Menthol junkie in need of a fix!

[itsanss]

The title makes me seem desperate.....well, I'm not.....but I'm fast approaching that point!! I guess I'm more frustrated than desperate at this point. lol

I've been vaping since February 2013 and the shop that I've used for years for juice suddenly and shockingly shut down. I've tried the only two other places in town that mix their own juice and their stuff is just not good. One place's juice just wrecks my wicks within a couple days and the other's stuff has no throat hit, very little vapor, and NOWHERE near enough menthol.

Anyway, what I'm after is STRONG menthol. I know, I know...."strong" is an extremely relative term in the menthol vaping community. lol

I've done some reading and some research.....there's a somewhat general consensus on what one needs to make a menthol vape. To give you an idea of what kind of menthol kick I'm after, this is what I've ordered and should be arriving on Monday:

(all from Flavor West)
VG
PG
Extreme Ice
Kool Effects
Spearmint
Peppermint

I also have already on hand, a bag of pure menthol crystals that I plan to make a concentrate with the PG when I get it.

So.....my question being.....with these ingredients, what ratios can ya'll recommend I use to mix these up to get a STRONG, ice-cold menthol? I will be doing a 50/50 mix with NO nicotine. I've seen all the different calculators for mixing, so all I really need to know is recommended percentages of each one. Also, I do know that I will have to do some taste testing and such before I settle on a final and perfected recipe, but what I'm really trying to do is just get a good starting point.

Thanks so much!

 

[bombastinator]

The title makes me seem desperate.....well, I'm not.....but I'm fast approaching that point!! I guess I'm more frustrated than desperate at this point. lol

I've been vaping since February 2013 and the shop that I've used for years for juice suddenly and shockingly shut down. I've tried the only two other places in town that mix their own juice and their stuff is just not good. One place's juice just wrecks my wicks within a couple days and the other's stuff has no throat hit, very little vapor, and NOWHERE near enough menthol.

Anyway, what I'm after is STRONG menthol. I know, I know...."strong" is an extremely relative term in the menthol vaping community. lol

I've done some reading and some research.....there's a somewhat general consensus on what one needs to make a menthol vape. To give you an idea of what kind of menthol kick I'm after, this is what I've ordered and should be arriving on Monday:

(all from Flavor West)
VG
PG
Extreme Ice
Kool Effects
Spearmint
Peppermint

I also have already on hand, a bag of pure menthol crystals that I plan to make a concentrate with the PG when I get it.

So.....my question being.....with these ingredients, what ratios can ya'll recommend I use to mix these up to get a STRONG, ice-cold menthol? I will be doing a 50/50 mix with NO nicotine. I've seen all the different calculators for mixing, so all I really need to know is recommended percentages of each one. Also, I do know that I will have to do some taste testing and such before I settle on a final and perfected recipe, but what I'm really trying to do is just get a good starting point.

Thanks so much!

howdy and welcome
You may find information here: DIY E-Liquid
It’s not shocking to me, there has been a wholesale attack on B&M stores specifically very recently. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more or even most of them go. The attack on DIY supplies has been international and is still unfolding. A lot of people here are hoarding materials against a possible national ban.

Menthol is one of the cheapest flavorings and as such is often one of the strongest. Those menthol crystals may surprise you. They’re potent. The standard thing to do when starting to DIY is do very very small batch single flavors just to get used to how things work and get to know the materials. When you have a handle on that you can figure out what you like. Some of your early attempts will be so bad as to be unvapable and will have to be thrown out. Hence the very small batches.

 

[susieqz]

3 t vg/pg, 1 t cap peppermint works.
can't taste peppermint, just menthol.

 

[fiddleshe]

You might want to experiment with koolada. I dont know who makes it but it reminds me of Salems.

