TFA Only flavors - strange chemical taste - Just recently started

[JCinFLA]

Oops! I don't even pay attention to those symbols when there's no avatar there. That's OK though...I'll help anyone, if I can. Their gender doesn't matter.

I'll go back and edit that post!

 

[Nightowl007]

I've been thinking a lot about these flavors. What I tried when I got them in was make each into a 10% flavor batch at somewhere around 80/20 VG/PG. I kept notes on how each tasted. I liked most of them at 10%. When I go to make a recipe, I keep those percentages in mind, and if I mix two flavors, I use close to 10% of each. I now wonder if that is where I'm goofing? If I like each at 10% and I'm mixing 2 or more, should I lower the amount of each to equal 10% total instead of 10% each? I know doing it the other way worked for other brands of flavors, but clearly I need to adjust for the TFA.

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[JCinFLA]

@Nightowl007 - I don't mix and taste test a small sample of each flavoring separately when I get them. So I'm not sure I'm the one to help answer your question above.

However, I can tell you that out of all the DIY recipes I make, only 3 of them have any one flavoring in them that's used at 10% or higher. Others in each recipe are used at between .5% and 6% usually, depending on how potent they each are and how much I want each to add to the overall flavor of the eliquid.

 

[IDJoel]

A very, very, VERY, generalized rule (and I am sure there are a million exceptions) I heard early in my DIY journey was:
If you know you like a "basic" overall flavor percentage of "X" (in your case let's say 10%)
then you primary flavor should start at half/50% of that (5% in your case)
and ALL other supporting flavors should not exceed the remaining 50% (again; 5% in your case).

So, if I am wanting to do a strawberry-banana mix for example, AND both flavors seem to be fairly equal in strength, I might start with 5% strawberry and 5% banana. if one is more potent than the other, or if I want one to stand out above the other, I might go 4%/6%, or 3%/7%, but always keeping the total at 10%. Then, and ONLY then, if I find it too weak overall, start bumping up over the 10% total.

If I am doing something with 5 flavors it might look more like this (using your 10% as our goal):
5% primary flavor
2.5% secondary flavor
1.5% secondary flavor
0.5% accent flavor
0.5% accent flavor

Or, if you need more depth of the supporting flavors; back the primary flavor off a by a percent or two, and redistribute to the rest. So it might look like this:
4% primary flavor
3% secondary flavor
1.5% secondary flavor
0.75% accent flavor
0.75% accent flavor

So, yes; just as too much of one flavor can get nasty, too much of many flavors can get nasty. Give it a try and see what you think.

 

[Nightowl007]

A very, very, VERY, generalized rule (and I am sure there are a million exceptions) I heard early in my DIY journey was:
If you know you like a "basic" overall flavor percentage of "X" (in your case let's say 10%)
then you primary flavor should start at half/50% of that (5% in your case)
and ALL other supporting flavors should not exceed the remaining 50% (again; 5% in your case).

So, if I am wanting to do a strawberry-banana mix for example, AND both flavors seem to be fairly equal in strength, I might start with 5% strawberry and 5% banana. if one is more potent than the other, or if I want one to stand out above the other, I might go 4%/6%, or 3%/7%, but always keeping the total at 10%. Then, and ONLY then, if I find it too weak overall, start bumping up over the 10% total.

If I am doing something with 5 flavors it might look more like this (using your 10% as our goal):
5% primary flavor
2.5% secondary flavor
1.5% secondary flavor
0.5% accent flavor
0.5% accent flavor

Or, if you need more depth of the supporting flavors; back the primary flavor off a by a percent or two, and redistribute to the rest. So it might look like this:
4% primary flavor
3% secondary flavor
1.5% secondary flavor
0.75% accent flavor
0.75% accent flavor

So, yes; just as too much of one flavor can get nasty, too much of many flavors can get nasty. Give it a try and see what you think.

That's what I was saying with my post about keeping my percentage around 10%...only you said it with more detail...and better. Thanks!

