Juice review website from professional chef

[chefjosh]

I wish I'd had something like this available about a year ago.

Exact reason I started the website. When I first picked up vaping, 3 years ago this October, there were very few people doing it and nobody that I knew. I bought oodles of juice and when I inevitably didn't like 75% of them, they went right in the trash since I knew of nobody I could give them to. Looking back, thinking of all the money I simply threw into the trash, I decided reviews were something I wanted to do to PIF. Even after deciding that I wanted to review online, it took me well over a year to get moving and start work on it...and then countless hours wasted on sites like wordpress and blogger before deciding I was going to have build from the ground up. That's the reason I'm so thankful for all this support...makes me feel like all this time was well spent. So again, thank you.

 

[chefjosh]

I'd add, I only steep lid off for a few days at the most. If I think it needs more, I put the top back on.

Yeah, I kinda figured you knew what you were doing But I'm still glad you added that to help out the new vapers reading this thread.

 

[jonbkk]

Pink Spot was all over the place, and I agree, it was very hit or miss. The hits were great, but of the 8 I tried, I only loved 3.

Which three did you love?

 

[Varrius]

Wine aging occurs differently and does involve a chemical reaction, while it's not due to air being let in via the cork as stated (the cork is actually airtight creating a reductive atmosphere inside the bottle), it's a chemical reaction nevertheless.

I learned something new today! Thank you. I had always assumed a cork was used because it would slowly allow air through, I'm glad you edumacated me

I like your description on steeping, and the pinapple analogy. It makes more sense to me now, thinking about it that way. Having a chemistry background myself, and assuming they weren't sending us a lab kit in a bottle, I had assumed there was no actual chemical change during steeping. It appears that we agree that they aren't, and minimal or no chemical reactions are actually taking place. However, the dispersion of flavors and liquids taking some time (due to differing viscosities) makes sense.

I will say that I've had one juice in particular that I could smell the PGA (was a 100% VG juice and obviously diluted quite a bit) and I have been warming and opening that bottle in the hopes of getting the alcohol out. In the particular cases where a supplier uses alcohol of some sort, steeping with the bottle open could definately change things since the alcohol will evaporate.

I have also been steeping with lids off, at least for the first day or so. I think I'll limit it to 2-3 days and then keep the lids on so that I'm not allowing too much of the liquid to evaporate or oxidize.

 

[Varrius]

As a side note, I ordered 30 ml's (I should know better!) of Swagger last night. I hope my taste buds agree with yours. Your review made it sound like just what I'm looking for and the VG/PG ratio is right up my ally.

 

[gthompson]

If you don't like it I'll buy it from you. Half price of course, it'll have been used.

 

[Varrius]

If you don't like it I'll buy it from you. Half price of course, it'll have been used.

Deal, haha. I'm really hoping I like it since I've yet to find a juice that really does it for me.

 

[decay1134]

Very good! We need more people like you! I wish I had the hardware and knowhow to do something like this.

 

[gthompson]

Deal, haha. I'm really hoping I like it since I've yet to find a juice that really does it for me.

By the way, Swagger needed very little steeping (for me). It tasted great right out of the box, but it was so STRONG I decided to steep it a bit. Three days and it had calmed down a lot, and I couldn't wait any longer anyway. You'll see what I mean.

 

[chefjosh]

As a side note, I ordered 30 ml's (I should know better!) of Swagger last night. I hope my taste buds agree with yours. Your review made it sound like just what I'm looking for and the VG/PG ratio is right up my ally.

Yeah...30mls is a big investment straight out of the gate, but at least gthompson will take it off your hands if it's not for you. Keep in mind, while I may have gotten carried away a bit with the Swagger review, I do my best to keep my personal views out of the picture here. Whether I enjoy vaping something or not is of little to no consequence when I write the reviews. I'm doing my best to speak only to the overall quality, balance, and flavor composition of each juice, and Pink Spot nailed it with Swagger. It's deep, rich, nutty, sweet, and above all else smoother than a baby's .... once it's been properly steeped.

 

[lulu836]

I checked out your site and found it to be very, very informative. I (in the same vein as another poster) can only wish you had been around when I started my vaping journey. I spent so much money on the "glory halleujah" juices it was pitiful. Most of them are gone from my collection now thank heavens but I was about to chuck everything and go back to analogs when I decided to do the DIY thing. I have successes and failures but they only cost me $3/10ml bottle either way.

The community as a whole will benefit from your reviews so keep up the good work.

 

[Racehorse]

Just buy Halo and forget it.They are the best IMHO and i've tried quite a few and made a couple of homemade messes! Not to mention a few of Bubbas homemade juices I wish I had found Halo sooner........

People who want a high % of VG or PG-free can't use Halo, just want to mention. They also don't reveal, which is a pproblem for many of us.