 

[Molchi]

I would at first try the crystals on its own. I mix mine 10g crystals/10ml ethanol or PG and then use it at 2% in my Liquid, which is a really strong pure Mentholtaste. Then see if you feel like you miss something and adjust it

 

[dannyv45]

The title makes me seem desperate.....well, I'm not.....but I'm fast approaching that point!! I guess I'm more frustrated than desperate at this point. lol

your mints you will need to experiment with but menthol crystals should be mixed 1ml crystal to 9ml pg which will make a 10% solution. After you make that solution start low in your mix and work up until you reach your flavor point.
Koolada is an excellent suggestion for adding a flavorless coolness to the menthol otherwise use the mints you mentioned earlier

 

[AngeNZ]

My first diy mix used TFA 10% menthol. And I used it as 10% in a mix - it was a tad strong Once you have your 10% solution, start at 0.5%, try it, and go up by 0.5% til you find your happy spot.

Capella Menthol is a really nice menthol flavouring - it's not just menthol crystals dissolved in pg. I use it at 2% with a cream mix, but at higher percentages it would be just as good.

 

[itsanss]

Thank you all very much for the suggestions! I will definitely be making a menthol concentrate with the crystals and PG. I'll be sure and let ya'll know how I'm coming along when I get the goods, which is currently showing delivery on 10-22-19.

Thanks!

 

[itsanss]

Hey, guys. My stuff came in a day early and I made my first ever batch! It was interesting. It went pretty well. This stuff is definitely an improvement over the crap they sold me at the store!! However, it definitely still lacks some punch. I kind of wish I went with a higher menthol concentrate mix. I did a conservative ~10%. Here is the mix I did:

VG - 15mL
PG - 9.1mL
Extreme Ice - 3.3mL
Kool Effects - 0.6mL
Menthol concentrate - 2.0mL
(50/50 VG/PG)

I think my next batch I will add more concentrate and when my concentrate runs out (made 100mL), I think I will make a higher concentrate and then adjust my mix from there. I’ve read a couple forums where people recommend a 50% concentrate. I think that’s what I will shoot for next time. But I’m encouraged by how well my first batch turned out!!! Speaking of the concentrate, though...MAN, that stuff is stout! Mixed the crystals and the PG and was heating it in a glass container in 5-7 increments and mixing in between heatings....about the time it was fully dissolved, I opened the door on the microwave and it nearly burned the eyes out of my skull! Just the fumes off the concoction nearly got me! Haha!

 

[AngeNZ]

Hey, guys. My stuff came in a day early and I made my first ever batch! It was interesting. It went pretty well. This stuff is definitely an improvement over the crap they sold me at the store!! However, it definitely still lacks some punch. I kind of wish I went with a higher menthol concentrate mix. I did a conservative ~10%. Here is the mix I did:

VG - 15mL
PG - 9.1mL
Extreme Ice - 3.3mL
Kool Effects - 0.6mL
Menthol concentrate - 2.0mL
(50/50 VG/PG)

I think my next batch I will add more concentrate and when my concentrate runs out (made 100mL), I think I will make a higher concentrate and then adjust my mix from there. I’ve read a couple forums where people recommend a 50% concentrate. I think that’s what I will shoot for next time. But I’m encouraged by how well my first batch turned out!!! Speaking of the concentrate, though...MAN, that stuff is stout! Mixed the crystals and the PG and was heating it in a glass container in 5-7 increments and mixing in between heatings....about the time it was fully dissolved, I opened the door on the microwave and it nearly burned the eyes out of my skull! Just the fumes off the concoction nearly got me! Haha!

Yes menthol concentrate is most definitely stout I thawed out a bottle of 10% in pg in the microwave. Nuked it for 1 second too many and 'boom'! the lid blew off. My microwave still smells minty fresh

I'm glad you love your first results. You can tweak it though since it contains no nicotine, all you will be doing is making the VG/pg ratio change a bit - eg 49/51 VG/pg.

Here's your current mix:

And if you add extra 10% menthol concentrate, it would look like this, but at a 49/51 ratio:

 

[Molchi]

Good to hear first positiv experiments.
Now the good part is that you can just put some more menthol into that 30ml's till it's strong enough (if i calculate correct thats not even 1%)

If you ever buy menthol crystals again another possibility wold be to use undenaturated ethanol instead of PG. There they normally suspend within seconds

 

[DebbieNY]

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