Tasting flavors before mixing

[jifjifjif]

Hey everyone

I have a question for you DIY enthusiasts.........

I understand that when I purchase a bunch of new flavors, it is smart to mix up a small batch of each so that I can taste them individually and understand what I am working with before mixing a juice with multiple flavors.

My question is... .... does everyone vape each flavor individually on a new Wick and take notes on the flavor, or are you tasting by tongue) the flavors? I'm thinking that rather than having to vape a flavor, pull the Wick, pulse the coil, install a new Wick and repeat...... maybe I can simply taste the flavors with a drop or two on the tongue and make notes and recipes that way. This is all with just pg in the flavors, not with nic.

Thanks in advance for your opinions

 

[Nicklemile]

does everyone vape each flavor individually on a new Wick

I would like to know this too. I have just under 60 flavors now and haven't done this to all, just a few. I suspect the answer is yes. Time to go buy more cotton?

 

[JCinFLA]

If I'm making a recipe that I get from others, I don't taste test the flavors in it individually. I usually just do what's called the 100DTT (100 drop taste test)...starting with a lower % of each flavoring, first. Then I adjust or "tweak" it from there (taking notes of changes I make as I go along), until it's exactly the way I want it to taste and vape. I'll then use those notes to reflect any changes I made in flavoring % in the recipe. When I then make a larger batch of it, following that revised recipe... it will be the way I wanted it, to suit my own tastes.

Go down to the 7th section - "Using Bills' 100DT Taste Test Method"

Bill's Magic Vapor's blog | E-Cigarette Forum

However, if you're making up your own recipe from scratch, I think most who DIY would suggest taste testing and vaping each flavoring individually that you plan to use in it. Just my opinion though.

 

[DaveP]

I've tasted one or two flavors. I don't think the tongue sensation is that close to the vaporized flavor. If there's alcohol in the flavor you get a burning sensation on your tongue that overpowers the flavor.

I like the 100 drop (5 ml) test. Create your recipe in a calculator and use the drops column to determine how many drops of each ingredient. Those little 5ml or 10ml needle tip bottles work well for testing.

Dang! JC had the same idea. After I posted I saw JC's post of the same method. Great minds think alike, I guess.

 

[zoiDman]

I have Tons of Flavors that I have Never mixed individually and then Vape Tested. They were bought for the purpose of Blending with other Flavors.

Things like Butterscotch, Praline and Crème, Almond, Vanilla, etc. None of those I wanted to vape on their own.

Same with some Fruit Flavors like Pear, White Grape, Mango, Dragon Fruit, etc. Stand Alone Fruit Flavors are (to Me) Very Hard to come by. And for the Fruit Flavor(s) I like, they seem to work better in Pairs or Multiples.

Doing a Test Batch and then Tasting a Drop on your Finger is a Great Way to get a Rough Feel for what a Flavor(s) will tatse when Vaped. You won't be able to pick up all the Subtle Notes and Aftertastes. But it gives you a pretty Good Idea of what is going on without having to do a complete New Cotton/Coil build.

 

[Letitia]

I only mix singles for flavors I will probably like of if I want to know if the flavor will fade. I make use of various sites flavor notes and honestly just wing it more often than not. I don't keep notes much either.

 

[JCinFLA]

I have Tons of Flavors that I have Never mixed individually and then Vape Tested. They were bought for the purpose of Blending with other Flavors.

Same with me, which is why I said above, "However, if you're making up your own recipe from scratch, I think most who DIY would suggest taste testing and vaping each flavoring individually that you plan to use in it. Just my opinion though."

I don't do it either, but IMO, based on what I've seen many post on here...they'd suggest doing it.

 

[jifjifjif]

Thanks for all the opinions. I'm hoping I can use pg as a base and mix up a small bottle of each new flavor, then taste a drop of each to get a feel for the flavor, then mix a cocktail of the juices I think will go well together and then taste that... All on the tongue.
Kind of like mixing a cocktail. It's the whole changing cotton each time I want to taste a new juice I would like to avoid.

I suppose I could even mix the flavors with water for the tongue taste test initially.

 

[zoiDman]

Same with me, which is why I said above, "However, if you're making up your own recipe from scratch, I think most who DIY would suggest taste testing and vaping each flavoring individually that you plan to use in it. Just my opinion though."

I don't do it either, but IMO, based on what I've seen many post on here...they'd suggest doing it.

I think a Lot can depend on how far along one is in Doing DIY.

When I first started DIY, I was kinda in the make Each Flavor Individually camp and then blend the Finished e-Liquids to make a Multi-Flavored Blend. But as I branched out and Bought More and More Flavorings, and as my ability to do DIY got better, this seemed More and More Tedious.

