I've been spending way too much money on premium eliquid. I thought I'd try making my own, but I'm worried I'll buy the supplies and I wont be able to make decent juice. I've heard a lot of people say the best way to start is to find a clone recipe of a juice you like and go from there, but I haven't been able to find good recipes for any of the juices I vape: NKTR sour watermelon and sour strawberry, O.M.G. W.T.F. (strawberry sour belt. Sooooo good, but too expensive), naked100 hawaiian pog, element grapefruit and watermelon chill. I like fruity and tart flavors....without creams or custards or milk....sometimes with koolada or menthol. I was thinking I'd start by ordering 5-10 flavor concentrates and some VG nicotine base? Any recommendations on what to get? From everything I've read, INW and FA make the best fruit flavors and TPA strawberry ripe is really good. Which flavors are easy to work with? Are some of the nic bases better than others? Thanks!
New to DIY. Where should I begin?
- Thread starter Sheeshnaw22
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In my humble opinion the best way to start doing DIY is the KISS method.
Keep it simple and start with standalone single flavors and once you get a couple flavors perfected you start mixing them in a tank. For Example I had a lovely Coconut and a Pineapple that was a little too strong and someone mentioned a Pina Coloda and I mixed up one in my tank and wallah had a new recipe.
Good Luck and Vape On Safely
PS: Always use a calculator like the one at ecigvapes.com
Keep it simple and start with standalone single flavors and once you get a couple flavors perfected you start mixing them in a tank. For Example I had a lovely Coconut and a Pineapple that was a little too strong and someone mentioned a Pina Coloda and I mixed up one in my tank and wallah had a new recipe.
Good Luck and Vape On Safely
PS: Always use a calculator like the one at ecigvapes.com
You might enjoy this-
Pucker Up
Inawera Exotic fruit 3% (18 drops)
Inawera White Grapefruit .5% (3 drops)
Inawera Grapefruit .5% (3 drops)
Tart and juicy, very flavorful.
The drops only pertain to the original bottles, the only place I saw US (quick search) who carries all 3 is ecigexpress and they rebottle.
It's good to go after 3 days with sporadic shaking.
There are pages and pages of opinions on nic bases. I'm not going there. lol
Pucker Up
Inawera Exotic fruit 3% (18 drops)
Inawera White Grapefruit .5% (3 drops)
Inawera Grapefruit .5% (3 drops)
Tart and juicy, very flavorful.
The drops only pertain to the original bottles, the only place I saw US (quick search) who carries all 3 is ecigexpress and they rebottle.
It's good to go after 3 days with sporadic shaking.
There are pages and pages of opinions on nic bases. I'm not going there. lol
Make a batch of unflavored with the same percent of PG VG and nic as one of the commercial liquids you like then dilute the premix with the unflavored so that the only thing you are diluting is the flavoring. You can be cautious and start with 50/50 but 25/75 will probably also work. You may notice the flavor is muted but give it a day or two and it probably not seem muted. In fact you might find it tastes better than the full strength liquid. This exercise is safe, easy, and builds confidence. Next get some all in one flavors that sound promising and start with just a couple percent. If it's too llittle flavor you can add more after giving it a fair trial. (I use 1% of an all in one flavoring and it's fine). The number one mistake is to listen to the vape chefs and try to invent the million dollar flavor with a lot of individual ingredients in high percentages. If you try to start that way disaster awaits.
P.S. My DIY cost of ingredients is 1.2 cents per ml which works out to less than $30 a year.
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Welcome and glad you joined. Would not worry about making good juice. If you can make pancakes and cook a little, your good to go.
Example:
OOO Strawberry Sour Belts 5% (One-on-One Flavors Strawberry (Sour Belts) Flavored Liquid Concentrate | One-on-One Flavors)
CA Sweet Watermelon 4%
INA Strawberry kiss 1%
FW Watermelon 1%
INW and FA make the best fruit flavors ---make some flavors which may be better than others YMMV)
Which flavors are easy to work with -- The ones that taste good to you. Generally the most popular flavor across the vaping spectrum.
Are some of the nic bases better than others-- Depends on what you are looking for. Some folks want nic with a TH some want no TH. Some no color or taste, some with color and or taste.
Might like to vist http:
//diyordievaping.com/category/latestnews/beginnertips/
The Vape Book
Could read the stickies in this forum:
DIY E-Liquid
I'd recommend that before you make any decisions about how to DIY, what supplies to buy & where, etc., etc. that you read the DIY E-Liquid Forum stickies recommended above, and also read as many of the threads below those that you can. In them there's also a bunch of info, tips, hints, questions from (and answers to) others who are new to DIY, too. There are also whole discussions there about Nicotine base, PG and VG, flavorings, methods for making eliquids, suppliers of DIY materials, and lots more.
You'll also find that DIYers have many differing opinions (at times very strong ones) on "the best way" to actually make your eliquids, "the best" places to buy the supplies needed for it, "the best" Nic base, PG and VG, flavoring brands, eliquid calculator to use, etc. Those are all based on our own individual opinions and preferences. They aren't what will necessarily work the best, or be the best choices, for you! There IS no 1 way to make eliquids, nor 1 supplier to use, nor 1 nic base, nor 1 eliquid calculator, etc. that HAS to be followed or used to make great eliquids. Whatever is the most comfortable way, or best priced, or easier to obtain or understand, for YOU...is what matters.
There are some things though that, IMO anyway, every DIYer usually agrees on:
* Care should be taken when handling nicotine base. Also, it and your finished eliquids should be kept out of the reach of children and pets.
