Help! Started with the basics and made....garbage

[rallykid]

I decided to try my hand at DIY. I figured I would keep it simple. 60VG/40PG premix and add my flavorings. I figured 10% was a good starting point for flavoring and I would work from there. I measured out my mix, added 10% cheesecake (LO) flavoring and got something awful. Almost no flavor of cheesecake and an unidentifiable other flavor that was horrible.

Ok, possible newb mixing mistake, let's try again. Did my measurements of my 60/40 mix, added 10% TFA Apple Pie and the results were......the same flavor as above.

Any suggestions on how I am screwing this up? It. Any be this hard to mix 2 liquids together and get something usable.

Too much flavoring? Too little? Any advice is appreciated because so far the only flavors I have come up with seem like they should be named "Shark .........uhhhhh, feces" and "Armadillo Anus"

 

[440BB]

I would definitely try lowering the flavoring percentages by half. You may be able to salvage those liquids by thinning them and hopefully a little trial and error will get you going in the right direction! It takes some patience and fiddling to find flavors that fit your taste levels.

 

[AndriaD]

Mainly, if you only use 10% flavoring, it will need to steep probably several weeks, to taste like *anything at all*; secondarily, most really good vapes are not just one flavor, but several or more, combined to make something tasty -- if you eat fruit, you taste the flavor of the fruit... you taste sweetness... you may taste tartness... etc. There really isn't anything that tastes like just one thing, unless you like to eat plain sugar, or drink black coffee with nothing in it, etc. This is *particularly* true with TFA flavorings; they're building blocks, not entire edifices. You'll almost certainly need some kind of sweetener, for anything sweet tasting; creams and vanillas for the "base".

To be able to know if something is decent tasting right off the bat, you need AT LEAST 20% flavoring, or more. Otherwise you'll have to wait 2-3 wks just to know if it's any good or not.

My ADV is 30% flavoring -- a strawberry flavor, 2 creams, a vanilla, and sweetener, and it's vapable right when I mix it; best after about 3 days.

Andria

 

[Ablonz]

@rallykid Sounds like too much flavoring to me as well. Each person is different though. I would start out lower percentage like 3% Apple pie. That's what I use anyway. Some people require higher percentages. Always start low and work your way up until you get the flavor you want. It is ALWAYS easier to add flavor than it is to take out. Hope this helps.

 

[Ablonz]

As you read above two posts, you see 2 extreme measures.^^^Hence, each person is different. Here is a good read to start you out on a basic mixing. Read the bottom blog as that is what made the light bulb go on above my head when I started to DIY. Hoosier's blog | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[sketchness]

Percentage is not the issue here. Neither of these are really stand alone flavors. I have yet to find a cheesecake that is good by itself.

I rarely mix anything over 20% flavor and have many things that are good right away. But they get better with time mostly. Custards I mix must steep a few weeks. Cheesecake also needs to steep a while. Cheesecake graham crust from tfa is pretty tasty. Best mixed with fruit, cheesecake only vapes are pretty terrible in my opinion.

I hope you don't get discouraged and keep trying different things. My first 20-30 attempts at my own recipes were pretty wretched. Threw lots of stuff out. Today it is rare that I mix something that is awful.

 

[man00ver]

Next week they'll both taste better. Count on it.

My 10% TFA Apple Pie waited a week before I ever touched it. The only differences from yours: I made 50/50 12mg, and I added 3 more drops to my 15mL bottle (Sweetener, EM, AP). It wasn't strong, but it tasted like apple pie, especially in contrast to the 10% TFA Apple mix I made alongside it.

It certainly wasn't fancy, either. I've got a Gambit clone steeping for that.

I haven't tried my TFA Cheesecake yet, and I hadn't really planned to make a single-note mix with it anyway. But if I did, I wouldn't even look its direction for 2-3 weeks.

 

[B2L]

As you read above two posts, you see 2 extreme measures.^^^Hence, each person is different. Here is a good read to start you out on a basic mixing. Read the bottom blog as that is what made the light bulb go on above my head when I started to DIY. Hoosier's blog | E-Cigarette Forum

When I first started, Hoosier and Str8V8ping were the 2 whom I learned the most from, here's Str8s blog

DIY tips from Str8 | E-Cigarette Forum

Check out his flavor testing method, it'll save you time and money as well as helping to dial in your flavors.

Enjoy the journey!

 

[Hoosier]

Both had the same taste?

If both tasted alike, awful, this may not be a flavoring issue.

What does your unflavored mix taste like? Your plain PG and VG? vape some and see if the same taste pops up again...

 

[Whitaker2472]

Im thinking same thing as hoosier. What pg and vg are you using and what nic? Is it pre mix or you mix it up, and what are u using to measure with.

 

[Roland Reithinger]

1. Test your VG and PG Bases without any flavor. Some taste really awful and you will never get a good liquid with them.
2. Make liquids with single flavors. If you think they taste fine start mixing with them dual flavored liguids. If you think it tastes fine do the same with flavor three and so on. Make notes.

 

[rallykid]

Thanks everyone. Going to load up some of it unflavored and see what happens. Been traveling for work the last couple of days so haven't had time to do much.

I am using a premix from a local shop that I buy flavors at while waiting ever so impatiently for my nude nic order to show up. Going to play around with what I have while I wait for the other flavors and my NN order. I will post back with results of my findings.

 

[rallykid]

My nude nic order showed up today and I mixed up some banana split. Tasted great fresh so should be even better after a good steep. The base I was using before was horrible. Never going to buy anything from that shop again unless it is from a company I know.

 

[Hoosier]

Good to read that you've found the issue!