Flavor Concentrates

With my 415 private and public flv recipes… all I want to do is to show how I manage to mix with one brand… < My style… :crazy_face:

Taste is so super subjective… no one really likes to hear that, but yet not many can stick to one manufacture or “style” of flavoring… and guess what… for you all to bounce on manufactures like you are channel surfing :smiley: is fine… really… it is. However… for those of us that can, and enjoy a solo manufactured recipe without getting bored, let us. watch us… maybe learn a few things from each other. As that is what makes us all better mixers in the end. That is the goal… To create good taste that satisfy :slight_smile:

I can promise… you are using at least a few different vendors to buy up those multiple flavor lines… and paying the shipping too. with all the shipping funds bouncing around… hell you could have picked up another couple flavors with that… than by buying at one place… never having to worry if your flavors will be available. Less stress… and I still know how the general line runs. I have goof recipes… I admit it… but then I have some omg you have to try this recipes too… We all do… but at what cost?

@Sprkslfly… I have coffee lol… :smiley: and got to sleep late!! YAY!! :smiley:

I do know I run between 4-8 flavors at one time. Not 8 strawberries at once… I know what flavor fatigue can do for me. I test in drops to see what I taste. Low 2 drops per 10ml, then 4 drops and so on. up to
6 different bottles for measurements and taste testing. I know what my drops weight, because I use scales. I know 1 drop for me is .02g or .02ml… I wouldn’t know that if I did not use scales… :slight_smile:

This is why I retest my flavors every so often. Normally around 2-3 mo at a time… I keep notes of any changes or non changes… :slight_smile:

Yes… your opinion… :smiley:

Mine is this:

the minuet someone puts 2 flavors together… and then changes the same 2 flavors in different amounts… one is learning flavor bending. This right here is where it starts. By changing the volume of how much is used and when, as well as discovering what all those changes taste like. Not by moving on… it’s the minuet someone mixes for the first time… and then expands on it… because he/she enjoyed or even did not enjoy what they first mixed… even if it was just something simple.

I did all that moving on and ended up with over 1800 flavors… 5yrs+ ago… and I truly knew not what I really liked, collecting like pokemon. It was not till I sat down with one set of flavors and by documenting, trial and error… and remembering what I did to make a result happen. Not because oh… that strawberry will never meet a goal in the strawberry taste for me. I don’t like shutting doors on flavors… unless it’s yam :roll_eyes::face_vomiting::face_with_raised_eyebrow:

I am not calling you asinine :stuck_out_tongue: but please explain what it is when you reject a flavor for being a flavor you can not pair up to your idea if it is a orange not an orange or?? the reason we mix, or at least mine is to change up a solo taste and turn it into something else… like orange cream or orange soda or to use orange as a spiced bit in teas… or even chocolates… Im just curious @Sprkslfly about this bit…

I just have yet to meet a flavor I couldn’t play with and think it’s why I am having a hard time wrapping my head around why you would reject a flavor… unless again… apples to oranges, its a duck :roll_eyes: :stuck_out_tongue:

If we all think outside the box as far as change… recipes become even more fun… results are more unpredictable but… that is the only way to gain experience. By mixing. With what ever you have, one manufacture or 15…

Sorry I only have 1 flavor I don’t care for… hate to say it too… even if I bought that flavor from 10 different manufactures… I still won’t like it as much as the rest of the flv’s I use… why? because I do not eat yams and after my yam recipe, the only one… I have yet to challenge me to try it again. :stuck_out_tongue:

Not many can… sure a lot of people can mix all one manufactured juices… but not many can stick with that company over and over… I’d love a challenge… even brought it up to FLV to make a fun challenge to mix with only 1 manufacture for 1 month… brought this up years ago it seems… just to see how we all would mix… :slight_smile: Who knows… maybe one day I might have enough interest, and people that would even want to try :smiley:

Anyways… made progress on my website last night… it’s still in maintenance mod and hope to finish up on one section today… will see how it goes!

