Question: Getting the right hue and mix for my All Day Tobacco

[Spud87]

Hello! I'm new to DIY and I have a question that some of you veterans may be able to help me with. Im going to DIY not only because its cheaper, but because some of the staff at my local store have been overly rude/elitist and treat questions like interrogations and instant threats. I later found out its mainly because they're ill informed and plainly didn't know at all, but got severely defensively at their lack of knowledge. I've been trying to clone my favorite Maxx Blend/Maxx-boro flavor from this shop, and I've fallen a tad bit short. And the telltale sign to me is the color. Every other MB in the area is yellow, and so is mine. Theirs however, has an orange hue to it. My mix is as follows.

60/40 VG to PG
14 Mg nicotine
Maxx Blend - 2.7 Percent
Caramel - 4 Percent
Virginia tobacco - 1.3 Percent
Smoothing Agent - 1 Drop per 10 Ml.
Sweetener - 1 drop per 20 Ml

The overall taste is extremely close and just a touch stronger than theirs, which I prefer. I can also taste vanilla in their mix making it akin to an RY4, which I am adding into the future revised recipe, I just didn't have any at the time to mix with. After an accelerated steeping time and tests, its extremely vapeable and tasty. I'm also going to experiment and add minuscule amounts of 555 into the mix to make it a touch spicier

However, my end color is just a standard yellow, as most that I've seen are. Theirs is an orange as I said before. Now, standard color mixing tells me I need some sort of flavoring that is RED?! The only color I could add in to yellow to produce orange is some kind of red. As I don't have a huge stock of flavorings to choose from, I thought you fine people might have a clue of a red flavoring that may be common in general flavors, or full flavored tobaccos. Thanks! Hope to hear from some of you mixing masters. Also, I don't think they would be using food coloring as they have some colorless liquids and aren't obsessed with appearances of their liquid.

 

[Hoosier]

Or they might use a nicotine that is pink...

But vanilla can have some impact on color and sometimes it's unpredictable.

 

[Heabob]

What brand Caramel are you using?

My FA Caramel is orange colored.

FA Vanilla Tahiti and Vanilla Bourbon are dark colored too.

I'd drop the sweetener and the smooth though.

And use 1% TFA Marshmallow instead, but, that's just me

 

[Spud87]

Hey guys and thanks for your responses.

Hoosier, we'll see after I add in the proper amount of vanilla. If it is that unpredictable, then that could very well be it. However, I doubt their nicotine comes colored at all. If that was the case, then their colorless liquids with nicotine mixed from the same stock would also have some sort of hue. Or you could just be screwing with the newbie. I have no idea if nicotine can sometimes come in different hues.

Heabob, I'm using TFA caramel, as they seemed to have the more positive reviews and lighter but truer flavor judging from multiple internet sources. That could be it as well. I may just need to up my caramel dosage or change supplier, as it does seem to be a very light caramel even if it does taste true. I mixed a small bottle of ONLY caramel to try and I did have to crank up the percentage into the teens to get a satisfactory potent caramel taste. The sweetener is just more to my taste and very subtle. I'm using a small dropper as well, so I'm sure the amount is close to negligible and just adds a hint of sweet on the end of the vape. It just reminds me of my old analogs. The Smooth though I don't want to drop completely. It did make a huge difference between my test batch with and without. It seemed to help meld all the flavors and take the tops off the sharper ones when it wasn't fully steeped. I will take your advice and order some TFA marshmallow though and substitute it to see if it has the same effect! Thanks for the advice. Will definitely experiment with the V. Bourbon in this as well. The best tobacco flavors to my palate seem to be decently complex and in the 8-12 percent total bottle rate, so I'm sure there is a place for it in one of the recipes I've tried.

