Sweeteners

[pico]

I got some Ethyl Maltol and some EZ-Sweet. I mixed the EM crystals at 1/2 tsp to a 10ml mix of PG and PGA. It finally dissolved with a little heat and seemed to behave like many of the described methods for mixing EM.

The EZ-Sweet i mixed at 10% to 90% PG.

I don't even begin to understand what EM is supposed to be. To me it has no sweetness to it at all. Just a chemical flavor. What is it supposed to do to your mix? Even after adding from 1 to 5 drops to a 3ml test batch, it just gets the EM chemical taste to me.

Then there is the EZ-Sweet at 10% this stuff is ridiculously sweet. I added one drop to a couple of test flavor mixes I was doing and now when I smell the bottle I can smell what they were supposed to taste like, but when vaping all I get is a mega-sweet overload. One drop of a 10% dilution!??! Crap that stuff is sweet!

I'm just trying to find something that will add a good full rich sweet taste but not clobber the other flavors. What am I doing wrong here?

 

[hairball]

Ethyl tastes like a burnt marshmallow to me so I don't use it. I haven't tried EZ-Sweet yet. I have a sampel bottle, just haven't tried it. I normally use Stevia to sweeten my liquids. Doesn't over power the flavor but it's strong. So a tiny bit goes a long way.

 

[Hoosier]

I use EM quite a bit. But I get it premixed at 10%. (Called Cotton Candy Flavor at TFA). A little makes sharp notes more mild. A bit more adds some sweet. A big chunk makes the cotton candy flavor.

A little EM is in the range of a drop per 3ml to 6ml.

Sweetener is used even more sparingly just for sweetening, as it does not have anyother effect that I've found. Max would be 1 drop per 5ml with a minimum down to 1 drop per 10ml.

I think, someone correct me if I'm wrong please, EM is mixed with PGA at the highest amount of solids possible, then that solution is 10-12% of a mix with PG.

So, you may be going too high in your sweetener, and/or you may be more sensitive to sweetener.

 

[mwa102464]

I always buy the sweetener that Geoff sells over at TV, it's cheap and works very well whatever it is.

 

[vapspaz]

I think, someone correct me if I'm wrong please, EM is mixed with PGA at the highest amount of solids possible, then that solution is 10-12% of a mix with PG.

I've got some EM crystals but I haven't mixed any yet as I've been using Cotton Candy from TPA. I'm running low now and was going to mix up some of my crystals but now you have me curious about how to mix this stuff. I thought you mix it at 10% with either PGA (no heat needed) or PG (use mild heat) but not both. idk ... You're probably right Hoosier.

Hope someone chimes in here and sets me straight. lol

 

[Hoosier]

I've got some EM crystals but I haven't mixed any yet as I've been using Cotton Candy from TPA...

I really don't know the particulars. When I got my first bottle from TPA, it was well before she was doing flavors and it came in a lined alum bottle. I remember reading something on her site about disolving in alcohol and it was a 10% solution and the resultant mixture I use has a PG feel to it.

Since I have passed on any discussion when folks here talked about making their own, I may be mis-remembering/wrong.

I'm just now getting toward the end of that 1st 2oz bottle and have 1oz sitting at the ready. Thinking about a 4oz bottle next time. The price is very good when I account for my time for doing it myself.

I don't use much in any recipe, but I use it in quite a few recipes and I like the consistancy. Since I always have to try out new flavors or replace some I've used up, grabbing a bottle of Cotton Candy while I'm there just isn't an issue for me.

 

[vapspaz]

Yup. I just found this thread http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/diy-e-liquid/59922-help-ethyl-maltol-solution-2.html where Scuba was talking about it. Sounds like 1/4 tsp per 8ml was the general idea.

Got a question for ya. What % of EM (cotton candy) do you use on average on your tobacco brews? I've been hitting mine with about 2-3% but haven't dared to go higher for fear of messing up a batch. lol

 

[Hoosier]

Oh, man, ya' know, I don't use EM with any of my tobacco mixes.

I use FA's Virginia to smooth out any tobacco mixes that are too sharp and a hint of FA's Burley to give them some body, if they need it, but most don't need Burley.

So, my tobaccos are very tobaccoy. I also hot water bath every tobacco mix.

 

[vapspaz]

Really!!??? wow! I thought that was like written in stone around here that you use EM in tobacy brews. hmmmm Well I'll be .... lol

Interesting! What's this hot water bath thingy you speak of? Please don't tell me you take them in the bath tube with ya or sumthin. lol Seriously though, what does it do to your brews? Does it let them mead faster or better? I've not heard of this before.

