I strongly advise you to research some of these flavor recommendations being offered to you before purchasing them.
The post below will help you make solid decisions about flavors that interest you.
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I absolutely disagree with this.
Even single fruit flavors profile will shift noticeably from the first couple of hours to 3 days (and thatās for the ones that āhave no steep timeā, more appropriately said /minimal steep time requirement /)
@OP: the whole point of single flavor testing is so that you can learn which flavors work in which ways. And then, as youāve progressed in your single flavor testing, youāll begin to see trends amongst flavor groups (eg: custards, creams, fruits, etc.) and after that, youāll begin to see trends in certain brands. But one thing is certain. There is no magic bullet nor "one size fits all.
You basically have two paths to approach DIY with.
āLuckā
- Make popular recipes (that others have shared) and rejoice when you find someone who shares your vaping style/taste buds.
āWorkā
2. Put in the time and effort it takes to learn each flavor, what vendor(s) you prefer, on what hardware, etc.
Many have found success using some combination of the approaches mentioned above. And no approach is wrong. HOWEVER, asking about how to guage without steeping, is an unanswerable question IMO. As the steeping process IS how you guage (from what itās like fresh in the mix, to what itās like after 2-3 days in, to 7 days in, to 14 days, to 30 days, and yes, even some up to 45-60 days into steeping).
please donāt read any ātoneā into this, as Iām trying to speak strictly as a matter of fact here. These are truths that have been stated before here (and elsewhere), and Iāve experienced these truths to be 100% accurate in my experience as well. But itās all about making what works for you. So take what you can, from whom and where you can, as anything that improves your experience, knowledge, and attempts is a good thing.
Also worth noting is that, as you progress (in both your understanding, as well as your hands on experience) things will become clearer, and easier. So have patience, and keep at it!
Regards,
Sprks
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SO much this. There is a lot of information here and it takes some guidance to get everything out of it. Taste is very subjective, so you will want to do some testing on your own, but a lot of work has been done for you here. The flavor list is awesome as the flavors have notes worked out for a lot of them, there are pairing notes listed as well. I would definitely invest in a mess of small bottles for testing. I normally just do 10ml batches when trying new recipes, or making changes to existing ones (no sense in wasting materials!), let them sit at least a week, then trying them. Some of the heavier creams and custards can take 2-4 weeks before they really mature, so donāt dump anything under a month old unless you just really hate it. Just follow the link that @Pro_Vapes provided and weāll be happy to help after you put your reading in. Almost forgot, get a notebook and write down everything when you are tasting. Your notes will save you a lot of time and money in the long run!
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Smoking cigarettes is actually mouth to lung, direct lung is how youād smoke a joint, or use an asthma inhaler but longer and slowerā¦
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You should check out āSo, you want start making your own E-Liquid?ā by @freshepies aka Fresh03 (YouTube) on MyVaporium.net
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God you guys have all been so amazingly nice with advice. Little busy atm, but when I get back later I will reply to some. I have a few questions/comments. Thank you all so much though! Also, that sample kit looks so dope! I want that to one day have something similiar going on.
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I used to DL cigsā¦just saying 
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Yup. Youāre not alone. Lol
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@Radiocake Okay so stupid question probably, but Iāve seen that people suggest getting a precision scale. I guess I am just a little confused about that. I figured that using the injection needles would be the easiest thing since I am moving liquids around and mixing etc. Am I missing something here, what is the proper way to measure? 
@Bob_Bitchen Wow that looks so scientific and cool. I definitely want to get my own collection going and from what I can read here notes seem to be mandatory and I am definitely someone that will enjoy doing that. Thank you for the inspiration lol 
@coneconington Thank you so much for the suggestions and tips, that is definitely something I will use as consideration, both in my next purchase and just tips in general about mixing.
@Sprkslfly I definitely having read this whole thread very much agree with you and I was more asking about the single flavor thing, out of not knowing enough, I very much want to know though. See I thought that when everyone mixed, they just mixed it straight into a mix and didnāt do single flavor tasting (which I guess was a little dumb to assume) and so I was wondering how they even knew they liked one flavor over the other, because I really couldnāt understand how their palettes were just that defined. The reason why I thought this, was that everyone seems to agree that most flavors arenāt good enough to just do single flavor, so I figured single flavor tasting didnāt even exist because you wouldnāt be able to tell since it tastes bad. I knowā¦ I am a noob
I really loved what you said about the fact that if you just go with luck, you need to basically find someone with the same taste buds. What I got out of that is that the recipes are more of a reference/idea catalog and you really have to tailor it to your own tastes. I felt that this part really resonated with me because over here we have this luxury brand store which is a different brand of Decadent Vapors (they have unique flavors) and their flavours are definitely amazing quality, they have really great depth and body, but honestly I feel that most of them are just bland or not really my taste, it almost seems that they are missing something and so I buy those almost as a base and add stuff to them. Now I can recognize that these are popular luxurious flavors, but even the ones I like, I still feel like are missing certain flavours or a little kick of something or another.