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[Nightowl007]

One other note, I think I may have mentioned this earlier though, when I was using CAP flavors, I couldn't mix a bad batch. Ever! I mean, I didn't try to make a bad batch, but it seemed like even weird combinations worked together. They are almost twice the price so I really hope I can use all of the advice everyone has given me to get on track with the TFA. I'm going to be taking another swing at it tonight. First, I'll be attempting to "fix" the overloaded 30% batch by making a 0% flavor 79/30 VG/PG with 5% nic. I'll mix the two in equal parts to reduce the overall flavor % down to 15%. If that works, I'll move on to other recipes. If that doesn't work, I'll mix even more of the 0% flavor to reduce it down more, and then see what happens. Worse case scenario, I'll reduce it enough that I can't taste it and switch to my goto flavor. I don't waste ejuice! (IF I can avoid it!!!)

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[IDJoel]

They are almost twice the price

If you want to explore more CAP; you might want to check out Wizard labs (if you haven't already). Their 8mL samplers are the same price as TFA ($1.29/8mL). there is a price discrepancy as you move up in bottle size but at least it wouldn't break the bank to see if it is worth the extra cost for you.

I'm going to be taking another swing at it tonight. First, I'll be attempting to "fix" the overloaded 30% batch by making a 0% flavor 79/30 VG/PG with 5% nic. I'll mix the two in equal parts to reduce the overall flavor % down to 15%. If that works, I'll move on to other recipes. If that doesn't work, I'll mix even more of the 0% flavor to reduce it down more, and then see what happens. Worse case scenario, I'll reduce it enough that I can't taste it and switch to my goto flavor. I don't waste ejuice! (IF I can avoid it!!!)

I would suggest experimenting with small amounts at fist; don't adjust the whole batch at once. try a 1:1 (unflavored to flavored) and a 2:1 (unflavored to flavored). That should get you down to a 15% and 10% flavor profile respectively. I would start with 1 or 2 mL of your original 30% mix. That should be plenty to see if it is better. That way you are not making a huge batch of "yuk!"

 

[JCinFLA]

@Nightowl007 - Didn't want you to think I'd forgotten about coming up with a simple recipe for both of us to experiment with. I've made 4 different small test samples, with some of the flavorings we both have. I've come to the conclusion that everything I came up with...needed alittle bit of something truly sweet, like TFA Sweetener or Brown Sugar, which you don't have. The TFA Cotton Candy really isn't a sweetener per se. It's more of a smoother or blender without actual sweetness, IMO.

Many of your TFA primary flavorings that we have in common are kind of potent (ie. Pineapple, Blueberry Extra, Coconut Extra, Maraschino Cherry). Or they have ethyl alcohol in them (ie. Strawberry and Juicy Peach) which would most likely give you that chemically taste, if not allowed to evaporate off first. So...even with one or several of the secondary flavorings we have in common (Marshmallow, Sweet Cream, Cheesecake Graham Crust), I can't get to a "happy taste bud" point with a combination.

Other flavorings we have in common, require additional flavorings that you don't have...to make some recipes I have. So, I'm sorry, but I tried to come up with something.

If you don't need a sweetener for your "taste buds to dance"...you might want to try the simple combination posted earlier by Sugar_and_Spice. The TFA Strawberry in it does have EA in it though. So be aware of that. I'm sure she may have more ideas of combinations, and others may have some, too.

 

[Nightowl007]

If you want to explore more CAP; you might want to check out Wizard labs (if you haven't already).

That is where I get all of my flavors. CAP is all I used at the beginning. I switched TFA to expand the number of flavor choices I had on hand and to sage money at the same time. The way I look at the TFA flavors in comparison to the CAP flavors at the time I ordered the TFA flavors was I ended up getting 2 TFA to 1 CAP (probably closer to 1.5 to 1). Which, after order something like 14 flavors, saved a pretty good chunk of money.

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[Sugar_and_Spice]

@JCinFLA You know that the flavor cotton candy is really just em, yes? Its used more for mouth feel than a sweetener tho it has a very light sweetish type of taste. Not usually enough to sweet any juice like sucralose which is an artificial sweetener.

