hello friends, lately i became very frustrated with mixes that include TPA cream flavors, especially the DX ones. when they steep for long, 6 or 8 weeks, they would mostly become harsh and spicy. sometime a mix is not vapeable, and in less sever cases, it’s too muted - the fruit notes are gone, and it’s super spicy… it took me a while to find the common denominators in these mixes, DX BC, or DX SC, or VC or VBIC … all TPA. issue usually happens if any of these is above 2%, sometimes less. (edit: no issues with the TPA fruit flavors, although some of them are just hard to use)
so now, when i open a steeped bottle with one of these flavors, i know that i will spend time then tweaking and fixing (I now have few tricks that help me deal with the spiciness and harshness… thanks mostly to ELR and to you folks). but… it’s still frustrating
i have a lot of TPA cream flavors in my stash i don’t want to throw away, and i don’t find the same issue using CAP or FW creams. is this some kind of a sensitivity to a component of these flavors that TPA uses (BA or something)? should i move completely to CAP (also read some good feedback on FA creams and custards)
wondering about others’ experiences? are there others who have the same issue with these flavors? what do you guys advice ? move completely to other vendors and stop using them? appreciate help
The few dx creams i tryed from tpa just lacked depth and body imo, No diketones etc so although they are cleaner they need help along the way… never had a spicy note but i agree they can be a little harsh after a steep. If you persist in still using them try mixing them with another cream and see what happens. From my limited knowledge i find FA cream fresh a fantastic neutral cream for adding other things to it… tpa dx sweet cream for example. Good luck.
i dont use DX creams or caps V2 , but the tpa VBIC and their VC have a pepper note that i could taste , i have to use the VBIC at a low percentage and i dont use the VC at all , i like FW sweet cream and bavarian cream , and Caps VCV1
@TheFlavorSeeker I use a ton of TPA cremes and have never had any spicy/harsh issues. I dabbled (still on the shelf) with some DX’s but as others have mentioned, the lack of delicious-ness (dik’s baby) caused me to stop. One of my fav’s is very heavy on the cremes and vc (almost 26% WOAH), and still have had no issues, and most are above 2%. Understanding everyone’s tastes are different, and because I use soo much TPA including some DX and have not had that result, I’m starting to lean towards your NIC maybe ??
I’m re-reading your post, and it seems you’re having the issues MOSTLY with the DX, and not so much on the regular ones ?? Maybe someone else can chime in, but I can’t say I’ve had the issue on my end, but my gut is still leaning towards NIC oxidation maybe.
I can add this. For some reason I have an issue with an additive that CAP uses and I think it’s most common in their vanilla flavors, including VC which sucks, because I love VC. It’s an off taste for me, and almost everything CAP Vanilla based, I get it. It sucks, as I have a pile of CAP’s that I cannot use because of it. I’ve asked around, and only a few share the same view. Maybe your case is the same for you, but with TPA ??
haven’t tried that one - i’ll try and see if it fixes the spiciness… thanks![quote=“fidalgo_vapes, post:3, topic:139353”]
i like FW sweet cream and bavarian cream
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i also heard good things about FW creams … and FA’s - they’re in my shopping list.
@SessionDrummer, it’s definitely not the nic. all other mixes without these flavors are fine. yeah, if you have an issue with something specific to CAP VC, i guess mine is a similar one.
here’s a mix i’m vaping now, and it’s like “burned pepper” - ratios are all “reasonable” and hence my frustration…
(all TPA flavors)
Cheesecake GC 1%
DX SC 2%
VBIC 2%
VC 5%
total 10% flavor… nothing big there… i had Custard mixes with CAP VC1 up to 10% with no issues - in another mix i have some TPA Marshmallow - also ruined… the SC is the worst, and i tried a flavor drop test, it’s like battery acid to me
thing is, if i vape this TPA VC mix up to few days after mixing, it’s OK’ish - but when these flavors steep for few weeks, it’s like vaping an old newspaper … i thought i can’t be the only one with this issue
seriously thinking of upgrading the cream section of my stash to FA… i already have the FA Marshmallow and Meringue in next order - got the Cream Fresh already. may get some FW too … TPA definitely has some wonderful fruits, but for me, their creams may not like me that much [ may be chemistry - bun definitely intended ]
This is a well known problem with some of TFA’s creams–in particular TFA Van Custard and TFA Van Bean IC. Some people taste black pepper from a component in these flavors. Some think it’s the cyclotene. Van Swirl, Van Bean Gelato, Bavarian Cream (DX and regular), Brown Sugar (not in the DX), Caramel (DX and regular), French Vanilla Creme, Malted Milk, Molasses, Tiramisu, Graham Cracker Crust, Dulce de Lech, and DX Butterscotch also have cyclotene in it. I haven’t heard many complaints about some of these, so idk if that’s it or not. Whatever it is there are many people who get the peppery taste, so perhaps you are sensitive to something in some of TFA’s creams, whatever it is.
