Typical 'food extracts' for DIYing?

[we2rcool]

Howdy all -

I'm getting started DIYing and am looking at making some seriously complex 'bakery blends' (eventually). I know it's going to be a HUGE learning curve since I realize there's a myriad of different 'reactions' amongst the flavors that would never happen with real food. I'm also going to be using only VG (except for the small amounts of PG/alcohol/other in some of the concentrated flavors).

My question - I haven't yet seen anyone talking about using the typical flavor extracts made/sold for use in food. Can we use them? If so...
...what percentage would be a good starting point?
...steeping time?
...problems/difficulties?

THANKS!

 

[ninfreak]

if you start out in diy with complex....you will not very happy with yourself. start with 1 flavor.... % depends on flavor and company it came from....once you start adding more stuff % numbers change.

we primarily use "food" flavorings in our juice

stickies at top of page has many of the answers you are looking for.

and i stress again......DO NOT START OUT WITH COMPLEX FLAVORS!. you will hate yourself and give up on diy cause it tastes aweful. know your flavors individually inside and out(try each one seperately and at verying strengths to figure them out) before moving on to more complex things

 

[we2rcool]

if you start out in diy with complex....you will not very happy with yourself. start with 1 flavor.... % depends on flavor and company it came from....once you start adding more stuff % numbers change.

we primarily use "food" flavorings in our juice

stickies at top of page has many of the answers you are looking for.

and i stress again......DO NOT START OUT WITH COMPLEX FLAVORS!. you will hate yourself and give up on diy cause it tastes aweful. know your flavors individually inside and out(try each one seperately and at verying strengths to figure them out) before moving on to more complex things

Thank you very much!

I've been lurking/reading for months, and I am taking yours (and others's) stellar advice and I am definitely NOT starting out with anything complex!!! I've been messing around with about 30 different juices from different vendors, and have seen quite clearly that what I think should go together perfectly yields something completely different than what I imagined (or what I've always known a flavor combination to yield).

Unless something changes, I'm in this for the long haul...first making and 'getting to know' dozens of single flavors & various concentrations/intensitities (heck, it'll take a month or more just to determine the differences in the various 'vanillas' - and even that won't tell me how any specific one will blend/meld with anything else), then working with dual flavor combos, then on to the mixes. And then there's all the "steeping time changes" to discover. I'm guessing it'll be a few months (minimum) before I try anything seriously "complex" (unless it's just for curiosity's sake)...and even then it'll be in very small quantities.

I am starting 'big', but (just as you suggested) that means I'm going to be mixing/making 40-60 different 3ml bottles of just one flavor each, letting them steep, then adding various 'flavors' to those I made in duplicate/triplicate (citric acid, bitter wizard, lemon juice, em, vanillin, etc) and find out what all can be done with each flavor.

This is going to be a BLAST, for sure and for certain! But the paperwork? omg 'can't say that I'm looking forward to keeping the records that are going to need to be kept...at all.

Thanks for your response & great advise!