Homemade vanilla flavor!

[purelyscientific]

Try 5 beans in 30-50mL....
Don't boil it on a stove top to reduce the amount. There are several reasons you shouldn't do this.
1. Excess heat will break down the flavor.
2. Boiling alcohol is dangerous.
3. Alcohol is antiseptic. Mold can't grow in alcohol. If you evaporate it off then you will have to add PG to prevent it from molding and going bad.

If you want to evaporate it quickly use a double boiler. However, I highly recommend you make it as concentrated as possible to begin with.

 

[Bryan lord]

Beanilla seems to have pretty good deals on beans. They say 5 beans in 8 ounces, that's where I originally learned that. Gonna try your way next time.

The PG one on the right is looking pretty decent. That's 9 beans in 9 ounces now.


-Lord

 

[purelyscientific]

Making vanilla extract is fun and simple! Simply take 5 whole vanilla beans, split lengthwise and add to 8 ounces of 35%+ alcohol. Any type of alcohol can be used, but bottom shelf vodka is most common because it will not add any additional flavors to the extract. Bourbon, rum and brandy can also be used. After 8 short weeks the extract is ready to enjoy.

Their TEK is for making home made vanilla extract, not for making home made vanilla e-cig flavoring.

I'm betting you'll have to use upwards to 30% after reducing to get anything close to what your looking for. Hey, I could be wrong though. Good luck.

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

Try 5 beans in 30-50mL....
Don't boil it on a stove top to reduce the amount. There are several reasons you shouldn't do this.
1. Excess heat will break down the flavor.
2. Boiling alcohol is dangerous.
3. Alcohol is antiseptic. Mold can't grow in alcohol. If you evaporate it off then you will have to add PG to prevent it from molding and going bad.

If you want to evaporate it quickly use a double boiler. However, I highly recommend you make it as concentrated as possible to begin with.

3 beans in 100ml is actually pretty concentrated thus far - it's aging now, as long as they're quality beans (i.e. not seconds or low grade), though 5 beans would probably really do some wonders.

The double-boiler method is just for PG, as per my suggestion. I don't recommend boiling off the alcohol as it leaves a rather funny taste in the extract (I've tried it). That, and the alcohol can do a number on other flavors if you blend - it killed an otherwise awesome caramel flavor I had blended with my alcohol-based vanilla extract using bourbon (Makers Mark).


Edit: I agree with you on their method of extraction. It's for backing extract, not flavoring something like e-liquid, so higher beans + lower liquid is where it's at. I started with 100ml to gauge 3 beans, though I may toss 1-2 more in there just for testing. I'll have to pick some more up as I've been buying 10-12 at a time since a local heath store sells organic and they are PLUMP!

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

You may be better off with darker glasses, such as Amber, Cobalt Blue or Green. Mason Jars are helpful for larger batches, but keeping the extract in a cool dark place in a dark bottle will help keep the light out of there. A little light isn't going to break things down, but for the aging process, it needs to be in the dark and a dark bottle helps keep it there .

Beanilla seems to have pretty good deals on beans. They say 5 beans in 8 ounces, that's where I originally learned that. Gonna try your way next time.

The PG one on the right is looking pretty decent. That's 9 beans in 9 ounces now.


-Lord

 

[Bryan lord]

Is it even worth it? How successful would you say it's been in e liquid? Do you use it as a mixer or stand alone vanilla vape?


-Lord

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

If you want what I would consider the perfect vanilla, yes it's worth it. You're not going to get any more pure than doing your own extract. Most of the vanilla's on the market are artificial. Ones that aren't are dang expensive and you really only have one choice, which is: deal w/ the alcohol and the potential taste or don't use it.

My PG Extraction (Heated) is used as a base instead of plain PG - so Vanilla PG is what blends with my VG and Nicotine as of right now . I use it with caramel, blueberry, strawberry, tobacco and tons of other flavors because it's not that overpowering nasty vanilla that you buy from stores. It's like, buttery (using Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans) and just an all around great base.

I've had comments on how pleasant it smells and how others would like to try some, so much that I have other ideas for it. But to stay on topic, yes, it's very much worth it, but like any other DIY hobby, it can get expensive to maintain and it is time consuming. It's not a one day project let alone a 1 month project.

Is it even worth it? How successful would you say it's been in e liquid? Do you use it as a mixer or stand alone vanilla vape?


-Lord

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

As for success (sorry I missed that one) - I'm vaping it mixed with OneOnOne's Creamy Caramel now. There's on 5 drops of CC in this mix and the rest of it is a 60/40 blend of Vanilla PG, basic VG and Nicotine.