That said, I’m glad I don’t get any pepper from TFA VBIC, because it tastes great to me.
Yeah, sounds like it’d be best to start looking for substitutes. You can check the components of TFA’s flavors here. Click on “List” next to each flavor and it’ll show you the components in the flavor. Maybe try avoiding those flavors with cyclotene in it. Like I said, idk if that’s the component that’s the culprit–just going by what some people are hypothesize and that seems to be one of the components that’s common in each of these flavors, but might be worth trying to avoid to see if that’s it.
I’ve heard that LB makes a good ice cream. Many say it’s the best there is, I have yet to try it but I will one of these days. There’s also CAP, which I’ve tried and is an okay sub, but it’s not nearly as thick and buttery so it needs some help to get close to replicate TFA’s. Lots of VC subs: CAP VC (v1 of course, if it doesn’t have diketones in the trash it goes) is the best, FA Custard and RF VC are also decent subs but they’re all different in particular ways depending on what you’re looking. I’ve heard FW makes a decent Bav Cream, but I’ve never used it and use TFA myself. As for Sweet Cream, I’ve only used CAP and it works.
i took a quick look across some of the flavors that cause this with me - i wonder if it could be the vannilin as it’s the only common element - some don’t have cyclotene.
honestly never thought to research this but thanks … now wouldn’t CAP V1 also have vanillin in it ? and other (vanilla) creams from other vendor ? couldn’t get the breakdown of CAP VC1 to check… maybe this is specific to the vanillin that TPA uses? in all cases, there’s something wrong -for me - with these flavors and that’s good enough to know.
on another note, thanks for the sub suggestions, pls keep them coming. i have LB VIC and it’s wonderful. got CAP VC1 and VC2. actually having tried other vendors’ creams is what got me to realize i have an issue with TPA’s
I tried viewing your flavor stash, but it’s not shared, so I viewed your shared recipes. I noticed that your most commonly used vendor is TPA and you’re now starting to see what a lot mixers go through. Cut your TPA cord and a whole different vape experience will open up to you. You really could benefit from investing into some of the premium flavors.
FA Creams are really some of the best creams out there, but a little research is required to define what suits you best.
i just tried that “fix” and it seems to work. you’re a genius!
added 10% of bottle size VG/PG mix to dilute slighlty, added 1% FA Cream Fresh and threw in 1.5% ripe banana … tastes better now (though less Vanilla Custard’y) - but the burnt newspaper taste is gone
IDK, but I haven’t heard a single report of CAP’s VC having a peppery taste while with TFA it’s fairly common.
I’ve only been able to find CAP’s MSDS sheet, which tells us about toxicity, flashpoint, boiling points, etc. I haven’t found an ingredients list. I don’t think many companies other than TFA that post ingredients lists. There might be others that do, but idk.
Getting there my friend. slowly but surely … i have 95 flavors (120+ bottles) so trying to balance between the curiosity & variety vs the challenge of managing the stash (and not to take over the kitchen, makes wifie unhappy) - admittedly TPA was one of he first flavors i accumulated, then expanding
I’m also one of the people that get a pepper note from some TPA flavours (it’s seemingly a genetic thing), especially vanilla bean ice cream. Mixing it with other creams only worked for a short time for me and then it returned. As mentioned by @Pro_Vapes, the best thing to do would probably be to cut your losses with them altogether. I did and I wish I had done it sooner.
I think I had close 60% of TPA flavor line (a lot of 120ml bottles) before I cut the cord. At least you caught the symptoms early and you’re correcting the problem. Variety will be your best friend, but research flavor purchases first.
- admittedly TPA was one of he first flavors i accumulated, then expanding