Making my first batch?

[Nightowl007]

OK, I have read a lot of information and I'm not quite sure how much flavor I should add. What I mean is I'm using eliquid calculator (the one with the penguin) so where should I start as far as percentage? I noticed I like my e juice flavor a little stronger than most store bought e juice. I was thinking a total of 15% flavor to start, but I'm not sure if that is too much or too little. Any advice? I'm going to mix 70/30 VG/PG with nic of about 8 to 10. I don't want the strong throat hit so that is why I like the 70/30.

 

[gandymarsh]

The strength of flavorings vary from company to company. If you know the company that makes the flavoring, you may be able to find recommended percentages on their website.

There is a DIY forum here with some recommendations too. I don't have the link handy but someone should come along to provide some links.

 

[Foggy Road]

I just made my first batch a couple weeks ago. Using the same calculater as you. I think flavor percentages can vary even for different flavors from the same manufacturers. I've seen lotsa comments from forum members who believe some resellers water down the flavorings that they sell. So it's probably gonna be a crapshoot. Also our preference for higher VG is gonna require a higher percentage of flavoring.

My first test batch of LorAnns watermelon was 5mL, 75VG/25PG, 15% flavor 15mg nic. BIG let down! The exact taste I want was there but nearly imperceptible. So I mixed up 90mL @ 70VG/30PG, 20% flavor, 15 nic. Could barely tell a difference. I had read a review saying that 10% LorAnn watermelon was fantastic so I have to wonder about my source. At any rate I'm not paying for flavor that requires over 20%.

For now I just did another180mL 70V/30P, 15nic flavorless and it's really not bad. I'm using up my stock of commercial juices by dumping them into the batch of watermelon and at least getting some tutti fruiti kinda flavor out of it. I'll try again with some 60VG but right now I've got plenty of vape worthy juice to pump thru the attys first.

 

[Nightowl007]

Oh that's not what I wanted to hear! I figured it was going to take more flavor because of the higher VG, but I did not want to hear it could take more than 20%.

Well, I guess I'll have to suck it up though because one of the other reasons I am starting to make my own e juice is I break out with higher PG mixes. I was vaping a local store premium brand at 60/40 PG/VG. I kept breaking out. I tried another store and their brand was 70/30 VG/PG. After a week or so I noticed I was no longer breaking out. I went back to the first store because it is by my house and I was in a hurry. Bought a couple of 30ml bottles of the 60/40 PG/VG, and within a week I was breaking out again. It might be something else in the first store brand, but it did not matter what flavor I purchased from them. I tried grape, watermelon, bubblegum, pineapple ice, strawberry, and a custard. I have not tried anything like a 60/40 VG/PG, but that might be an option.

 

[Nightowl007]

Also, I noticed the 70/30 VG/PG mixes later longer. Sometimes even two to three days longer that the higher PG mixes.

 

[Eitje]

OK, I have read a lot of information and I'm not quite sure how much flavor I should add. What I mean is I'm using Eliquid calculator (the one with the penguin) so where should I start as far as percentage? I noticed I like my e juice flavor a little stronger than most store bought e juice. I was thinking a total of 15% flavor to start, but I'm not sure if that is too much or too little. Any advice? I'm going to mix 70/30 VG/PG with nic of about 8 to 10. I don't want the strong throat hit so that is why I like the 70/30.

It strongly depends on the type of flavor, manufacturers, etc and even the person vaping it. I prefer high concentrate flavorings which usually require between 3-8% mixes.
Tobacco flavors are at the low end, candy etc usually at the high end.
My daily vape is a 2.5% (10/250ml) tobacco mix.

If you start of with your base and flavoring, check the web for recommended % for your particular flavor. Make sure to be above it in your first mix.
If the manufacturer recommends 15%, mix it at 20%.
You can always add more base afterwards to 'water it down' if the flavor is strong enough.
If you start too low % mix and you don't have more of the same flavor, you'll be spending more money and face the usual wait for the mailman again.

 

[Wolfenstark]

Do a 100 drop test batch first where each drop = 1%.

 

[Foggy Road]

Do a 100 drop test batch first where each drop = 1%.

I'm really not being snide here but this would take me all day. I'm one of those folks who would have to do one drop then write a hash mark then another drop write a hash mark. Otherwise If l were doing a 30 drop portion I'd get to about 18 drops and lose my count. Duhhhhoyyyyyyy

Actually... Thank you. I will try this next time.

 

[dc99]

http://www.v-ecigs.com/tfa-flavor-percentage-recommendations/
This might help. I always start on the low side and add.

 

[B2L]

I just made my first batch a couple weeks ago. Using the same calculater as you. I think flavor percentages can vary even for different flavors from the same manufacturers. I've seen lotsa comments from forum members who believe some resellers water down the flavorings that they sell. So it's probably gonna be a crapshoot. Also our preference for higher VG is gonna require a higher percentage of flavoring.

My first test batch of LorAnns watermelon was 5mL, 75VG/25PG, 15% flavor 15mg nic. BIG let down! The exact taste I want was there but nearly imperceptible. So I mixed up 90mL @ 70VG/30PG, 20% flavor, 15 nic. Could barely tell a difference. I had read a review saying that 10% LorAnn watermelon was fantastic so I have to wonder about my source. At any rate I'm not paying for flavor that requires over 20%.

For now I just did another180mL 70V/30P, 15nic flavorless and it's really not bad. I'm using up my stock of commercial juices by dumping them into the batch of watermelon and at least getting some tutti fruiti kinda flavor out of it. I'll try again with some 60VG but right now I've got plenty of vape worthy juice to pump thru the attys first.

Something to keep in mind about flavorings, they do funny things.

Whenever I try something new I start at a low percentage and slowly work my way up, usually starting at 5% working my way up 1-2% at a time up to about 20%. You will notice with a lot of favors the taste will gradually get stronger up to a certain point and then drop off as you get higher. Going from 5% right to 20% you likely skipped right over your sweet spot which very well may be at or around 10%.

Not all flavorings act like that, some just take on perfumey notes as you get higher, some start to taste like crap, some get better.

A couple of blogs I highly recommend are @Hoosier and @dannyv45 as well as reading through the DIY stickies several times, lots of good info there. Another blog which helped me immensely when I was starting out was https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/blogs/str8v8ping.70542/

Enjoy the journey!

 

[Wolfenstark]

I'm really not being snide here but this would take me all day. I'm one of those folks who would have to do one drop then write a hash mark then another drop write a hash mark. Otherwise If l were doing a 30 drop portion I'd get to about 18 drops and lose my count. Duhhhhoyyyyyyy

Actually... Thank you. I will try this next time.

True but there are many people who do the test many times. I myself think up a recipe do the test then make a call in my mind.
It may be good or I may think one or more parts need to be increased or decreased. Then I write down any changes and make a full size batch.