New to DIY E-liquid, need help :(

[AshJD94]

Hello, I'm new to vaping and I decided to give DIY e-liquid a go. I understand the basics to e-liquid, vaping and how everything works (I'm also a student studying Biomedical Science so I am used to mixing liquids and performing serial dilutions and ratio mixes, etc.)

I'm now in my 2nd week of attempting to make my own liquid but it never seems right. I always get good clouds of smoke, good throat hit but very minor flavour from the actual flavourings; a chemical flavour seems to override it.

My model is the VIP Photon Tank.
The supplies and ingredients I bought to make my own juice are as follows:
VG (no nicotine)
PG (5.4%) "Unflavoured E Liquid"
Blueberry Flavour (Perfume apprentice)

Everything I buy comes from Liberty Flights.


I make a solution of 1.8% nic strength and I have experimented with different amounts of flavour from 5% to 15% and each attempt has tasted the same- a slight chemical flavour with a hint of blueberry. I've started to let the solutions set over night with the cap off. I have noticed the colour darkens dramatically and the blueberry taste DOES increase, but the chemical taste still remains.

Any help would be much appreciated, thank you!

 

[trouble1000]

I always leave my DIY liquids to steep for at least a week.
Some need to be left for longer.
I've got some juices in my cupboard that I mixed up 5 weeks ago and I still haven't tried them yet.
Sorry can't help on the chemical taste, someone with more knowledge might recommend some form of sweetener.

 

[AshJD94]

Thank you for your reply. I guess steeping is essential for flavour then! My juice is on it's second night of steeping, I will try it tomorrow and see how it tastes

 

[FACE MEAT]

Diy is equal parts science, art, frustration and joy. Sometimes, there's no rhyme or reason to what works and what doesn't. I forget who said it, but this quote has stuck with me: "Making a good DIY e-liquid is an art. Replicating that good liquid again is a science."

I've not tried TPA's blueberry, so I'm of no help as far as that particular concentrate is concerned. Sorry.

Read the stickies at the top of the DIY E-Liquid sub-forum, then read Hoosier's blogs here: E-Cigarette Forum - Hoosier - Blogs

Good luck.

 

[AshJD94]

I've only just started and I couldn't agree more. Its a shame because it seems like a hobby that I would enjoy so much. As soon as I impress myself with one mix, I'll be satisfied to buy more equipment and ingredients to carry on!

 

[trouble1000]

I normally get the Flavour Art concentrates from Liberty Flights - they are VERY concentrated.

I mixed up a batch of chocolate/caramel a couple of weeks ago :
2% FA caramel
15% TPA (the perfumers apprentice) chocolate
I can really taste the caramel and theres just a tint trace of chocolate, that's how strong the FA flavours are.

I agree with FACE MEAT though, mixing is a science, I'm trying to perfect the above mix with a little honey or cream, will probably take me another month to perfect the recipe

 

[AshJD94]

Ah thank you! I shall look into buying FA instead

 

[Hitmetwice]

I'm certainly no chemist or DIY guru like some around here, but many DIYers(from what I've read)
use small amounts of lemon juice and or vinegar in some of their mixes. There used to be a very long
vinegar thread around these parts but I gave up trying to keep up with it. What the final consensus was IDK.

I've personally discovered thru trial and error that my vanilla mixes reach pretty much max. flavour at about 7%
for me. If I put in 14% no great deal of difference. Since flavours are sort of an unknown(risk) for inhalation, I
choose to use as little as possible. Some flavs will actually decrease in taste at higher levels and work best at very low
percentages(2-5%).

If I don't let the brew sit for 4 weeks it isn't as good as it is after the 4 week mark.
For me it HAS to age before any real judgment can be made.

Ya gotta be a mad scientist and experiment experiment experiment(or use someone else's recipes)Lol!
5 new post got up before I finished my 1 finger typing.haha.

 

[BlueSnake]

Ah thank you! I shall look into buying FA instead

Here's one of the easiest types of flavoring. Vapingzone's Super Concentrated or VZ SC. They take 2.5 to 3% for lots of flavor. In 10ml of liquid that would be 12 to 14 drops 2.5 or 3%.

DIY-Flavoring-Alcohol Base | E Liquid Flavoring-Alcohol Base - E Cig : Best Ejuice | Joye eGo & eGo-T | Boge Leo | Cartomizers | E-Liquid | Electronic Cigarettes

 

[AshJD94]

Here's one of the easiest types of flavoring. Vapingzone's Super Concentrated or VZ SC. They take 2.5 to 3% for lots of flavor. In 10ml of liquid that would be 12 to 14 drops 2.5 or 3%.