I do have plans to do a VG base as well, so when I mix, it doesn't dilute. That's next, which may start tonight since just bought a gallon of PG & VG from Essentials Depot.

I'd rank it 9/10 right now and it's being vaped unfinished. To really get where it needs to be, what I have needs another 30-60 days min.

 

[Bryan lord]

Never thought to use it as a base, pretty neat idea. My PG one is still going strong so there's hope.


-Lord

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

Yep - As a base, it is pretty much perfect. Originally it wasn't going to be used as a base, but since VG weakens flavors and this extract isn't the store-bought alcohol-based version that is so overpowering and lacking the buttery notes you expect from MVB's, I decided to use it as a base. With the PG version working, VG is next so I should end up with a really nice PG/VG base that just needs a few drops of flavor instead of ML's of flavor.

The first sample I ran was 60/40 PG/VG using the vanilla PG base. I mixed that with my non-vanilla VG and 5 drops of caramel and boom, it was done. No big amount of flavor as the vanilla seems to enhance better than the sweeteners I was using.

Edit: By no big amount of flavor, I mean I didn't have to use a ton of creamy caramel to flavor this juice because the vanilla enhanced it. I did add some AP to add a slight doughy nutty flavor to it (2 drops in a 10ml bottle) and wow. Just great .

Never thought to use it as a base, pretty neat idea. My PG one is still going strong so there's hope.


-Lord

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

Quick Update

1). 3 Vanilla Beans per 100ml is a little low, so I upped it to 5. To do this, I replaced the 20ml of PG I took out for testing with fresh PG then sliced two fresh vanilla beans, scraped them out and dumped it all into the existing jar. It'll go back on the heat for another hour and then it goes back to aging.

2). Heating VG + 5 Vanilla Beans per 100ml works, but the VG does get a little "stickier." It still vapes good and clean, but just something to note. PG/VG mixes still work, but you'll notice the stickier aspect of the VG because of the vanilla that's now in it.

3). Alcohol extraction doesn't work all that well with heat applied and a low level of vanilla beans. If you're going to go the heating route with alcohol, you're going to need 5-10 beans for small batches, minimum. I have Captain Morgans Spiced Rum Ltd. Edition - Sherry Oak Finish, Makers Mark and Jim Bean Devils Cut - none of them taste good after 3 weeks and 3 beans each. It may get better in the next few months, but this should give you an idea that heating doesn't work too well on low bean counts and time is a factor when it comes to alcohol extraction (i.e. it's going to take some time).

 

[Danoman]

I too am doing this very thing with Dunkin' Donuts coffee and some good natural pipe tobacco. One thing I've already learned is that if you can, go get a coffee bean grinder to grind up what you plan to use to steep. The smaller particles of the flavoring, be it coffee, tobacco or even vanilla will be easier to break down in a quicker time period using the heated simmering water or a crock pot. I'm already seeing a HUGE difference in the process in just grinding it up before adding what liquid you're going to be extracting it in. Also, it makes filtering it out easier too... using an ultra fine mesh (like a metal mesh coffee pot filter) then filter it through several layers of the mesh to get your final product. I'm only using PG and VG as my extraction liquid btw.
Works for me here really well...

Danoman...

 

[Bryan lord]

Good updates and additions guys. My PG one is hitting 4 weeks soon, gonna sample it then.


-Lord

 

[we2rcool]

I too am doing this very thing with Dunkin' Donuts coffee and some good natural pipe tobacco. One thing I've already learned is that if you can, go get a coffee bean grinder to grind up what you plan to use to steep. The smaller particles of the flavoring, be it coffee, tobacco or even vanilla will be easier to break down in a quicker time period using the heated simmering water or a crock pot. I'm already seeing a HUGE difference in the process in just grinding it up before adding what liquid you're going to be extracting it in. Also, it makes filtering it out easier too... using an ultra fine mesh (like a metal mesh coffee pot filter) then filter it through several layers of the mesh to get your final product. I'm only using PG and VG as my extraction liquid btw.
Works for me here really well...

Danoman...

AGREE +1 KUDOS YESSIREEBOB!

Below are images of tobacco extracted in VG (using our ultrasonic) - and then diluted at various percentages. The first set was made using the organic pipe tobacco we used to stuff into cigarettes - straight out of the bag. The second is the same exact tobacco, but we thorougly macerated the tobacco in a coffee grinder first (it was very similar to an 'espresso grind'):

Same exact amount of time steeping in the ultrasonic (2 hours); same exact filtration (coffee filter, then through two cotton balls in a syringe, twice).

Did I mention? we definitely agree!

 

[Danoman]

AGREE +1 KUDOS YESSIREEBOB!

