What are your DIY mixing staples?

[eHuman]

I am about to make a 1st real DIY purchase. Other than equipment and flavors based on individual taste, what do you all recommend that I get, "that no DIY kit should be without? (Things that you would never be caught without, regardless of what you intend to make).

I do not, will not, can not vape menthol... but is there a reason to get it for subtle changes that won't gag a non menthol vaper?
I imagine sweetener and/or EM (both?) but am drawing a blank on other "staples" of a typical seasoned DIYer.

The main reason I'm asking is that I will likely purchase larger bottles of these "Staples" recommendations, rather than the 3-10ml flavor samples that you would typically get until you know you like it.

I've dabbled with spiking pre-made juice with some flavors, but I'm ready to go full on in order to save money and enjoy the art and creativity of making my own.

Thanks so much for any thoughts/ideas.

 

[Cookster]

I personally like Marshmallow over EM or the sweeteners. It seems to give a more rounded "feel".
I would definitely pick up a small bottle of Menthol. Menthol in PG is less intense than Menthol in Alcohol.
Also , Cookie, Vanilla or Vanillin, Bavarian Cream, Custard, Brown Sugar...all these are good additions that can add richness/sweetness to almost anything. Graham Cracker and Cinnamon Danish are also good to have on hand.

Hope this helps

 

[Bosco]

I've only been doing this for about a month - but one suprising staple in my arsenal has turned out to be rasberry flavoring. It's very versatile and goes great in lots of fruit blends. Great with watermelon, for example, to make it a richer, fruitier mix. I've been using Lorann's but have some TFA Raspberry on the way to try next.

TFA peppermint is another flavor that I find very versatile. In small amounts it adds a nice bite that I don't percieve as minty. Goes great with most fruit flavors I've tried.

I also put a few percent of TFA sweetener in almost everything.

Like I said - I'm just learning the ropes of DIY so I'm sure my opinions will change over time - but right now I find rasberry and peppermint to be very versatile and often used flavors - I wouldn't let myself run out of either. However - at this point I am only doing fruit, mint and bakery flavors - no tobacco flavors for me.

 

[the_vape_nerd]

This is asked quite a bit so I'm not sure why you haven't seen any posts on it but here's my list:

1. A small plastic funnel for transferring liquids from one jar to another....you'll be doing this more than you think and I think Wizard has them for a buck fifty..so get one.
2. Obviously you will need PG and VG without nicotine. Get a large size. I'd say at least a pint to begin with of each. I would get your nic in either 100% pg or 100% vg as it will allow you more freedom on the final ratios.
3. Get yourself at least on 10 ml syringe and the largest guage needle you can find. You don't want to pour VG into anything, it's too thick. Siphon it with a syringe.
4. Get some gloves if you are using higher than 50mg nic.
5. You need bottles. Glass or plastic. Get a few smaller ones b/c you'll want small batches until you perfect a flavor.
6. make sure you have at least one atomizer for tasting

 

[YKruss]

^^^ Agreed, and add some 1 ml syringes to be used with flavorings.

 

[Whiplash]

eHuman, Welcome to the world of DIY. I predict that you will love it or hate it. Others have posted some good points. The 1ml syringe. I would never recommend using drops for measuring.

To get started, You need Vegetable Glycerin and/or Propylene Glycol, Nicotine and some flavorings. Depending on your PV, you may want to add distilled water to your recipes.

Some of the best flavorings I have found are FlavourArt. (I buy from ecigexpress) Two tobacco flavors to start with would be 7leaves and Desert Ship. LorAnns flavors have also worked well for me. Other than flavors, I use small amounts of ethyl maltol and citric acid and guaiacol but can only recommend using them for fine-tuning a recipe.

Other than that, go easy on the flavors. I have found that 4-6% total flavoring is plenty. Measure carefully, label everything and keep records!
Good luck!

 

[MattBott]

My DIY Staples:
1) 1ml syringes ... lots of them. In one DIY "session" you can reuse your syringes for PG, VG and Nic, but I don't like to have to wash 1ml syringes for different flavors mid session.
2) EM. Even for non-sweet flavors, I'll add 0.5-1% to round out the flavors.
3) Vinegar. I use plain white vinegar, 1 drop per 5ml in all of my mixes.
4) TFA Sweet Cream. I enjoy the subtle sweetness it gives and it kind of gives the juice a "thicker taste." Not an over powering creamy taste, if you want that, grab TFA Bavarian Cream.
5) Acetyl Pyrazine. I enjoy a small amount of this (<1%) in Tobacco juices.
6) Koolada. I too am not a fan of Menthol. But koolada can be a nice addition to fruits or drink flavored juices to give it a nice cooling sensation, kind of like menthol, minus the flavor.

