New Super Concentrated Flavors

[salemgold]

ob, I really feel badly for you. You are truly overthinking the entire process. So what if you lost 1/2 drop down side of bottle. Just keep on going counting the drops. It is not going to make or break your final outcome to be short 1/2 drop flavor in your liquid.

I will bet that if you just do it without sweating the small stuff, you will surprise yourself and have a bottle of ejuice as tasty as any that you have bought from vendors.

Don't give up. Take a break if needed and try again. Don't feel defeated before you even start.

BTW- I use blunt tip needles with my syringe. As long as you make sure that the needle stays submerged in the liquid, you will not get air bubbles. If you do getair bubbles, squirt it out and try again. You will get the hang of it.

 

[MrBeo]

Don't give up. Take a break if needed and try again. Don't feel defeated before you even start.

I think at this point the best advice for you is Take a break and then try back in a day or a few days and please don't feel defeated! Thanks salemgold for that point...

 

[Fernand]

I'm really surprised at the French Pipe and Black & Mild. After all the enthusiasm, I expected these to be better. Someone said it well once, that everybody's "tobacco" flavors are what they name the ones that don't taste like anything familiar. I don't think any "tobacco" vape even vaguely tastes like tobacco (and it's probably just as well). Some of the FA tobaccos capture the top notes very well, though not the base. Most of us got exposed to the (clever) Dekang notion of "tobacco", and the VZ Virginia Flue Cured lightly hints at that. The Honey Flue Cured is a wonderful true original, just touching some tobacco top notes.

As a long time former pipe and cuban cigar smoker I expected a bit of realistic "cavendish" in the French Pipe, at least like the Seedman Captain Black. But it initially just strikes me as a sweetly scented something. After a few days it tastes a little better, fatter and more aromatic, though nothing like a pipe tobacco. Eyes closed, the Black & Mild initially hits me as entirely chocolate. After a few days it tastes fatter, like a chocolatey something, but neither pipe nor cigar. Neither's a keeper. Is there a true cigar smoker here who can comment on the cigar flavors, like the Cigar and the Cohiba?

As to pricing, I purchased a good number of these VZ flavors at first, and sadly most of them aren't for me, and weren't cheap. Some are better than others. The fruits seem cloyingly sweet and "Chinese technicolor". The Mandarin is very nice in spite of that, tastes like their Orange with a touch more rind. Has anybody else compared these two?

So as to the new pricing, I think that's very smart. Without the new pricing I'd be done. This way I can still purchase one or two occasionally to try. Thanks, VZ.

 

[Shilo]

The ob if you are wanting a 5 ml sample start with 1 drop per ml for a total of 5 drops for 5 ml which is 2%. I know the 2.5% sounds overwhelming to you so start with the nice even 2%. We have calculated these VZ droppers pretty closely and this is too small an amount to bother with a syringe which would be .1 ml. Don't worry about anything---we are all routing for you---you can do it!!

 

[MrBeo]

So Fernand after reading that I take it Honey Flu Cured was the Flavor that you most preferred of the ones you got? Also of the fruits you liked the Mandarin? I wish Orange was a flavor I tried but I can not compare that one for you! It seems Like I did hear the B&M having a chooc mocha flavor so your on to something there! With all the fruits I have tried I never got a overly sweet flavor and all were 100% true to the fruit such as BlackBerry, Mandarin & Peach ---> Perfecto! The Dunhill is Very Nice but being your a TRUE tobacco lover had you not tried it I would steer you the the Honey Flu Cured and you did like that one so that is great! Now you need to try the Dunhill.
Wondering what flavors were not for you? I am not to big on watermelon but a few of the flavors need percentage adjustment down to 1% and that may be the ones that you were out on. Caramel comes to mind here.

 

[Cyrus Vap]

Fernand:

What you say about top notes is very insightful. ALL flavors I have ever tried are missing the bottom notes to *some extent* because IMO the bottom notes rely heavily on combustion, which we're not doing anymore thankfully

The closet I've gotten is V4L's Aces and 8s and Stogie, and my own pipe extract, which I don't use because its actually a bit too strong (as I've mixed it so far) and close to an analog pipe experience, and honestly I'm not sure I like it anymore. Its also been impossible for me (so far) to blend this with DIY flavors to achieve a nice balance; I end up with heavy depth from the extract and top notes from the flavors just kind of floating 'separated' in the bottle; they don't blend or 'meet' even after weeks of steeping

When I complain of 'lack of depth' I believe I'm referring to exactly what you're referring to as bottom notes

FA is the most frustrating IME in this regard; the top notes are great, the bottom notes aren't there at all. And the top notes are completely imbalanced too boot, requiring difficult blending (though rewarding blending). Adding some TA helps with bottom notes, but that's a particularly type of grassy bottom note that you may or may not like, as you know better than I do.

