The trouble with DIY

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Calivapr123

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DIY is a great way to save a lot of money, and can be a lot of fun mixing things up, inventing flavors and making things just the way we want them. Experimenting, discovering new tastes and even the bad ones and failed attempts are all part of the fun. Buying all the ingredients and necessities isn't even all that expensive... err... is it?

However, DIY does entail quite a heavy investment in time, for sure. We all know that nearly every juice goes through some degree of transformation in taste over time, some more than others. In fact, some juices can have a complete 180° transformation from completely unvapable to great and vice versa. So, between the time we invest in researching flavors, recipes, brands, vendors, waiting for vapemail, mixing, organizing, various learning curves there is also the major time factor of STEEPING. By the time we get it all together, it could be weeks before we can come to conclusion about a certain ingredient, provider or recipe. In many cases, many, many weeks. And in the meantime, we need our daily (hourly) fixes. It literally could be months, if ever, and an increasing amount of $ in investments to discover that ONE magical juice that we want to vape all day long and everyday that would save us hundreds and maybe even thousands of $$ over buying retail juice.

I thought, maybe, you buy a little PG and VG and put some Nic together, and buy some flavorings and syringes and bottles... you whip things up, try a few things and voila you found a replacement for the $20/bottle juice you've spent $400 on the last several weeks. Hahahah! NO.

And what if something goes wrong? Consider what happened to me recently, when a 120ml bottle of bad Nic arrived at my door and I made severl hundred ml of juice out of it. By the time all was said and done, I had lost over $60 in Nic, ingredients, contaminated bottles and atomizers and about 4 weeks of time invested between the purchase process and finally being convinced that the entire batch was a disaster because of Bad Nic. In the meantime, I had to continually purchase retail juices, for my "fix" of course. It all adds up, and now over 6 weeks from starting DIY, I still don't have my daily DIY vape :D By the time the new stuff arrives, the mixing, the experimenting, the tasting and the steeping assessments I need to make it could be another 6 weeks before I come to closer to what I want to achieve, and I am willing to bet that when that time does come around, there will be something new I need to chase.

In the end, I think that's the trouble with DIY. Most of us will probably be spend a lot of time chasing, and in the meantime actually spend more than we would otherwise spend if we just purchased retail juice. Well, there is fasttech, but then again that takes 2 weeks to arrive and when it arrives, it needs to steep for another 2 weeks ... what if you don't like it :D

Yup DIY does have a heavy front load of investment in money, but more significantly, time. Perhaps many of us will in fact get to a point where we will feel the returns on our investment.

Well, what the heck, it's still fun anyway, keeps us busy and out of trouble I guess.
 
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james chapman

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My DIY has been rather simple,cheap and great results. Now I am not high tech on it. I buy the 50/50 18nic from Mt Baker,its premixed and cost 29.00,for a 236ml bottle. I bought a bunch of their flavors and some flavors from Capella. The Capella flavors have not impressed me,except for their double chocolate. The Mt baker have been excellent. I have made a black licorice that taste just like what I pay 5.99 for,my cost 1.06. Red Hots,razzleberry,cherry cordial,chocolate banana,strawberry lemonade.... then their USA Blend is fantastic,the best Tabac I have tasted. I started saving my empty vendor bottles and cleaning them. I re-label them with a pen and masking tape,not pretty,but it works for me. I did spend 128.00 on flavors,but I have a lot and will not need anything for months. I normally spend 48-56.00 per month on juice and cartos. I have egos and my Vamo,so not into gadgets,just what works. I use Texas Tuff tanks. Cost and health was why I started vaping,but cost was why I started DIY. If someone saw my closet set up they would laugh:lol:,nothing sophisticated,a syringe and a bottle I marked with a sharpie,for measuring. So far my brews are to my liking,with the exception of Capellas green apple and espresso. Their are some flavors I have had from my favorite vendor Vape Dudes,that I know I will not be able to duplicate,but oh well:vapor:Happy vape trails
 

Renolizzie

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There is a learning curve but in the long run it is a money saver.

So far no bad nic. I wouldn't be happy about that. I went with a company that has a great reputation because the nic thing scares me. I don't want to get nic that isn't at the percentage level that I ordered and I certainly don't want bad tasting nic:)

I went whole hog and bought bottles and syringes and pipettes and a billion flavors:)
 
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BlueMoods

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Yes, it takes a bit of learning, probably less for those that are pretty good cooks and already understand how flavors combine and, what type of flavor goes well with what other types of flavors but, it really isn't bad.

