My first test batch and a couple of questions

[pennysmalls]

I finally received all of my supplies and sat down to try my hand at mixing yesterday. For my first test batch I chose to try grape because my sister, a fellow vaper, has been saying she wants to try a grape e-juice. I thought it would be really neat if I could make one for her. It didn't turn out like I expected but it's definitely not gross or anything. I can vape it but it's not something I would mail off to my sis.

I decided to make a 10 ml test batch with 70/30 pg/vg and 10% flavoring using Capella's grape. Here's what I did.

1.2 ml of 100 mg/ml nic base in pg
5.16 ml of pg
2.64 ml of vg
1 ml grape

I shook and shook then let it sit in hot water baths twice for good measure. Then I vaped. The flavor was definitely there but just barely perceptible. I wanted more flavor. I decided to turn that batch into a 15 ml with 15% flavor along with some added lemon for "pop". I made the needed adjustment for the ingredients including 1% lemon (3 drops), added them, then shook and hot water soaked again.

Once again the flavor is there but not very strong and this time, I'm guessing from the lemon, there is a sweet tart aspect to it. I vape it and I think "sweet tart". Not what I was expecting. I was shooting for the lemon to enhance the grape not tart it. It's not a super tart juice, I can vape it no problem.

I'm looking to sweeten this mixture up. And that brings in my first question. Will sweetener enhance fruit flavors? I do want sweet but I want to enhance as well. I wish I had my cotton candy flavoring I just ordered so I can try it but it's not here yet. I'm thinking cotton candy flavoring may help? My next question....all I have to sweeten right now is Stevia...what sweetener is better for fruit flavors? Or is there another one altogether that is better for fruits? I really want to surprise my sis with some yummy grape.

(Haha! I just had a knock at the door, it was the mailman! My cotton candy from WL is here! Sweet! Literally lol! Man that was super fast!)

I was very nervous working with the nic. I was shaking a bit but did ok. I was wondering what everybody does when they are finished adding the nic? I had a big cup full of hot water sitting at my work station and I just put the syringe in that to soak while I finished up. If that cup were to spill, since the nic on the outside of the syringe would be diluted by the hot water, things should be ok right? I want to be safe working with the nic and wonder how everyone else handles their gear before getting it to the sink for washing?

Thanks for reading!

 

[pennysmalls]

I just re-read the sweetener thread above mine and read that sucralose is good for fruits. So my options are cotton candy, stevia, sucralose and EM. I'm thinking the EM may mute the grape flavor though. I haven't been able to find a simple sucralose with just a few ingredients in my local stores.

 

[DasBluCig]

Try letting your new juice steep a few days......the hot water bath certainly can help.....but "not getting the flavor" is a common reaction to what I call "green" juice; like "green" whiskey, that hasn't been allowed to age in the barrel.....
Give it a couple of days....then try it again....you just might be pleasantly surprised!!!
Good Luck!

 

[CommaHolly]

although I find that fruit flavors usually need little to no steeping (for my taste at least),since you've tried 15% flavor and are still not getting much flavor,,,,,,,,,I'd steep

leave the cap off over night, then put it back on and shake once a day,,,,,,,,,,cool dark place helps too

 

[Finder]

I was very nervous working with the nic. I was shaking a bit but did ok. I was wondering what everybody does when they are finished adding the nic? I had a big cup full of hot water sitting at my work station and I just put the syringe in that to soak while I finished up. If that cup were to spill, since the nic on the outside of the syringe would be diluted by the hot water, things should be ok right? I want to be safe working with the nic and wonder how everyone else handles their gear before getting it to the sink for washing?

100 mg/ml is just 10% nicotine. So couple of remaining drops diluted with a glass of water is safe enough to spill.

 

[DoogieTony]

I just re-read the sweetener thread above mine and read that sucralose is good for fruits. So my options are cotton candy, stevia, sucralose and EM. I'm thinking the EM may mute the grape flavor though. I haven't been able to find a simple sucralose with just a few ingredients in my local stores.