VZ flavors also lack bottom notes, but come as close as anything I've tried to having them in 'adequate supply' besides the above three scenarios I posted.

In my way of thinking, there is tobacco (smoked), vaping tobacco flavors, and vaping tobacco flavors that belong in the sink because they smell like perfume/are nothing of the sort

VZ lands in the middle for me.

 

[Cyrus Vap]

And Halo Captain Jack is also very close to a true cavendish IMO, or a sweet cavendish rather, but again, lacks in the bottom note department and I can see people finding it overbearingly sweet and strong

 

[Katdavar]

Maybe this will help you here I have been smoking honey flu, I added vanilla to round it out and carmel to add that burning flavor. The recipe I use is in tbe vaping zone group if you are intrested.

 

[k3vin]

Ob it can seem overwhelming at first, but it's really not.
I use a syring for measuring out my nic, pg and vg and even though I didnt know what my drops equaled in ml I would go by drops from what it said in the ejuice calculator,and did just fine. The key is to write down everything you do to a juice Even thought it can be saved in the calculator. Or at least remember that you used drops and didn't go by what it said as far as putting in ml's for flavoring.
This was a shortcut I chose to take at that time because I didn't want to measure out all my bottles by drops since some bottles were at 38 drops equals a ml and some
Bottles equaled 20 drops per ml.so I ignored ml and just added drops but I wrote the recipe down anyway.

Recently I have been using a syringe to measure even my flavors because I want to be more exacting now.what that means is even if the juice calculator is set to 20 drops equals a ml or 40 drops equals a ml I have the exact percentage of juice I am supposed to have.

(clear as mud)?

The one thing that I do to help me see the lines on my syringe,is I pull it up a bit to get a small air bubble at the top so I can actually see the exact line on the syringe when I pull up my flavoring or whatever and I can see it perfectly.
I don't use needles,maybe sometimes a 16 or 18 ga.

Granted most flavoring bottles are too small to stick a 3 ml. Syringe into without using a needle and in that case I will put my finger over the bottom,where the needle would go and drop the flavoring into the syringe until it gets to the right ml line then I put it over my base move my finger and let gravity do the work.

 

[Iffy]

... in that case I will put my finger over the bottom,where the needle would go and drop the flavoring into the syringe until it gets to the right ml line then I put it over my base move my finger

This is how I do my smaller (3-30ml) batches using any combo of 1, 5 & 20ml syringes and my little finger as the 'stopper'.

 

[IVapus]

I'm really surprised at the French Pipe and Black & Mild. After all the enthusiasm, I expected these to be better. Someone said it well once, that everybody's "tobacco" flavors are what they name the ones that don't taste like anything familiar. I don't think any "tobacco" vape even vaguely tastes like tobacco (and it's probably just as well). Some of the FA tobaccos capture the top notes very well, though not the base. Most of us got exposed to the (clever) Dekang notion of "tobacco", and the VZ Virginia Flue Cured lightly hints at that. The Honey Flue Cured is a wonderful true original, just touching some tobacco top notes.

As a long time former pipe and cuban cigar smoker I expected a bit of realistic "cavendish" in the French Pipe, at least like the Seedman Captain Black. But it initially just strikes me as a sweetly scented something. After a few days it tastes a little better, fatter and more aromatic, though nothing like a pipe tobacco. Eyes closed, the Black & Mild initially hits me as entirely chocolate. After a few days it tastes fatter, like a chocolatey something, but neither pipe nor cigar. Neither's a keeper. Is there a true cigar smoker here who can comment on the cigar flavors, like the Cigar and the Cohiba?

As to pricing, I purchased a good number of these VZ flavors at first, and sadly most of them aren't for me, and weren't cheap. Some are better than others. The fruits seem cloyingly sweet and "Chinese technicolor". The Mandarin is very nice in spite of that, tastes like their Orange with a touch more rind. Has anybody else compared these two?

