I didn’t link them because they’re all over the forum already. Here they are:
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Thanks my man, Oh ya, my bad. I tried watching but couldn’t make it through to the end. I’m sorry. I’m pretty sure you linked this for me in the past. LOL, My memory is shot but I do remember trying to watch it before.
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So these video’s lay out what smoky said up top? I guess I’m the lazy one and I’m not sorry.
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Smoky is probably a bit more meticulous with her lab experience but it’s basically the same thing yes, minus the steeping process but anyone with a bit of interest in DIY mixing can figure that out.
If you see a couple flavors tested, you probably don’t need to see every single one of them. The technique is the same and instead of watching someone else mixing, you better spend that time with your own flavors.
I thought it was interesting though. Before, I just looked at average uses, did 1 test and that was it. It doesn’t really show you the full potential of a concentrate though and it will likely take you a lot more time to dig up other people’s notes which may confuse you even more.
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I have a hard time reading the notes. Most of them are from somebody on Reddit and whoever it is thinks they are gods gift to tasting. They come up with some off the wall sh*t. In order to find some sincere notes, you have to dig through a LOT of minutiae.
What Smoky does is good for her but it’s way to much work for what I want in my life. Though now that I am doing some SFT in my video’s I have been contemplating a different way than what I do. I start at 3% (considering 2%) and add PG and VG accordingly. Sometimes if the flavor is too strong I will mix a new batch starting at .25 then .50 then 1.00. I’m not sure if the way she teaches will work for me and to be frank, I’m not sure I want to put all that work into it. To be honest I could care less if anybody thinks my way is the lazy way and won’t mix one of my recipes. I don’t do it for them. I mix my recipes for my own taste buds and occasionally for a friend. Most people that taste my stuff like it better than the over-sweetened tripe they are used to anyway.
I did a batch “my” way and they are all way too strong and I’m running out of VG so I couldn’t do it the way I normally do which I realize is somewhat wasteful. So I adapted @anon84779643 way of doing it by Doing 3 tests of one flavor. One at .5 one at 1.00 and one at 2.00 but do I do that with all of my flavors or do I take the time and weigh each drop of each manufacturer and have a notebook for each manufacturer? I’m not sure yet but I tried that when I first started mixing and it was to much to keep up with. It just doesn’t interest me enough to put that much work into it. Oh well, who knows what I will do next.
I do know that I know a highly respected mixer that hardly ever does a SFT and his recipes are top-notch. He is a chef so maybe he has a highly developed taster?
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I don’t understand what everybody’s going on about “all that work”. That’s why I posted these videos several times already, so people can see it’s not that much work.
Smoky has her way of doing things and that works for her, it’s all fine. Most people work with weight instead and that’s not even a problem either using this method. I’m using a €15 100g x 0.001g scale and every drop I put in a bottle registers so it’s really easy to work out a %. You don’t need different notes per manufacturer and when you’ve worked with a certain manufacturer for a while, you know whether to increase with 1 drop, 5 or 10 when you want to step up to the next level. Having it converted straight to %, it doesn’t matter what kind of bottle you’re using then when you’re mixing a recipe or reorder and you get a different bottle.
Nobody ever claimed that you won’t be able to mix if you don’t do solos. Consider it being a tool in your toolbox, additional knowledge. If you’re missing it, you can probably still get the job done but have the right tools for each job will make your life easier. Extra tools also cost time, they need to be taken care of, maintained, cleaned to keep functioning. Same with solos, spend a little time on them and depending on whether you create your own recipes or just slightly adapt other people’s recipes, it will benefit you more or less but in both cases you can work either with or without.
I prefer the extra knowledge, I think it’s hugely beneficial and that’s why I tell people at least give it a decent try and find out for yourself. I’m also not implying you have to start testing the moment you get your concentrates… but you see people here sometimes with questions and they keep buying different brands and extra flavors and additives and what else to get something out of a flavor. It’s so simply to just explore those flavors you have questions about but when the reaction is always “not everyone has to do it your way” … i just 
In the end it’s up to everyone to find their own ways but when it defies all logic you can sometimes feel the temperature rise 
Different people, different tastes, so if the notes don’t work out for you, test for yourself.
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@anon28032772 SF testing IS a whole lotta work. I only do one % (for the most part), and after a set steep time. Doing even more %'s, and/or over extended steep times, would even increase that workload.
SF testing, DOES take time, and a commitment.
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@SessionDrummer Sweet, I got it bookmarked and I do believe I will take advantage of it. Thank you and thank you @Mikser for putting it together and I do believe he maintains it too which is pretty darn awesome. I hope you don’t mind @SessionDrummer but I would like to leave a link to those notes in the comment sections of my videos.
@anon28032772 I can see you are passionate about it but for me, it is a lot of work. I think I burned out a lot of brain cells because I truly have a pretty bad memory. Especially if it is something I think “takes up space in my brain better used for something more important” Like my name… 
What I mean is; It will take a lot of “work” for me to learn something new. It might be easy for you but for me, not so much. I have a lot to do in a day and trying to learn a new thing puts me in a… I don’t know the word. Makes me anxious?
