Only 3 weeks into DIY, so I’m trying to get a grip on some of the basics and improving some concepts for recipes.
Can someone explain to me the difference between a base and a recipe, as well as some examples? I’m looking at creating some bases with VG flavoring and could really use a hand from a seasoned expert.
A flavor base is basically just the flavor part of a recipe combined together. You then use that base like you would a regular flavor at the % you normally use. So say you want to make a flavor base of something like @Ken_O_Where’s Strawnana Custard:
| Ingredient | % |
|---|---|
| Banana Cream (LA) | 4 |
| Strawberry (Ripe) (TPA) | 4 |
| Sweet Strawberry (CAP) | 3 |
| Vanilla Custard v1 (CAP) | 10 |
To make it into a flavor base, click the blue wrench and click “make flavor base”
| Ingredient | ml | g | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banana Cream (LA) | 1.9 | 1.9 | 19 |
| Strawberry (Ripe) (TPA) | 1.9 | 1.9 | 19 |
| Sweet Strawberry (CAP) | 1.43 | 1.43 | 14.3 |
| Vanilla Custard v1 (CAP) | 4.76 | 4.76 | 47.6 |
You’d just combine those flavors at those amounts in a 10ml bottle and use it like a regular flavor. When creating your final liquid, you would just put in “Strawnana Custard Base” for the flavor and 21% for the amount.
Hope that helps. 
So just bear with me, then you can use the base as a single ingredient in another recipe to add another version or variation of the desired taste?
Example:
I create a glazed donut “base”, but I want to add strawberry creme to it, I’d take that base and then add the other components to it?
I hope I’m not botching the intended use of a base, I’d like to get some more understanding on it.
@JoJo would it be true if you steeped you flavor base for a month you could Shake n Vape a batch of Custard?
@dwdh586 is using Vaporbase (testing). If in the end it is proven that VaporBase can cut steep time you would gain nothing and actually lose that (alledged) advantage of mixing with VaporBase (and then steeping) …your “base” would not contain any VaporBase. Could prove or disprove the theory however (do both …2 weeks Custard/VaporBase and 4 weeks Custard/base then SnV VG)
Basically, yeah! Pretty useful. What you’re talking about is what a lot of people call “stones”. So you’d have a creamstone or a cakestone or a custardstone that is a mix of your favorite flavors of that type. You use it as a flavor and add other stuff as needed. You can use the flavor base creator for that, but I think you have to create a recipe first. You could also do a recipe that is 100% VG (if you have VG based flavors), 0 desired nic strength and 0 for nic base. That would in essence be a ‘stone’ or a base as well.
@BoDarc I’m not totally sure about that as I haven’t really played with it at all. I’m pretty sure @Ken_O_Where and maybe @bradslinux work with bases and could answer that better than I could.
Who dares summon me?
Well yes and no. The base will cure a bit quicker than if it is in VG but once it is mixed it will still need time to homogenize. I cure my bases for 2 months, mix, shake and let them sit for a week.
LOL Ken.
Eloquent as usual JoJo.
Steeping a flavor base can reduce steeping times a bit. IMHO, the magic with steeping happens after nicotine is added since it is an alkyd. Custard steeped as a flavor base for a month, then steeped with nicotine in the mix for a month is SUBLIME! I have vaped custard mixes with Vanilla Custard V1 that are in excess of 6 months old and believe me, time is the best friend of all things VC1. It gets so YUMMY with age. Vaping some 7 month old Strawnana Custard from KenOWhere as I type this. Words fall short of describing how good it is.
I agree. Much of the time i vape 0mg these days so i jump right in.
Wimp. Lightweight. Gingerheadedmartianmommasboy 
hehehe
Wheres the HATE button?
My VaporBase plan would result in a 50% “base” of flavors and VB (6mg), then after (guessing/hoping) my steep time is reduced, I’d add 15mls VG to 15ml “base” for a finished 30ml/3mg nic product with possibly reduced steep time (PDO claiming to be a superior carrier for flavors). I would just add VB as a flavor instead of VG/PG and skip the nic calculation (?) I can see this working in my eJuice Me Up calculator but might lose the automated calculations in ELRs calc re: “make this a base”
eyeroll…it’ll be the end of July before I can deliver any test results. And Thanks o’ King. I am wondering if my method could make this base curing faster (8 weeks!?) …I mean it wouldn’t be a base/stone exactly because it’d have half it’s glycol (and nic!) added already. I say we name it here and now! We can name it after me …call it a “Nut” 
Come on…? “I’m busy this weekend whipping up my nuts”? “…but they gotta stay cold …I keep my nuts in the freezer” “Always store your nuts in a cool dark place…” “I haven’t touched my nuts in 8 weeks! They’re gonna be sublime!”
[apologies ladies]
As of late I find myself creating more bases/stones. IMO it’s the ultimate single flavor. It saves mixing time and is very useful in numerous recipes.
These are four I’ve created for use as a single flavor in multiple recipes. I’m sure these aren’t for everyone, but they work very well for me.
(DIY) Milk Chocolate (Flavor Base)
Ingredient
Bavarian Cream (TPA) 54.5%
Dark Chocolate (MF) 18.2%
Sweet Cream (CAP) 27.3%
(Flavor Base) Mixed Nuts (Gmix) (base)
18.2% Almond (FA)
13.6% Hazel Grove (Hazelnut) (FA)
13.6% Nut Mix (FA)
36.4% Peanut Butter (Flavorah)
18.2% Torrone (FA)
(Flavor Base) Strawberry New
2.57% Coconut (FA)
5.13% Pyure
5.13% Sour Wizard (FA)
20.5% Strawberry (Medine Flower)
41.05% Strawberry (Ripe) (TPA)
25.63% Strawberry Shisha (INAWERA)
(Flavor Base) Vanilla Milkshake (Gmix)
10.87% Cream Fresh (FA)
10.87% Cream Whipped (FA)
6.53% Pyure
17.4% Vanilla (MF)
54.33% Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (TPA)
Saw this in the monthly recipe thread, upvoted and saved to try it.
When I first made it and steeped (you know MF)… I tested it and I couldn’t stop. I vaped it until It was depleted… Good stuff… even better in recipes.
@Pro_Vapes your bases are probably the most valuable to me and will be the first things I mix once settled. I need to have some store of base flavors like this. Trying to balance out a complex and tasty strawberry palate is a huge expenditure of time.
To have a “single” flavor you can be confident will deliver results in other recipes is something I wonder isn’t being sold more as a retail product …that doesn’t suck, or cost a fortune. I’ve read of a couple companies offering similar “just add to VG” flavors, and also heard FA and others are moving in this direction. The individual flavors are important, but too micro-focused (SB-Ripe, SB Sweet etc)
…and Chocolate will probably be first!
Something else about Flavor Bases, I don’t think has been mentioned…
Ya’ll know that we have the option (Blue Wrench) to have Vapecrafter make
our flavor base from a recipe, right? Yup… price varies for the new flavoring they send
you, based on amount, and recipe.
For instance, ( I just went and looked) … a new flavoring 10ml made from my own Camo Coffee recipe, would be $3.99, or 30ml of the flavoring would be $10.99 . There are 7 different flavors from various vendors in this recipe. They offer creating anywhere from 5ml to 120ml of the new flavoring for you too!
I premix my nic and VG at 3.75% Nic and 96.25 VG by the half liter. It makes it easy to just add my flavors then the base mix. Most of my recipes have about the same amount of flavor percentage in them.
I bet you get some pushback on that comment. Personally I think it’s a great idea, a huge time saver. I’m probably doing it the hard/long way currently.