I’ve dabbled around with DIY juice on my own for a while and I recently found this site and figured I’d use some recipes the community has rated highly. I understand flavor profiles vary from vendor to vendor so a recipe that calls for TPA Bavarian Cream would probably taste different than if I used FW Bavarian Cream, so I’ll be ordering some additional flavors to add to my collection.
I’ve been putting together a shopping list and I’ve got sucralose from TPA and FW on it and I may end up with more as I finish looking through recipes. Is there really that much difference between sucralose from the different manufacturers? I’m good with having multiple Strawberry flavors to make what I want, but would I be safe getting just one bottle of sweetener and using it for any recipes that call for sucralose?
I’d say you should have EM (tpa cotton candy) and sucralose (CAP super sweet) at least, and if you don’t want to invest in the whole range of sweeteners.
TPA Sweetener is pure sucralose (mixed in PG and water), while Super Sweet from CAP adds some citrix acids and stuff. CAP is a lot more potent, so you won’t need as much (it’ll last you longer), but it also has the added benefit that the acids can boost some flavors and really give you “sugar lips” if that’s what you want. I haven’t been able to achieve that result with regular TPA Sweetener.
When you mature as a mixer, you’ll probably want to get some sweetener as well, and perhaps try some other sweeteners like stevia.
Most often I will mix a recipe without sweetener, even if it asks for it, to see what it’s like. Sometimes recipes really don’t need any added sweetener, and sometimes they do even when the recipe doesn’t call for it. Any sucralose (sweetener or super sweet) can easily be added later and doesn’t require a long steeping process again.
EM on the other hand does have a play with the other ingredients and will affect steeping time much more. EM then doesn’t gunk up your coils like sucralose does.
I appreciate the quick reply - have a feeling this is going to quickly become my favorite site. When I place my first order, I thought it would make sense to just stick with one manufacturer so I’ve already got TPA Cotton Candy and their Sucralose on hand. I’ve used CC in a few thinks I’ve made, but I haven’t really done much with the sucralose yet. I’ve got my eye on making some Bust-A-Nut and was hoping I could order one less thing and still come up with something tasty. Thanks for your insights!
nah, don’t do that.
when you order flavors, do some research and pick out the best ones, don’t go by brand
every brand has good and bad flavors and there are plenty notes on most of them (check out the flavor threads in the ELR forum).
Also, as a beginner, I’d advise to pick out recipes and just order those flavors. Your stash will grow over time, by then you’ll know what your flavors taste like and you’ll be able to make your own recipes or adjust existing recipes so you like them even better.
Personally, I don’t like TPA very much (although they have some really good flavors) because they’re too diluted for me, you need about double the quantity of FA or RF. So even if your little TPA bottle might be cheaper to buy, they’re more expensive to use.
You won’t be able to mix a lot of recipes without TPA, but really, have a look at other brands as well. Researching your flavors before you buy is half the fun
That was actually a typo - should have been “when I placed my first order”. I just started out blind without doing any real research but I decided it was time to get a little more serious about making my own juice and found this site. I quickly realized the error of my ways when I first started out…
Ah no worries and no harm done. In the beginning it’s all a lot of information and it can be overwhelming. You’ll learn soon enough by trying stuff, reading, watching videos, talking to people. The DIY community is very helpful and there’s a lot of information out there to get you on your way.
