This is a largely hypothetical question, really. I’m not sure there can actually be a proper ‘answer’ that covers it.
Sometimes, I tend to overthink things. I tend to let stupid things have more brain cycles than they deserve. I’m bouncing one such thing in my head now. This may sound stream-of-consciousness so keep that in mind. And, I’m not actually nuts, though you may think it anyway.
With every single individual vaper having a completely separate palate from everyone else, how the hell do you a.) hit upon a recipe that 80% of people really like, or, completely separate from a, b.) figure out which recipes are going to work for you prior to mixing yourself and testing?
There are thousands of recipes here. There are as many recipes as stars in the sky across the intertubes. Good lord people, how do you narrow down specific ones to make, or specific profiles you want to create for others to judge? It’s killing me. Some recipes are so similar to others, how do you pick which one? Do you pick them all? Do you just adapt them? Ack.
And names; let’s not get started with names. I’ve found so many recipes with very similar profiles that have totally different names.That’s a different rant altogether. Of course I wish names were more like descriptions, but I don’t lose sleep over that.
I have no idea what point I’m trying to make, but I commend you people who have done tireless research and testing, and those of you that have ground out a magic key and created something a lot of people love. Well done. Now I have to tend to a headache.
I just went and tried one just because I had a bottle of apple concentrate that’s been sitting. Tried a couple of times and found nothing I liked. This time I hit a winner, i.e. something I like. I’ve got more mixes I like than I will ever keep up with already, so it’s only once in a while that I get the urge to try something new. Not exactly an existential mixing philosophy.
That takes practice like everything else. You do single flavor tests to learn how to use your flavors, then you learn through a shit ton of trial and error, and eventually you’ll be able to look at a recipe and have a good idea of if it will work for you. Its definitely not easy at first but it does get easier.
Follow people who make stuff that fits your preferred profile. Most of the people I follow are forum members who have posted recipes here. I see something that looks good from a mixer and go follow them. Then once you have a bunch of people who have recipes that you think look good, you can go and scroll through your recipe feed and it’ll be more likely to be the recipes you want than scrolling through the entire calculator’s huge # of recipes.
you know from experience. When you look at something you created if it fits you based on your past experience. You will look at a recipe and say, I like this concept but change it up based on what you like. You may swap an apple for another, you may decrease or increase a flavor percent, and so on.
-point 2. I call the recipie database side an inspirational point. Often, when I have a new flavor, I look at 8-10 recipes. See how they have been used…then I build from there. Take key lime pie. There are a few 100 recipes. Look at a bunch, recognize what flavors you, and build it. Then one the side I often mix a single flavor tester with alittle fresh cream fa and marshmallow fa with the new lime flavor I got in. Once mixed and steeped I play with the recipe for months at a time with 15-20 (or more, I don’t count and may be closer to 30 or so) other recipes in the rotation. I never get board and vape something new every day.
When I get tired of being creative I jump my my personal approved folder and mix up a bunch of 30ml bottles and I’m still set
it’s all a combo of many things
even when speaking for the most ever experienced/talented mixers
always there is a trial and error phase… specially on start
you need to know every ingredient you use… if you don’t know how that flavor tastes for example how you will know if it suits well? for example i love Sweet cream by TFA and as much i love this, i don’t like the Sweat Cream of CAP while at the same Sweet cream of CAP is my first choice when i want to layer an apple pie
keeping notes for everything you do (this is important, how a flavor tastes, in what percentage? how it feels?
how do they work in combination with other flavors and on what percentages?
since you have found some combos that work well, how can you make a step further to make the flavor richer and better?
and nobody knows if this recipe will be liked by 80% or 1% of people… at least personally i mix first for myself, then for others…if someone likes one of my recipes ofcourse i will feel nice, if not, i like them and that’s the point… i vape them, i am supposed to like them…vaping is not a race or something “who will make the best recipe” “who is using the highest watts and who the lowest” etc… we vape, we mix as long we find pleasure in it…
i guess this is how it’s working for all of us… if i know and i am able to help someone else by giving a tip or suggest a flavor or whatever that’s fine, though no matter what he will decide if he liked that suggestion or not…
That’s true, and another point. I can tell you pretty much whatever you want to know about, say, TC or maybe Arctic Fox. Because I’ve used that stuff a lot and it’s static, not really guided by different palates. It’s firmware or basic vaping operations.
But with juices/recipes, it’s completely guided by personal preference. Funny little slope angle.