I think all of this post is from subjective tastes… even my own :slight_smile: and sorry my post is like huge!! haha!!
Smoky clouded up the thread here lol… ooops. :stuck_out_tongue:

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Gus… I’d recommend looking at the stared recipes on my list and see if you want to make one… stick to the ones that have 4-6 flavors… that way maybe you can make something other than that recipe too… I’d also think on your own favorite profiles you like to vape too…

My top rated ones…

https://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&missing=0&recipesonly=0&filter=28997&adaptedfrom=&sort=score&direction=desc

or I do have some personal ones I think are best I released between now and a few weeks ago…
https://e-liquid-recipes.com/?filter=28997

but just dig around… look for what you really want to make… and failing that… toss me an idea and I can create a recipe for you… :slight_smile:

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I think we just have an impasse here, now correct me if I’m wrong. Smoky loves da Flavorah. Smoky has shit tons of Flavorah only recipes. Smoky loves da Flavorah. Some mixers prefer multiple bands. Right ?

Sprsfly and I (assuming) are talking about the whole, “What if you can’t GET there, using only one flavorhouse” thing. I mean, what’s this really about ?? Time, skill, money, right ?

Say I need to hit a INW Biscuit, or CAP Vanilla Custard, and I ONLY use one flavorhouse. What if NOTHING they offer comes close ? What if they DO offer a compromise, BUT, it takes 5 or more flavors to do it ? How much time, money, effort, will be spent TRYING to figure out the alternate 5 flavor work around, as opposed to just using your INW Biscuit or CAP VC ??

It appears the confusion goes BOTH ways. “You only use ONE brand”, “You use MORE than one brand”.

Great, we’re ALL confused now LOL.

I know I have tried and true flavors from at least 4-5 vendors that are too damned good to not use. I don’t hop around buying things from multiple vendors (except rare occasions), just place an order, for as many flavors as I need, regardless of the flavor brand. I just picked UP a huge batch of Flavorahs, because I never really worked with them much, except the biggies that everyone knows. NO clue on the others, so it will take some time. I did not enter into this purchase looking to replace ANY of my existing tried and trues. If it happens, it happens, but that was not the goal.

Myself never having anywhere enough Time, Money, or Skill, if I need a Vanilla Ice Cream, I just grab my jug of LB, because it just works. Doesn’t mean I can’t get there some OTHER way, but do I have the time, money, skill, or patience to do so ? Probably not. Points all well made in this thread, and it would seem we would all benefit from learning about MORE flavors (like I’m trying to) rather than talk about EXCLUDING flavors. INCLUDING more flavors, EXPANDING your recipes, INCREASING your skill seems should be the focus, regardless OF the flavor house. At the rate Smoky is churning out recipes it will greatly SPEED up my FLV testing.

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Ok… That helps clarify things to some degree (for me).
To me, that’s not bending at all. That’s what I consider to be “learning how to balance a mix”.
IE: Whether you want (for example) a mix to be more strawberry forward, or more banana forward.
You’re not intrinsically changing either one (so to speak) as both should still be present and identifiable in the result.

To me, bending is changing the initial two flavors (or more) into a completely unexpected result.
Say… If mixing Milk and custard turned into yogurt.
If you were going for a custard with a bit of milk to lighten the texture, or sweeten the notes, but somehow ended up with sour notes in the result instead (resulting in an unintended “yogurt” effect).
In my opinion, if a “sour note” was present in milk, it has obviously gone bad, and should not be used. Same for custard.
So if I got that from testing during a single flavor, I would automatically remove it from consideration as being a viable flavor (as well as one to be repurchased). To me, such flavors only serve to complicate, or make matters much more difficult, as they’re not as easy to work with.

Kind of a similar thing with some of the more complex flavors that have been released in the last year and a half or so.

If I want a strawberry flavor, I don’t want all the side/off notes. I don’t want a hint of lemon, or green, or something else. As the rest are things that IF I desired any of them to be done, I would add them using another flavor/additive as desired.

That’s part of why I went into some of the things/reasons I look for what I do, and dismiss some (as being viable candidates) of what I do above. I still don’t feel like I’ve explained it clear enough (for some nagging reason), but hopefully it provides at least some better understanding of what I’m trying/hoping to communicate. :wink:

As am I Smoky!
That’s the my reason I continue to try and understand some of why it is that you do what you do. Even though our process is so very different, I’m learning that we also have different definitions of things (bending for example). But even still, I figure there are things that can be learned from others with different points of view towards mixing (the same as there is in real life).
While I may not necessarily agree with whatever specific aspect (or you with mine), I still try and listen and take it in.

