Solo Taste Testing

@anon84779643, honestly, I don’t think anyone is bickering over your putting your videos here, or how you’re mixing at all, I really don’t. Every bit of help, tutorials, advice, videos, etc., that help even one mixer, are worth it. Everyone may never be on board with every thing you do, I do, @anon28032772, @Dan_the_Man, @anon70102222 does, but that’s OK. We’re all adults here, and if anyone is that offended because someone doesn’t see things 100% their way, well, that’s going to be a rough life to live, and I don’t think anyone here is that way, for the record.

I think you DO care Smoky, because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t repeatedly tell people, so you do, and that’s great.

You see here Smoky, that is where things start to go condescending. You can’t speak for anyone here. I can’t, no one can. No one can presume to know what I do or do not understand. You just can’t. See, I don’t do passive aggressive, and browbeating doesn’t work on me, as I’m sure you know. Again, respectfully, you can’t presume the above statement about me, or anyone else on ELR. You used the word “need”, in “need to copy someone elses work”. No one NEEDS to copy my notes from flavors. If they CHOOSE to copy my notes, find that my palate and theirs is similar, then they can save some time. Lazy ?? Who’s to judge Smoky, not me or you. Are the notes always going to be better if penned by the mixer, with their own results ?? HELL YES. BUT, hehe, Smoky, that may be a true fact, BUT, that doesn’t DISCOUNT any and all value in my notes that I take and share on flavors, … does it ??

Again, Smoky, girl, why do you have to keep going there. This is NOT a MY way or the HIGHWAY affair here, it’s just NOT, no matter how some may want that to be true. That PRESUMES that I don’t understand what someone’s doing, if they use someone elses notes, and doesn’t SFT ?? Girl, you can’t assume or presume that.

I’m not bickering with anyone. I’m having a discussion with @anon28032772 because apparenly my above post pissed him off. I’m not flaming out on him, bashing him, I’m trying to take the high road, so I don’t need to be lumped into any “bickering” groups. I’ll sort it out with him, because we are adults.

Guys/gals, this My way or the Highway (or you’re just stupid) is NOT going to play out here. I invite anyone to go and look over the dump of notes that I’ve taken on the flavors I’ve tested, and buy some of the flavors themselves, and see what THEY think. Hehe, you think my notes are wack, COOOL, take some down of your own. You like my notes, COOOL, rock on and keep mixing. See how easy that was.

You like it, GREAT, you hate it, or disagree with it GREAT. See how easy that is guys and girls, hehe. It ain’t that hard.

@Dan_the_Man, you don’t feel like deep diving into the SFT pool, GREAT. Maybe my notes help you out, and that’s GREAT TOO. I’m not going to beat you up and down ELR shaming you into doing shit my way, screw that. Do it your way Dan, and screw the haters. That goes for anyone else here. You want to learn, @anon84779643, @anon28032772 and many others are here to help you out. You DON’T want to do it their way, fine too.

See, when I say “Do it whatever way works for you” I mean it. No back bighting bullshit, if it works for you, then rock it. It’s NOT working for you, and you ASK, we got you covered in that regard too.

No bickering, no bullshit, straight from my mouth to your ears.

@anon28032772 if you feel like I was posting directly at you in a negative manner, then that wasn’t the intended message. I quoted your message, because I just saw it, so this in no way was a slam, dig, slight towards you. If that’s how you perceived it (see I just used it again – Intended Message, Perceived Message), then I appologize (what the fuck did he just say) for that. I’m a big boy, and I got bigger things to get upset about. So, this was not an anti-suom tirade, and I want to make that clear.

18 Likes

Fuck @Kinnikinnick, now you’re making want to mix up Michelle’s banana pie recipe allllll over again (yes it’s THAT good).

12 Likes

Yeah I bookmarked it also!

Would not dis-agree with that.

[quote=“anon28032772, post:71, topic:235478”]
Get your commercial liquids or your one shots if you want to save money.
[/quote
Commercial juice is out due to FLAVORBAN, if anyone knows of a good 1shot let me know, cause I haven’t found diddly.

