My DIY Diary

[flowerpots]

This is a thread here in the DIY forum. It's a recipe for a 5-Pawns clone of Castle Long created by member jonhall2. In the thread is both the 5-Pawns clone recipe and another recipe by member HIC, HeadInClouds, of a recipe that is similar to Gentleman's Reserve, and the recipe is called Black Barrel Whisky Mac. I made both recipes, allowed both to steep. The Castle Long recipe is very good, and the Black Barrel Whisky Mac is delicious. The final recipe after member input and tweaking of the CL clone is in post #119. The Black Barrel Whisky Mac recipe is in post #48.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-liquid-discussion/532626-castle-long-clone-recipe-anyone.html

If you like complex vapes with flavor layers and unique flavor profiles, I recommend trying these.

 

[3mg Meniere]

I read the whole thread!! I have a TFA bittersweet chocolate that I use at 7%, with 2% vanilla. I think I will boost it to 15%.

I notice you don't particularly like the sweet woodruff, either. Glad you tried my rejects. This is a major project you have undertaken. I generally use TFA's at 10% right off the bat, but Inawera's just don't work that way. I agree that the honeysuckle is better alone. I love floral teas, but I won't do that to it.

 

[Mone415]

Yup retested the cherry almond amaretto. Almond amaretto at only 1%*after breathing for almost a month now). I know that may seem long for most but flavor is still there. Almond amaretto is still freakishly dominant and still has uh chemical taste 2 it. Don't know if I gotta bad batch or if this is the flavor notes that r supposed 2 come thru. Very curious about ur results with this flavor. Im gonna start uh new batch with my original theory of 1 drop per 10m and give my input.

 

[Mone415]

I'm using patriot atty. Subohm btw. Very high VG base.

 

[flowerpots]

Yup retested the cherry almond amaretto. Almond amaretto at only 1%*after breathing for almost a month now). I know that may seem long for most but flavor is still there. Almond amaretto is still freakishly dominant and still has uh chemical taste 2 it. Don't know if I gotta bad batch or if this is the flavor notes that r supposed 2 come thru. Very curious about ur results with this flavor. Im gonna start uh new batch with my original theory of 1 drop per 10m and give my input.

I've heard people say that when sub-ohming, you require less flavor and less nicotine, and that flavor is intense, so that may be part of what you are experiencing. I'm not sure because I don't sub-ohm. Your idea of 1 drop/10ml may be what works. But, to be honest, I've found that some flavors are just not good, no matter what you do with them, how low of a mix you make, or what recipe you use them in. If you've steeped it a month with cap off, chances are it's just not going to improve at that percentage. This Almond Amaretto flavor may be one of those dud flavors. When I did a taste test of it by just mixing a drop of the flavor in some PG, it tasted good, not chemically to me. But, I haven't done testing on it at different %'s to see how it vapes.

You could always buy Amaretto and Almond flavors separately and try that if your 1 drop/10ml doesn't work out either.

Keep me posted. If it's a dud flavor then I can just toss mine, or if you figure out a good %, then I can use it.

 

[flowerpots]

Yup retested the cherry almond amaretto. Almond amaretto at only 1%*after breathing for almost a month now). I know that may seem long for most but flavor is still there. Almond amaretto is still freakishly dominant and still has uh chemical taste 2 it. Don't know if I gotta bad batch or if this is the flavor notes that r supposed 2 come thru. Very curious about ur results with this flavor. Im gonna start uh new batch with my original theory of 1 drop per 10m and give my input.

I will make a 1 drop/10ml tester with you and we can see together how it develops. I will make this this morning and start steeping it.

 

[Art Mustel]

Hi Flowerpots! Wondering if you liked the FA Black Perique.

 

[Mone415]

Ok. Sounds good flowerpots.