Great example, and reason I went into wanting a specific flavor for the job above (and again, why I eliminate some).

If I wanted to use whatever my preferred “base orange” was, into an orange cream, I would expect/WANT to take that orange, and add the desired cream to provide the result.
A, there aren’t many orange creams out there. B, they’re not as likely to hit my expectations of a specific outcome when I think “orange cream”.
Primarily because, when I think orange cream, I only think one thing. Orange Julius. And the ones I’ve tried labeled “off the shelf” as orange cream, definitely do not fit that bill.
Granted, if I would think first of ‘the orange creme filling in a cookie’ (Ala Gamesa’s Naranja cookies) them I might feel differently. So again, it comes down to not only the desired result, but also the psychology of how the mind works in relation to one’s preference (above and beyond how the mind perceives what’s received by the tongue and nose).
Is it any wonder this shit is so subjective? :rofl: Oi.

Well, I have met some I had no desire to play with (at any of my stages until where I currently am), but that’s not the same as saying that I couldn’t. I just choose a different approach!

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@anon84779643 ?? I think that’s a given. I know newer mixers have a hard time reconciling that when they mix up some of the “top” recipes, and hate them.

LOL, well dammit, I can NOW mix more than a few of those up, so I can SEE what’s what, AND, see where our palates align, or diverge.

If I’m reading this right, it implies a never ending back and forth ?? I would replace “bouncing” with “choosing”. I don’t bounce anywhere, too damned lazy for it. I do however, choose to use certain flavors FROM different houses that do what I need them to do. Some, right out of the bottle, and some need pushing/pulling.

Ahhhh, NOW we’re cooking with gas. THAT, is what this is SUPPOSED to all be about.

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This thread, and others like it, always made me curious. I know what I use, which is typically (generally) 7 different brands. I mean, I think I have like a whole THREE from Liquid Barn, but I didn’t add them in, as having only a few, does not count as typical for me. And yes, I DO have too many flavors.

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I could keep responding but my adhd says it is here to play lmao… maybe I can come back and explain a bit more on my flavor thoughts at a later date… :slight_smile:

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I’ll make up for YOUR ADHD with my own, I have EXTRA !!!

I mean, I know how I mix, and I know how you mix @anon84779643, but was curious how OTHER people mixed. I agree my life WOULD be simpler if I could just use one, but for my palate, customers, and mental wellness, I have to use more. I’ve got a thought in my head, and having a hard time verbalizing it (as if), but I don’t think there are any “absolutes” in DIY mixing. Tons of different preferences, palates, styles, end goals, etc., and far too many to list them all.

My goal is NOT to pour gas on the “use one”, “use lots” debate, but I do think, that if your preferred method is to use just FLV, and you continue to post great recipes, people WILL start to get curious. I know I did. Whether or not, for better or worse, the DIY tent is a BIG tent, and there’s a LOT of us in here, hehe.

I for one LOVE to learn new tips, tricks, pairings, hidden gems, unexpected results. Wish I encountered them more often, but as of late, you have tweaked my interest in some more FLV’s. Got a pile now, and know nothing about them ROAR, so I will start out by mixing some other peoples mixes, to see what’s what. Then I will dive off into the frey.

As I mentioned above, it seems the whole Time, Money, Patience, Skill thing REALLY gets overlooked quite often. I know for myself, I have but a FRACTION of the time I would love to spend doing more SF tests, note taking, multi-% tests, pairings, but time is just too short. Anything that can SAVE me time (almost more important than money) is a PLUS for me right now. Had considered getting myself fired, for MORE DIY time, but then I’d have no budget hehe.

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Yeps me too!! :stuck_out_tongue:

yeps me too again :slight_smile:

I was taught… good juice happens. what I think on is this… share my recipe, show how I did mine… but when people taste… even tho they should be able to recognize flavor profile… make it hard for them to really match the taste with what is in the juice… This spawns “clones” of the juice and everyone has something to tinker with… while the creator can sit back laughing and enjoys seeing the “progress” of the juice that is not close enough to the “real” recipe. This in turn, if the recipe is shared… allows people (all of us) entertainment :wink:

Yeps… :slight_smile:

and this is true… it takes time and effort to understand your flavors and how they work together. If you do not put in the time, you have nothing at all.

