The difference of flavorings...food vs. ejuice specific?

[DoctorJ]

I'm about to try my hand at DIY...so stand back!! LOL

I've read and researched about flavorings and being impatient, I bought some flavorings intended for cooking/baking. I'm quite sure there is a big difference between those and flavorings that are more intended for ejuice, such as the concentration levels of the flavorings. I bought some flavorings by Watkins, if that makes a difference. I kinda looked at the prices and used the logic that more expensive is better, which may be flawed logic, but anyway...

Is there a guide or info out there to tell me how to compensate for using food flavorings vs. ejuice flavorings?

Also, I'm trying to keep it as simple as possible. I already have flavorless juice with the nic already added. Most of the vids and info I've read are from folks more experienced at DIY than myself and they are using 100mg nic base. I don't think I'm quite ready for that, thus the flavorless juice with nic. Once again, my logic is that this will be much simpler for me. Again, this may be flawed.

That's why I'm here asking the vets! Is there a specific DIY calculator to use for my flavorings or would any decent one do? Also, since I'm skipping the step of adding raw nic, is there anything else I should take into account or specific directions I should follow?

Thanks for any help/advice. I don't want to waste any of my supplies and end up with a juice that I would let my dog vape

 

[Faylool]

You be pioneered already buy choosing Watkins over established e juice flavor supplies .... they are probably more of the same. Your on your own as far as Watkins goes until somebody with some experience with that flavor line pipes in. If I were you I'd mix up each flavor in 10 ml flavor batch starting lowest percentage and moving up to just under the strength that seems right to you. That way you can get to know Watkins. If its a strong flavoring ( highly concentrated) the nic percentage isn't affected as much. I'm not the one to give advice about the nic percentage perfecting. I do a range 12-30- ish. New goal 18 ( used to be 36!) less nic, better flavor but you loose throat hit.
So you can combine your Pre made solo flavors more easily now. Just my 2 cents. I've just ordered a bunch of glass bottles too. They clean up better and just seem like they'd last forever. Not so with the caps and dippers though. Lots of people will come add info

 

[Bosco]

All the e juice flavors are really food flavorings . .so there's no problem there. You'll have to experiment with Watkins to come up with flavor percentages you like - I'd start low. It's easier to add more flavor than to fix an overflavored juice.

Watkins actually lists the ingredients for thier flavorings on thier site - http://www.jrwatkins.com/ - but they don't say what the artificial flavorings are made of. Basically .. you want flavors that use PG or alcohol as the carrier and you want to avoid diacetyl - commonly used in buttery or custard-like flavors.

The Flavor Apprentice website indicates which flavors have diacetyl and seems pretty geared for vaping. There is also a thread on this site about Lorann's ingredients. Both good choices if you want to be sure.

 

[PRIMER]

There's only one thing for you to do now, Doctor J. DO IT!
You got the two ingredients, MIX THEM(10%)!
Mixing ejuice is so easy a monkey could do it.
You will quickly get to know you flavors once you actually START USING THEM!

 

[DoctorJ]

All the e juice flavors are really food flavorings . .so there's no problem there. You'll have to experiment with Watkins to come up with flavor percentages you like - I'd start low. It's easier to add more flavor than to fix an overflavored juice.

Watkins actually lists the ingredients for thier flavorings on thier site - http://www.jrwatkins.com/ - but they don't say what the artificial flavorings are made of. Basically .. you want flavors that use PG or alcohol as the carrier and you want to avoid diacetyl - commonly used in buttery or custard-like flavors.

The Flavor Apprentice website indicates which flavors have diacetyl and seems pretty geared for vaping. There is also a thread on this site about Lorann's ingredients. Both good choices if you want to be sure.

Thanks Bosco. I did my research and found Watkins to be the best choice of the flavorings found at the local Wally World. I live in a VERY rural area and WM is the only shopping option we have. I did find that site you directed me to before buying the flavorings. Didn't know about the diacetyl though; thanks for bringing that to my attention!