It can Also Depend on what Outcome one is looking for.

If I'm trying to make an Exact Clone of some Retail e-Liquid one has tried, have Pre-Made Individual Steeped Flavored e-Liquids is going to save you some time and Effort on the worked up side. Because you can just Mix/Vape/Adjust.

It's all kinda a Trade Off.

 

[Letitia]

. It's the whole changing cotton each time

I don't wick my coil taste testing in a rda, just put a squirt on the coil. Gives me a good enough sense of the flavor and where I might want to take it.

 

[Myk]

Depends on what I'm tasting for. If I want to know what that flavor tastes like alone I will taste it alone. If I just want an idea of how strong a flavor is I can guess with the knoweledge the wick has other stuff on it.
Also mesh wicked gennies burn pretty clean and that's what I'll usually taste with.

 

[stols001]

I will taste test flavors (but TESTER FLAVOR MIXES, not just a drop on the tongue, that would be somewhat useless I think, personally) but I don't really do it to try to see how the flavor IS, more like an initial taste the first week or so to get a general idea that nothing is going HORRIBLY.

It has some usefulness, but it's nowhere near the same as actually vaping the flavor. The thing is, with many of my testers I will wait about 4 days, then 8 days... After that I vape them. I can't "tell" that much with my tongue and to me it's not a real "test" as how they will perform vape wise, it's more a "did I make something vile" type of thing, I'm looking out for stuff like bitterness, fading (somewhat) etc.

My tongue is so happy I vape now, it has SOME usefulness but it's not really a substitute for actually testing, which I usually do around two weeks. I just kind of do it to alert myself to any possible "vomotous" mix I may have created. LOL, it's good to be prepared.

If I'm confident in a mix and/or have made it before, I tongue test it to make sure I have not inadvertently done something weird, but I usually just vape it once it's steeped. Etc. It does get easier, honestly.

Anna

 

[madstabber]

That new joyetech riftcore duo tank might make a good tasting atty. it uses two plates that dryburn back to new with a pulse and it’s wicked by laying a chunk of cotton between the plates. Would be easy to change flavors and have a clean atty. just a thought

 

[Coyote628]

For me, since i stopped smoking, ive got a nose like a bloodhound. I generally smell the flavors before i use them. I also cook a lot and can tell by smelling what something is going to taste like. If im making a juice recipie i found on the internet, i follow what was already used but if im making my own recipie, i will smell each flavor and decide what percentage i want to use based on the aroma. Yeah, i know, im weird like that lol

 

[stols001]

I must be weird like that too. I can smell flavors pretty well.

I also there is this odd "generalization" thing that happens when you, well I, mix for a while.(Same with cooking). I still taste the odd new flavor here and there if I am totally new to it/it's profile, but I will often mix a reasonable amount of mixes without doing a tester size. The only one I haven't been able to fix so far is chocolate milk, (IDK what I was thinking I don't even LIKE chocolate milk). It tasted like chocolate milk only I also used a hair too much condensed milk. I like that flavor but I learned my lesson about percentages.

I didn't even try to "fix" that one. I've been able to fix most failed mixes, but that one I vaped about a ml of it ,and just threw out the entire thing, it was vomitous.

I usually expect ONE mix to suck, and if I'm on the fence I will mix a smaller amount (say 50 ml instead of 100). But, for the most part, I either like, or can fix my mixes. And I've started to like things I swore I never would, like menthol. But, for the most part if a mix fails, I can fix it SOMEHOW.

I did a lot of recipe reading and did do a lot of single flavor profiles when I began, however. Reading up as you buy flavors (reviews and descriptions) can help, too.

Anna

 

[smacuser]

@jifjifjif

I haven't actually tried this, but I've read and heard a few mixers say they will put a few drops into some Cool Whip to test.

 

[jifjifjif]

Sounds like an idea. I think it may work I have yet to do this but I think I will soon. Kind of like tasting a cocktail.

 

[Snicks]

I taste new flavors by adding a drop or two in a shot glass of water. Take it in mouth, hold, swish, spit.

Works pretty good. You can add more or less to water to see how the flavor tastes.

 

[sonicbomb]

@jifjifjif

You try putting a couple of drops onto an un-wicked coil and hitting that. Then just burn off the excess and rinse and repeat.

 

[jifjifjif]

Thanks everyone.

I really like these two ideas :

With no Wick, drip juice onto the coil for a quick taste

And

Add a few drops of flavor to a shot glass of water swish and spit

I think between those two methods I should be able to get a sense of a flavor

I appreciate the help Thanks much!