 

[shelfield]

You are ready for an adventure. I started vaping alomst 3 months ago and DIY right from the beginning. I think the advise above about what you will need is perfect. All my first juices were terrible, it took a while for me to even know what I wanted and then discovered I really loved the tobacco flavors and now I diy the yummiest stuff. Because I DIY at the same time I started vaping I had no idea what flavors I would like so I have a lot of flavors, tastes change so it is fun to have many flavors and exchange recipes. I found that I liked some vendors and didn't like others. The super concentrates are the bomb! I highly recommend them. Have fun!

 

[echofinder]

Ethyl Maltol and Acetyl Pyrazine - these add a depth and complexity to any juice: that extra touch. I put a couple drops of each in EVERYTHING.

Toasted almond and peanut butter are great for adding subtle depth to juice as well, or you can up the percentage and use them as delicious flavors.

I like to keep a huge stash of those 3ml pipettes - they are perfect for working with flavorings and are easy to clean.

Perhaps invest in some larger containers - 120ml or 180ml bottles... if you keep everything at the same nic level you can premix unflavored base and save A LOT of time using that, instead of having to mix every tiny batch individually.

 

[adeline]

Most everything has been covered. But, I have to add.

Bottles. Lots and lots of bottles. I'm getting 300ml of flavorings in the mail today, and my bottles (50 glass for steeping, 50 plastic w/dropper caps for carrying around) are 2-3 days behind. Every other bottle I have (50ml and smaller) has juice in it. I suppose I could go raid my box of vendor juice fails and dump them out, wash 'em and add them to my stock..

But the moral of the story is, you can't have too many bottles!

Menthol -- I make my own menthol juice from crystals (it's cheap and they'll likely last you forever). Even if you don't vape menthol, I find that adding a drop per 10ml of my fruity juices make the fruit POP. Really good stuff.

If you plan on doing any tobaccos, tobacco absolute is almost a necessity (I use the blend -- it's TA with EM added, mixed in PG or PGA). Same thing with Seedman's Commercial flavoring. Great stuff and I always use that as a base to every tobacco juice.

Ethyl Maltol is a must (in my opinion). I add it to anything that comes out too harsh, and it goes in most of my sweet recipes. Even if it's just a small amount, it helps.

Great advice in this thread!

 

[Fizzy-Penny]

Just the thread I've been searching for! Have been vaping for a year or so and finally getting ready to take the obvious next step of trying DIY. This thread is a nice help ... and thank you all for contributing!

(gotta love copy/paste for taking notes)
~Fiz

 

[MorpheusPA]

Syringes are great for making smaller amounts, but trying to meter 80 ml of something into a larger bottle with a syringe is just annoying.

If you're going to make larger amounts, get a graduated cylinder (they're pretty cheap).

Like noted above, tiny amounts of menthol, in the drop per ml range, can be used to brighten any flavor and add just a touch of tingle to it. It's a nice touch even if you don't like menthol.

Plus from the above, bottles. More than you think you'll need, they're cheap. That 250 ml bottle I thought I'd never use I now use constantly. I haven't yet used the 500 ml except to store nic liquids in the freezer, but I'm sure that's coming!

 

[eHuman]

Thanks for the replies! Just to clarify and expand my OP.
I have 15ml, 30ml, 60ml and 120ml lidded glass bottles on the way (20 total more of the small, less as you increase size).
I have PG, VG, Nic juice, some flavor samples, syringes, funnels, PPE (personal protective equipment) and all the means to safely mix and store juices.

What I am looking to gather in this thread are what you seasoned DIYers consider your staple supplies that you always end up using in most of your mixes. Like, sweetener, sour, creams, menthol etc.

You know, all the "other" additives that make your flavoring what it is, or adds subtle yummy greatness to an already good recipe. The things that I wouldn't intuitively buy for use as a flavor, but is "common knowledge" (or best kept secrets) of the wise that is a "must have".

Thanks again.

 

[AJK78]

... I would never recommend using drops for measuring.

Hi, I just started vaping 10 days ago and I'm going to DIY soon. I already ordered my nicotine, PG and VG. Why shouldn't I measure in drops? Does the amount of drops per ml change with every flavour even if it is from the same supplier? Measuring in drops seems more precise to me if I want to make small test batches of say 2ml. Am I wrong here?

 

[Whiplash]

AJK78 I did a bit of testing the other day for the same reason you mentioned, small batches. Here is what I found: PGA - about 100 drops/ml, VG/PG (60/40) - 80 drops/ml, Water - 50 drops/ml. This will all change with temperature. Also changes with the type of flavoring base. When I do small test batches, yes, I use drops but keeping in mind it's only an educated guess.
Eventually, you will want to use percentages for the recipes and there is no practical way to convert drops to %.
When I develop a recipe that requires a very small amount of a flavor, I make a dilution 10:1 (PG, VG, or PGA:flavor), and use the dilution in the recipe.
But that's just me. I have a digital mind. If it is not exact, it's wrong.
Bottom line: I guess that what ever method you use, if you are consistent, it will work for you.

