Where can I order DIY ingredients from?

[JCinFLA]

@JCinFLA; you make me proud to be a part of this community! My father was a college professor and I must say your teacher's soul shines through! You, and so many others like you, represent all that drew me to ECF. Your warmth, patience, tenacity, and understanding should be commended. You are one incredible human being!

Thank you for your contributions!

Thank you for the extremely kind words. They're appreciated, but now I'm afraid I'll have a hard time getting my head through doorways for awhile. I also hope my blushing color will fade soon!

The same can definitely be said about you and your own contributions to the ECF though. I always enjoy reading your posts and seeing how they help others. Keep your super assistance coming. I know many appreciate it!

I did wonder where you'd been lately. Thought for sure you'd pop up in some recent discussions, and hoped you were OK.

I just hope that with my zealous assistance...I haven't chased Avid Vapor away, since he hasn't posted since Monday night. Maybe he's just gotten really busy?

 

[JCinFLA]

JC, have you also tried FA Red Touch Strawberry? Is TFA Strawberry Ripe and TFA Strawberry superior to FA's because I really liked FAs.

No, I haven't tried it yet, so I can't offer any advice about it. Since I discovered I liked the 2 TFA Strawberries together, and I also like the CAP Sweet Strawberry...I've stuck with them. Of those 3 though, only the TFA Strawberry Ripe doesn't contain ethyl alcohol, so I don't have to evaporate it off before vaping a mix with it in it. So I tend to use it more often when I need a single Strawberry flavoring.

If you like the FA Red Touch Strawberry...I'd either just stick with it, or maybe buy small sample sizes of the 2 TFA Strawberries to compare them.

Also, I have TFA Smooth and TFA EM 10 percent AKA tfa cotton candy as you recommended. Curious about TFA Sweetner though. This is no different than any other sucralose right? I Have a BIG bottle of NuSweets Sucralose from Amazon, is there any difference in buying TFAs Sweetner instead, is it more vape friendly because rumor has it some people think sucralose gunks coils.

The TFA Smooth is a wonderful additive IMO, that can totally save a mix sometimes...even just a few drops in it does it!

As far as the TFA Cotton Candy and TFA Sweetener...I use 1 or the other in quite a few recipes, but in small %. I can't say I personally get much "coil gunking" from either of them. Factory-made coils last me 6-7 days each, and I'm finding I'll rewick built ones about the same. I go through about 7-8mL/day, but usually vape with 1.5 and 1.8ohm coils at pretty low wattage.

There are some slight differences in them though, according to what Wizard Labs and TFA says about them:

TFA Sweetener -
"Ingredients: Artificial flavor, propylene glycol, water, Sucralose"

TFA Cotton Candy -
"Ingredients: Ethyl Maltol Crystals, Propylene Glycol"
"This is made from ethyl maltol, diluted to 10% in PG.
It is not a strong flavor, since ethyl maltol won't dissolve in PG at higher concentrations. It is used as a mild sweetener and smoother for harsh flavors. Our Sweetener is sweeter than the Cotton Candy."

So, I use the above as a guide, to which one I use in a particular recipe. Since it depends upon the other flavorings used in it, too.

I've never tried the NuSweets Sucralose from Amazon nor the Stevia Glycerite from NOW foods. So I can't offer any opinion on those. Others may be able to though, if you start a discussion about it.

 

[IDJoel]

I did wonder where you'd been lately. Thought for sure you'd pop up in some recent discussions, and hoped you were OK.

All is well. I just had to pay attention to the real world for a bit... dang it! Thanks for thinking of me. And thank you too for the kind words. I just try to give back at least a little of what I receive from all the good folks here on ECF.

 

[Chris863]

JC, decided to go with Capella Sweet Strawberry and strawberry ripe, along with about 14 other tfa flavors and 2 other Capellas. I looked at ejuicemeup and last time I used FA Strawberry I had to use 12 percent. Good flavor but a bit weak. Think I'll enjoy these new flavors. Ordered around 10 am from Bullcity and they already shipped package at noon . Great service, almost bought some Hangsen flavors as well as some of those Chinese SC flavors but thought I'd pass those are alcohol based I believe.

I'm sure I'll have many questions about the flavors I chose most are other tropical fruit type flavors and decided to give marshmallow and coconut extra a try to make my fruit mixes really pop.

 

[Eliquid reporter]

Wizard labs


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JCinFLA]

@Chris863 - I think you'll like the TFA Strawberry Ripe and the CAP Sweet Strawberry. I also have a bunch of tropical flavorings, as well as the marshmallow, and the coconut extra. There are some really nice mixes that can be made using combinations of them.

