for a first orientation this is a good start point
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Some fruits needs 1-3 days steep, IME.
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Do it to exclude your steeping process from the list of possible errors…
Vape steeped base with no flavor and compare with freshly mixed base.
I once had a bottle which was not properly closed (it drew water from the air long time 
)
and stupid me wondered about the taste
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That’s really helpful with the pre steeped bases then add flavoring thank you everyone for replying so kindly! I can’t update my flavor stash at work but have pictures of my order from bull city that I’m using currently. I will also post my recipes that tasted decent so far
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Ok bud…After seeing your recipes i would say you are Over using your creams…Look at Creamsicle your fruit pct is 5pct and your cream is 7pct a lot of newer mixers will do this includung me . Also the Vienna Cream is a fairly long steeper …Try to make your fruits about 75pct total flavor and your Creams 25pctish…Yucky is the same thing as well 2pct fruit and 6pct cheesecake , kiwi is a light fruit so its gettimg buried by the cheesecake. As a matter of fact they all are loaded with cream …First back down the cream and anything with Vienna is going to take time 2 to 3 weeks if not more
Also make sure to enter Flavors properly
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Agreed, this one might be a 4 week steep as-is. You may notice when you populate your recipe …when adding each flavor, it auto-populates with the “Median %” Pay attention to those averages but don’t feel too restricted as that Median% is by definition the average used in Notes etc.
Oh and WELCOME to the Forum. While you have learned it’s not that complicated once you have the basics, it’s not so easy either! With more experience you’ll discover how dramatic a 10% boost in a flavor can change to overall flavor dramatically. @muth had a great point which is “muting”. We refer to this as a flavor’s “ceiling” …3% might taste weak, 4% may be nice, 5% could be “in your face”, but 6% could be “I can’t taste this?” Some Super concentrates (like Flavorah) could be closer to 0.3% and 0.6% …but all flavors are different. Look for those “Median”% numbers under “Notes” in the Recipe Calculator (as @lambu showed you above) …click on the actual flavor names in the Calculator to be taken to the Notes section for that flavor.
Hang in brother (sister?) you’re getting there …and we were ALL there in the beginning.
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Thank you guys for all the help banana is really strong and coconut is subtle but I’m getting a better taste the chai tea I have is strong!!! I really think I just need to be more patient with steeping. Which brings me to is there any tricks to speed steeping? Or is that not a thing because I do not have an homogenizer to shear the molecules and not induce heat. I would like to know if UC”s actually work? Or just throw em in the closet and wait? Anyways you all have been amazing and thank you for being so kind and helping me further the knowledge so I can make something I can actually taste without driving my fiancé nuts constantly tinkering with all this equipment lol.
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Huge fan of Vanilla pudding Flavorah and Vanilla Custard II TPA for creams… 1.40% Vanilla pudding + 3% Vanilla custard II and I put cookie Flavorah (1%) or Sugar Cookie Cap V2 (3%) follow the medians for your fruits (and look at what people are suggesting for combos on the fruits you’re using) my advice which I encourage you to take with a grain of salt because it’s just how I LIKE to mix 
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@bilbo22 I haven’t read all the responses above yet, so this may repeat some of them. Number one, DON’T give up.
First things first, we gotta get you on something you like, doesn’t matter who makes it. Do you have some recipes you like ?? Mixers you follow ?? Profiles you prefer ?? I saw you mention some fruit, but then pudding cheesecake, and peppy choco, so I’m not sure where your taste fall.
I appreciate YOU taking the time to do single flavor tests, that SAYS you’re serious. I do TONS of them, and they ARE or CAN BE a chore.
I’m re-reading your post, and I’m kinda getting that you’re just NOT getting a lot of flavor ?? If so, be careful about just dosing the hell out of flavors, as you can OVER flavor, which is where you can go sideways, and even get reduction.
Many are, were, or probably have stated, that added sweeteners, really doesn’t help or fix any recipes. It CAN give you that Commercial Sugar Lips effect, but it can’t fix recipes, or boost flavor really.
How about this, tell me / us, what flavor profiles YOU like, and we’ll go from there, rather than play wack-a-mole .
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Thank you session drummer you’re the reason I picked up ssa both compote cherry and juicy cherries lol. They taste good at 1 percent but get light at .75%. I like coconut, chocolate, cheesecake, any fruit and fruit with ws-30 I want to have vanilla notes I like orange creamsicle and chai tea. I’m not super picky just trying to work with what I got and fruits are light in taste. I’m trying to find the base level and work it up to the ceiling I think I’m not steeping long enough and that may be an issue but I’ve been keeping my %s low but even median percentage suggestions are faint to me not full flavor.