As for getting bad nic, well that's why you do a tiny unflavored sample to check it before mixing and of your flavors with it, then, you can work with the vendor to get the problem corrected and, get good nic.

If the nic smells funky in any way, mix up a 5 ml unflavored, let that breathe a few hours and see if the funk is gone, then vape it and se eif it tastes okay, if not, time to return the stuff and get a refund. Not hard to do and, only needs a few hours to know. If it's okay after breathing, I mix my base and nic to double strength and let it all breath, then finishing the juices I want is easy.
 

Hoosier

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I see your point Cal. I'm kinda' the same way. I have an idea of how I want it to taste and if it isn't perfect, to me because I'm doing this for me, it can take months to come up with a single recipe. Granted, I'm really happy with my recipe and the flavor is perfect for me. I don't really find this frustrating though it does frustrate my beautiful wife because of the various bottles I have stashed everywhere with cryptic labels indicating various versions of experiments.

Sometimes I get bored chasing that perfect flavor and abandon that trail, but it's because I'm on the trail of another one that caught my fancy. The "Ohhh Shiny" aspect becomes humorous when a fellow vaper has tried one of my experiments and later asks me for a sample. The look on their faces usually tells me that they thought it was good and I'm crazy when I tell them I don't make that flavor because none of my experiments turned out right and I moved on to something else.

I'm not sure it actually a problem though. One can make good vapable juice fairly inexpensively and with a modest outlay of time. It's chasing that perfect flavor, needing to add a great vape, and not being completely satisfied with your current list of perfected recipes that chews up resources...
 

FinallyQuit

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I had to let go of The Holy Grail of Juice, it was too expensive and time consuming. Now I try to make stuff that's Good Enough. If I end up with Outstanding, then it's a wonderful surprise. I just don't buy vendor versions of Good Enough, only Outstanding.

And I never ever tried to re-create a vendor juice, ever. Talk about an exercise in futility.

Oh, also try recipes that are posted by others, but with a grain of salt so to speak, in that I tweak them after I try them in their original versions. Have found an Outstanding flavor that way a time or two. . .

Keep it fun, OP, otherwise what's the point?
 

wbbrn1952

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I have supply of concentrates that I have accumulated over the past year of doing D-I-Y. Some of the concentrates I will probably never use again because I just didn't like the results of the juice I made. But that was before I discovered this forum and with the suggestions for percentages to use and the recipies available. I will revisit a few of those flavors. I have come up with a couple of recipies that I keep in stock and I make sure I aways have a bottle or 2 on the shelf steeping. While I have spent a lfair amount accumlating - I still find that it is cheaper to make my own and I can tweak things any way I like to.
 

Cuando

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While I can feel your pain to a degree, OP, I didn't get into DIY until I had a clear understanding of what flavors I liked. After that, it has been simply finding flavorings I like that emulate or mimic those of vendors I have enjoyed. I am learning with every batch, of course, but my advice is to work toward ONE flavor you want to emulate, then try your hand at crafting something wonderful and new.
 

gmb225

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can u tell me exactly what was wrong with ur nic? contaminated with what? the only flavors ive had any luck with came from mtbakervapor. ry4 great all day vape from day one. gramcracker great to. butterscotch didnt impress me so i placed an order at ivape yesturday for my butterbrew. best damn butterscotch candy flavor i ever vaped.
 

zoiDman

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Like Many things, I think DIY can be as Simple or as Difficult as you want to make it.

I know some people who have 60 or 70 Flavors and a Small Labs worth of Glassware and Equipment. They use a Dedicated Work Bench where they measure EVERY THING to the +/- .01ml Level. Using 100mg Nicotine Base which the Calculate to PG:VG Ratios to within 1/100 of a Percent. Mixing with Magnetic Stirring Machines and Steeping with Ultrasonic Cleaners. They amass Databases of Ingredient Formulas.

And I know others who buy Nicotine Base at the Level they want to Vape using a Handful of Flavors add them along with Sweeteners via Drops into there Everyday Bottles with the Recipe written on a 3-x-5 Index Card.

Neither is Right. Neither is Wrong.