 

[flowerpots]

Each of these is at 10% concentration, tested on a LR510 atty:

Passion Fruit - TFA No change from 9%

Fragrance: 1/5
Sweetness: 2.5/5
Tartness: 0.5/5
Strength of taste: 3/5

Quince - TFA Slight perfume note not present this time with steeping for 2 days, cap off

Fragrance: 1/5
Sweetness: 2/5
Tartness: 1/5
Strength of taste: 3/5

Blueberry Extra - TFA I'm rating this at 3.5/5 for flavor intensity, but this is a milder 3.5 based on this flavor alone. It is not quite as mild as the Quince and Passion Fruit.

Fragrance: 2/5
Sweetness: 2.5/5
Tartness: 0.5/5
Strength of taste: 3.5/5

Honeysuckle - TFA At this %, I still get that same honeysuckle flower taste. No change from 9%.

Fragrance: 0.5/5
Sweetness: 3/5
Tartness: 0/5
Strength of taste: 3.5/5

Honey Dew - TFA I think I've found the limit for this flavor - this now tastes like plastic. I will recommend <9%.

Fragrance: 2.5/5
Sweetness: 3.5/5
Tartness: 0/5
Strength of taste: 4+/5

Pomegranate Deluxe - TFA No change from 8% or 9% and perfume note is still present with 2 days steep, cap off

Fragrance: 1/5
Sweetness: 1.5/5
Tartness: 1.5/5
Strength of taste: 2.5/5

Strawberry (Ripe) - TFA I'm not a strawberry fan, but if I were, I would love this flavor. It's authentic, ripe, juicy strawberry, not candy-ish, and doesn't include the stem taste.

Fragrance: 3/5
Sweetness: 2.5/5
Tartness: 2/5
Strength of taste: 3.5/5

Orange Cream - TFA

Fragrance: 1/5
Sweetness: 2.5/5
Tartness: 0/5
Strength of taste: 2.5/5


I'm going to call TFA Honey Dew done at this point and say it should be used at 9% or less.

I'm not sure what to do with the TFA Pomegranate Deluxe except let it steep longer next time and see if the perfume note will steep out.

 

[flowerpots]

Hi Flowerpots! Wondering if you liked the FA Black Perique.

Art, I forgot to try it! I'll try it right quick and post again.

 

[flowerpots]

Hi Flowerpots! Wondering if you liked the FA Black Perique.

Art, I forgot to try it! I'll try it right quick and post again.

Art! I'm so glad you reminded me to try this. This is very close to the Ahlusion Wildwood line. This has to be the base of them. You're a genius, art

 

[Art Mustel]

You are so kind...thanks!

 

[flowerpots]

You are so kind...thanks!

Thank you! Truly.

 

[flowerpots]

Latest test with 14d rops/5ml or 42 drops/15ml sample:

7 Leaves - FA This is as strong as I will ever use this flavor either standalone or in a recipe

Fragrance: 4/5
Throat hit: 3/5
Sweetness: 2/5
Sourness: 4/5
Strength of taste: 4/5

This has been steeping a few days.

4) Separate out 5ml of the FA 7 Leaves tobacco and add 1 drop of DNB

Of the 3 tobaccos I tested with DNB, this tobacco tastes the best with the DNB added in.Like the Virginia, the DNB adds a layer to this mix, making it more complex.

This is a brighter tobacco, so I am going to test this with TFA Pear at 6%.

This is interesting. The Pear adds a sweet, crisp note to the mix, but the Pear is not overtly present. The tobacco is medium impact with the original sharper note gone. The DNB ashy quality is gone though, so I will add back in a drop of the DNB.

This is truly nice. I am done here also and calling this good. I rate this recipe 8/10.

_________________

7 Pears

FA 7 Leaves - 5%
TFA Pear - 6%
INA DNB - 2 drops/5ml

____________________

Even though I finished at this point and made the mix a recipe, I am going to play with this mix a little more to see what happens. I am going to add Inawera WG Apple to this at 1%. My thought is this will add a sharp, crisp note that may work well with this tobacco.

The INA WG Apple is a great addition to this recipe. The apple is in the forefront and does add a crisp note, while the Pear is still present, but as a second note, and the 7 leaves is in the background, but also still present. The ashiness from the DNB is not really there, except for a slight dirty taste to the mix.