My major concern is the "concentration levels" or strength of the flavorings. This doesn't seemed to be addressed anywhere. For instance, on the ejuice calculators you put in the flavor percentage at let's say 10%. What if the flavoring is very strong? Then you have to tweak it. OR is this an issue I'm just going to have to figure out myself?

When I do start my mixing, I'm gonna start with a 10ml batch and use a 15ml bottle so I have room to add more base or whatever should I need to.

I have issues with over-thinking issues and making them more complicated than they are. Such is my nature...damn, these friggin' trees are in my way and I can't see the forest This is a good thing when it comes to my chosen profession, being so detail oriented, but it becomes a problem sometimes outside of work.

Since you mentioned custard flavors, which I really like, having diacetyl, are there any custard flavors out there that don't? I haven't looked much at the ingredients part of the flavorings yet past the fact of them needing the alcohol, which the Watkins brand does.

There's only one thing for you to do now, Doctor J. DO IT!
You got the two ingredients, MIX THEM(10%)!
Mixing ejuice is so easy a monkey could do it.
You will quickly get to know you flavors once you actually START USING THEM!

Thanks for the encouragement Primer!



I'M GONNA!!! LOL I have six flavors to experiment with: vanilla, orange, caramel, chocolate, coconut and banana. Gonna start with a few single flavor juice and venture into some combinations once I get the feel for the juice.

Time for me to doody or get off the pot I guess and put on my mad scientist gear and create some magic...




or create something that turns me into the Toxic Avenger part II LOL



Thanks for the help guys/gals. Any other input would be appreciated, so feel free to chime in!!

 

[Hoosier]

Since you mentioned custard flavors, which I really like, having diacetyl, are there any custard flavors out there that don't? I haven't looked much at the ingredients part of the flavorings yet past the fact of them needing the alcohol, which the Watkins brand does.

TPA/TFA, FA, and Capellas, all of them, do not put diacetyl in their flavorings. They use different ingredients to attempt to achieve the same thing. The TPA/TFA site warns that inhaling those replacement ingredients also carry a risk and notes those flavorings are for food flavoring use.

 

[DoctorJ]

UPDATE:

Watkins flavorings NOT GOOD for making ejuice!!! Went all the way up to 25% and most were still very weak on flavor. I've doctored them up trying not to waste the base I used and they are vapable, but after adding more flavoring and some sweetener, I'm pretty sure the nic level is pretty low!

However! I did try using some of the Mio liquid water enhancer (Fruit Punch) and at 25% it's great!

I started with a base of 17mgs nic, (my preference is around 18) and now I see why you have to get a higher nic base when mixing. It never occurred to me that mixing in flavorings would lower the base, DUHHHHH Guess that's why I teach English and not chemistry LOL

Next base order will be at 24mgs!! And I'll be hitting up TPA for my flavorings.

Conclusion: Get the right stuff next time!!! LOL

 

[mrfixit]

Yes its all about the right tools for the job. Flavorings are really to.taste average I would say for single flavor 10% I did come across a way to test your flavors before mixing a 10ml bottle and wasting good nic liquid. I think it went 1ml of flavoring in with 2mls of pg. Shake it up a bit drop a few drops on an atomizer taste it see if its strong enough if not add more by drops making sure you record the number of drops til you get what your looking for. Try toddsreviews.com that's where I heard it at or even search the forum I'm sure its on here somewhere too. I use 10-15% single flavoring when using more than one the total flavoring percentage can go up to 25% that's combined though.

 

[Vapeman12]

I just picked up some Orange and haven't tried it yet, Was hoping to find someone on here who had mixed some to see what % i should try, I normally mix up 15ml worth but might try only 5ml cause i am running low on my VG. Guess i will start at 1% and go up from there.

 

[Chas_L]

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...tpa-tfa-helpful-data-flavor-descriptions.html

 

[Saltraker]

My first attempt at DIY was a disaster. I figured mixing up 10ml in a 10ml bottle would work just fine. I didn't take into account additions to tweak the flavor...more flavoring, more PG, etc. I saved the mix and it's mixing now but I'm not expecting much. The second and third tries went much easier. BTW, if you're running low on VG, WM stocks glycerine in the first-aid section of the pharmacy. Cheap, too.