The Final Count Down -- Are You Ready?

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gpjoe

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I'll get jacked up when I start mixing flavors that are even half OK. Not there yet. But I'll be tryin. DIY is a slow process. Mix, wait, vape.

Remember too, that you can mix a "virgin" recipe with no nic to try it without committing your precious nicotine base. PG/VG and flavors are dirt cheap and you can mix a trial recipe for mere pennies.

Not much risk there at all.

I made a TON of crap before I settled on a few keepers, and none of them are my own creation.
 

hittman

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  • Jul 13, 2009
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    I'll get jacked up when I start mixing flavors that are even half OK. Not there yet. But I'll be tryin. DIY is a slow process. Mix, wait, vape.

    When I first started mixing, I stumbled on a thread that Bill's Magic Vapor ran and started out mixing at high flavor percentages. Mixing high flavor can bypass most steeping. I used to shake and vape everything when I was mixing high flavor. I have since gone lower and still like it as well but many lower percentage mixes require 1-4 weeks to steep. The trick is to stay ahead of it and always have something ready to vape.
     

    rosesense

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    I rarely find a need to steep, only with complex or custard types. Even if steeping improves it somewhat, I can still get a sense if I like it and can vape without steeping. I agree with what Wayne says, steeping won't make a bad juice good.
     

    Bronze

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    When I first started mixing, I stumbled on a thread that Bill's Magic Vapor ran and started out mixing at high flavor percentages. Mixing high flavor can bypass most steeping. I used to shake and vape everything when I was mixing high flavor. I have since gone lower and still like it as well but many lower percentage mixes require 1-4 weeks to steep. The trick is to stay ahead of it and always have something ready to vape.
    I have a multi-pronged strategy going. First of all, I need tobacco in my juice. I've tried every fruit, vegetable, beverage, and bakery item there is. While most of them were vapable (and some even very flavorful) I could never vape them more than a couple hours before I OD'd on them. I was always a NET vaper. But many of those are too dry and I'm back to the 2 hour limit. What I have found is a tobacco base that is sweetened up (typically with bakery flavors) are the ones I do best with. So I am running parallel track. One, finding a raw NET that is mild and pleasant. Two, finding bakery flavors I enjoy. From there, I can blend at different strengths and ratios. But first things first...I have to pin down the tobacco and bakery flavors. Already have that train rolling. I'm also experimenting with unflavored (sort of). I'm actually taking my current vendor ADV and diluting it with unflavored. I reduce the vendor juice in 2% increments and will reduce as far as I can. I'm at 90/10 flavor/unflavored at the moment. Also doing some SFTs of the more common flavors I like just to get an idea of their impact.

    I've already eliminated one (possibly two) major flavor categories. One is the tobacco swill from these flavor houses. That stuff is horrid. I'm a NET guy. Period. I'm also possibly reducing some of these non-D/A/AP flavors. I'm getting the feeling they are meh compared to the poisoned flavors. I'd prefer not vaping the poison flavors but I go back to the, "Compared to smoking" consideration and if poisoned flavors take DIY to another level then I'll do it if it significantly helps DIY.
     

    Bronze

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    I rarely find a need to steep, only with complex or custard types. Even if steeping improves it somewhat, I can still get a sense if I like it and can vape without steeping. I agree with what Wayne says, steeping won't make a bad juice good.
    I believe steeping is more impactful on some juices than others. I've always found NETs need steeping more than non-NET flavors (there's always exceptions). With my NET background, steeping has been a very necessary process. On the other hand, I've had fruit flavors that needed very little steeping.
     

    FranC

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  • Oct 1, 2010
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    Wow. The hammer dropped fast here in MA. As I DIY I confess my attention to the matter was casual and hopeful. Just grabbed a thc cart and my man was trippin'. Imagine that? Poof! Your store is gone.

    Will be interested to see what NH does (Live Free or Die motto) as I'm right near the border.
    Been waiting.........
     

    Brewdawg1181

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    where are all these sales people are talking about?
    i thot i was set for mods n such.
    i have 8 sigelei sobras n tons of coils.
    but one just died after very little use.
    i now need a half dozen kits but i see prices slightly up, not down.
    Not the time, yet. Why lower the price when it's literally flying off the shelves? You'll have to wait until they're scared of losing it, and it could be slim pickings then.
     