* An eliquid calculator should be used when making an eliquid. It will figure out exactly how much of each ingredient you will need to make a recipe, based on specific info. you input into it first.
* First finding several recipes that you want to make, and then buying the flavorings to make those particular recipes...usually results in better first DIY experiences and at less expense, than doing it the other way around.
* Everyone's taste buds are different. What someone else thinks is "wonderful" tasting may be "nasty" to you, and vice-a-versa. Not everyone will like the same flavorings or the amounts of them either. Expect some pleasant surprises, and probably some duds, too, when taking others' recommendations for flavorings and recipes.
* It's usually better to start off with a lower % of each flavoring in a recipe, and add more if you need to. You can always add more, but you can't take it out!
* Asking for information or help from other DIYers is no problem at all. We're all learning new things on here frequently.
* DIY is fun, not really difficult to learn, saves a bunch of money in the longrun, and usually results in having some of the best eliquids that you've ever had!
You'll also find that DIYers have many differing opinions (at times very strong ones) on "the best way" to actually make your eliquids, "the best" places to buy the supplies needed for it, "the best" Nic base, PG and VG, flavoring brands, eliquid calculator to use, etc. Those are all based on our own individual opinions and preferences. They aren't what will necessarily work the best, or be the best choices, for you! There IS no 1 way to make eliquids, nor 1 supplier to use, nor 1 nic base, nor 1 eliquid calculator, etc. that HAS to be followed or used to make great eliquids. Whatever is the most comfortable way, or best priced, or easier to obtain or understand, for YOU...is what matters.
There are some things though that, IMO anyway, every DIYer usually agrees on:
* Care should be taken when handling nicotine base. Also, it and your finished eliquids should be kept out of the reach of children and pets.
* An eliquid calculator should be used when making an eliquid. It will figure out exactly how much of each ingredient you will need to make a recipe, based on specific info. you input into it first.
* First finding several recipes that you want to make, and then buying the flavorings to make those particular recipes...usually results in better first DIY experiences and at less expense, than doing it the other way around.
* Everyone's taste buds are different. What someone else thinks is "wonderful" tasting may be "nasty" to you, and vice-a-versa. Not everyone will like the same flavorings or the amounts of them either. Expect some pleasant surprises, and probably some duds, too, when taking others' recommendations for flavorings and recipes.
* It's usually better to start off with a lower % of each flavoring in a recipe, and add more if you need to. You can always add more, but you can't take it out!
* Asking for information or help from other DIYers is no problem at all. We're all learning new things on here frequently.
* DIY is fun, not really difficult to learn, saves a bunch of money in the longrun, and usually results in having some of the best eliquids that you've ever had!
^^^^^^^THIS!!^^^^^^^
Especially starting %. As you get used to diy commercial juices may start to taste too strong. I buy juice occasionally & sometimes find myself diluting them a bit. It's fun & you'll make some lip smackin' good stuff! Start with small batches with new recipes. 5-10ml. It's easier to dump a little than a lot.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk
Especially starting %. As you get used to diy commercial juices may start to taste too strong. I buy juice occasionally & sometimes find myself diluting them a bit. It's fun & you'll make some lip smackin' good stuff! Start with small batches with new recipes. 5-10ml. It's easier to dump a little than a lot.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk
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People starting on DIY worry way too much about making bad juice. You WILL make some juices you don't like, just like when you order juices and find you bought some you didn't like. It's still trial and error. Just think about how much less it costs to make a juice you didn't like compared to buying a juice you didn't like. A 10ml batch that you throw out costs around 30 - 40 cents. It's really not worth worrying about.
Strongly flavored fruit and candy juices can be tasty if that's what you want, but my taste buds tire quickly of anything with overpowering flavor. If it's orange I want something similar to eating an orange slice, not necessarily a Fanta Orange drink. That's all subjective, but recreating a hint of the original is what I strive for in an ADV.
For tobaccos I like something on the light side in strength, but with a good tobacco hint with a nic bite on the inhale and some woodiness and flavor on the exhale that leaves me with a sense of nic on the tongue. I was a light and then ultra-light smoker toward the end of my tobacco habit. When I quit I was 10 or 15 years past my desire for full flavor Red Marlboros.
For tobaccos I like something on the light side in strength, but with a good tobacco hint with a nic bite on the inhale and some woodiness and flavor on the exhale that leaves me with a sense of nic on the tongue. I was a light and then ultra-light smoker toward the end of my tobacco habit. When I quit I was 10 or 15 years past my desire for full flavor Red Marlboros.
Thanks for all the info. I'm about to place my order at ecx, but I'm confused about which base to get. I usually get 3mg juice. I don't mind if it's slightly lower. Ecx has premixed nic base at 100 vg or 70/30. I'm ordering only INW and FA flavors, so my totalflavor percentage is going to be less than 10% (or lower), right? Should I get the 100 vg or 70/30? I care more about flavor than cloud production. Would the 70/30 be better if I'm using flavors that are very strong, like the ones by INW and FA?
A good juice calculator will fix the base mix for you with its calculations and print out a recipe. Buy the nic base that's closest to what you vape. You will add PG and VG according to the recipe calculator to round out the recipe to whatever you like.
If you order it in 100% VG, and only use 10% flavorings total (which are usually in a PG base)...you're going to have pretty thick eliquid. Higher VG amounts are what the "cloud chuckers" go for. If you aren't out for clouds...IMO, I'd say get no higher in VG than the 70VG/30PG . That way, adding up to 10% flavorings in PG...will give you less clouds, but eliquid that should wick alittle better and should be better with flavor carrying.
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