I'm going to add this as a variant of 7 Pears and call it Apple-Pear Leaves:

FA 7 Leaves - 5%
TFA Pear - 6%
INA WG Apple - 1%
INA DNB - 2 drops/5ml

 

[flowerpots]

I am mixing 1/3 of a 5ml bottle of the Hangsen Plum at 8% with 3mls of the steeping batch of Inawera Dark Fire tobacco at 16 drops/5ml

This is really, really good!

This has been steeping about 10+ days since I last tasted it in a LR510 atty. The Plum is not overt, very subtle. This is very good as is, somewhat complex because of the tobacco, but I'm going to add some FA Apricot to see what happens at 5%. I will let this steep a few days before retesting.

No discernible Apricot - adding 2% more.

The Apricot at 7% has brightened this mix, the Plum is a background flavor. I cannot overtly taste the Apricot. The brightness brings balance to the earthy, vinegary darkness of the Dark Fire tobacco. It's a nice balance. I think if I add a higher % of Apricot, it will mask the Plum altogether and throw the balance in the direction of a lighter tobacco. I don't personally want this. So, I'm going to call it good as is. I rate this 6/10.

______


3 parts INA Dark Fire tobacco
1.5 parts Plum
1 part Apricot

____________________________

I decided to play with this again, and after re-testing before I add anything else, this is a nicer mix than I originally rated it. Because there is no DNB, it lacks that ashy note present in the other Dark Fire sample for the Dark Horse recipe. I am not sure what to add to this as I am not a mint/menthol fan, and not too keen on vanilla notes either. I thought about a nut flavor, like hazelnut or chestnut, or maybe even almond. But, just from tasting this a few moments ago, that doesn't seem to be the best choice. My thought is I could add just a pinch of cardamom, ginger, or even honey. Each would have a different result, although cardamom and ginger would have similar effects. My initial conclusion is the honey would smooth it out too much, even at <1%, and possibly mask the plum and apricot. Then, what would be the point. I think I'll go with cardamom at 1 drop and see what happens over the next few days.

At 1 drop to this 5ml sample, the cardamom is subtle, but noticeable immediately at first taste. Then, the cardamom fades to apricot notes, followed by plum notes. The tobacco is present the entire time with medium impact. I'm going to add 1 more drop of cardamom to see how it goes.

 

[flowerpots]

I am mixing 1/3 of a 5ml bottle of the Inawera Cherry (CZERESNIE) at 8% with 2/3 of a 5ml bottle of the Hangsen Plum at 8% to test these in combination.

Very good

I let this mix steep a couple more days and it is just getting better. This is a richer fruit mix, not light like many of them. The Cherry adds a rich savory note (it's like cherry pie filling/cherry compote) and the Plum is crisper and just a little brighter. It is layered and has a lot of potential. It's fine as is, and some may like it without any adjustments, but I want to keep tweaking to see if I can find that perfect recipe. So, I'm thinking of adding maybe Apricot or Nectarine to it.

I added 12% of TFA Nectarine to this the other night. It seems to have melded into a 1 dimensional juice. I'm going to let it steep longer. I think I added too much Nectarine.

At the % I added the Nectarine, it is dominant now. The sharp note from the Nectarine is in the forefront. There is a slight Cherry on the exhale. The Plum is present the whole time as a sort of carrier flavor, but not overtly discernible. I think had I used a lower % of the Nectarine, this would be a better mix. Again, this is a simple fruit, not complex. With no added sweetener, other than what is in the flavorings themselves, this mix is not candy sweet, but sweet enough for my palate. Just to see what happens to this mix, I am going to add a very low % of TFA Lemon. Many DIY'ers use real lemon juice to alter the PH and post positive results from this. I am leery of using real juice, so I will use the Lemon flavoring instead to see if this adds any layers or complexity to the mix. I am not wanting the lemon to be discernible, only to compliment. I tested the Lemon and at 5% and it was weak in taste on a taste test. So, instead of starting with 5%, I will start with 2%.