    Katdarling

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    I'm also experimenting with unflavored (sort of). I'm actually taking my current vendor ADV and diluting it with unflavored. I reduce the vendor juice in 2% increments and will reduce as far as I can. I'm at 90/10 flavor/unflavored at the moment.

    I'm about as far from a DIYer as anyone. I tried, for a couple of years actually, and I just soooooo did not like the experiments.

    What I've done over the last year or so was to mix my vendor eliquid with unflaved, 1/2 and 1/2, and now I find that even 1/2 unflavored is not enuf. There's been many a tank that I refill (with a bit of the vendor liquid still in the tank) with unflavored only. So I see that I'm prolly at around 1/3rd vendor liquid to 2/3rds unflavored at this point. Why? Who knows. I just find the straight flavors way too strong now.

    That suits me just fine. If the day comes that I can no longer buy/run out of vendor liquids, I'm hopeful that I can be satisfied with unflavored only.

    I'd better be. American Spirits are NOT an option.
     

    Bronze

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    I'm about as far from a DIYer as anyone. I tried, for a couple of years actually, and I just soooooo did not like the experiments.

    What I've done over the last year or so was to mix my vendor eliquid with unflaved, 1/2 and 1/2, and now I find that even 1/2 unflavored is not enuf. There's been many a tank that I refill (with a bit of the vendor liquid still in the tank) with unflavored only. So I see that I'm prolly at around 1/3rd vendor liquid to 2/3rds unflavored at this point. Why? Who knows. I just find the straight flavors way too strong now.

    That suits me just fine. If the day comes that I can no longer buy/run out of vendor liquids, I'm hopeful that I can be satisfied with unflavored only.

    I'd better be. American Spirits are NOT an option.
    Interesting.
     

    dedi

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    I just ordered quantities (to the tune of $116) of my two favorite commercial juices. 8vape had a 40% off sale on them. After those run out I'll be doing DIY exclussively.

    Curiosity @Baditude ....I think I read on one of your recent posts that you always purchased from WL. Have you purchased unflavored base from them?
    Dee
     

    mikepetro

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    Curiosity @Baditude ....I think I read on one of your recent posts that you always purchased from WL. Have you purchased unflavored base from them?
    Dee
    (I am not @Baditude ) but I have. They have good Lab quality nic, and some of the best packaging you can imagine.
     

    LoriP1702

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    Curiosity @Baditude ....I think I read on one of your recent posts that you always purchased from WL. Have you purchased unflavored base from them?
    Dee
    I have purchased from them as well, great source!!
     

    dedi

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    (I am not @Baditude ) but I have. They have good Lab quality nic, and some of the best packaging you can imagine.

    Thank you @mikepetro @LoriP1702 I have purchased from them for many years, in fact I have never purchased nic from any other place. Now that I seem to have to stock up I was "considering" other sources for less money. I buy 100mg pg based and vape 100 percent unflavored. Many are buying from Heartland at half the price of WL. I have no clue the difference in their Nic select and House Nic.....I know there are so many others too! Just on the horns of a dilemma!
     

    LoriP1702

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    Thank you @mikepetro @LoriP1702 I have purchased from them for many years, in fact I have never purchased nic from any other place. Now that I seem to have to stock up I was "considering" other sources for less money. I buy 100mg pg based and vape 100 percent unflavored. Many are buying from Heartland at half the price of WL. I have no clue the difference in their Nic select and House Nic.....I know there are so many others too! Just on the horns of a dilemma!
    You're welcome. I've purchased from WL exclusively for my DIY over the years, and awhile back I bought some from Nude Nicotine, Nude Armor v3 for the freezer...it's unopened, so I can't even tell you first hand about it.
    I'll let the others comment on the Heartland, I know many have purchased, and I've seen good comments, but no first hand knowledge about theirs.
     

    mikepetro

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    I have heard both good and bad about HL, mostly good though.

    With WL you are paying for the true lab quality controls from start to finish. Other nic, just as good can be had though.

    I dont recommend Vaperstek as the nic I just saw someone just get from them had a tan color.
     
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