Cotton candy and EM are usually the same thing. The cotton candy might take the edge off of the "sweet tart" taste, so it may help your mix.
For sucralose I just got some TFA Sweetener, it works quite well in my fruit mixes at 1%-3%

+1 for steeping, put that bottle away for a couple days and try it again.

 

[zoiDman]

Here is something that I learned about Sweetening with Sucralose.

Sucralose does Not Need any Steeping Time. Just adds some Drops and Shake. It is Going to be as Sweet as it is Ever going to get.

So what I do with a New Mix is to Mix it Without adding any Sucralose. Then I let it Steep in a Cool Dark Place for At Least 5 Days. Then I taste it and add Sucralose little by little until it is as Sweet as I want it to be. The Last thing I do is to...

Write Down EXACTLY how much Sucralose I added to my Mix! Don't forget this Step.

I like Sucralose better than Cotton Candy. Because you can make a Mix as Sweet as you like. Where as with Cotton Candy, you Max Out at a Point and then your Mix just Tastes like Chemicals. But Some People Don't Like Sucralose because it is Too Sweet.

So YMMV.

 

[CommaHolly]

I was very nervous working with the nic. I was shaking a bit but did ok. I was wondering what everybody does when they are finished adding the nic? I had a big cup full of hot water sitting at my work station and I just put the syringe in that to soak while I finished up. If that cup were to spill, since the nic on the outside of the syringe would be diluted by the hot water, things should be ok right? I want to be safe working with the nic and wonder how everyone else handles their gear before getting it to the sink for washing?

Thanks for reading!

you are wearing chemical resistant gloves and long sleeves, right?? for 100mg you might want to double check the recommended safety precautions,,,,,

I use 60mg to make my dd's, and I still use chemical resistant gloves, long sleeves, and make sure the fan is on,,,,,,,I love when I make mine (omg nic),,,,,,,I don't even need to use gloves!

 

[pennysmalls]

Ok, so steeping it is! It's so hard to wait! It's been sitting since yesterday so I'll give it till Monday and try it again.

Lots of great tips for the sweetener question, thank you everyone! I'll have to get some sucralose. l want to try my Stevia soon too. It's got just "de-ionized water, certified organic stevia extract from Stevia rebaudiana leaf and 11% percent alcohol". I like that there doesn't seem to be anything chemically in it.

I like Sucralose better than Cotton Candy. Because you can make a Mix as Sweet as you like. Where as with Cotton Candy, you Max Out at a Point and then your Mix just Tastes like Chemicals.

Thanks zoiDman...I hadn't read that about cotton candy, good to know.

And yes, I did wear gloves and long sleeves when I used the nic. Everyone here stresses how dangerous the nic can be that I got nervous. Maybe a little to nervous.

Thanks everybody, I'll let you all know how it turns out!

 

[zoiDman]

Ok, so steeping it is! It's so hard to wait! It's been sitting since yesterday so I'll give it till Monday and try it again.

...

And yes, I did wear gloves and long sleeves when I used the nic. Everyone here stresses how dangerous the nic can be that I got nervous. Maybe a little to nervous.

Thanks everybody, I'll let you all know how it turns out!

Yeah... Stepping is a Must. You have to know How Much a Mix Changes before you can Tweak It.

---

BTW - Perhaps the Best Piece of Safety Equipment you can Wear besides Gloves is a pair of Safety Glasses. Or Even lightly Tinted Sunglasses / Reading Glasses.

You Splash some Undiluted Nicotine Base into your Eye and you might Walk around like this guy for a Week.



Or maybe Forever.

 

[dannyv45]

I think 15% flavor is enough to give you a decent taste. I would stay away from the lemon and use it only as measure of last resort. Sacarlous is a good choice for sweetener for fruits. EM is better for tobaccos. I think the problem is that you need to let it steep a few days. Grape is kinda a hard nut to crack. Many said that they get a sour candy result from it so I'm not surprised that, that is what your also getting. I've tried the hangsen grape at 5% and I got a jolly rancher candy result from it. It wasn't a bad result but candies and fruits are not really my bag.