I've never ordered from Bull City, but I know many people do and like them. Always used Wizard Labs since they have a huge variety of flavorings, 3 sizes for each, fast and fair shipping, and superb customer service. Also, they're right here in FL! Only other place I've ordered flavorings from is One Stop DIY Shop, because I love their One Stop Flavors and One Stop Blends, at least the 8 I've tried so far. Can't get any easier than using those either. You just add from about 8-12% of just 1 of them (to suit your own taste)...to your plain PG, plain VG, and Nic Base...and you're done = wonderful finished eliquid!

Any questions you have about flavorings, how to do something, hints, tips, etc. don't hesitate to ask. There are lots of us on here that are very willing to help others if/when we can. People helped us when we started DIY, too, and we all still get new recipes, hints, tips, etc. from each other!

 

[JCinFLA]

By the way, if anyone needs really good VG, Bulk Apothecary is having a terrific sale on it. Email from them:

We have close to 2 million Lbs. we're looking to move!
Ask about our Best Price Guarantee!

26% off USP Vegetable Glycerin

Glycerin Prices after discount:
16oz. - $2.90 / bottle
10 lb. jug - $9.91 / jug
50 lb. pail - $39.68 / pail
55 gallon drum ~ $.59 / lb.
4-55 gallon drums. ~ $.55 / lb.
72 drum truckload ~ $.50 / lb.
45000 lb. tank truck ~ $.385 / lb.
Simply use coupon code VGSALE at checkout this week only!​

(This coupon offer is not valid with other coupon offers, custom quotes or other discounts. Expires Wednesday 11/16/2016 at midnight)
************************************
For those that haven't bought from them before, or from anywhere maybe...that 10lb. jug is a gallon jug. Their S/H is very reasonable, too, because from them in OH to me in FL, shipping a gallon of VG + a gallon of PG usually costs $12.59 S/H.

 

[IDJoel]

I looked at ejuicemeup and last time I used FA Strawberry I had to use 12 percent. Good flavor but a bit weak.

Sorry to .... in but I was a little surprised to hear that somone found an FA flavor to be "a bit weak" at 12%. So I did a quick check on the eliquid recipe site that we are not allowed to mention and did a quick read-up on how others were using Strawberry FA (AKA: Red Touch).

Two things stuck out to me:

• First; the average single flavor percentage is only 6.8% (granted there were a couple around 15% and even one at 50%). In a mix, the average percentage is even lower, at 3.4%. It might be possible that you are actually over-flavoring. Some people will experience a diminished flavor if too much is used.
  
• Second; I found and interesting reference to a Head-In-Clouds (very well respected FA virtuoso) flavor critique where the author notes "You must shake this flavoring well before using it, or you’ll get very faint flavor. This is another example of the realism of FA’s fruit flavors. It has none of the fermented qualities of other brands’ ripe-strawberry flavors (though FA Amber can add that if you
  want). Try Strawberry with Lemon Sicily (either 3% each or 4% each) for a great strawberry lemonade - no other flavors needed. You can boost the intensity of FA Strawberry by using it with other mild but sweeter fruit flavors.

For those that haven't bought from them before, or from anywhere maybe...that 10lb. jug is a gallon jug. Their S/H is very reasonable, too,

I concur with JC; Bulk Apothecary is among the least expensive options that I have found. They even beat Essential Depot's glyCUBE deal (comparing product+shipping for each) by a few dollars the last time I bought. Shipping was prompt and the product quality is good. I will be looking to them first; the next time I need to order. I just need to get through the current 4 gallons I have from them right now.

 

[Chris863]

The FA strawberry is one of my favorite flavors. I was mixing at the time 10 percent LA Watermelon, 12 percent FA Strawberry and 2 percent TFA sour. I started with the FA at 8 percent and worked my way up from there, perhaps la watermelon waters down the flavor. Haven't mixed the FA strawberry with anything else so hard to compare. At the time my flavor stash was limited about a year ago only other fruits I had were FW Red Apple and FW Blueberry.

Probably should of picked up some more of the red touch strawberry from FA. Because if I really enjoy a flavor typically I will buy a 30 ml. But figure try these tfa strawberries see how it goes...

Most of my orders have been from ecig express, however I like wizard labs the way they bottle their flavors the best. Only drawback to wizard labs is paying the state tax ordering from them living in Florida makes it a little more expensive.