 

[Nightowl007]

@JCinFLA

Would you be able to recommend a DIY sweetener (or anyone else?) that I could make? If not, I could order some the next time I order flavors.

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[Sugar_and_Spice]

You can try whichever type of fruit flavoring with the marshmellow, ie. blueberry extra. Whichever you prefer. I listed such small % on the strawberry as more of a starting point. But I used this when I couldn't wait for some of my other ejuice to age and it got better as I continue to vape it because it was aging as I vaped. But it was acceptable and did not taste bad. Tbh I have not personally used marsh mellow with the blueberry extra yet but have used it a lot in other types of recipes. BB extra is my top blueberry for my tastes.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

@JCinFLA

Would you be able to recommend a DIY sweetener (or anyone else?) that I could make? If not, I could order some the next time I order flavors.

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AS mention above.....do you have any sucralose? In liquid or powder form?

 

[IDJoel]

That is where I get all of my flavors. {EDIT by IDJoel} Which, after order something like 14 flavors, saved a pretty good chunk of money.

Gotcha. You must be ordering in larger than 8mL sizes. In that case you might like to check out Bull City Flavors, as they run almost a buck cheaper for the 30mL CAP bottles compared to Wizard Labs ($4.50 @ Bull vs. $5.45 @ Wiz). Same for TFA; 30mL @ Bull is $2.99 vs. 30mL @ Wiz for $3.95

I am not trying to push you toward CAP; I just want you to be able to find what works best for you, in the most economical way.

 

[IDJoel]

AS mention above.....do you have any sucralose? In liquid or powder form?

Hi Sugar, have you found any in the grocery store that don't have the unwanted additives like preservatives, stabilizers, and in the case of the granular form; anti-caking agents? Do you have any particular brand(s) you would recommend?

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Hi Sugar, have you found any in the grocery store that don't have the unwanted additives like preservatives, stabilizers, and in the case of the granular form; anti-caking agents? Do you have any particular brand(s) you would recommend?

The is one I found that I think is called eeee -z but don't quote me on that. I will see if I can find a link. It is suppose to be 100% sucralose.

 

[Nightowl007]

Gotcha. You must be ordering in larger than 8mL sizes.

Yep...I order 4 oz of each flavor each time I order. I keep them in a cool dark place when not in use. I'm not sure if I have to do that, but I feel better about it. With this large order of flavors, I was basically trying to build a list of flavors I would keep on hand for the recipes I come up with that I like. I figured I would be wasting some because of how much I ordered, but I am hopeful it will be worth it in the end as I will have a list of flavors I use frequently. I was actually planning on a second order in the same fashion, just ordering 10-15 different flavors. I would like to have a list of no more than 20 or 25 if that's possible...

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[Nightowl007]

AS mention above.....do you have any sucralose? In liquid or powder form?

No, is that something I can get possibly from a local grocery? Walmart, Schnucks, Dierberg's, Shop n Save maybe?

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[Sugar_and_Spice]

The is one I found that I think is called eeee -z but don't quote me on that. I will see if I can find a link. It is suppose to be 100% sucralose.

Here is what I found. Its actually called EZ-Sweetz and can be found here.

What Is EZ-Sweetz
offered in liquid form

From their site.....
The difference between EZ-Sweetz® and Sucralose packets is that EZ-Sweetz® has no filler so it costs substantially less. The Sucralose packets are filled with 99% of bulking materials, such as Maltodextrin and Dextrose, which have no nutritional value but add calories and carbs, so they cost much more to the consumers.

 

[IDJoel]

Here is what I found. Its actually called EZ-Sweetz and can be found here.

What Is EZ-Sweetz
offered in liquid form

Thanks for looking that up. I took a look at your link and think I may have seen it on the shelves at one, or more, local retailers. The only thing giving me pause is this (also from their site):

3 of the ingredients I recognize as "common" amongst the DIY community: water, sucralose, and citric acid. I don't know anything about the other three (in regards to inhalation): Potassium sorbate, succinic acid, and sodium benzoate. Any thoughts?