 

[we2rcool]

Hello! I'm new to DIY and I have a question that some of you veterans may be able to help me with. Im going to DIY not only because its cheaper, but because some of the staff at my local store have been overly rude/elitist and treat questions like interrogations and instant threats. I later found out its mainly because they're ill informed and plainly didn't know at all, but got severely defensively at their lack of knowledge. I've been trying to clone my favorite Maxx Blend/Maxx-boro flavor from this shop, and I've fallen a tad bit short. And the telltale sign to me is the color. Every other MB in the area is yellow, and so is mine. Theirs however, has an orange hue to it. My mix is as follows.

60/40 VG to PG
14 Mg nicotine
Maxx Blend - 2.7 Percent
Caramel - 4 Percent
Virginia Tobacco - 1.3 Percent
Smoothing Agent - 1 Drop per 10 Ml.
Sweetener - 1 drop per 20 Ml

The overall taste is extremely close and just a touch stronger than theirs, which I prefer. I can also taste vanilla in their mix making it akin to an RY4, which I am adding into the future revised recipe, I just didn't have any at the time to mix with. After an accelerated steeping time and tests, its extremely vapeable and tasty. I'm also going to experiment and add minuscule amounts of 555 into the mix to make it a touch spicier

However, my end color is just a standard yellow, as most that I've seen are. Theirs is an orange as I said before. Now, standard color mixing tells me I need some sort of flavoring that is RED?! The only color I could add in to yellow to produce orange is some kind of red. As I don't have a huge stock of flavorings to choose from, I thought you fine people might have a clue of a red flavoring that may be common in general flavors, or full flavored tobaccos. Thanks! Hope to hear from some of you mixing masters. Also, I don't think they would be using food coloring as they have some colorless liquids and aren't obsessed with appearances of their liquid.

After Vanillin (not Vanilla) steeps, it turns pink (or even as dark as salmon, if one uses a LOT of it in a mix). Pink + gold = orange hue.

We got our Vanillin powder from ECX, but I'm sure there are plenty of other sources. 'Just mix up a 10% solution and start at around .5% - 1% for a light vanilla flavor

Vanillin doesn't offer the 'bass notes' and complexity of real vanilla - it's just a very light 'vanilla breeze' in a vape.

'Hope you find your solution!

 

[Exchaner]

What you might be looking for is Royal tobacco by Flavor Art. It's basically Maxx Blend with some added ingredients - a tiny bit of caramel, and hardly noticeable vanilla/vanillin. And it has an orangish/amber hue. BTW I wouldn't go for any of that pink nic Hoosier's trying to sell you

 

[Spud87]

wer2cool - I will add that to my next order list as well. I had seen it grouped with the powders/crystals like EM and Menthol, but didnt know if the taste would come through as a real vanilla or be extremely overpowering like pure menthol crystals. What you described has sold me on it enough to know I need it in my e-liquid alchemy cabinet though for future mixes, and it could very be whats missing. Thanks for your input, its extremely appreciated.

Exchaner - You may be right. I know that they also use other FA flavorings in their house blends, so it may be just that, but rebranded as a Maxx Blend. Like I said, it was a Maxx Blend with RY4 taste that I kept tasting, and that about nails it. You may have just saved me a whole lot of mixing and math time if that is the case! Thanks as always and I appreciate you taking the time to post! Another bottle added to the shopping cart.

This forum rules. Its great to have people with hands on experience helping you.


Also, a PS. I did get another bottle of their Maxx Blend for taste tests and side-by-side comparisons. Mine actually seems to be coming along more than theirs in overall taste quality, or this particular batch of theirs, did. Once I find that correct vanilla note it seems, I will perfect it and post a recipe for you guys to try/critique/morph. My other raw flavorings/supplies should be arriving from WizardLabs tomorrow, and Ill document the process and such to see what you guys recommend I do different.

 

[downInTn]

For FA tobaccos my experience is Virginia will turn a bright golden yellow, Maxx a light amber, Desert Ship a dark orange/copper-ish color.

 

[Exchaner]

Spud, I forgot to add that Royal Tobacco has a tiny tiny bit of menthol added to intensify the flavors, and for better throat hit. But you will hardly notice the menthol unless you really try. My ideal mix is 3%.