Some beginners questions about diy and sweetness

E-liquids Beginners
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Hello fellow mixers!

This is my first post, so first of all i want to say hi!

I looked for a new member sections but didn’t find any, so i figured i will add a small introduction here: been smoking since 18, now i’m 31 and i quit thanks to vaping. I’m a 3 months vaper, started with some cig alike, now i have my first serious mod (armour pro + zenith and some removable batteries) and thought it’s about time i start fiddling with diy juice.

Now for my questions:

GENERAL

  1. I’ve noticed a lot of recipes here call for 70 vg 30 pg or are skewed toward vg aniway, i’m an mtl vaper so i will probably stick to 50/50. As far as i understand vg is sweeter than pg. Does this mean i have to use a higher % of flavour when mixing 50/50 and/or add a sweetener flavour?

  2. I will be using mainly flavour art flavours as i can easily source them there. I watched some videos on youtube and it appears the suggested mix ratio is 4-6%. I thought an average mix ratio of flavour to total juice was 10? I like my liquid flavourful and don’t mind extra sweetness, so, on average, what total % should i aim for when mixing? 10 to 15?

MY FIRST RECIPE

As i have 0 experience mixing, but am feeling adventurous and want to make a personal one, i started looking for inspiration in cocktail recipes.

Found this flavour combination guide https://www.thespruceeats.com/fruit-flavor-combinations-for-cocktails-760298 and wanted to make something similar to a “banshee” cocktail (banana+chocolate liquour).

My ingredient and ratio list so far is:

chocolate (FA) 30% of total flavour part
banana (FA) 30% of total flavour part
hazelnut (FA) 15% of total flavour part
lemon sicily (FA) 15% of total flavour part
fresh cream (FA) or sweet cream (TPA/TFA)10% of total flavour part
maybe a drop or two of sweetener? (candy/jammy wizard (FA)

All this on 50/50 vg/pg or 55/45, and 6.6 mg nic/ml. Total flavour part 15% so 4,5 ml on 30 total

Sounds good? any suggestion? Am i primed for a catastrophic taste failure lol?

Aniway, that’s it for my questions.

Thanks to all who will take the time to answer!

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The majority of recipes are 70/30 because most people vape DL instead of MTL and this is a ratio that works on most atties.
If you vape VG alone, you will notice that it has a slight sweetness to it, but for me, it’s not enough to make a significant difference between a 50/50 or max VG recipe.
VG is not the best flavor carrier, PG is an excellent flavor carrier, so you could probably do with a little less flavor if you increase your PG ratio. That being said, if you see a recipe that looks interesting, I’d first start by testing it as it was meant to be, i.e. the exact same flavors at the exact same %, no matter what VG/PG ratio or nicotine % you use. If then you think something could be adjusted, you can start fiddling with the ratios or specific flavor %.

Forget about general suggested flavor % for a brand. Every brand has stronger and weaker flavors. I can guarantee you that if you use Honey (FA) at even 3%, you’ll be washing out your mouth and probably be put off of honey (not just for vaping) for quite a while.
Before mixing your flavors, do some research. There are plenty reviews for most FA concentrates, either in the forum, on the flavor pages on the recipe side or on other websites on the internet (google for it). Get a feel for the strength by watching how others are using these concentrates and what they say about them. Then start with Single Flavor Tests (SFT for short) and mix your concentrate on the bottom low end of the scale, test it, take notes, increase, test takes notes, increase, te… you get the point, right?
This way you can get a good idea of how a flavor behaves and changes at different percentages and you will need this knowledge if you’re starting to create your own recipes.

Not sure where you live, but chefsflavours.co.uk delivers worldwide for £5, this will give you a bit more choice than just FA. Not saying FA is bad, but every company makes good and bad flavors and sometimes it’s just better to go for another brand. Again, do your research before you buy or you’ll be wasting a lot of money on flavors you don’t like (although that even happens with some research).

Don’t be so focused on %. There are FA recipes with a total of 2% flavor that are quite nice. There are also recipes with a lot more flavor that are good as well. A lot of the strength depends on your equipment and your taste buds / smell… it’s all so subjective. Do your SFTs and see for yourself what % works for you.

It all looks a bit overwhelming in the beginning and you see so wildly varying things left and right that it can seem a very daunting task to start with… so take baby steps. Start with a single flavor and make very small tests, 10 or 15ml. If you mess up, you don’t have to throw out too much. Once you get more comfortable, add 1 or 2 other flavors and slowly build up with the experience you gain. Few people can start mixing complex recipes that are good without any prior knowledge or experience.
If you want to start with something a bit more complex while you’re learning to work with your flavors, add your flavors to your stash and click on the “What Can I Make” button and choose from some of the better rated recipes that looks good to you.