And kudos to those that have the time to SFT’s, not saying I haven’t done some myself, But I work full time and have a FAMILY (and a disabled child I care for), so far the only juice I’ve poured down the drain is Black Licorice (FW) which was a SFT at 4%

Agreed, this is just what those like me that were thrust into DYI due to flavorbans need to see, more information is only a Plus and I applaud all input, (most important is is just getting the juice flowing in my coils for now)

11 Likes

I see your pie, and RAISE you a pie!

Pie

12 Likes

Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck! :joy:

8 Likes

It was good Session and I’m still vaping on it. That one stays in my ADV along with a lot of others. And yeah I feel you on this. I’m going to do things the way I do them no matter what anyone says, and I think other folks should do things the way they want, and all is well and good. I put the I in DIY lol my motto … and I will teach every new person that comes to me the same thing. I personally don’t care who thinks I can mix or can’t. Those that want my help will get it, and those that don’t can move on down the road to find someone else to help them. An Arse for every seat … old saying from my grandaddy. I’ve been mixing since 2015 and it works for me, another saying… “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”.

11 Likes
4 Likes

This is an art, not a science. One of my favorite things about making juice and discovering the flavors is the fact that pallets are so versatile and there is learning curve. I never single flavor tested until I started getting the new flavors from Flavorah. I definitely appreciated the results. But I love working with my fruits and have learned what works when combined! As for creams and bakeries, I’ll need to single flavor test. I have little understanding of how they mesh together.

4 Likes

It is an art… and it’s really up to the mixer… just how deep one wants to get into it.
Some just can not be bothered and wants all the short cuts without putting their own work in, and others really do appreciate how to work with solos.

I know it is up to each of us to test things out… what I might miss on a flavor, others might not… vise versa… besides… playing around is half the fun! :slight_smile:

4 Likes

Color me guilty!
(And in complete agreement!)

6 Likes

That’s my Sparky!! :smiley: haha!! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: :crazy_face: :hugs:

4 Likes

I updated my article and it now has a better home on the blog.
Have a read if you would like :slight_smile:

https://flvfan.com/solo-flavor-testing/

5 Likes

I’m pretty new to the diy scene, only been at it around 6 months, firstly I do appreciate the importance of testing and knowing your flavours. Sadly I dont always have time to go about it in the best way, I work evenings and look after 2 very energetic kids whilst the mrs works during the day and only really get 1 maybe 2 nights if I’m lucky to do anything. If I’m really struggling with a flavour I’ll go about it the @anon84779643 way, using drops in 10 ml bottles, I do use a lot of flv flavours and am slowly going the whole hog toward flv, i thought if I limited the choice of say a banana to one and really got to know the flavours I’m using would help me a lot! And it has, all that aside I do need something to vape whilst creating recipes so one cheat I do do (yes I said do do too :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:) is to go big with a test, only with something I wouldn’t mind vaping all day, for example at the moment I’m trying to create a mango raspberry ice cream recipe. I mixed up 50 ml of the mango with nic, started low and worked it up to where I like it, then I tried gradually adding in the raspberry I ran into issues there as I couldn’t taste it so I’ve taken that back to basics and doing 10ml testers with 2-10 drops, might need to take it up to 20 tho… In the mean time I’m adding cream and vanilla to the mango ( wouldn’t want to vape cream all day :nauseated_face: lol).
Sure this approach is a little long winded and you do end up vaping some bland juice for a day or 2 but I find you get to know the flavours and how they taste through the day, after a coffee etc.
At first I did try to wing it and throw them all in and sure it wasnt terrible and it was totally vapable but I wanted it to be better… the only way to achieve better is to understand what each flavour brings and to balance it with the others. One day I’ll have the recipe nailed and it will be worth the trouble, until then I’ll keep trying!
As a new mixer it can be overwhelming with so many flavours/brands and opinions on how and what to do, I’ve found this helps me with seeing the wood for the trees and I hope this helps someone like me who doesn’t have a lot of time or enough bottles to test every flavour they have at once. It can be quite disheartening when everything goes wrong and it tastes not how you expected it but keep at it, Rome wasnt built in a day as they say. :+1:

12 Likes

I could NOT have said it better myself @MrMattuk. We HAVE had relentless debates on ELR about steeping, SFT’ing, SFT best practices, Scales (mixing by weight/drops), etc.

