No need to apologise mate, I greatly appreciate your readiness to help. Experience has taught me that when learning a new skill, concentrate on the basics. It may feel slow and a little boring but sound fundamentals will make the rest of the journey much easier, faster and more fun. Switching from smoking to vaping has changed my life and I’m determined to make the best of this.
Following on from what @anon28032772, @Chrispdx and @NChris have said above, I’m going to get flavours from the most highly rated 2 and 3 flavour recipes that I find appealing and try and mix up juice that I can vape on a day to day basis. That should take the immediate pressure off. I’ll create a “fake” stash of the flavours/profiles I like and see what sort of stuff I could possibly make and then use the most common ones in some SFT to try and better relate to what recipes might actually taste like.
Now please excuse me while I tie myself to the chair, or else I’m going to run out of the office and start doing all of this now
Wow! Thank you, I would never have found that myself. Browsing through it now and there’s a couple I’ve already found that fit my intended flavour stash.
I think you’re right about recipes first. By picking recipes I like (2-4 flavours max), I’ve created a flavour list of 11 so far. I’ll finish up with Arnie’s list and place my first order.
If you look at http://www.indianvapers.com/coupons, they have coupons for shops in other Asian countries, so I assume import is no issue either. If you have all of Asia available to purchase flavors, I’m sure you can get pretty much any flavor concentrate most people here have access to.
Some brands you definitely need some flavors to get access to the most recipes are
CAP
TPA
FA
FW
INAWERA
I too found Flavorella and another one called Flavourwala here in India that are exclusively flavours and are indeed carrying multiple brands, so I’m going to review their range properly. The guy in my town who I spoke to only had TPA but these two sites have good feedback on Facebook so things are looking up, yay!
I focussed so much on TPA that I ignored other brands and would like to do a little research. I’ll do so over the next week and place a fresh order for stuff. Since I’ve already compiled a list of recipes and flavours (TPA only) I’m going to kick off with that now. It’s a small inexpensive list (11) and I’m too excited and impatient to wait .
The following can be proportionately strengthened ( would watch out for intense flavors and get to know them before strengthening them) assuming that you are familiar/SFT with all the flavors:
Often times I substitute one blender for another in a mix. If TPA “X” is deemed about equal or higher rating than CAP/etc. “X” and approximately the same strength/%, I will substitute TPA “X” and adjust accordingly.
Admittedly, you really should know something about both flavors ( I will typically look in ELR “notes”/flavor profile to learn more about what others say about the flavor) before I do this.
Thanks @Brotherbob. I’m going to make one shot concentrates and simply add more concentrate to my pre-mixed base than the original calls for so that I end up with 3 versions: original, strong and extra strong. My goal over the next few weeks is to gain some knowledge and hands on experience. Honestly, it’s okay if everything ends up in the bin because knowledge is never wasted. If I do end up with some vapeable juice I’ll have a grin so wide you’ll see it across the oceans
BTW, with regard to the Indian flavour sites, I’ve been told by a couple of experienced DIY’ers here that they buy their flavours in bulk from the USA and re-bottle it into smaller quantities, so you don’t get original factory sealed bottles. I’m not sure how I feel about that but I have yet to hear a bad review so I guess it’s done legit and properly.
Anyway, I’ve placed my first order for a whopping 10 flavours. Yeah I know, I’m a wild and crazy guy
Happy testing I think it’s the easiest way for you to find out what strength you need.
Do keep in mind that very often less is more and you might want to use a supporting flavor to get the most out of another one.
A lot of flavors already contain EM and other enhancers like vanillin in it and the higher the concentration in your mix, the more muting you will get. I remember the other day using a flavor that you’ll see used between 4-8% on average in recipes and when I used it at 2% in one of my recipes, it became a very dominant flavor Stuff like this is what becomes apparent with experimenting at different %'s and not always relying on other people’s notes.
Working with premix base and one-shot-concentrates makes it really easy and fast to thin out of juice or add extra flavor on the go. Just like there are recipes that could do with more flavor, there are plenty of recipes that could do with a little less too.
Most of the vendors do this as well here in the US. That’s why you want to use a reputable vendor. One that is active in the community and one that other diyers trust.
One shots is more than likely going to be your best bet for multiple success’s. Recommend that you keep the watts down and the ohms up 1.4+ and try not to burn the juice. Start low watts and work up. One shots lend themselves to high % mix ratios, I’ve seen 25% and higher on some brands. If too high at vape, you can always add a 5-10% more VG to reduce the intensity/strength (steep a day or two) of over flavoring.
These guys meet both scores. I’ve since learned I need not be concerned. I
feel okay actually. It was unfair to them for me to say that publicly.
Apologies.
No. It’s a valid concern and should be discussed. In the history of diy there have been a few companies suspected of watering down flavors. There are a few times where a vendor didn’t properly break down a concentrate by shaking the mix.
The second can happen and why some prefer to get direct from the source. Just like in ournmixing world being alittle off can mean a lot when it comes to the final result.
No no, no, No need to apologise at all! re-bottling is a totally legit and above -board practice, done with manufacturer’s blesssing…usually! The only trouble is that some vendors keep you guesssing as who’s flavours they’re rebottling
And now, weeeeell, to bang on my usual drum…drumroll…if you hear that any of those vendors are re-bottling Medicine Flower, can you please let us know? There 's a whole bunch of us hungrily watching out for MF rebottled into smaller sizes.
And finally: Welcome to ELR, Vik , I’ve found your posts really entertaining Thanks!