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Btw I have taken advice from almost all of your sft I was wondering if you speed steep by using a UC or any heating or a homogenizer or something along those lines of not do you have any snv’s
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Well I appreciate that @bilbo22, BUT, I hope we have similar tastes, because if not, my notes mileage for you will vary. Do your tastes agree with my notes ?? Similar tastes ??
I’m rather “Old School” and do not use ANY fast steeping methods. I’m fully aware of the time advantages of homogenizing, and how Ultra Sonics can clear up the murky liquids that homogenizing makes. Steeping has been around since the beginning, and it works for me. I have close to 1000 flavors, endless gallons of PG/VG/NIC, and I never have a shortage of juice to vape, so any “speeding” things along, just isn’t needed.
If you are asking because of flavoring issues, lack of flavor, or recipes in general, neither of the two will IMPROVE any of your juices. They can speed things along but the end result will be the same.
Not too many shake and vapes, but as others have said, simple, un-complex fruits are the FASTEST steepers, and some you can vape right away.
Alright, I have NO clue what flavors you have, but I recently had a “Lazy Moment” and REALLY needed a Looper one day, and I mixed up my Bestest, Laziest Looper recipe. Despite how it looks on paper, and the cream, it’s actually pretty great off the shake. NOW, it DOES fatten out, and the cream thickens after a steep, but it’s not terrible as a S and V.
All of the flavors are needed, except the Medicine Flower Lemon, and you can sub your own, for the high end, sparkly punch.
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I ended up pming you I’m taking a anatomy exam atm and am too tired to type and have three devices up sorry broski. Your advice is really good maybe I should try some simpler mixes even one where I did honeydew 2 tpa 3.75% blackberry SC at 2%and vanilla Shisha 1% and vanilla swirl 1% lemon Sicily .5% tastes like shite little to no flavor lol
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Similar taste on everything you’ve suggested percentage wise I have a keen sense of smell and taste and can get flavorings just when mixed it’s like where dafuq is the flavor lololol
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You said your fruit flavors are light airy and faint couple of times. I would say the same for about 95% of my fruits (which most are highly rated otherwise); i guess we are just picky punks with too high expectations. Because of that problem, i don’t do many fruity or fruit forward recipes, but i rather focused on bakeries, ice creams, cookies, etc. Ofc, the other way to get past your artificial sensitivity issue is layering couple of the right flavors (which is difficult and expensive when you are too sensitive) and/or buying BOTB on the market (VSO fruits are pretty high rated and natural; you won’t find many in that class among TFA, CAP, FA, INW).
The thing you should most certainly do (especially since you are sensitive) is solo tasting your flavors before making another recipe. That way you will at least find out what flavors are not working for you at all (dummy like me was trying all kind of high rated recipes for almost 3 years before actually doing this most elementary step). With good flavors (to your taste!!!), your recipes will have a good chance to be vapable or even enjoyable at the end. With unpleasant flavors to you that’s nearly impossible (no matter how greatly rated those recipes are to others).
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Thank you many maybe I’m just picky and think these are to faint to really be understanding the depth of the flavor. I really want something I smell and taste to translate to vape and it seems merely impossible at this point of inexperience. I will sit down and do some hard work for the next three months and see if I can come back with an actual great tasting product. I will let you guys know how it goes along the way and keep pushing I’m not gonna give up! There had been a lot of positive vibes and amazing contribution from you all I will make notes do more sft and get back when I start mixing em up
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I got a tip from a local manufacturer.
for premium flavours aim for 20 percent concentrate then add sweetner of desired after that
also dtl either 70/30 or max vg (which is in reality 80/20)
also use like flavours to layer and support the dominant flavour you desire
ie kiwi at 3% and apple at 1%
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try also for mango 2 Different mango concentrates to layer the flavour
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Thank you Dmac and everyone I solved the dilemma!! All recipes I’ve tried were too low of percentage flavoring and had to steep forever. After some talk with the owner of gentleman draws Eliquid I was told the best advice and aligns with dmac up the percentages!! I make 18-20% all the way up to 24% and .5% sucralose and holy moly flavor heaven thank you all for the put in responses but the resolve was fairly simple I also have layered with different varieties of the same fruit and have made cheesecakes that are shake and vape instead of steeping for 2 weeks. My method may not work for everyone but subjectively if it doesn’t taste good off the shake 2 weeks isn’t going to bring more flavor. I finally can enjoy every mix for the most part some few duds, but have learned a lot about the DIY and will continue to grow and make top shelf product to consume. Til next time!
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