Example, here is something I made at the wife’s request. A simple grape bubble gum.
Tfa Grape Juice - 4%
CAP Bubble Gum - 8%
Tfa Cotton Candy - 2.5%
I think it’s a bit flat, and could use a fluff and fold. Maybe marshmallow? Maybe another fruit to enhance the grape? I dunno. But she loves it and says it’s exactly a big purple square of bubble gum. So maybe my ‘enhancements’ will ruin it? Ack.
Well. You’ve laid out quite the wood pile to chop.
And it definitely sounds like your hitting the “locked in a loop” state that can be SO intimidating early in.
Best initial advice I can give?
Breathe.
Take a moment, and a step back.
The sheer overwhelming force will dissipate.
Then, I’ll try and address what I can, and as I see it.
YMMV
Start (and keep it) simple.
What do you like to eat/drink?
Fruits? Drinks? Desserts? Etc…
Pick one. Look into it.
By that, I mean a flavor (or more complex: a profile).
How intimidated one may be, should dictate how simple, or how complex someone should start out IMO.
My key advice to those serious about mixing would be: Learn your flavors. One at a time. The “hard way”. The long way. The same way you learned them as a child. Literally.
Peas? Hate them.
Chocolate? Love it.
Milk? Good stuff (from the right cattle)
Orange? Yes please.
Etc.
In my opinion, no one just starting out can have an accurate idea how good a recipe is (**Especially given all the flavor variances between brands) on sight.
The only way to begin to have a clue (by sight alone) how good a recipe is, is to know the flavors.
But that’s “for those in it for the long haul”.
For those who just want to mix something?
The KISS (Keep it simple stupid) method works well.
Find something that sounds good. Buy the exact flavors shown. Mix it. Trial and error until you find a winner.
I have some recipes that I have adapted from someone else’s recipe, and I often browse recipes looking for inspiration, but I have not once just flat outright made someone else’s recipe.
Of course at least part of the reason for this is pure necessity, as I rarely have all the exact flavours needed, but also, for me half the fun is coming up with my own flavour combinations and experimenting until you get that eureka moment where it all comes together.
What makes you think any such recipes exists?
There might be some, where 80% of everybody who have tried it likes it, or where 80% of the comments and ratings are positive. But most who aren’t a fan of that specific flavour profile, would just stay clear of it and never actually try it.
@TW12
Would you like salt on your elephant ? LOL
Even after you get your single flavors down you get the surprise double or more intensities when you mixed this with that.
Creams that go ballistic over sweet when used together.
Others that you swear are dud flavors that I couldn’t get anything from single flavor testing went off the charts strong when blended.
It’s a crazy but fun and wild journey. Mix what you like to eat is my personal advise to start with. If it looks good to me as food it’s usually a fair bet it’s vapable. Oddly enough even things I don’t usually eat I’m finding interesting as vape flavors.
yes, but the question is …I think… if taste is so subjective & personal, what is it about the most popular juices that gives them more of a universal appeal?
Could formulating a recipe be like writing a song?.. I’ve heard there is a particular chord progression or key structure (or something like that) that when applied to a piece of music will more than likely deliver a hit because it pushes the dopamine button in peoples brains just the right way (& that might account for the fact that so many hit pop songs sound the same.) The point is, there is a particular ‘method’ of writing that appeals to many more ears than it doesnt. Could the same be true of mixing?
I’m also a newbie mixer. Just bought a ton of flavors during BF and started mixing the last week or two.
Prior to ordering my flavors, I started looking at the top rated recipes, went through a lot of pages, most of the top rated ones were not for me.
I go through them and look for recipes that have flavors that I know I’ll enjoy and go from there. Found a couple and ordered my flavors accordingly.
Then I started searching for clones for juices I enjoyed in the past and tried those.
This is just to get me started and have a better understanding of how people mix and the percentages used and such.
I have not tried to test any flavors on my own yet, that will come in time when I’m more comfortable.
I did however try to create an original and it has failed miserably but I’m sure I’ll be able to tweak it to my liking in the near future based on the failed experiment.
I’ve been pretty happy with the mixes so far, thanks to all the great recipes out there. Just have to start simple and work my way up.
Also, when I find a recipe that I do like, I usually check out the person’s profile and see what other recipes they have and it usually fits the same profile.
while at the same Sweet cream of CAP is my first choice when i want to layer an apple pie 
.