I do not do that at all… I actually jump flavors all the time, like I jump my juices.
I never test from manufacture to manufacture to manufacture… however I do stick with the ultras…
There is not that many of those manufactures around and available for public use.
Now if you are using standards, the same goes into effect for me, (but it has been years since I messed with just standard flavors!) I still won’t test 2 flavors ie: strawberry… from 2 different manufactures at once…
I want to know the background of the manufacturing company… most have a recognizable background taste or feel, and by mixing companies (manufactures) like that… it is harder to catch that point of the flavoring. It to me, just isn’t a good idea.
Been mixing for over 10 yrs now… guess I am just set in my ways.
Flavors by themselves, even still in a manufactures bottle, unopen… will age just like juice… is why when you are at the tail end of a bottle and reorder, you might notice a difference between bottles… Most do not… but some of us do.
I did not catch this till just now, “do flavors ever get better with age? Or just degrade?”
Everything does degrade… if you do not like a flavor now, chances are a year from now, it wont make it any better for you… (unless you undergo a rapid taste bud change or decide you now like berries when you hated fruits from the get go…
and then you are looking at shelf life:
standards anywhere from 2 yrs to 5yrs depending on how they are kept and if they do not contain sugars (fw) oils (lo) or em…
Ultras have an even shorter life… however most of my ultras I still use even at 5 yrs too…
depending on how it is all kept.
You answered my question though, that they can age and change just like a juice! Thank you!
BTW I was asking about your testing technique because I have yet to find one that works for me- not because I have an opinion at all. Hope that is how it came across.
As far as my questions go- they are genuine requests for help from a noob! Haha!
@Terra_R, as someone said you may have saturated your taste buds. I have to keep rotating through different flavours to be able to keep enjoying them. If I vape the same all day long at the end of the day it has no taste or tastes awful. Sorry if I am repeating what others said, didn’t read all the thread. My advice would be change to something else for one week and then go back to your favourite cereal+milk.
As many have said, it would be a good thing to give your taste buds a break and switch to a different flavor. There are so many out there, it shouldn’t be so hard to find something else that you like.
There are plenty alternatives for EM, just try them if you like it sweet.
Steeping is a slow process that changes the flavor, mouthfeel, smoothness/harshness and so many other things. Flavor may come and go during this process. Actually, this is a never ending process but after a couple weeks to a month, most juices get to a point where they’ll be stable for a pretty long period of time.
It is really EASY to overcome this problem though. Instead of making your regular quantities, just double, triple or quadruple the quantities you mix. However, if you do make larger quantities, makes sure you mix a couple different juices so you’re not going to keep oversaturating your taste buds.
You do it DIY style, whatever makes you happy… My way of doing it is starting with a bunch of SFTs that are well steeped, poor them together and see what works in what ratios.
When you are making a stone, all you need to do is take your established recipe (on the recipe side), and click on the wrench icon (on the upper right), and select “Make one-shot/concentrate”.
It automatically removes everything but the flavors, and recalculates. So the result is based on your “in the mix” percentage used.
You then use the resulting stone/base at the same percentage as what you used in the original recipe. (EG: if your original recipe called for 6% total flavor, you then use/treat your stone as a ‘single’ flavor, and add 6% to the appropriate amount of VG/PG/nic for the batch size you’re making.)
Makes things nice and easy for a mix that you make frequently.
I keep around 7 to 14 different juices I “bounce” thru, @Terra_R …
A lot depends on my mood when I mix, or if I want to experiment with other flavors or think up a different recipe… I keep a few shoe boxes now days, filled with juice experiments… I don’t get bored and it makes things a lot easier… Mix day here, I run thru between 10-12 mixes, and it happens once a week… if I don’t like something… I will sit and think what needs adjusting or I toss it in my bag to hand out when ever I meet a fellow vaper
The handout is a good idea! I have so many mixes that aren’t bad, just not exactly what I wanted.
I think I may be addicted to mixing? Haha serious tho.
I think part of my problem is that I want to try every manufacturers version of a flavor. And when I like 3 Bavarian Creams, I want to use both. And oh, look, I have these 4 Milks, but I also have this awesome Malted milk and this delectable whole milk. Oh and the condensed milk!
So I started making stones, which worked for a year, but I think I just need to do what you along with almost all of the mixers whom I respect and who have knowledge I don’t- and do some testing and pare down the stash.
My strawberry and blueberry stones are staying tho! They’re amaaaazing! Haha… any flavors you see in my stash that should just go? Haha I’m so bad at getting rid of stuff!
What do you all use equipment wise for a SFT of say, a few different flavors? I did it once with my creams and ended up being able to see what I really liked and what each version had that I wanted, and vice versa.
Only problem was, I had no clue how to do it.
I got these cute little 2ml glass droppers and used just VG and the flavor, dripping each and on to the next.
Then I put them in order of best to least liked, and if I tasted a funky note that I didn’t like, it was out.
I definitely need to have less options is what I’m saying. And I am sure that someone else has a more streamlined approach!
It took all this time to muster the courage to try cardamom again. I decided to add the original mix with a new one w/o the cardamom. It’s a vanilla custard coconut cookie type recipe. I added approx. %25 of the old mix to the new. I’m finally getting what this spice is all about. It’s working just fine with the coconut, adding an exotic and enhanced coconut flavor by giving the illusion of tasting the coconut on the inhale instead of the usual lingering flavor. It’s doing more than that but hard to describe. Let’s just say it a new and fun flavor experience different from any other I’ve tried. I’m happy with the outcome. My guess would be 1 drop to 30mls if I was starting from scratch.
serious tho.