DIY-Flavoring-Alcohol Base | E Liquid Flavoring-Alcohol Base - E Cig : Best Ejuice | Joye eGo & eGo-T | Boge Leo | Cartomizers | E-Liquid | Electronic Cigarettes

Thanks! The only problem is, I live in the UK so i'll have to see if there's a UK supplier.

 

[Iffy]

Ash,

I know that my response may not help ya much... but your TPA BB flav % range should have given ya a pleasant vape up 'round the 12% mark.

As for berry and fruit flavs, my opinion is that they should be good-to-vape from da git-go (aka no steeping). At least they have in my experience.

Now, if ya want a winning BB flav from da git-go, get some Vaping Zone Super Concentrate BB and mix @ 2.5%!

Good luck and don't get discouraged! It's more than well worth da efforts and bit o' coin when ya find da 'sweet spot'.

 

[cedric212]

For fruits, I prefer FA and CAP (most are ready to vape after mix) over TFA. IMO, most of the TFA fruits I've tried have a very distinctive perfumy/soapy taste (regardless of the % used) which usually need a 24-48hr airing-out/steep (cap off) before it's ready to vape.

Also, a dripping atty or RDA is good to have for testing your mixes.

 

[zoiDman]

I make a solution of 1.8% nic strength and I have experimented with different amounts of flavour from 5% to 15% and each attempt has tasted the same- a slight chemical flavour with a hint of blueberry. I've started to let the solutions set over night with the cap off. I have noticed the colour darkens dramatically and the blueberry taste DOES increase, but the chemical taste still remains.

Any help would be much appreciated, thank you!

Sounds like a Straight Forward Recipe. But where is the Sweetener?

Have you ever made Cookies and forgotten to Add Sugar? That is how Most of my Non-Tobacco DIY Recipes Taste without some amount of Sweetener.

I like to use Pure Sucralose in PG Solution. But this can be Too Sweet for Some People.

 

[Steven Pye]

Sometimes a flavor for a person just wont pop- perhaps you like blueberries but the TFA Blueberry is not for you. I have it also and can only get a sweet flavor even at 15%, does not remind me of blueberries much.

I would suggest trying a different flavor and also getting some liquid Sucralose or Ethyl Malto and add them in at 1% with your mix for a little touch of sweet.

 

[DeeDee1234]

Do you have any other flavors that we can help you work with? You need to get a vapeable most of the mix under your belt. Most of the soapy/perfumey mixes are too much flavor. I don't have that flavor so the best I can tell you is to start at a low %. add a drop of lemon juice and a drop of em and then you can give it a hot water bath and steep a little. Then you can raise the flavor % a little.


Good luck
D

 

[jfountain2]

You said you were using Flavor Apprentice (Perfumers apprentice) Blueberry Flavor... I looked at their website and they have a 'Blueberry (wild) Flavor' and a 'Blueberry Candy' flavor. Their is a major difference in them. The 'Blueberry Candy' flavor contains triacetin whereas the 'Wild Blueberry' does not.

It's been my experience that triacetin does not vape well and leaves a chemical aftertaste but that could just be me.


From their website:

BLUEBERRY CANDY FLAVOR
water soluble
This is a stronger blueberry that is more candy-like, but not necessarily sweet.
Ingredients:Artificial Flavor, Triacetin

BLUEBERRY (WILD) FLAVOR
water soluble
Our newest blueberry is a very fresh and bright true blueberry taste. It is my new favorite!
Ingredients: Artificial Flavors, Propylene Glycol, Water, Ethyl Alcohol

 

[VF111]

I was wondering if you have tried other flavors and got the same experience. I've used almost all of the TPA fruit flavors and vaped them right after mixing without any chemical taste so this makes me wonder if it could be the nic that you are using?

 

[zoiDman]

Just a Note:

Triacetin has been Associated with Crack of Some Plastic Clearos and Tanks.

 

[trouble1000]

Ah thank you! I shall look into buying FA instead

There you go mate, I did say people with more knowledge about sweetener would come along

 

[AshJD94]

Just an update: I let my mix steep for 72 hours and it was perfect! No sweetener added or anything. The blueberry flavour is very distinctive and the chemical taste has gone. Thank you all for your advice and responses!