Below are images of tobacco extracted in VG (using our ultrasonic) - and then diluted at various percentages. The first set was made using the organic pipe tobacco we used to stuff into cigarettes - straight out of the bag. The second is the same exact tobacco, but we thorougly macerated the tobacco in a coffee grinder first (it was very similar to an 'espresso grind'):

Same exact amount of time steeping in the ultrasonic (2 hours); same exact filtration (coffee filter, then through two cotton balls in a syringe, twice).

Did I mention? we definitely agree!

That's exactly what I've seen too... the flavor really comes out and is MUCH stronger than i'd expected. With tobacco, use a really GOOD tobacco because, if you don't well... it will taste exactly like what your using. (ask me how I know... lol)

This may be redundant but, it's how I do it... *procedure takes 1 week to complete*
1. What I've done is grind it up to almost a fine sand/powder, (both coffee and tobacco) put it in a small glass container. (don't put a lid on it...)
2. get a plastic or glass container that's quite a bit larger than the container that has your raw product in it... (vanilla, coffee, tobacco or what ever you are trying to extract)
3. fill the glass jar that has the product for extraction at a 50/50 ratio of PG/VG enough to saturate it completely and stir it really good. This is the place where if you want to add a particular flavoring, do it here... like with tobacco a few drops of vanilla or caramel will 'soften' the flavor a bit later when you use it for mixing so it's not SO harsh. (Make sure that it's kinda' juicy and the product kinda' floats in the mixture) *I use a 50/50 ratio to make sure it's going to be as close to neutral in viscosity so it's easy to figure the percentage of PG/VG in the final stage of making your end result*
4. place the glass jar in a larger plastic or glass container and fill it 2/3 the way up to the smaller glass jar inside. (only that high to keep water from boiling up and into your product for extraction...)
5. Microwave the entire thing for 2 minutes at 50% power. Stir it really good, and do it again for 1 minute at 50% power. Stir and set in a safe place.
6. Twice a day, do the same procedure with heating, stirring, heating again and put it up in a safe place. Do this for 7 days...
7. At the end of the 7 days, you're ready to filter it and get your final product that you've been steeping. Do this by getting an ultra fine mesh (metal coffee filter works great for this...) filter it through one first to get the large particles from the liquid, then take another filter and fold it over at LEAST 3 times and use something to really flatten it to as thin as you can make it, filter it again into what you plan to store the final 'juice' in and that's it...

It's now ready for mixing into what ever cocktail you wish to make...

This procedure works great for me... (sorry if I sound redundant but, I wanted to learn how to do this before too so, this is more for newbies I guess. Just wanna' make sure they know what works for me and don't have to make the mistakes I made in the learning curve. I wasted a LOT of PG/VG and Nicotine learning this, and don't want them to suffer as much loss as I did)

Danoman...

 

[we2rcool]

I don't think it was 'redundant' at ALL! I think you just provided a TON of great information for newbies - and for anyone wants to learn to 'make their own'.

FAR too often on ECF/DIY we're led to believe that a method is 'tried & true' (by posters with far more ego than actual experience), so it's truly refreshing to see a post that clearly indicates both experience AND success!

Keep 'em coming!

 

[Danoman]

I don't think it was 'redundant' at ALL! I think you just provided a TON of great information for newbies - and for anyone wants to learn to 'make their own'.

FAR too often on ECF/DIY we're led to believe that a method is 'tried & true' (by posters with far more ego than actual experience), so it's truly refreshing to see a post that clearly indicates both experience AND success!

Keep 'em coming!

Thanks we2rcool... That's what I've seen on other sites too. Have YET to figure out why that has to be but, it's true. Some people have a TON of money they can put into this, I on the other hand don't. In fact, my budget for this was eaten up in the set-up I got when I started (Ovale Evic and 2 Kanger Pro Tank2's) so, I haven't had much left over to apply to learning how to do this on my own. It's one of the reasons I wanted to learn how to make my own liquid, because of the cost of buying pre-made liquids. Now that I've learned how to do it, i'll never go back to buying pre-made exclusively anymore. Of course, because of the cost and above all, it's really awesome to make flavors I REALLY like and i'm one that likes to experiment and tinker anyway... so this works for me. It's a bit of a learning curve at first but, once the very basics are down, it's actually fun now, looking like the 'mad' scientist making his next flavor to rule the world. (well, mine anyway)
Hahaha...

Speaking of... it's time to order new stuffs to play with. *gets that serious look again...*

 

[Jonathan Tittle]

How concentrated would you say the final product is? Perhaps mix ratios, just to get an idea .

Thanks for sharing!