NET Production ~ Worth the Work and Effort?

E-liquids NET Creations and Reviews
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You’re heading down the right path with the Black Mile or Plus version. I never did the Plus version; reviewers say it has more of a vanilla note, than the non-Plus version). However, I did use the FE Black Mile a bunch, due to the chocolate/caramel notes. I usually added it to some other tobacco for flavor comfort. I did figure out, what ever name the many vendors slapped on it, it probably all came from one flavor vendor (China?), since they all tasted the same to me; a good flavor and outcome, nonetheless.

Side note:

The INW Black for Pipe, (most all of their "for Pipe) flavor was darned good. I used it a bunch; sparingly, in the recipe, or it could take over in a heartbeat.

I’m discovering now, many vendor changes have been made since the last time I bought DIY flavors. Like, some of my vendor links to certain flavors are now dead/404!

Now, I’m just offered the choice of buying the domain name?!? No thanks.

But… these links might be what you need to make the Cavendish happen. (?)

Cavendish Tobacco by Flavorika

Or

Stixx (aka: Ty):

Genesis post:

So, in 2015, Ty (most likely) got his start, right here on ELR; feeling super confident about that. He gleaned much info from the ELR forum (lots and lots of DM’s to boot) and other suggested forums, to start his business… then… poof… gone.

Thus, you too, can create the same NET which you purchase from Ty. Again, anything which he sells on his site, you can make yourself; flavored or not. Might it require a little bit of experimentation, trial and error, stab in the dark, etc.? Yup!

I dare say, you could, with time, produce NET which tastes better than Ty’s. Why? Because you have full control over what tobacco or flavoring is used in the end product.

I wasn’t ever a fan of that flavor; too, campfire/burnt tasting for me. Any Latakia flavor was a disappointment as well. I discovered DNB (INW-Dirty Neutral Base) and never looked back. It lended that “ash” component which I desired.

NET - Bagged or Tinned tobacco?

My feelings are the same as Russ Ouellette’s; gander at his opinion in the countdown in this article:

  1. Tinned tobacco is better than bulk.

Common Misconceptions About Pipe Tobacco | PipesMagazine.com

I’ve done lots of macerations with both, bulk and tinned (and single leaf varietals). On both counts, some were spectacular… some were for the trash heap. It all depends on the quality of the tobacco and the manufacturer/blender of the product.

However, over time, the flavors of the blended tobaccos in tin form, can “marry” into something spectacular! The aging process, with respect to tinned or “cellared” tobaccos, can be an amazing thing. I’ve experienced this phenomenon doing side by side openings and macerations of “fresh tinned”, as opposed to, “aged tinned/cellared” tobaccos. They are horses of different colors all together. The same process/phenomenon happens with other things which are aged… wine, cheese, etc. Some things are more spectacular right after the processing and some things just need to age for that total flavor enjoyment. It’s all in the R&D.

That’s the fun part!

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I know I’ve read that thread in the past but never made the connection to Ty being the creator of Stixx Mixx. That’s the amazing thing about DIY there’s always something new to learn. I don’t think I’m ready to take that plunge into making my own NET flavors yet, but the info is helpful.

I completely agree all of INW classic pipe flavors are amazing, though sometimes hard to find. I just ordered a new bottle of Black, Dark, Vanilla and Black Cherry for pipe and I may have to go to INW new site for some of the others Red, Gold and Captain Jack.

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Topping with PG is a technique I’ve heard of before but I have a question. What does it take to strain it so I’m not re-wicking dirty coils every 8 hours?

Edit: My INW Cavendish and Cav, Garuda Absolutes are pretty old by now. What’s your estimate on their shelf life?

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I regret to tell you, there’s no amount of filtering which will keep your coils from gunking with daily NET use. One must face that fact and move forward with the enjoyment of the flavor one gets with using NET.

For years now, I only filter down to roughly 20 microns; basically, the filters which come with the aeropress. I filter the extract twice using those filters. I tried filtering down to 1 micron, discovering, in my opinion, I was filtering to the point of degrading the awesome flavor of the tobacco. My NET tastes much better not going to an extreme filtering stage.