 

[Seabrook]

Sorry I can't help you with the EM. I use a pre-mixed liquid stevia in a VG base I buy from vitacost.com. It has lasted me a year, and the 4 oz. bottle is only half empty. I chose that to eliminate addition of chemical molecules since stevia is a natural herb. Doesn't mean I'm right -- just means that's what I chose.

 

[Hoosier]

Really!!??? wow! I thought that was like written in stone around here that you use EM in tobacy brews. hmmmm Well I'll be .... lol

Interesting! What's this hot water bath thingy you speak of? Please don't tell me you take them in the bath tube with ya or sumthin. lol Seriously though, what does it do to your brews? Does it let them mead faster or better? I've not heard of this before.

I may read a lot and agree with many things, but it doesn't mean I do things like everybody else. I like trying things differently to see what happens.

The water bath is filling a cup with hot tap water and dropping your bottle into it. Shake it every so often and let the whole mass cool to room temp. It's like a quick steep.

 

[MaxUT]

Then there is the EZ-Sweet at 10% this stuff is ridiculously sweet. I added one drop to a couple of test flavor mixes I was doing and now when I smell the bottle I can smell what they were supposed to taste like, but when vaping all I get is a mega-sweet overload. One drop of a 10% dilution!??! Crap that stuff is sweet!

Hmmm, maybe my bottle of EZ-Sweetz was weak or something, because I've used up to 8 drops for a 6mL recipe, full-strength out of the bottle (my wife's co-worker likes extremely sweet juice). Usually I use 1 drop per 3mL of recipe.

I have a new bottle of NOW Stevia Glycerite but haven't really tested it yet.

 

[MaxUT]

Speaking of 'quick steep' -- I had a 2mL test batch in a PA 4mL glass bottle and dropped it into my ultrasonic tank which was filled with hot water, intending to give it a few minutes of high-frequency buzzing. When I came back to pull it out, I found that the cap had vibrated completely off the bottle, spilling the contents into the tank. I had that sucker screwed down tight too! Oh well, at least the room had a pleasant smell of Pandan and EM...

 

[vapspaz]

I may read a lot and agree with many things, but it doesn't mean I do things like everybody else. I like trying things differently to see what happens.

The water bath is filling a cup with hot tap water and dropping your bottle into it. Shake it every so often and let the whole mass cool to room temp. It's like a quick steep.

I hear ya on that one. I wish I had more time to experiment when I mix. By the time I get home from work and eat dinner it's already late so most my mixing I do on the weekends. I usually make up one batch of something new and then another exactly like it but maybe with Caramel or Marshmallow or Vanilla then try them out side by side make a few adjustments then put them away to steep for a week then try them again. Not having a lot of experience with various flavors this is the only way my little brain can figure out what effects a flavor has to the base flavor.

Thanks for the hot bath tip. I had read something like that in here before but I thought they were talking about thinning their VG juice down to make it easier to work with. Makes sense that it would also allow them to blend quicker as well.

Hmmm, maybe my bottle of EZ-Sweetz was weak or something, because I've used up to 8 drops for a 6mL recipe, full-strength out of the bottle (my wife's co-worker likes extremely sweet juice). Usually I use 1 drop per 3mL of recipe.

I have a new bottle of NOW Stevia Glycerite but haven't really tested it yet.

I'm not sure about EZ-Sweet but I know that with Splendex if you put a tiny tiny speck of it on your finger then touch your tongue the sweetness will explode over your entire tongue. And it stays there for a good 5 minutes too! It's crazy how strong that stuff is.

I maybe wrong but isn't using high amounts of any sweetener bad for attys or coils as they clog them up fast. I know this is true with Splendex on an E2 coil. If If vape any home brew that I used Splendex in (1 drop per 5ml) it will gunk-up the coil in one day of use. Do other sweeteners do this as well?

 

[pico]

I've done the hot water bath to speed up mixing all along. The only part of steeping it doesn't do is any oxidation that effects flavors. I've noticed certain juices darken over time and take on a richer or fuller flavor. I am assuming this is either oxidation or some other chemical reaction that takes more time than just a good hot mixing.

I'm giving up on my home mixed EM crystals and ordering PA cotton candy. Maybe I'm just not getting all the instructions I've read on how to mix the crystals. Its all cheap enough to buy several years supply for a few bucks, so I figure why not just get it pre-mixed. If that just adds a chemical taste to my juice, then I know its just my funky taste buds.

 

[MaxUT]

I haven't noticed any gunking effect from EZ-Sweetz or the PA sucralose sweetener. My wife's co-worker, the one who likes really sweet juice? She ran the same 510 atty for several months with nothing but the over-sweetened juice I made for her.