@jay210 cheers. Sorry but I’m not going to be any help with MF flavours but if I do happen to stumble across something I’ll be sure to let you know.
So my flavours arrived yesterday and good thing too. I’d clicked that tracking link so many times it was all faded and full of holes . I’m snowed under with work and won’t be able to mix until Sunday but I did sit down with my new BFF Microsoft Excel and put together a little spreadsheet to help me with mixing by weight. I’m confident I’ve got my numbers correct now, so here’s my Sunday plan. If any of you experienced folks see anything drastically wrong or obviously doomed to failure please let me know.
I’ve shortlisted 7 recipes that use 2-3 flavours
I plan to mix 3 versions of each - original %, strong % and super strong %. As it so happens, most of the recipes are around the 15% mark so I thought 15%, 20% and 25%
I’m going to create one-shot concentrates of each recipe
I’ll fill 21 small bottles with a fixed amount of pre-mixed base (4.8 gms i.e. 4 ml). I felt this would be a quick and simple way to get all my bases lined up and out of the way.
I’ll add differing amounts of concentrate to end with 7 x 3 juices
I’ll then sit around like a d***head for a week while they steep
Six of the chosen recipes are from the top rated list in the Beginner’s guide on this forum. The seventh is a Chai Tea with Cinnamon because here in India owning at least one chai flavoured vape juice is required by law
If I were you, I’d also try a couple with a little less flavoring, if only to see what effect it has. At a certain point, increases in % are not going to give a stronger flavor. If you want more flavor, you’re going to need another supporting flavor. For example if you’re working with strawberries, add different flavors/brands together or add something like a little bit of dragonfruit to round it out.
The DIYorDIE youtube channel has some decent videos on this subject as well, always worth to check them out.
It’s best to just follow the steeping notes (if they’re available). If you’re mixing fruits, you’re most likely good after a night’s rest and with custards or tobaccos I’d wait a little more than a week.
It’s always good to have a dripper nearby when you’re mixing. Just a few drops of liquid can give you a quick taste to see where the steep is at.
Okay, I can and will try a lower percentage for each - my one-shots are more than I need just in case. Thanks for the DIRorDIE tip, I’ll head over.
The way work is right now I may not have a chance to test until the following weekend but good to know I don’t need to wait.
I’ve been wanting a dripper for this very purpose. Can you or anyone suggest a single coil one where I can close down the airflow a fair amount? I know I won’t come anywhere near a proper MTL but even perhaps reduce it to something like the Siren 1?
Some people like the Derringer.
Personally i can recommend Hadaly. Around 10$ on Fasttech and the best single coil rda i have tried yet.
Just a side note,
TPA has a lot of good flavors. But none that i would say are spot on. Don’t get me wrong TPA can get you far.
But limiting yourself to nearly only TPA is… Very limiting…
Depending on how much concentrate you need in your recipe TPA can go and get even more expensive than more concentrated aroma (Like FA) A 10ml bottle of pretty much all FA flavors will last you the rest of your life. While 10ml tpa aroma where you need 10% as a single flavor will only make 100ml. If you have the option i would highly recommend FA or the more ‘expensive’ brands. Premium aroma = Premium eliquid.
Taste difference between brands can be pretty astonishing. Let’s say FA and TPA both have a flavor called Orange Cream Bar (only TPA does) You might need 6-8% TPA to get something reminiscent of a Orange Cream Bar. But still not even very close. Then take the 1-2% FA and be prepared to go looking for your socks.
FA is well-known for highly realistic and mostly very concentrated flavorings. So even if they are a bit more, or double as much as TPA flavorings. They are highly worth the price imo.
Last tip;
Go to E-liquidrecipes.com go to the flavor list. Click the search function button ‘Recipes’ to get the flavors with most recipes on the entire site.
The flavorings you’re interested in with the most recipes and ratings you need.
If you don’t like chocolate irl you most likely won’t need it even if it has 5/5 stars. - Only flavorings you are interested in/need for a recipe you really ‘need’.
But when you click the sorting function ‘Recipes’ it only gives you the flavors with most recipes. The flavors could still be crap. So look at the ratings!!
Follow this order for information on flavorings. E-liquidrecipes.com - Flavorlist - recipes - Ratings - Reviews and comments
Scroll down the list and see which brand’s strawberry has the most recipes and ratings. (The best)
Click ratings after you’ve seen that Strawberry Ripe is the most popular
See in ratings that Strawberry Ripe has 4/5 stars
Click comments to view people’s reviews of this flavoring.
You are now very well informed on Strawberry Ripe.
But this method is more for mixing your own recipes than just following one.
If you just found a recipe you’d like to try on ELR you most likely aren’t gonna sub out flavors.
You would stick to the flavorings used for that recipe.
So when you get into mixing your own recipes remember these steps because that’s how you find notes/ratings flavor% and reviews on flavorings.
But when you don’t really have a flavor stash yet, you should go on ELR look for recipes that sounds good.
Go buy the flavorings
Test the recipes and if you notice you don’t like to vape banana, that’s a great thing to remember next time you’re buying flavors.
Rinse and repeat. After a couple months you will have a very respectable flavor stash. You will know pretty much all your flavorings and what they do. That’s when you go, i need juiciness in this vape i need FA Pear.
When you’re at this point, it get’s easy, and you can really unfold and create unique E-liquid.
I think it’s the easiest way for you to find out what strength you need.
Stuff like this is what becomes apparent with experimenting at different %'s and not always relying on other people’s notes.
Thanks!