I think in many ways DIY can be as much of a Hobby to some people as it can be a Way to save Money to Others.
 
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DeeDee1234

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Like Many things, I think DIY can be as Simple or as Difficult as you want to make it.



I know some people who have 60 or 70 Flavors and a Small Labs worth of Glassware and Equipment. They use a Dedicated Work Bench where they measure EVERY THING to the +/- .01ml Level. Using 100mg Nicotine Base which the Calculate to PG:VG Ratios to within 1/100 of a Percent. Mixing with Magnetic Stirring Machines and Steeping with Ultrasonic Cleaners. They amass Databases of Ingredient Formulas.

And I know others who buy Nicotine Base at the Level they want to Vape using a Handful of Flavors add them along with Sweeteners via Drops into there Everyday Bottles with the Recipe written on a 3-x-5 Index Card.

Neither is Right. Neither is Wrong.

I think in many ways DIY can be as much of a Hobby to some people as it can be a Way to save Money to Others.


+1 ,,,,,,,,,yep
 

dannyv45

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I'm one of those that love to experiment because I get board with my mixes so quickly. I have 3 ADV's and about 15 good switch up mixes. What's important is finding an ADV first and knowing how to reproduce it. Then have fun with the rest. I'm not .... about how I mix but when I do get it right I take very specific notes and try to re-create it with very specific measurements before moving on. That's not to say I am .... about measuring with only syringes and by the ml or %. I also add a drop here and there. I in fact may be sitting watching TV and vaping my ADV and think "Gee I wonder what would happen if I add this". So I get up grab a flavor and add a drop right to the clearo.

What I'm saying is have fun with it and don't over think it.
 
guys at least ur not buying from some doggy on9 asian site like me....33mg / 1MG per ML nicotine per drop brown stuff in a 5ml botol..no info no nothing usda approved or whatever...at least u know what ur smoking and it's made under regulations and stuff.....wanna trade places hihi i can't even compare e-liquids from other places cuz it's expensive to ship them over..so dodgy e-liquid is all i got does it taste any good? i wouldn't know
 
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FinallyQuit

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guys at least ur not buying from some doggy on9 asian site like me....33mg / 1MG per ML nicotine per drop brown stuff in a 5ml botol..no info no nothing usda approved or whatever...at least u know what ur smoking and it's made under regulations and stuff.....wanna trade places hihi i can't even compare e-liquids from other places cuz it's expensive to ship them over..so dodgy e-liquid is all i got does it taste any good? i wouldn't know

You should definitely check out Fasttech, they have Dekang and Hangsen Crentia liquids, as well as Liqua. Their shipping is free. See if they have anything you are interested in. Don't know how to recommend you try DIY but at least I got that much to offer.
 

aikanae1

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guys at least ur not buying from some doggy on9 asian site like me....33mg / 1MG per ML nicotine per drop brown stuff in a 5ml botol..no info no nothing usda approved or whatever...at least u know what ur smoking and it's made under regulations and stuff.....wanna trade places hihi i can't even compare e-liquids from other places cuz it's expensive to ship them over..so dodgy e-liquid is all i got does it taste any good? i wouldn't know

Liqua's got decent reviews. The worst I've heard is that it's a little weak for some. Some ppl swear by Dekang for their tobaccos. That's the oldest juice company in the world and I don't hear about ppl getting sick or dying from it. The price is right. I've seen some YouTube videos of their factory. To my knowledge, there is no nic liquid manufactered in the states.
 
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Jo Patterson

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Two things that I consider basic rules for DIY.

Smell/Taste/dilute every ingredient solo before using in a mix - even if I've used it before.
NEVER ADD NIC to a mix in progress. Always wait till I have the flavor exactly the way I want it - then add the nic.

Nic is the most expensive ingredient and I don't see any reason to waste it. Adding it before determining the final recipe could totally muck up the nic % . For example if a start something and determine that it's too strong, I need to dilute - that nic gets diluted too or maybe it's too weak and I need to add some concentrate - well that concentrate is going to still dilute the nic .... adding extra ingredients to find that "missing" body, sweet, spice, depth - whatever, all dilute the nic.

So, testing the nic solo for flavor (it's never flavorless for me, I have sensitive taste buds) and holding adding it till the last would have saved you a ton of time and money. Just my :2c:
 
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