This is a curse and a blessing, but it’s true.
Since strawberry is involved in your flavor.
Note some ppl have issues tasting strawberries. Im one of them. So when I found this (below) another person who had the same issue I was like hell-ya! cause I just got this Delosi Strawberry. So one you get to know your flavors, you can read other ppls notes and find which ppl taste the same as you do, then just make the recipes they like and you’ll have a higher chance of liking it also.
@Bryan22 Outstanding brother drummer. Jazz and blues, some powerful good stuff there. As far as the testing, note taking, etc., I know a LOT of people here love and use the RDA’s for testing, and general vaping, but they never really worked out for me. I ended up using a very old version 1, Steam Crave for all of my critical testing. Loved it soo much ended up buying almost all of the OTHER Steam Craves too. It’s all about flavor for me, all other features never mattered unless I had great flavor first.
As others have mentioned your notes are your own notes, based on what you do taste.
As I started diy i read all these notes too, that was one reason I purchased nearly the whole FA line, I didn’t understand that not everyone will taste the flavor as described in the notes, I had been reading the whole 6 month prior before even getting into diy.
If a person stated it’s eggy, harsh, candy, needs to be diluted, can’t be mixed with certain profiles, I for sure was the first to follow that guideline. Percentage? Yep that too, don’t go above a x amount of percent, stay in this and that range.
Buy this tank, that rda, this mod, get a mixer, frother, glassware, plastic, hell lock yourself in a tent and don’t breathe, at the end you reach the absolute knowledge of flavors… Yes been there and guess what? I stopped diy because it didn’t work.
As I came back to it nearly a year later, I took a other approach. I didn’t read any notes, wasn’t interested because it was clouding my judgement. I picked up some flavors I found interesting and tested them.
Trust me not all were great, but it helped me to find what I like. Some might argue, I would have saved money with looking at a list. I don’t agree because most of the flavors recommended I don’t like. I just would have ended up more frustrated.
I based it on real food, and while it’s different to vaping, it did help me a lot when trying to find additives at the beginning.
So for example (TFA) Greek yogurt. I purchased the flavor and mixed 4 testers one at 2%, 4%, 6% and 8%. Let them sit for a week and then tried it, as well as writing down what I taste, and how it compares to the real thing.
My notes looked something like this: not authentic, tastes like rotten milk (6-8%), even disgusting at 4%. 2% tastes like real Greek yogurt without the body. Sour and tangy, might be difficult to mix with. still don’t like it!
I didn’t publish them, I kept them in a notebook for me only.
At that time I didn’t knew/realized texture/mouthfeel or anything like that.
However I did unintentionally notice dry, every time I would vape a specific flavor, it’s like someone would put cotton in my mouth, sucking my saliva right out of it. This compared to the feeling I have at a dentists office or in the morning when you wake up with dry mouth.
I’d note that. I did that with every new flavor and after a while I noticed how textures can vary, how the same profile depending on brand can vary and find the differences. Same for custards, first I noticed a texture that was like a piece of omelette in my mouth, didn’t taste like anything and I never put it together with eggy.
Nowadays I actual taste egg but my notes from the past helped, because I wrote down that feeling I did have based on true food.
After a while you test differntly, I at least do, also my notes are different but it took a while to get here. And there are still times where I read a note from someone, and won’t taste nothing like that. But I’m not worried about it.
You’re the one mixing your juice based on your taste buds, if you taste strawberry when it’s labeled chocolate, great use it as your new strawberry. Unless you want to go commercial, you don’t need to worry what others taste, if it’s eggy, milky, dry, silky, rich, thick or thin. Stop thinking about that, because it doesn’t matter for now.
I know it’s a whole novel, but maybe it helps and explains a few things, because I feel you’re looking to much at - what do others taste, rather than do I like the flavor and why.
When you say dont like it do you mean strictly as a standalone? One thing i did learn from diyordie is the idea that certain flavors come in, as wayne refered to it, their “uncracked” form. Meaning the yogurt component may just be one component of an actual yogurt. Ie TFA yogurt may only bring the sour twang of the yogurt and needs to be paired to “unlock” a more authentic taste. For this reason i usually mix yogurt flavors with OOO milky undertone and LB fresh cream. A drop or four of FLV milk helps as well…
By now I like that flavor, I have experienced enough with it to make it work for me personally, the key was not to throw anything dairy heavy in it. it’s my go to yogurt actually but it can throw off beginners lol.
But I was talking about how my notes were written back in the day, as I didn’t know that some flavors won’t be great as single or my first impressions etc. This is not how I write it nowadays and I also don’t test with set percentage anymore either.
Just wanting to show that if you do not taste/night not have enough experience to or with the flavor, simple notes like that can help at the beginning very much.
Lot’s of talk here about eggy flavor in custards. To be honest, I don’t really taste eggy in any custards at all but there is one concentrate that has the exception. Most custards I use taste what I define as buttery. The only custard that tastes truly as defines “eggy” is Health Cabin Egg Custard. Now to me, that stuff is eggy as it can be and I use it to support my personal custard recipes.
