Since some flavors tend to change over time, I like to see what they do. Obviously in a mix they’ll change and meld differently so it’s not 100% perfect. Nothing shows a flavors true colors like experimenting. But, finding out what the basic flavor and % is is a good way to get an idea of how to use it in a mix. I don’t change cotton between batches, I just try to move between batches in a logical order so that the next one up is at least somewhat similar to the one before. I also use hemp in my dripper and it clears old flavors really quickly. Usually 10-15 drops of a batch in a magma is enough to clear out the old and get a good idea of what the new tastes like.
Then when you see the recipes you can make hit the ratings button to see the tried and tested
I tend to do the same as JoJo. At the end of steep I will take whats remaining and mix with a light flavor (stone or other) to see if it mutes ,stands out, improves, etc…By the time I’m ready to mix with it, I pretty much know what I want from it. Mixing gives you a clue about the strength of the flavor.