Nooooo… one has to have a budget… always… money in money out, flavors in… juice out… that is always the process… :stuck_out_tongue: haha!! :slight_smile:

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This thread reminds me of something I read recently. A friend who vapes MTL exclusively bemoaned the proliferation of pods. Said he wishes they would go away. Says they make vapers lazy and take away the fun hobby side of vaping.

While he’s ‘right’ about that, he missed the point entirely. Pod users are not lazy. They are mostly new vapers but more importantly, they are leaving burned tobacco in favor of vaping. That is the point of vaping at its’ core after all, and when I reminded him of that he realized he’d now become so entrenched in the vaping culture that he forgot what really matters- vaping saves lives and the vaping communities exist to help fellow vapers keep the hobby.

This thread reminds me of that. You guys are excellent, advanced vapers and mixers. Your debate has high merit and has been enjoyable to read. But this new guy who wants to build a stash is probably wandering around on his own 20 yard line while you advance towards your goal line. Hopefully the first half of the thread helped him enough, 'cuz you guys took a dive down near the Marianas Trench in this one! :wink:

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I really hate you think that, @anon70102222… I would rather enlighten, and show the way… that is only if you try… if you don’t… it isnt the 20 yrd line the newbie is on… its more like the side lines with out cheer gear :wink:

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What I think is that your debate is very interesting but a bit out of scope for the OP. Flavor bending and the like is far from a beginner’s topic. But I digress, lest it shall begin the debate anew.

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not much to debate, @anon70102222… we all do things different, taste things different, and if we did not… the world would just be flat out boring.

What I like seeing is how others do it… (agreed up above) their experiences, compared to mine… I think we all can agree, mixing should be fun… and if “starting the debate that is not a debate back up” is that annoying… well all that is in the eye of the beholder :wink:

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What was this thread about again? :crazy_face::rofl::laughing:

I think the OP has already abandoned this thread, I wish he comes back and asks specific questions so we can help a little better.

@anon84779643 we all luv ya and your love and knowledge of Flavorah is vast. With that said you are definitely in the minority, don’t know of anyone else who only uses Flavorah. I do enjoy Flavorah, have over 100 of there flavors. I do have some that I will never use though and at $5.49 or more a shot that is an expensive try. I can buy sample sizes of other brands for half that price or more and if I don’t like them not as much of a loss. The one shipping bill does not carry much water for most of us here as it is usually easy to reach the Free shipping option at most vendors.

I personally wouldn’t suggest a all Flavorah order for beginners. As you mentioned Smoky 1 drop can change the recipe, that is best served with intermediate to advanced users. Milk & Honey, Cream, Vanilla Pudding and a few more are definitely newbie friendly, not as potent so more forgiving.

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Not annoying. Just looking at the thread from a new mixer’s perspective. Some deep water stuff for a shallow water question. I’m not arguing with you. I said it was a good read because I really enjoy hearing everyone’s thoughts about mixing, as the collective knowledge out there is fantastic.

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how can I say… in order to gain experience… yes asking questions and doing a ton of reading while mixing up simple things, does help… but lets do it this way… how did you learn to mix, @anon70102222… I bet it was different to my experiences too…

2009 - There wasn’t much in reading… and 2012 I found everyone had my recipes on their sales sites too, without asking for the majority of the time… nowdays… its everywhere… :slight_smile: <my experiences… I had to learn myself to test out my flavors, to put flavors together and where… all by myself… talk on scary when I got my first nic bottle… but now days… and the info shared… it’s like a walking library… :slight_smile: btw… there was only one forum, ecf and one fb group at that time… not many to just go post a question or make mix friends… but now look at us all :slight_smile:

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Eh, what the hell. Thread’s already entrenched in a rabbit hole which the sun can’t penetrate anyway.

I learned to mix through trial and error, asking questions, and making more mistakes than successes. Bought too much before I realized I knew too little. There were decent resources available 4 years ago that I failed to take advantage of. There are many more today.

I feel I have the capability to build solid recipes, and know I have the ability to correctly to mix correctly. But I did not get all that knowledge from reading one all-inclusive thread, regardless of how well intentioned it was. Glossed over a lot of stuff when it became clear I wasn’t the intended audience anymore Why do you ask, anyway?

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again… just curious… :slight_smile:

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Thanks a lot @anon70102222.

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@anon70102222 I’m sure the OP is

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