Now… do I see “sludge” at the bottom of my extract jars? No, I do not.

Do I need to rewick after roughly 6ml of juice vaped. Yes, I do.

Over the years, this action has just become a standard thing with which I must contend, should I want that wonderful tobacco flavor.

In my opinion, 3 years is the limit. That’s even with storing them in a refrigerated environment. I don’t store my PG NET extractions in the fridge, yet at year 3, down the drain they go. It’s VERY inexpensive to produce NET, so I don’t feel bad about the dumping the old stuff.

PG macerations is all I do. I’ve tried other solvents, however, PG is my go-to when doing macerations/extracts.

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Thanks for the info. I’m not a stranger to frequent re-wicking so I think it would be worth having a tank of my own NET if I wanted.

Is there a thread here with the specifics of making a NET? In particular the maceration process. Thx

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This one below has some good info as well:

I think this was the original thread for DIY macerations of lots of stuff. 558 some odd posts… goes fairly long, I’d say.

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Thank you, kind sir :smiling_face: Now the hunt is on for a good Burley. Boston has some good tobacconist shops if I can’t find it online. When I was buying NET I liked his (Clay from N-E-T) natural Cavendish and Flue Cured Red Virginia. Wish me luck!

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@Kinnikinnick On my search for Solani I found a B&M that ships but says it will not ship or sell any flavored tobacco and cigars within MA because of MA flavor ban. That must really put a dent in their business. Then they direct you to forward all complaints to our governor, at that time, Charlie Baker. But it does carry this. Out of stock, of course!
Solani "Aged Burley Flake" 50g Tin

The other shop I thought of immediately was this one which has been around since antiquity. They don’t carry Solani but what do you think about their product? What online vendors do you recommend?

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@muth

If you’re located in MA, good luck getting tobacco shipped there; you’ll need to go with a third party/friend to get the online/out of state tobacco you want. But, this is a good place to start looking for “your type” of tobacco. It’s a great source of info for research and reviews:

https://www.tobaccoreviews.com/

I would highly suggest paying attention to the reviews of tobacco by User: JimInks. He’s been doing it for years and is a very straight shooter. NO long diatribes about anything other than the tobacco.

Now remember, a pipe smokers description/review about tobacco must be taken with a pinch of salt. These guys are setting fire to the tobacco, inhaling it, and tasting the way on fire/burned tobacco tastes. Don’t take all of their words to heart.

Another note… and this one is important… some tobaccos are “cased” with flavoring. Stay clear of those. Look for tobaccos which are “Non-Aromatics”. Your outcome for true tobacco flavor will be infinitely better; nothing in the (flavor) way, between the tobacco, your tastebuds, or olfactory senses.

In other words, a tobacco which touts it has a whiskey, bourbon, Irish mist, coffee, cherry, etc. flavor which goes along with the tobacco flavor, should be avoided at all cost! These are manufacturers/vendors buying/taking crappy tobacco stock and casing it with flavor to hide the fact it’s crappy tobacco. They have to sell that crappy tobacco somehow. You DON’T need to be that buyer!

If you want a particular flavor in the NET… put it in there yourself, with the hundreds of bottles of flavors in your DIY flavor collection.

I’m not being snide when I say this @muth , but I only know the outcome of the tobaccos which I have macerated/extracted. It’s all trial and error. If something sounds good to you, buy it and give it a go. I did that exact thing many, many times and some tobacco blends failed me and were a great disappointment… some were stellar. It’s kinda like going to Las Vegas, if you know what I mean. You can’t “count tobacco” like you can “count cards”… it’s all a gamble with tobacco choices. But, sticking with the old guard blenders/manufacturers can have its benefits. Their stuff stays “out of stock” for a reason; it’s good stuff.

If you see something online you want, I’ll be happy to be your “Mule”. Send it to me and in turn, I will ship it to you. You cover all ship costs, of course.

P.S. Get yourself an Aeropress coffee maker. It makes filtering your maceration a breeze! Plus, most low micron filters fit the Aeropress filter cap; some trimming may be required.