This has mellowed and the sharp Nectarine bite is gone, with a medium Nectarine flavor. No discernible Cherry, except for a slight richness that most fruit flavors don't have, and no discernible Plum. No discernible lemon. I'm not sure what to do with this mix now. Any ideas? I'm thinking of adding Plum back into the mix to bring the flavor back into the profile.

After adding Plum back in, this is fairly complex, nothing like a dessert vape, but easily more complex than many fruit vapes out there. I'm going to try 2 drops of saline solution to see if this makes any difference.

_________

I did not notice any difference with 2 drops of saline with the 5ml sample. I added 2 more drops and do detect a "brighter" quality to the mix. But, this brightness also minimizes the complexity of the mix. So, I'm going to post the recipe for this and recommend not using saline. I rate this recipe 7/10.

_________

Ist recipe!


6% Plum
6% Nectarine
3% Maraschino Cherry
2% Lemon Flavor Concentrate (not lemon juice) *the lemon takes the sharp note off the nectarine, if you prefer that, omit the lemon

Steep 1 week (or more) or use heat/UC steeping

I’m still tweaking this and will post changes to it, if I make any

___________________

So, I pulled this out and decided I need to keep tweaking this recipe as well. After just re-testing it in a LR510 atty, I'm honestly not sure what, if anything, will make this mix better. As I've mentioned before, I'm not wild about vanilla, mint/menthol notes. But, I think what would compliment this best is a mint or koolada addition. I hesitate to add koolada because it has proven to mask flavors and change a recipe, and I'm not wanting to take anything away from this, but add to it. So, I think I will go with mint. Specifically,I will use NF Mint. I will add 1 drop and see what the next few days of steeping brings to this mix.

At 1 drop of NF Mint to this recipe, the mint is only perceivable as a very subtle coolness. I will add 1 more drop and steep.

 

[flowerpots]

Latest test with 16 drops/5ml:

Virginia - INA (WG - tino d'milano) - Also added 2 drops of Virginia TA in the 5ml sample; I think this is as strong as I want it either standalone or in a mix.

Fragrance: 2/5
Throat hit: 1/5
Sweetness: 3.5/5
Strength of taste: 3.5/5

These single flavor tobacco samples have been steeping almost a month.


3) Separate out 5ml of the Inawera WG - tino d'milano Virginia tobacco and add 1 drop of the DNB

DNB is equally good in this tobacco, but the effect is a little different. Virginia is bright, but mellow, and the DNB adds a layer to the mix.

I am going to add INA Black Currant to this mix at 5% and let it steep.

Holy Moly, 5% is WAY too much Blackcurrant....adding 3mls of the steeping tobacco batch to tone this down a bit.

Still too much Blackcurrant....adding back in 2 more mls of the steeping VA tobacco

I am trying here to make the process of my calculations both transparent and thus easily replicated, and also to help me keep track of what I have done.

I started out with a 5ml steeped sample of the tino d'milano Virginia with an added 2 drops of TA Virginia (which is a little less than 1%). I added 2 drops of the DNB (which is a little less than 1%). I then added 5% of the Blackcurrant flavoring, which proved to be way too high of a %. So, I added back in a total of 5 more mls of the steeping tino d'milano Virginia. This made a 10ml sample with what is now approximately 0.5% of each the DNB and TA Virginia, and what is now 2.5% of the Blackcurrant (which equals 0.25mls - difficult to measure for some so also equal to 15 drops of the needle nose Inawera stock bottle that measures when tested 60 drops/ml).

Now when testing in a 510LR atty, the Blackcurrant flavor is moderate and mildly tart. It dominates the tobacco flavor, despite the addition of DNB and TA Virginia. The tobacco is in the background, barely discernible, and it seems it makes this mix now what I would consider a rich fruit flavor more than a fruity tobacco much like many vendor commercial juices that are categorized as a tobacco, but do not have a tobacco taste to them (this is considering taste description alone, not based on actual ingredients, if that makes sense). I can detect a very slight hint of ashiness, but nothing like the flavor you get with the tobacco and DNB alone. After testing several mixes at this point that include DNB, I am reasonably sure that I can say with confidence the fruit additions mask the DNB and result in requiring a higher % of the DNB to maintain that obvious ashy note. This is still rich, and I'm not sure if you put this in a RBA atty or tank the different ingredients would be more present and provide a more complex vape. I would say if you are looking for a tobacco that shines more as a complex fruit, then this recipe as is would work. But, I am wanting a tobacco presence, so I am going to add 1 more ml of the steeping VA tobacco.