For the note taking, I believe a good stretch of time in needed in order to do it correctly. If you are new to mixing, note taking is something that takes practice as well as learning what different percentages do by singles and combinations. I build my own devices, coils and mix and mixing is the most difficult part of it all. I find that patience and persistance works best. Also, I find that giving whatever concentrate you are trying plenty of time and attempts before you put it down. One of the worst mistakes I made mixing was giving up on a concentrate before I found it to be useful. Sometimes I have to go through 10mls or more before I can taste a flavor consistently. Also know that one tank or dripper may give flavor better for someone else more than it does another.I really don’t think you are using the wrong one though, I have several Drop RBAs.
Sometimes you have to take a break from a certain flavor and go back to it later. That’s why most of us have an e-liquid rotation as our pallet gets burnt out on the same flavor over a period of time. Mixing is one of the hardest things I have ever taken on, but I love it.
That’s also another important aspect to consider for new folks.
You’re very likely to do more harm than good by mixing on/for an atty that’s different from your every day atty.
Yes, quality (well designed) RDA’s can help you discern “all of the aspects” of a given flavor under testing. However, things can be perceived substantially different when you put the recipe you mixed up (using a RDA) into your tank, RTA, RDTA, etc.
Bottom line, testing with whatever works for you is fine, but create/mix for whatever you use most 
I am one of those people that isn’t a fan of most custards because of that eggy flavor. I don’t mean that it tastes or smells like an actual egg (hard boiled, scrambled or sunny side up) but I can taste it like in a (food) custard that would’ve been made with too many eggs, or even a mayo or a cake. If you’ve ever had it, you’ll definitely recognize the flavor. It’s also not only in flavors that have custard in their name, TPA Bavarian cream for example has loads of it too.
If for example you’d take that TPA bavarian cream and test it next to FLV vanilla pudding or FA vienna cream, I don’t think it’ll be difficult to see what I mean with it.
The custards we get as concentrates, are a far cry from what actual food custard tastes like IMO. Just take a little custard powder and make yourself a real custard, try it and compare it with what we vape. While the food product is often sweet, has a light but bright vanilla flavor and plenty creamy mouthfeel… vape custards are mostly eggy, heavy, non-sweet with vanilla that is not as “bright and lively”. FLV Vanilla Pudding comes a whole lot closer in flavor to the food equivalent but is lacking in other departments.
I suspect it’s exactly that eggy component in the concentrate that gives it its creaminess and mouthfeel because all the vanilla creams that are lacking that eggy flavor are not the thickest flavors
So much good stuff in this thread. re-read noted all your great experiences. Thanks @ All!
Yes The “why do you like something” can be very helpful. That gets you into looking up spec sheets. Then at least you can put a name to what you are tasting. And later when you taste it in another flavor you have a better idea of what it might be and then you know the why you are tasting it.
Greek Yogurt - Sour components from 5-<10% Lactic and/or Acetic acid
Sour Wizard (FA) Sour components from Malic Acid
Since you know it doesn’t work with other Dairy You might then decide to try Greek Yogurt with something with Malic Acid just to see if 0.2% changes to a better Yogurt
Here’s another database thats interesting. It shows you all the chems and what taste they can deliver. They are also the people who deem if something is safe for consumption. All politics left aside, its a source.
But you’ll recognize stuff you see in the Flavor Spec Sheet and tons of stuff you never even heard of.
Flavor Library | FEMA
Your notes can be as simple as you want. - I like this Strawbery, it reminds me of a Strawberry Candy I used to love as a kid. - I don’t like this Strawberry, it tastes like Grass, and not the good kind. - This Strawberry tastes like a real ripe Strawberry. Etc…
Listing what % you tested at and how you felt about it can be just as simple. No change at all between 2% and 3% is a great note to leave for yourself.
Get what you can from others’ notes, disregard what doesn’t help you, and test for yourself.
Your notes might help others, or might not, but you leave yourself some kind of notes if you want to replicate or avoid the previous results. Or, not! Haha! It’s yours to do your own way.
This is done if you want a hint of what that flavor can offer. Some flavors can also impart one aspect at high % and another at low %. Like if you have a Cinnamon Danish flavor and want a touch of Cinnamon but not the Danish, at .25-.5% it might do that for you.
Yes different aspects is what you need to note in your SF tasting. Like this flavor below only has 2 aspects “I” detected. It dosn’t mean others won’t define it differently, it depends on their experience, in SF testing.
Because I can say it reminds me of Vanilla & Butter and some people might find that description better because they have experience with butters that leave a oily feel if they happen to go to high with it.
You have to read between the lines on peoples reviews. (Especially if they are general in nature i.e Oh my this is the best flavor ever 2-3% or This whole series of flavoes is a must have!)