So as to the new pricing, I think that's very smart. Without the new pricing I'd be done. This way I can still purchase one or two occasionally to try. Thanks, VZ.

As I've mentioned before, my tastes aren't the most sophisticated. I don't know from bottom notes, much less top and grassy notes, lol. I've enjoyed all of the VZ tobaccos I've tried thus far. I also smoked a pipe for a few years, but that was 25+ years ago, and I certainly found the French Pipe reminiscent of that experience more so than any other flavor I've tried before. I don't recall many of the pipe tobaccos I enjoyed, but I do remember enjoying some sort of dark tobacco blend with a cherry flavor, and also a vanilla and cavendish blend. I must admit that I never developed a taste for cigars at all. If you haven't thrown in the towel yet, I would suggest you try the Black Fire/Island Tobacco next. I just tried it a little while ago and found it to be very pipe tobacco like as well(to my taste of course), and with a very smoky character. It is a bit on the sweet side however. I found it very tasty, with a flavor and aroma that I can only describe as less adorned or pretentious than the French Pipe. I could easily see myself vaping it for extended periods without getting burned out on it. I only mixed this yesterday afternoon so it hasn't been steeping for even 24 hours, so I don't know where it's likely to go from here, but just thought I would mention it.

 

[Grantah]

OK.

I want to make my first batch tonight.

Here is my main issue.

I usually make 5ml testers. At the nic level I want and with the amount I want to make, it requires .25 of flavor.

I have syringes and beakers. I am not sure either is accurate enough.

I still have trouble with the "drop" thing. Do I need to get a dropper and use it for all the ingredients? Does drops literally mean drops from the bottle? Those will not be the same as whatever I use for the other stuff.

I am a person who if you give me a recipe I follow it exactly. This is why I am stuck.

I'm a little behind on this thread, it grows so damn fast.
To add to the other replys to your question. I actually did a test with the VZ bottle using a very fine measurement, a 1 mL syringe, (fine enough for these purposes anyway). I did several tests, they all gave me the same number. 44 drops = 1mL.

 

[Grantah]

Just a quick note to this one. I actually use a 1 mL syringe for small batches, 3, 5, and even 20mL's. I use a 14g blunt tip needle for drawing stuff out of the bottle, nic gets a dedicated needle/syringe. A 14g needle adds .1mL extra to the syringe if you have any air space. I like to have no air in my syringe, then the needle doesn't add any extra volume. The extra will stay in, also keeping air out for the next fill.
I hope this didn't make it more confusing.

Ob it can seem overwhelming at first, b
ut it's really not.
I use a syring for measuring out my nic, pg and vg and even though I didnt know what my drops equaled in ml I would go by drops from what it said in the ejuice calculator,and did just fine. The key is to write down everything you do to a juice Even thought it can be saved in the calculator. Or at least remember that you used drops and didn't go by what it said as far as putting in ml's for flavoring.
This was a shortcut I chose to take at that time because I didn't want to measure out all my bottles by drops since some bottles were at 38 drops equals a ml and some
Bottles equaled 20 drops per ml.so I ignored ml and just added drops but I wrote the recipe down anyway.

Recently I have been using a syringe to measure even my flavors because I want to be more exacting now.what that means is even if the juice calculator is set to 20 drops equals a ml or 40 drops equals a ml I have the exact percentage of juice I am supposed to have.

(clear as mud)?

The one thing that I do to help me see the lines on my syringe,is I pull it up a bit to get a small air bubble at the top so I can actually see the exact line on the syringe when I pull up my flavoring or whatever and I can see it perfectly.
I don't use needles,maybe sometimes a 16 or 18 ga.

Granted most flavoring bottles are too small to stick a 3 ml. Syringe into without using a needle and in that case I will put my finger over the bottom,where the needle would go and drop the flavoring into the syringe until it gets to the right ml line then I put it over my base move my finger and let gravity do the work.

 

[J**2]

I use drops still because I am.mixing such small batches, under 10ml a batch, when I start mixing bigger batches and fine tuneing I will convert to ml only. But right now just doing super small test batches its just easier to use drops. Less fus no siringes no clean up. Mix a big batch of base add drops and steep.

Drops are actually quite accurate and repeatable. It doesn't matter how you measure as long as you are consistent. No cleanup and convenient. Especially with concentrated flavors. You can easily convert later standardizing drops/ml by using a graduated cylinder.