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Thx for all that. I’ve already determined that buying a flavored tobacco is out of the question. Idk what they use to flavor it and I don’t need any extra stuff to gunk my coils. I was thinking what you said, use my own flavors if I want.

I think I remember reading Jiminks reviews in the past. Sounds familiar.

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@Kinnikinnick looks like I can’t buy any flavored tobacco which is fine with me but MA has a high tobacco excise tax.

Massachusetts’ tobacco excise taxes vary by product type and are as follows:

  • Cigarettes: $3.51 per pack of 20 cigarettes
  • Cigars and smoking tobacco: 40% of the wholesale price
  • Smokeless tobacco: 210% of the wholesale price
  • Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS): 75% of the wholesale price

Vendors are responsible for paying the excise tax, but the cost is passed on to the consumer in the retail price.

I might do better ordering online. Depends on who I order from. That’s been my experience with eJuice vendors.

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I typically order from Smoking Pipes.

https://www.smokingpipes.com/

Here’s a typical order of mine:

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Their ship costs are fairly reasonable.

I also order from:

https://cupojoes.com/

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Also:

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I was just perusing reviews from your link. This is definitely the place that I remember. Jiminks latest review on Solani ABF has been down rated from 4 stars to 3 from 2013 to 2022. The blend has changed a bit. You ain’t kidding this is going to be a lot of trial and error to find my favorites. I used to smoke a ladies pipe many years ago (much to the chagrin of my dentist, ha!)

I’ve got an Aeropress in my shopping list and I wanted to ask you about the SS filters. Are they worth it?

Thx for the sample order. I’m hoping to find 2 or 3 to start with.

Edit: When I place an order with my card will I be charged with MA excise tax even though I’m sending the order to you? Also, sometimes when ordering it says that billing address must match the mailing address. I hope I can find a work around if that happens. I’ll let you know when that time comes. Thx for the help.

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I noticed that one of your choices has a whiskey flavor to it. Doesn’t that contradict what you told me?

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I never went with an Aeropress SS filter. I figured it would let too much sediment through to the final filter.

When I first filter the maceration (leaf in PG), I use a SS ricer to separate the leaf from the PG.

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Then, I just use the Aeropress filters with the Aeropress to filter the extract; run it through twice.

Indeed, it does. However, I am a sucker for great descriptions/reviews from users of the tobacco. The dark fire leaf, fig, raisin, dark fruit, etc. remarks pulled me into buying the GLP SixPence. I’ve extracted several GL Pease tobaccos, none of which were a disappointment. Thus, I let the casing on the Sixpence slide. The small amount of whiskey/rum casing they’ve added, does not come through to the final flavor.

Once you start extracting particular manufacturers/blenders tobaccos, you get a feel for whether or not you can trust them to not screw up the tobacco or use crappy tobacco and hide it with casings. GL Pease is a straight shooter.

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Looks like I’ll be adding a ricer to my cart. Thanks for the information on all of the above. I have to admit, perusing all the tobaccos and their descriptions is just as exciting as looking at flavors. It’s even more intensive though because I have to learn about cuts and blends.

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This pasta maker might be easier on your hand and wrist for the first portion of extraction; separating the leaf from the PG. The ricer works, but can be a little stressful on the joints.

…all part of the fun and brain exercise!

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Here are a couple of links you might find helpful:

https://www.tobacconistuniversity.org/curriculum_tobacco_college_pipe.php

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Plus, if you’re really interested in a stand alone, unadulterated Burley… these links below delve into Semois; a very sought after burley, by the burley aficionado.

(If you can’t get to this article due to a pay wall, I can copy and paste the article in another stand alone post)

https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/semois-tobacco-old-world-tobacco?utm_source=Smokingpipes.com&utm_campaign=18da027ae6-SUN_OCT_20_2024_DAILY-READER-DIGEST&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-f341343711-[LIST_EMAIL_ID]&mc_cid=18da027ae6

https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipe-tobacco/Tabac-Manil/

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