Here’s my notes after testing Vanilla Shisha (INW) in 3 recipes and stand alone. But you won’t understand until you SF test flavors and experience the MOUTH FEEL thing and other aspects people are trying to describe “in their own way”
Vanilla Shisha (INW) .1-.9|1%` Not much Vanilla at all just a hint. Use only for a smooth heavy mouth feel Can come across as creamy feel but it can get oily like a Margarine/Vaseline coating at higher %'s Max 1%
Doesn’t mean the flavor is bad. Just means if you’re looking for a strong Vanilla note. You may want to pass on one.
But… if you have a cream recipe and it’s a very thin mouth feeling and you want to make it thicker so it has a more realistic cream feel. 0.5% of this will make it seem creamier and heavy with barely any vanilla.
Thanks I looked it up, now I don’t need to buy Vanilla Swirl same profile as Vanilla Shisha (INW) without the longer steep needed. Looks like they r using it the same way Id use Vanilla Shisha (INW) (above) just for body and a slight hint of vanilla.
They’re completely different flavors. You cannot compare the 2 nor use them as proper substitutes for each other. They’re both vanilla and creams, but that’s as far as the comparison goes.
Maybe if you’re using swirl at 0.5%, you could substitute for 0.15% shisha, but if you’re looking for a more pronounced input from the flavor, they won’t be very much alike.
In real foods, eggy in custard isn’t necessarily a flavor but a texture. Health Cabin Egg Custard is a little hard to describe but it for myself it emulates that food texture better and it doesn’t seem to have any Vanilla in there. Also, it’s weird but it has an eggy component that it very hard to describe. I really like it but you should know that there is nothing about it hat tastes anything like TFA Bavarian Cream. Also, I make real custards during Christmas and you are right, the concentrates we make custards with don’t taste the same as the real food. I will tell you though, the Health Cabin Egg Custard to me is as close as it gets. I’d send you a sample but I’m guessing (since you don’t care for custards) that you probably rather not.
Yes you got it. Thanks for looking out for me.
A bit it’s a Pain in the A…
That’s why I try to avoid Super Concentrates. For 1 Drop “can” ruin everything
So the question I had to solve was how to bring Super Concentrates into a normal mixing range.
So I dilute them 4:1 (4PG 1 SC) So now every drop is 0.2% of a drop of undiluted and 5 drops is 1 of a full strength drop.
This is a good example because “for me” I will not ever use more than 1% Vanilla Shisa. But now since its diluted I can extend the range of drops/%'s and still stay below 1% undiluted max I found to exsist. It’s very nice here because it just so happens to match the range of Vanilla Swirl.
I searched in Vanilla Shisa for Vanilla Swirl and visa-versa and yea a few ppl swapping them. How effectiveing they are doing it, don’t know. But this looks like an effective way of a direct replacement “for me only” being on a budget.
| Flavor | Base | % being tested | Diluted PG 4:1 VShisha | Non Diluted VShisha |
| 1D | 4D | 20% | ||
| 1D | 5D | 16.60% | ||
| 1D | 6D | 14.20% | ||
| 1D | 7D | 12.50% | ||
| 1D | 9D | 10% | ||
| 1D | 11D | 8.30% | ||
| 1D | 13D | 7.10% | ||
| 1D | 15D | 6.25% | ||
| 1D | 19D | 5% | 1% MAX | |
| 1D | 24D | 4% | 0.80% | |
| 1D | 32D | 3% | 0.60% | |
| 1D | 49D | 2% | 0.40% | |
| 1D | 99D | 1% | 0.20% | 1% MAX |
The diluted version of Vanilla Shisha (INW) matches all of these. % wise now at SF 5%. And it’s some nice vanilla and a nice creamy feeling. But upper limit for me is 1% or it’s oil Vaseline coating feeling. Got lucky added 3 more flavors without buying anything.
French Vanilla - The Flavor/Perfumer’s Apprentice
Single flavor recommendations
Average quantity: 5.4% (Median: 5.0%)
French Vanilla v1 - Capella Flavors
Single flavor recommendations:
Average quantity: 5.8% (Median: 5.0%)
Vanilla Swirl - The Flavor/Perfumer’s Apprentice
Single flavor recommendations
Average quantity: 5.5% (Median: 5.0%)
I think we’ll have to agree to disagree. I clearly smell and taste egg. Maybe it’s something like strawberries that some people taste and others not…
In food, sure, you won’t taste the egg if used in appropriate ratio to the other ingredients, and I love custards. I’d be a big fat pig if my brain wouldn’t tell me to lay off it for health reasons 
So I would absolutely love to have a vape that tastes very similar. I’ve got so many different custard flavors in my stash. I may have a few different variations for other flavors, but custards really stand out. I have a few more on the way just to find the one that compares to the real thing. I’ll definitely give that one from Health Cabin a try but I’ve lost hope to be honest. I’m focusing more on other flavors atm to find something comparable, like vanilla pudding or creme anglaise. For me it’s more about the flavor than the mouthfeel.
I’m in the same boat, I get a heavy eggy-mc’eggyness from most custards.
Why don’t you use a scale instead of drops?
1 concentrate drop vs 4 base drops is not the same as 20% flavor unless all drops are exactly the same size. The thicker your liquid, the bigger your drops, even measured from the same syringe or bottle.