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Oh, and welcome to the forum! :slight_smile:

Here’s the link:

I couldn’t find the 2019 edition, but people are just continuing this thread for now.

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Thanks for the reply @anon28032772 :slight_smile:

It’s not that i can only find FA, it’s just that from the five star recipes i looked at i keep seeing CAP, TPA, FA, FW and IWANERA and figured i might as well be starting with these.

Another inconvenience for me is that since january my country has a new law and from what i understand they have assimilated eliquid (even 0 nic, go figure) to cigarettes, so if we import from outside of the country we can be charged of smuggling, with fines from 5000 to 50000 euro lol.
We can only buy our supplies from online stores based in the country, and max 10 ml bottles, be it flavours, premium flavours or mixed nic, they all have the max 10 ml limit (maybe not the concentrated flavours, but i think the max volume i saw being sold was 20). It sucks a little. Best price i’ve found is 2,5 € for 10ml 20mg/ml nic. A bottle of 10 ml flavour cost anywhere from 4 € to 20 € so i was hoping to get it right the first or second time and not making a lot of single flavour trials, but i suppose it can’t be helped!

Thanks for the help!

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Flavors are not e-liquids, they’re food grade supplements and cannot be ruled under the same tobacco laws. Customs can sometimes be dicks, but if they hold back something and you tell them there are no e-liquids in your order, they will release it.
In my country they ban online sales of everything, liquids and hardware, but I’m still able to purchase my flavors from anywhere I want. If you’re still in doubt, drop them an email and ask. You don’t even have to tell them it’s for e-liquids. Just ask if there’s any law preventing you from buying x, y and z flavors.

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Welcome to ELR

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Welcome and glad you joined.
You could be. If you have pretty much solidified your vaping equipment and taste predictable mixes which are always pleasing, you may be ready for DIY. If you are trying to decide the best vape equipment and vaping style, suggest you wait before tackling DIY. You could look into One Shots. OS Mixing can be a good introductory to DIY. One shots and flavor blends are simply added per directions to the mixer’s desired mixing base, Shake and Vape (SnV) or steep as directed.

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Welcome the Rabbit Hole =)

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As @anon28032772 suggested a 70/30 mix may be slightly sweeter than a 50/50mix but if you want your mix to be noticeably sweet I suggest a combination of Stevia and erythritol. Search the threads on sweeteners and do some reading first it may save you time and money.

As far as percentages go, you will find that e liquid is unlike baking or cooking. A simple ratio will not work in most cases. Reason being is that certain flavors are stronger than others , they “sit” in a mix differently and have different maturation (steep) times. Steeping can and will effect your mix so 3percent may seem okay when you first mix but could ruin the mix as it matures. This is why Single Flavor tests were suggested and I second the idea that they will save you time and money in the long run…

If you have those flavors already in the mix you suggested here are the amounts I would use

FA chocolate 0.35%
FA banano 1.25%
FA hazelnut 0.25%
FA Lemon Sicily 0.75%
FA fresh cream 0.75%

This mix will seem lemon forward at first but it will settle into the background as will the banana. The hazelnut will get stronger over time…

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As far as i understand, they have imposed a state tax on vaping supplies so basically if you import you evade it. But maybe i’m wrong for the flavours, will try dropping a mail and ask. I had my girlfriend who’s a lawyer look into the matter and as usual here in italy the law isn’t very clear. Maybe i will ask the support of the online store i use about it!

Thanks guys!

Thanks brotherbob! Well the vaping equipment is pretty much down and im satisfied with it. As for my very first order which should arrive today i bought the basic vg/pg/nic supplies, some bottles and the concentrates for the ejuice i use usually (DEA cuba and ETO Klimt) so i can get my hands wet without mixing difficult recipe at first.

Thanks @mixologist13 ! This is helpful. So basically chocolate and hazelnut are the stronger flavours and you suggest to use less to compensate? What would be the steeping time for a mix like this? I will search for threads about those sweeteners, thanks.

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Wish you all the luck, your own your way!

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No worries welcome to the forum. Correct the chocolate and the hazelnut would dominate if used at higher percentages. I would say 7day minimum steep to allow the lemon to fade and cream to settle…

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Thanks, made my first 30 mlin an unicorn bottle with the flavour of the premixed i vape usually, now it’s steeping, should be ready for when i finish the last bottles of premium i have :slight_smile:

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Thanks for the help, will try the recipe as soon as i place my next order of supplies :slight_smile:

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Welcome to the best place you could find for mixing!

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Thanks buddy!

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