The Black Currant is a nice mild note now, not overpowering the recipe. According the flavoring pairings chart, citrus goes well with black currant, so I rummaged through my flavors and found FW Blood Orange. I am going to add this at 1% and steep.

 

[flowerpots]

Latest test with 16 drops/5ml or 48 drops/15ml sample:

Dark Fire - INA (WG) - This is as as strong as I will want this flavor either standalone or in a mix.

Fragrance: 2/5
Throat hit: 2/5
Sweetness: 2.5/5
Sourness: 2/5
Strength of taste: 4/5

These single flavor tobacco samples have been steeping almost a month.

Separate out 5ml of the Dark Fire tobacco and add 1 drop of Inawera DNB (Dirty Neutral Base) to give it that ashy note.

This has steeping a few days. Oh my! As good as this is, I'm going to add a drop of Hangsen Plum and see what happens.

This is developing into something recipe-worthy...it needs another drop of Plum.

This has been steeping a few more days. The Plum is more present now. The DNB adds a dryer feel to the mix, and takes any sweetness from it. I am going to add CAP Fig at 2% to add a sweetness, but also to compliment the dark tobacco and dark Plum fruit. When I tested CAP Fig, it had a slight floral note to it, so I will steep with the cap off to dissipate the note.

The only thing this accomplished was sweetening the mix and took away the ashy note, that I wanted. I will add back in 1 more drop of DNB.

With the DNB added back in, that ashy note is back! And with a few more days of steeping, I can taste the Fig now with the Plum about equally represented as the Fig. This is my favorite mix so far. I'm going to stick a fork in it and call it done. I rate it 8/10 as a recipe.

________

Dark Horse

INA Dark Fire Tobacco (WG) - 5%
Hangsen Plum - 2%
CAP Fig 2%
INA DNB - 2 drops/5ml

*Steep 1 week to 1 month without UC/Heat; if you use UC/Heat, adjust time accordingly

__________________________

Even though I stopped at that point and made the mix a recipe, I want to play with it more. So, I am going to add to it WG Apple to see if adding a bright note will enhance this mix or not. I only want just a small amount, nothing that will overwhelm what is already there, so I will only add 1 drop.

The apple flavor is very faint. I will add 1 more drop and steep.

 

[flowerpots]

I got NF Gooseberry in the mail this week. I'm excited to work with it, so I started a 10ml 1% standalone tester of this flavor. I will report my progress after it steeps a few days.

I tested this the next day and 1% was just too light. So, I added another 1% and continued to steep. This is still a bit too light, adding 1% more and will continue to steep.

I read the pairing chart for flavors to see what Gooseberry would match with and the only thing mentioned is Lychee, which surprises me. When I reach a good starting % of the Gooseberry, I may pair it with Lychee and see what happens.

 

[flowerpots]

Yup retested the cherry almond amaretto. Almond amaretto at only 1%*after breathing for almost a month now). I know that may seem long for most but flavor is still there. Almond amaretto is still freakishly dominant and still has uh chemical taste 2 it. Don't know if I gotta bad batch or if this is the flavor notes that r supposed 2 come thru. Very curious about ur results with this flavor. Im gonna start uh new batch with my original theory of 1 drop per 10m and give my input.

I will make a 1 drop/10ml tester with you and we can see together how it develops. I will make this this morning and start steeping it.

Mone, I tried this tonight at the 1 drop/10ml. This seems a good % for this flavor. I can taste the almond first and foremost, but also taste the amaretto in the background. How do like it at this %?