 

[pennysmalls]

Yeah... Stepping is a Must. You have to know How Much a Mix Changes before you can Tweak It.

---

BTW - Perhaps the Best Piece of Safety Equipment you can Wear besides Gloves is a pair of Safety Glasses. Or Even lightly Tinted Sunglasses / Reading Glasses.

You Splash some Undiluted Nicotine Base into your Eye and you might Walk around like this guy for a Week.



Or maybe Forever.

I wear glasses and found a pair of safety glasses that might fit over my regular glasses. With the way my vision is I can't afford to be getting any nic in my eyes. I was using a magnifying glass to help me see those tiny little lines on the 1 ml syring, while I was wearing glasses! Frustrating.

Which reminds me of something I was thinking about when I was measuring out some of those tiny amounts. I'm going to have to round out my numbers for the pg and vg. I cannot see the tiny little lines on the 1 ml syringe, like say for a .23 of pg for instance. I'll just add that amount of pg as vg to get a more even number for ease of measuring. That was the hardest part for me. Sad, I'm only 41. What's my vision gonna be like in 20 years!

 

[pennysmalls]

I think 15% flavor is enough to give you a decent taste. I would stay away from the lemon and use it only as measure of last resort. Sacarlous is a good choice for sweetener for fruits. EM is better for tobaccos. I think the problem is that you need to let it steep a few days. Grape is kinda a hard nut to crack. Many said that they get a sour candy result from it so I'm not surprised that, that is what your also getting. I've tried the hangsen grape at 5% and I got a jolly rancher candy result from it. It wasn't a bad result but candies and fruits are not really my bag.

Oooo...grape jolly rancher is exactly what I'd like to achieve! I think I'll make another batch minus the lemon and see how that turns out. Thanks Danny. I'm reading lots of good stuff about Hangsen.

 

[zoiDman]

I wear glasses and found a pair of safety glasses that might fit over my regular glasses. With the way my vision is I can't afford to be getting any nic in my eyes. I was using a magnifying glass to help me see those tiny little lines on the 1 ml syring, while I was wearing glasses! Frustrating.

...

This is one of the Best Things I EVER bought off e-Bay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/360740870902?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Works Great if you wear Glasses. And you can flip the Lens Up so you can Walk Around a See where your Going

 

[pennysmalls]

That would be perfect for me for DIY! And for learning to wrap my own coils, which is next on my to do list!

 

[zoiDman]

That would be perfect for me for DIY! And for learning to wrap my own coils, which is next on my to do list!

Perfect for DIY?

PERFECT FOR EVERYTHING!

I keep one on my Desk. I use it for All Kinds of things. It's nice to be able to have you Hands Free to Hold Something. And the Flip Up Lens is the Only Way to Go.

The LED light on it Isn't the Greatest. But Hey, for 11 Bucks delivered to you Door, you could do a Lot Worse.

 

[dannyv45]

Oooo...grape jolly rancher is exactly what I'd like to achieve! I think I'll make another batch minus the lemon and see how that turns out. Thanks Danny. I'm reading lots of good stuff about Hangsen.

If you really like jolly rancher try this I think it's just what your looking for.

Blueberry Flavoring by Hangsen

It's blueberry not grape and it taste just like the jolly rancher candies. Even more so then the grape.

 

[zoiDman]

If you really like jolly rancher try this I think it's just what your looking for.

Blueberry Flavoring by Hangsen

It's blueberry not grape and it taste just like the jolly rancher candies. Even more so then the grape.

What kinda of Percentage would you suggest starting with?

 

[dannyv45]

What kinda of Percentage would you suggest starting with?

start with 5%

 

[zoiDman]

start with 5%

Cool... I always like trying New Flavors.

Thanks danny