Random DIY mixing and More

[hittman]

A little feedback on adding FE lemon to the LMP. It now has a little bit of bite to it that I don't remember being there before but I still don't taste the lemon much. The recipe called for .8% lemon. I think I'll probably increase that on the next mix.

 

[icepickmaker84]

For the most part you need to steep.Most single fruits are just shake and vape but not all of them and there are some recipes that are shake and vape. I've never done it though.

Do the heat steep methods work well or is waiting the best method?


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[FranC]

Do the heat steep methods work well or is waiting the best method?


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Just my opinion but I wait. Of course I have so much mixed it's no problem.

 

[Zazie]

I have yet to mix anything, but I have zero doubt that time is better than heat.

 

[FranC]

I have yet to mix anything, but I have zero doubt that time is better than heat.

I've always thought so too.

 

[icepickmaker84]

Just my opinion but I wait. Of course I have so much mixed it's no problem.

My oldest mix isn’t even two weeks lol


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[FranC]

My oldest mix isn’t even two weeks lol


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Yes but it doesn't take long to get enough mixed that you don't worry about steeping.

 

[icepickmaker84]

Yes but it doesn't take long to get enough mixed that you don't worry about steeping.

True but I have to find recipes I like before I can mix in large quantities.


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[NotSoMini]

I am patient so I steep even if it is just a short three days and up to three weeks depending.

 

[NolaMel]

I'm figuring a couple weeks is good for me.

Ty. I thought I recalled you saying it needed a little time to settle down

 

[NolaMel]

A little feedback on adding FE lemon to the LMP. It now has a little bit of bite to it that I don't remember being there before but I still don't taste the lemon much. The recipe called for .8% lemon. I think I'll probably increase that on the next mix.

Ty. I’m going to go ahead and mix a bottle with the FE. What are you thinking to increase to? Or maybe both lemons?

 

[FranC]

True but I have to find recipes I like before I can mix in large quantities.


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It's a whole process to find out what you like and don't but you get there after awhile.

 

[WhiteHighlights]

My oldest mix isn’t even two weeks lol


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I'm an impatient sort - I'd take a test vape to see how I liked it. My motto is try early and often so you find out how it changes over time and what suits your taste buds best.

Some I like younger, others do better with a bit of a steep, and some I vape at all stages of maturation - they're good/interesting each week 1-6! One store bought juice I used to get, I preferred at 2 weeks (young and fresh) and others said it needed at least 6 weeks (old and past its prime IMHO). I'm weird though. YMMV

 

[FranC]

I'm an impatient sort - I'd take a test vape to see how I liked it. My motto is try early and often so you find out how it changes over time and what suits your taste buds best.

Some I like younger, others do better with a bit of a steep, and some I vape at all stages of maturation - they're good/interesting each week 1-6! One store bought juice I used to get, I preferred at 2 weeks (young and fresh) and others said it needed at least 6 weeks (old and past its prime IMHO). I'm weird though. YMMV

I've done that also but not since I got so much mixed.

 

[IDJoel]

By the way, what does SC stand for?

@FranC is correct; SC is Super Concentrates (the brand... not the generic super concentrates tag like WF-SC, or RF-SC).

Shake and vape or steep? Do flavors really mingle so quickly that shake and vape truly “works”?

For my wonky taste buds, I find that it will vary mix to mix, and has a lot to do with the ingredients used (sometimes even in what combinations).

My usual SOP, when I am mixing a new-to-me recipe or using ingredients I am unfamiliar with, is to do a little test-taste vaping as I let the mixture mature. I generally won't fill the tank... 0.25-0.5mL is usually plenty to get an idea of how the mixture is developing. When it tastes good to me, I deem it ready.

I am only familiar with one of the three you intend to mix: Manner. Manner, per the author's notes, and my own mixing agrees, is 24 hours. I don't mix large batches of this one as the INW Lemon starts fading out after 2 weeks. I have yet to experiment with subbing different lemons, or using lemon combinations, to see if I can stretch longevity.

Do the heat steep methods work well or is waiting the best method?

I personally am not a fan of heat. Heat can accelerate flavor loss ("fading") in some concentrates (lemon concentrates seem to be especially susceptible). Concentrates that have more aromatic notes tend to be more susceptible: berries, citrus, fruits in general, and florals, are just some examples. Concentrates with little aromatic presence fair better: custards, creams, and some tobaccos, seem to tolerate heat treatment without much flavor loss.

If you are itching to experiment with heat (and there are DIYers that do like to use it), I suggest mixing your recipe, and then divide it into two smaller bottles. Heat treat one, and let the other age naturally. That way, you can compare for yourself, and see if it is something you want to pursue.

 

[Zazie]

Could I mix a small tester, put it in a tank, and let it steep there (in the dark, of course)? It would make monitoring the flavor development over time so much easier.

 

[FranC]

Could I mix a small tester, put it in a tank, and let it steep there (in the dark, of course)? It would make monitoring the flavor development over time so much easier.

Maybe let it sit 2-3 days before you do that would would be better? IDK

 

[hittman]

Ty. I’m going to go ahead and mix a bottle with the FE. What are you thinking to increase to? Or maybe both lemons?

I am by no means a mixing expert but I think I might stick with the FE but maybe try 1.25 or 1.5%.

 

[IDJoel]

Well...you might want to give them another try then.
All the flavorings I've gotten from them in at least the past year or so have come in the PET plastic dropper bottles. Good for you all mixing by weight, but kind of bothersome for those of us who still mix by volume. There's no way for the flavoring vendors to please everyone in that regard though.

Thanks, @JCinFLA. I knew they had changed bottles on their larger (4oz.+) bottles. But, I was unaware that they had gone to plastic with their smaller bottles. Does that include both 10mL and 30mL sizes?

I am not too surprised though. Glass costs more to purchase. Glass weighs more; so costs more to ship. So, I can see from a business standpoint, that plastic would make them more cost competitive. The nostalgic side of me is a bit sad though; I always saw the glass bottles as a "value added" benefit. And, from a storage and longevity standpoint, glass can't be beat.

 

[IDJoel]

Could I mix a small tester, put it in a tank, and let it steep there (in the dark, of course)? It would make monitoring the flavor development over time so much easier.

I never thought about that. That is rather ingenious.

If you have ample hardware, and can dedicate a tank to a single recipe, I see no reason why this wouldn't work. Whether a mixture matures in a tank, or a bottle, I can't imagine what difference that might make.