OiLs OiLs OiLs

[Guineahill]

I just tried using some Lorannes Chocolate Flavoring oil along with vodka and it was just awful....maybe I used too much oil but it was so bitter. I am starting to think that at least for me...sweetness might have alot to do with my perception of rather the taste is pleasant or not. In other words if it smells good and the way I expect it to and it is sweet then I am happy with it. Does anyone else have this thought ?

So Guineahill....would you mind sharing your technique or have you posted any recipes elsewhere that I could look at ?

What about stevia ??? Anyone using it or have an opinion on it ?

I have posted a couple of recipes in the Recipe section. The Spice Cookie one uses actual oil. I normally use about one drop of vodka for each drop of oil. Most of the LorAnn 'Oils' are not oil at all. They are just called 'Candy Oils.' The ones that are actual oil make it pretty clear on their labels. For example, one says 'Cheesecake Flavor' and another says 'Cinnamon Oil.' The Cinnamon one is actually oil. If it says OIL on the front of the label just under the flavor name then it is actually oil. The oils are very strong and you only need a couple of drops in most cases.

I don't like Stevia for e-liquid. It doesn't seem to hold up well to the heat for me.

Many of the flavorings get bitter if you use too much. It can be a challenge because some of them don't have enough flavor to be used sparingly, and if you up the percentage they start to taste nasty. I do find that sometimes I need to blend several flavorings together to come up with a formula that works well for me. For example, I'm not fond of any of the coffee flavors used alone... but mix several of them and they seem to compensate for each other.

I've always wanted to try the flavors from Get Suckered but they have soybean oil:

Candy Oils Add Delicious Flavor To Your Hard Candy - Get Suckered

I know that Ms. T's Bakery uses them and she specifies on her site that she uses only flavoring that has been tested by users here: Ms Ts Bakery Essentials

Anyone ever try to use these in their recipes?

I haven't used them but I have thought about it. If you decided to try them let me know how it works out! (And bring some to the East Coast Meet Up!!!)

 

[Janetda]

I LOVE using clove, anis and wintergreen oils and was concerned about the safety of vaping oils. I saw this on another board and thought I'd share:

Essential oils are called oils for lack of a better term. They are not oils in the traditional sense at all. They are nothing more or less than the volatile aromatic essence of plants. Compared to lipids, they are extremely small molecules and are 100% volatile (meaning they evaporate in ambient air over time).

From Wikipedia:

"Essential oil is also known as volatile oil and ethereal oil. It may also be referred to as "oil of" the raw plant material from which it was extracted, such as oil of clove. The term essential is intended to indicate that the oil is the fragrant essence of the plant from which it is extracted and not in the more common grammatical sense of being indispensable. It is not to be confused with essential fatty acids."

Here is a link to the entire Wikipedia discussion of essential oils: Essential oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

By contrast, from your Wikipedia link: "Lipids are a class of hydrocarbon-containing organic compounds. Lipids are categorized by the fact that they are soluble in nonpolar solvents (such as ether and chloroform) and are relatively insoluble in water. Lipid molecules have these properties because they consist largely of long hydrocarbon tails which are hydrophobic in nature. In living organisms, lipids are used for energy storage, serve as structural components of cell membranes, and are important hormones or contain essential fatty acids. Although the term lipid is often used as a synonym for fat, the latter is in fact a subgroup of lipids called triglycerides."

So I repeat, essential oils contain no lipids and cannot and do not cause or contribute to lipid pneumonia.

 

[Switched]

Thanks for the informative posts. These forums are worst than the bonsai forums = for spreading myths

I keep reading I am worried about vaping this or that etc... yet we have breathed 4000 + more harmful chemicals for years. The bottom line look at the liquid you buy. Natural essence or oil in PG or water = GOOD. Artificial this or that = NO GOOD. Some/most of these oils are indeed diluted in Alcohol.

The bottom line IMHO if the liquid is separated, I wouldn't vape it. Anything that is part of the solution and not suspended, is safe.

I have recently read a thread where someone did not want to use flavouring etc... as unsafe yet, he is making his own flavouring out of cigarette TEA. Give me a break!

 

[Nikhil]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_oil

Of particular interest was this little part:

"Interest in essential oils has revived in recent decades with the popularity of aromatherapy, a branch of alternative medicine which claims that the specific aromas carried by essential oils have curative effects. Oils are volatilized or diluted in a carrier oil and used in massage, diffused in the air by a nebulizer or by heating over a candle flame, or burned as incense, for example."

 

[Janetda]

Well, I think the real bottom line is nothing we inhale is healthy for us. Cigarettes are particularly bad. However, they kill over 30 or 40 years. There are somethings you can inhale that will kill you a lot faster, so you do have to be careful. The big wild card in e-cigs is the flavoring. We really have very little information about their effects, so it's all speculation.

 

[Guineahill]

I use oils all the time and I haven't had a single issue with atties. Where did this "oil destroys atties" idea come from? I haven't seen a single bit of information that shows this to be true. I have read speculation by people about it... but no evidence at all.

When I make my liquids with oil I use 1 drop of oil to 1 or 2 ml base. So, even if I vape 2 ml a day, I would be getting at MOST 2 drops of oil IN MY MOUTH! I believe that a significant amount of the oil settles on the surfaces of my mouth. Regardless of the amount that settles and is tasted I would be inhaling significantly less than two drops.

So... I wonder how much oil I inhale when I cook? Or how much do I inhale while waiting in line at a fast food restaurant? I wonder how much oil the guy making the fries inhales? I haven't seen any news reports about how being a fry cook is dangerous to one's respiratory health!

Aromatic oils are used in all kinds of things... from foods to air fresheners and cleansers. The reason they smell nice is because we are inhaling them! Until I see something that explicitly shows that using oils in my e-liquid is hazardous I will continue to use them... happily and without concern!

 

[MaxUT]

I've always wanted to try the flavors from Get Suckered but they have soybean oil:

Candy Oils Add Delicious Flavor To Your Hard Candy - Get Suckered

I know that Ms. T's Bakery uses them and she specifies on her site that she uses only flavoring that has been tested by users here: Ms Ts Bakery Essentials

Anyone ever try to use these in their recipes?

I've used the Peanut successfully and I think it's a true flavor and quite good. Don't care for the idea of soy oil but you don't need much, especially if you just want a hint of peanut flavor.

However, the Honeysuckle is to be avoided like the plague; it's extremely perfumey, even in very small amounts. Blechh!