I think if we all had NO jobs, NO families to take care of, and ALL of our time was available for DIY, we all could do all KINDS of things differently. As you stated, that is most times, NOT the case.

The real world, steps in, and interferes all the time, in our quest for the best of the best way to (fill in the blank).

You’re def. on the right track, and as you know, your free time WILL dictate how you approach DIY.

10 Likes

Thanks @SessionDrummer I was a little worried that I’d further fuel the somewhat heated debate that is sft but just wanted to give a newbies view and a possible work around if you dont mind vaping bland juice, I for one would rather bland then over powered! Plus as I say you do get to know them better vaping as you would during the normal day I think, when I have done small tests yeah you get the flavour but hows that gonna taste after your lunch etc.
I’ve been reading the forum for most of the 6 months I’ve been mixing and have to say it has been a great help with me finding my feet! You’re all a great bunch and have offered me some great advice… even if you didn’t know it, more of a reader with the occasional post. Thanks everyone!

11 Likes

This is why I go with 30ml bottles, @MrMattuk… I can go thru that amount in a day, if I had to.
It’s easier for me to upscale the math from my 10ml bottles too… rather than go 50ml… but if that is your preferred size, go for it!

I normal so solos to get all my ideas and notes, and I do repeats too. I always have a few solos sitting, as I find that the tongue does tire out, some super fast, and others are not too bad. I am constantly jotting ideas down, things I want to mix, or have mixed and arent too hot… you might even find a recipe or 2 up on my elr wall that just didn’t turn out for some reason or another… the main thing is to always remember to test, as our flavor cravings and our body chemistry is always changing :slight_smile:

Always have some fun, mix up the unthinkable every now and then, and laugh! :slight_smile:

DIY is so much better than commercial… or so I hear :stuck_out_tongue:

6 Likes

Thanks @anon84779643 i do normally have a couple of things on the go at any one time and I change them up a fair bit to keep things interesting. I vape quite heavily and do like to change it up, I’ve got stuff that’s more finished that I use in one of my RDA’S when I’m home.
I usually go 50ml mainly as i haven’t got many 30ml bottles, I do keep meaning to get some though also I like to make sure I’ve always got enough juice in case I dont get time to mix up some more for a while and so I can see how it develops over the course of a couple of weeks or so, I do try to do things ‘right’ but use a little artistic license to work around my time issues.

I know what you mean I have an early mix that I keep making that might need a tweek or 2 as it’s just not hitting the same spot that it used too, I’ll get round to it. Got a few other ideas at the mo that I’m trying to work, one with melons and greek yogurt (my first full flv recipe :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:) its early days only mixed up a test the other night haven’t tried it yet.

[quote=“anon84779643, post:95, topic:235478”]
DIY is so much better than commercial… or so I hear :stuck_out_tongue:

Could not agree more!! Commercial juices are Far to sweet, or far to much cooling agent for my taste! I rarely use any sweeteners and if I do its usually very small amounts, made the mistake early on of dumping a load of sweeteners in, not good :joy:

6 Likes

Hi Smokey,
Your Djarum was the very first post I’ve ever encountered when I first entered the DIY forum when I went searching for how to make my own cloves. I am still a brand new newbie, so how would I go about “following” you so that I get alerts when you post a new recipe?

3 Likes

Smoky can’t post back here any longer, BUT she still posts on the recipe side. She’s at

Click to follow her and you’ll get updates

5 Likes

What?? Why??? Thank you so much for letting me know. The people, like you, on this forum is incredible!

4 Likes