I’m not sure if I explained my self very well. I’m in a lot of pain today and I feel like I’m jsdddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd
I’m also falling asleep. I left that typo up top so you could see what i’m dealing with at the moment.
Much love and respect for y’all
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OMG!! That was so funny. I can’t stop laughing. 
One more thing before I go get some sleep. I have a sleep study today and I am looking forward to it. Maybe I can get fixed…
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See @anon28032772 THIS is EXACTLY what I was talking about when talking to @anon84779643 on her thread. You guys ARE missing the point here. It’s not that SF testing is rocket science, it’s that it DOES take a lot of time. Testing NUMEROUS different percentages, AND, testing over different steeping times makes it even worse. This is what I was TRYING TO convey to her, and I think you. You guys are NOT looking at this from a newer (Dan’s not new new, but you know what I mean, new to the testing) mixer’s standpoint.
I made the point that SF testing IS important, but WHEN was my argument. If you guys (whomever you guys is/are) push too hard on the explicit need for SFT, or, push too hard that it needs to be done using drops, or multiple strengths, over multiple steeping times, you are going to PUSH people away from it. It’s far too deep in the weeds for many mixers, who just don’t have the TIME, or the DESIRE.
LOL, see here we go again. This keeps being said, but we keep having to bring it up. Why is this ?? Because the SFT thing and/or methods is almost now being pushed on people, as a MUST DO, or must do LIKE THIS. It’s ripe for failure.
Great points @anon28032772, but look what you just typed. “I”, and “I”. YOU feel, YOU prefer.
We AGAIN, have to bring THIS up AGAIN. Enough already. We have to stop playing BOTH sides of the coin here. We can’t kep saying “Do it YOUR way”, when we continually drive and/or push people to do it a DIFFERENT way, speaking out of both sides of our mouths.
Again, what does THIS ^^^^ actually mean ?? Why was that posted here ?? Defies logic to WHO ??
And then there’s THIS LITTLE CHESTNUT, again, and again, and again. This statement carries NO WEIGHT anymore, because of the aforementioned statements.
Suom, you know I SF test. Everyone does, because I post them all here. I’m IN for the SFT. But it PAINS me to see these EXACT same things posted over, and over again.
If you (or anyone else) is trying to make a persuasive argument, then so be it, but when it keeps happening over, and over, and over, it goes BEYOND that, to where it’s trying to force people to see it YOUR way, or do things YOUR way, or what makes sense to YOU.
That’s NOT how this works. And everyone reading this, remember, this is coming FROM the Single Flavor Test Guy.
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I’m not arguing, promise. All I wanted to say about this is that I think SFT is important, but I never said it’s absolutely mandatory or there is a specific methodology and process that MUST be followed (like you said, testing at many % levels, many different steep times, etc). All I said, and all I mean, is it’s important to know each flavor profile so you can predict more closely how they will interact with each other in a recipe. What one wants to do is one’s own choice and that’s A-OK.
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I’m so sorry I mention SFT in the solo taste testing thread when I was ASKED something.
If everybody here thinks DIY is so much work, why even bother. Get your commercial liquids or your one shots if you want to save money.
What’s missing here is a big middle finger emoji.
I seriously understand why Smoky has left the building.
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I could not agree more @anon70102222. I just keep seeing the subtle (and not so subtle) repeated attempts to sway people, despite also repeatedly saying “But, you should do it YOUR way”.
If I saw no value in it, I wouldn’t do it, and I do a LOT of it.
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First… I work in a lab. Sometimes part time, sometimes full time.
I have learned a lot in over 6 yrs employed.
No I do not mix like most here.
Yes I mix flavorings correctly. [I would not have a job if I did not put my work in]
This is how [I] work with flavors that are highly concentrated.
I also work with compounds that are even higher in concentration than MF and FLV, so yes my method works.
It also works for other flavor manufactures.
I do not care if you do not have the time to do it, too busy too much work or not.
You all do what you feel you need to. I thought it would be nice to put a copy of my tutorial from my site here for those that are interested. Not for a few to bicker over.
This is my way of showing some skills I have learned. Take it use it or forget about it.
I really do not care at this point if you take showers in flavors… Seriously…
If you do not think outside the bottle, how in the hell can you ever improve your mixes?
Honestly I do not care… I get paid for what I do. I am rather proud of that, sorry this is too much work for anyone else. Sorry you don’t understand flavor changes, or if you push a flavor it can morph mute and other fun things… perhaps you just need to copy someone else’s well written notes…
My work load has picked up, and I do not have the time for the bickering. You all can bicker with each other. Rather stupid for adults to behave like this… but eh…
Have fun, do it your way… cuz I wouldn’t want you to discover how easy and cool it is to really understand what you are working with.
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I like pie 
and single slice taste testing pie! Fork, spoon, or by hand… it doesn’t matter.
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Dude you @'ed me making me come to this forbidden land … oh yeah @Dan_the_Man I set up my Alexa to monitor you while you recover ROFLMAO
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Thank you very much @Dan_the_Man. All cards on the table, doing SFTs yourself is ALWAYS the best way, BUT, if in lieu of that, if my notes can help you, or anyone else, then the more the merrier. I’d be honored to have linkage in your YT videos.
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