 

[eHuman]

Hi, I just started vaping 10 days ago and I'm going to DIY soon. I already ordered my nicotine, PG and VG. Why shouldn't I measure in drops? Does the amount of drops per ml change with every flavour even if it is from the same supplier? Measuring in drops seems more precise to me if I want to make small test batches of say 2ml. Am I wrong here?

My take on it is this. First you are right, for a small "ballpark" test 10-20 drop batches to test 1 flavor is fine. The problem comes in when you realize that your PG bottle, VG bottle, nic bottle and your flavoring bottles all produce different sized drops. When you try to reproduce a scaled up version of a recipe that you like and find that it doesn't taste anything like your prized small sample did, it's because your ratios are off.

The most accurate way to mix liquids is by weight percent. (More on that only of you want to hear it).
DIY flavoring uses mixing by volume method and though less accurate, it is sufficient for what we are doing. (Making solutions based on molecular weight is even more accurate than weight % but even less practical).

By using number of drops as a method, greater inaccuracies occur than even just drop size. Considering that the specific gravity (weight) of PG, VG and flavoring varies significantly, one drop from the wrong bottle tip could be 4 times the weight of another.

When it comes to accuracy of recipe's scaled in size, counting drops will not allow an accurate measurement and it will further complicate things when you decide to transfer an ingredient to a different bottle/tip for convenience of use.

Small batch counting drops method works and is useful to determine roughly if you like a flavor combination. But once you decide to fine tune it you need to move on to mixing by measured volume or by weight %.

 

[Whiplash]

adeline made an excellent point! You can't have too many bottles. I get mine from American Science & Surplus.American Science & Surplus : Glass Bottles and Jars

 

[eHuman]

adeline made an excellent point! You can't have too many bottles. I get mine from American Science & Surplus.American Science & Surplus : Glass Bottles and Jars

Good advice! I am waiting on an order from Sunburst Bottles now.

 

[glassmanoak]

Don't forget TFA Smooth or MTS Vape Wizard. They can perform miracles on harsh, perfumy mixtures. On other thing you can only buy with time..steeping. Many nasty vapes mellow out over time.. sometimes a month or more. So, don't throw out a nasty vape too soon. Let it sit in the dark and mellow out. So, good record keeping is essential too

 

[MorpheusPA]

What I am looking to gather in this thread are what you seasoned DIYers consider your staple supplies that you always end up using in most of your mixes. Like, sweetener, sour, creams, menthol etc.

You know, all the "other" additives that make your flavoring what it is, or adds subtle yummy greatness to an already good recipe. The things that I wouldn't intuitively buy for use as a flavor, but is "common knowledge" (or best kept secrets) of the wise that is a "must have".

Thanks again.

Gotcha.

I find some of the basic "ideas" of flavoring are indispensable.

Hot: Cinnamon or the like. In small amounts, the cinnamon flavor doesn't come through, but a warming sensation does.
Cold: Menthol, Koolada, or the like. Some mints are cooling (peppermint) and some I consider a flavor or warm (spearmint).
Earthy: My go-to here is milk chocolate. It has a dense, deep note in small amounts. Caramel would be another I'd consider earthy with a large component of sweet.
Sweet: I use a standard sweetener (ethyl maltol), others prefer marshmallow flavor. Both work fine.
Fruity: My favorite is pomegranate, yours will definitely be different as pom has an earthy note. Fruity flavors are frequently also sweet, and may share an earthy note depending. Lots of people love watermelon. I only use them as accents and don't tend to care for fruity flavors myself.
Acidic/Sharp: Lemon, lime, and the like are in this category (and they're also fruity and sweet at times). I do like a lemon flavor that bites back, personally.
Bitter: I don't favor bitters at all and wouldn't be the best person to recommend one.
Salty: Same as bitter, I'm not a big salty fan.

Those aren't formal designations, just the way I tend to separate flavors in my own head. Some I've picked up from other people.

When I started, I made 3 ml bottles of the flavors pure and tried them out. Some I loved, some I hated, some I was neutral on. I keep coming back to mints and menthols as my favorites.

Some of those I hated as a single note are wonderful if you use them as accents or counter the part of the flavor you don't like. Pure spearmint is a bit bitter for my taste, but add some sweetener and it's great. Add bubble gum as well and you get a fantastic spearmint gum flavor.

Those 3 ml bottles were great for testing. I could add one drop of this, two of that, one of this third thing, and see what I get. I used a lot of those bottles just playing around.

Of course, you can just put 3 ml in a larger bottle and do the same thing if you wish, that way you don't have to go buy more bottles!