run out of a flavor , either not enough for the recipe or dummy me forgot to reorder then i stress it just blows my whole program not that i couldnt make something else its just like craving that cheeseburger only to find they are closed nothing else will do
 

xpackaday

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I look at my stuff and if I'm running low on something I make up my mix based on the item with the lowest about. so I normally make 100ML, but if one of my flavors is low I will determine now much I can make base of the short flavor. So I may only make 48ml. Then I place an order for flavors I'm running low on. Once in awhile, I run out and have come up with a different juices and every once in awhile it's a keeper.
 

HeadInClouds

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Hardest part of diy...

is to STOP buying new flavors (have 70+ and keep ordering) :blink:

ah, also to find a proper Honey flavor (to mix with tobacco) which doesn't cause the vapor to smell like Urine :facepalm:

Oh, you're supposed to keep count of how many flavors you have? My bad :) Me too!
Have you tried Hangsen's Honey flavor? It seems quite true to me, certainly not urine (ew). Mine came from FastTech. Most of the other Hangsens I got were no go, but this one was fine. Honey, Peach, Vanilla Ice Cream, touch of brown sugar, whiff of lemon...not bad. (only the honey and peach were Hangsen flavors).
 

ut1205

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Hardest part of diy...

1) Like today, I have a bottle of Lorann's Peppermint Oil and came to the forum to find a starting place for my mix. I found everything from 1% to 20% "advertised" as being great. I have no clue where to start.

2) Making a recipe you found on the internet or this forum and finding out it taste like vomit.

3) Having a good mix that is just a little "off" then trying to fix it and screwing it up.

4) Trying to figure out which supplier's flavor is the best for juice when you numerous posters maintaining that TPA is best, no, FA is best, no, FW is best, no CP is the best................................
 

fadifafitto

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Oh, you're supposed to keep count of how many flavors you have? My bad :) Me too!
Have you tried Hangsen's Honey flavor? It seems quite true to me, certainly not urine (ew). Mine came from FastTech. Most of the other Hangsens I got were no go, but this one was fine. Honey, Peach, Vanilla Ice Cream, touch of brown sugar, whiff of lemon...not bad. (only the honey and peach were Hangsen flavors).

Thanks,
that sounds like a good recipe,
I will put Hangsen Honey on my 'to buy' list, together with Inawera honey which was recommended also,
I have Peach, also Vanilla from Hangsen, the only non tobacco hangsen that I have, but never tried them yet though,

Cheers,
 

Levitas

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Hardest part of diy...

1) Like today, I have a bottle of Lorann's Peppermint Oil and came to the forum to find a starting place for my mix. I found everything from 1% to 20% "advertised" as being great. I have no clue where to start.

2) Making a recipe you found on the internet or this forum and finding out it taste like vomit.

3) Having a good mix that is just a little "off" then trying to fix it and screwing it up.

4) Trying to figure out which supplier's flavor is the best for juice when you numerous posters maintaining that TPA is best, no, FA is best, no, FW is best, no CP is the best................................

1.) I never follow anyone's recommended %'s, though I do use them as a minor reference, i.e. This flavor is strong, I only use it at 5% (in which I'd mix it at 2% ;) )

2.) Again, I never follow anyone's recipe completely either. Not without at least testing the flavorings by themselves first.

3.) This happens more often than I can remember.

4.) Trial and error.
 

Spydro

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Hardest part of diy...

is to STOP buying new flavors (have 70+ and keep ordering) :blink:

I've finally started learning that one, the "new flavors" part, although I do replace the ones I use up regular. Do need to start buying those in larger bottles though.

Started DIY back in June with 18 flavors... 4+ months later 3 of them still have not been tried in anything.
Next order a month after the first I added 18 more new ones... 7 of them have still not been tried.
My last order with new flavors included was just 3 weeks ago when I stocked up on more PG/VG, but I only added 6 more new flavors this time.... 3 of them are still waiting to be tried.
So I'm kind of off the new flavor kick until I find out where I stand on all the ones I already have.

I was lucky to find ADV's right from the start, and keep remaking them 30ml at a time. I also do about a dozen small test batches at a time from other recipes with new flavors. There are many of those that have proved they can be ADV's for me as well. But I already have about 700ml of 15 different ADV's on hand ready to vape. So the new ones are waiting to be made in larger quantity when some of what I have on hand gets used up. With my new UC I can now make it up so fast that there is no need to have so much already premade on hand when I can make it ready to vape in such a short time period.
 

glycerol

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ruining a big batch of 250ml base with too much mint forcing you to buy another 250ml to dilute with so you kill the strong flavour, then you add some more aromas to mute it and you realize it's like 500ml of **** but still you gotta vape it since it costs a lot and you don't have other juices
 
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