GG, Provari, iatty2, DIY wannabe chef

 

[Jimi D.]

I come home from work, and the thread turned into a DIY tutorial

 

[AzPlumber]

I'm really surprised at the French Pipe and Black & Mild. After all the enthusiasm, I expected these to be better. Someone said it well once, that everybody's "tobacco" flavors are what they name the ones that don't taste like anything familiar. I don't think any "tobacco" vape even vaguely tastes like tobacco (and it's probably just as well). Some of the FA tobaccos capture the top notes very well, though not the base. Most of us got exposed to the (clever) Dekang notion of "tobacco", and the VZ Virginia Flue Cured lightly hints at that. The Honey Flue Cured is a wonderful true original, just touching some tobacco top notes.

As a long time former pipe and cuban cigar smoker I expected a bit of realistic "cavendish" in the French Pipe, at least like the Seedman Captain Black. But it initially just strikes me as a sweetly scented something. After a few days it tastes a little better, fatter and more aromatic, though nothing like a pipe tobacco. Eyes closed, the Black & Mild initially hits me as entirely chocolate. After a few days it tastes fatter, like a chocolatey something, but neither pipe nor cigar. Neither's a keeper. Is there a true cigar smoker here who can comment on the cigar flavors, like the Cigar and the Cohiba?

As to pricing, I purchased a good number of these VZ flavors at first, and sadly most of them aren't for me, and weren't cheap. Some are better than others. The fruits seem cloyingly sweet and "Chinese technicolor". The Mandarin is very nice in spite of that, tastes like their Orange with a touch more rind. Has anybody else compared these two?

So as to the new pricing, I think that's very smart. Without the new pricing I'd be done. This way I can still purchase one or two occasionally to try. Thanks, VZ.

Fernand, I'd be more than happy to pm you my address and you can send me all those VZ flavors that you don't like, you can even send me the additional ones that you purchase and don't like. I would hate to see them go to waste.

 

[LookMa`NoSmoK]

I used to smok swisher sweets like a champion if that counts. Now I'm vapin VFC like a champion, had to make 200 ml, good stuffffff.

 

[Jimi D.]

I used to smok swisher sweets like a champion if that counts. Now I'm vapin VFC like a champion, had to make 200 ml, good stuffffff.

The VFC is my favorite tobacco flavor also..So close to the real thing!

 

[Jimi D.]

I'm really surprised at the French Pipe and Black & Mild. After all the enthusiasm, I expected these to be better. Someone said it well once, that everybody's "tobacco" flavors are what they name the ones that don't taste like anything familiar. I don't think any "tobacco" vape even vaguely tastes like tobacco (and it's probably just as well). Some of the FA tobaccos capture the top notes very well, though not the base. Most of us got exposed to the (clever) Dekang notion of "tobacco", and the VZ Virginia Flue Cured lightly hints at that. The Honey Flue Cured is a wonderful true original, just touching some tobacco top notes.

As a long time former pipe and cuban cigar smoker I expected a bit of realistic "cavendish" in the French Pipe, at least like the Seedman Captain Black. But it initially just strikes me as a sweetly scented something. After a few days it tastes a little better, fatter and more aromatic, though nothing like a pipe tobacco. Eyes closed, the Black & Mild initially hits me as entirely chocolate. After a few days it tastes fatter, like a chocolatey something, but neither pipe nor cigar. Neither's a keeper. Is there a true cigar smoker here who can comment on the cigar flavors, like the Cigar and the Cohiba?

As to pricing, I purchased a good number of these VZ flavors at first, and sadly most of them aren't for me, and weren't cheap. Some are better than others. The fruits seem cloyingly sweet and "Chinese technicolor". The Mandarin is very nice in spite of that, tastes like their Orange with a touch more rind. Has anybody else compared these two?

So as to the new pricing, I think that's very smart. Without the new pricing I'd be done. This way I can still purchase one or two occasionally to try. Thanks, VZ.

I think you should try steeping those high dollar cigars in some pg...lol

 

[Iffy]

Drops are actually quite accurate and repeatable. It doesn't matter how you measure as long as you...

... keep notes!

Sum'eres 'round here, I posted this same concept. As long as one uses da same dropper and keeps notes, it don't matter!