 

[gthompson]

Not to mention different folks have different tastes, or else Halo would be the only ejuice supplier in the world.

 

[Racehorse]

KBV Rice Krispity Treat is my all day vape, this is a spectacular juice.

OMG thanks for mentioning this, haven't tried, but I love rice crispies, rice chex, and anything "rice", so this one goes on my to buy list.

Along with DC2's coffee suggestion from same vendor.

Now, if I can just get an order in


I agree with Shoga in that unless you find somebody with your *exact* taste buds and eating and lifestyle patterns, no review can be smack-on for you. I don't think this reviewer can "cover all the bases", however, I didn't EXPECT that. To me, any feedback that is more in depth and descriptive is going to help me more than somebody on an internet forum who just tells me "x is my favorite all day vape".

esp. considering how many people I know like fast food, I can't really *trust* their taste buds over mine, because I'm one of those odd people who find all fast food to taste absolutely disgusting. And I mean, I get sick if I eat it.

There's certainly a need for reviews by somebody who understands taste. Gordon Ramsey sure does love his meat, I don't, but that doesn't mean I want to vape green tea all the time, either.

Hey Chef, one of the things I'd like to see in your reviews is a brief note if the mixer includes what they use, i.e. 100% organic, PG-free flavorings (because even if juice is supposedly PG-free, the flavorings have PG sometimes, meaning it's only 95% vg in reality, etc.)

 

[DC2]

Along with DC2's coffee suggestion from same vendor.

Proceed with caution!


The thing I like about the KBV caramelized cappuccino is that there is a hint of saltiness.
For my taste buds, it really helps bring all the flavors together perfectly.

I have no doubt that same saltiness would cause others to hate the juice.
And I also have no doubt that there are plenty of people who won't even taste any saltiness.

 

[chefjosh]

The community as a whole will benefit from your reviews so keep up the good work.

I really appreciate your kind words. The site has been incredibly time (and money) consuming, but with so many people getting so much out of it, and so much juice out there still to review, I really don't see this coming to an end anytime soon.

 

[chefjosh]

Hey Chef, one of the things I'd like to see in your reviews is a brief note if the mixer includes what they use, i.e. 100% organic, PG-free flavorings (because even if juice is supposedly PG-free, the flavorings have PG sometimes, meaning it's only 95% vg in reality, etc.)

You're absolutely right. I think the only vendor currently reviewed that might fit into that category is Virgin Vapors, and only 1 out of 3 of their flavors did particularly well, but the one that did, Pina Colada, really delivered the goods...hands down the best Pina Colada I've had to date. I'll look into whether or not she uses PG free flavorings and if so I will most certainly add that information into the reviews.

And THIS is the reason I love this thread...Please people, keep those suggestions coming. If it's something I can do, I'll do it. It may not always get done quickly, I do have a lot to keep up with, but I'll get it done. Thanks again Racehorse.

 

[ozy.mandias]

Hey Josh,

thanks for this wonderful thread and the effort put into your web site.

I read the contribution on steeping with interest, particular this bit:

I don't know if anyone knows for sure what's happening inside the bottle from a chemical perspective, but again, I suspect very little, if anything. As a community we simply don't have the resources to study how steeping occurs...we can barely find the resources to study the vapor itself. The best way to understand it is that it's the blended flavors coming together, as their viscosity may differ, and fully melding with the PG and VG which, also of differing viscosity, act as delivery agents for those flavor components.

Now, with regards to what is actually happening inside the bottle, the flavour manufacturers seem to have an idea. I quote from Flavour Art's website:

Liquids when freshly prepared need some ageing or maturing as the liquid and flavor components react and form small variations of contained compounds.
This kind of reactions (acetals formation, hydrolisis, esterification, oxidation and many others) are common in the food application, and this explains why winegar, wines, spirits need some maturing time.
The ageing delivers a smoother and finer finished product and the overall flavor perception will be lowered, so it might be that a small overdose at the beginning is required.

About the time needed is difficult to predict as it depends on amount of liquid prepared, air incorporated, light exposure, outside temperature.
As a rule of thumb we can say 2-3 days is the minimum but probably the best results are attained after 1-2 weeks.

Now the interesting thing I find here is that they indeed do compare this to wine aging and even allude that the chemical processes are of a similar sort.

Just trying to kindle a bit of discussion about the subject here, as the "wonders of steeping" keep fascinating me. Juices that are terrible may become favourite vapes after a week or so.

All the best and keep up the good work,

Ozy.

 

[n874]

I'm still clueless of the best steeping process I left caps off overnight in dark cool place then shaked & put caps back on to leave for steep time 1-2 days min. Is this the general method people are using or something else?

 

[Mariss716]

Thanks for this. I have a friend who is a CIA trained chef just getting into vaping and doesn't know the first thing about it. I ordered her a few bottles I recommended but she will like this blog of opinions written by a fellow chef.