So this post definitely made me realise that I am 100% going to go the way of many here and really get into depth with DIY. Not just make popular recipes, but take time, energy and effort and make single flavor tests and steep. Try different recipes until I find things that work and then take tons of notes along the way.
I am definitely the person for it. I love this type of almost obsessive hobby. The best part is that I can channel all this love into a hobby and actually get something on the other end that will bring me enjoyment and satisfaction.
Anyway I just wanted to say, I am definitely on board for this, I just will probably ask very noobish questions, not because I am trying to run away from work or find a one size fits all, but because I undoubtedly will misunderstand things and want clarification.
Thank you for your awesome post, it definitely is true and made me realize that this IS going to become a full blown hobby and I am excited about that! 
@AZViking I have already read a lot of resources on here, but will continue to do so and ask direct questions along the way, because I am just a very curious mind and if I feel I havenāt fully understood something, I always need that extra clarification haha I definitely will and I have already decided to buy a bigger bulk of bottles next time, since I am always buying more anyway, so I might as well get it discounted! Also yeah it seems notes is the be all and end all of liquid mixing haha, I will definitely get that started right away. Thanks!
Thanks to everyone, you have really helped, seriously!
Question to all: I knew from the beginning that you donāt dump anything for at least a month and so I havenāt. I was wondering however if you ever do dump anything? Like do liquids have an expiration date? What happens if you pass it? How can you tell?
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Whichever way is most comfortable to you is the right way. 
Mixing with a scale does eliminate a lot of cleanup though, especially if your flavors are in dropper bottles. No syringes to wash! [quote=āForbitten_Rose, post:29, topic:139680ā]
See I thought that when everyone mixed, they just mixed it straight into a mix and didnāt do single flavor tasting
[/quote]
A lot of people do. Actually Iāve only started doing serious flavor testing in the last few months, up until then I pretty much winged itā¦lol But yeah, it does take extra time to sf test and itās very worth it.[quote=āForbitten_Rose, post:29, topic:139680ā]
Question to all: I knew from the beginning that you donāt dump anything for at least a month and so I havenāt. I was wondering however if you ever do dump anything? Like do liquids have an expiration date? What happens if you pass it? How can you tell?
[/quote]
If it turns black or gross brown, itās probably time to dump. (Although some people do swear by their black custardā¦not me but to each their own!) And if a mix is starting to taste peppery or starts to get harsh when it wasnāt before, your nic might be oxidizing and then youāre gonna want to dump it. If itās anywhere between clear and amber and it tastes good, itās probably fine. I Vape my juice way too fast to have that issue. 
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As already mentioned using a scale is a lot less clean upā¦ rinsing syringes etc, But if you go down the route of single flavour testing you will find it a godsendā¦ i have started doing 8ml testers (for no particular reason other than i found some great little tubs at an arts and crafts store that hold just over that amount)ā¦ if i add say 0.5% flavour it works out 0.04ml which can be tricky and a bit of a pain in a syringe, 0.04grams you just add a few drops and bingo you are done. You dont have to do 8 ml testers of course it`s just my take on it, but the less liquid you waste when experimenting the better imoā¦ In the beginning i was making like 30ml experimental batches and hoping for something vapeable at the end of it. if it turned out terrible which more than a few did i had to bin it, if i get a bad mix or single flavour i dont like i am only losing 8mlā¦ on my budget i can live with that. Good luck with your mixing you will have a blast im sure.
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Glad that youāre jumping in with both feet! Iāll never discourage questions, just hoping that youāre doing your part was all. Iāll help you with something all day, if thatās what is needed, as long as youāre honestly trying.
I find the scale method is awesome for making small batches, but once you find your adv (or several of them) youāll want to make larger batches so that you donāt run out while the new ones steep; this is where I feel volume mixing is better, but thatās probably just me lol. I also never put nic in my testers (itās the most expensive part lol!), but Iām only a 3% guy anymore, so it doesnāt change the flavors much for me. Stick with it and youāll have people asking you for juice in no time!
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PMd you. Will help with what I can.
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Woah never seen that happen, as soon as the month is up on my 100ml Custard Mix I vape it and itās gone in two - three days.
With the measuring, @VapeyMama 's advice is awesome, just remember that if your buying premix 70/30 VG/PG whichever recipe your trying add the VG & PG quantities together either by weight or volume, I usually weigh my mixes and for 100ml itās usually about 82.95g of VG (using 7.2% nic at 3mg which is about 5.175g), PG varies depending on how many concentrates, your chosen recipe has, so just add up the PG + VG by grams or volume according to your recipe (+Nic if appropriate) then all you need to do is add your flavours 
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Honestly, I havenāt even thought of the idea of doing the base myself. I know thatās a thing in the mixing community, but I thought I might be able to get by with just the premixed 70/30 with 3mg.
Is it genuinely that important to mess around with vg/pg?
Does it actually effect your recipes that much? I genuinely get so confused by the process of doing that, it sounds so hard to me. I never really partook much in science/chemistry classes over here and it really isnāt prioritized the same way it is in the US, so the whole idea of mixing base myself seems so intricate and confusing.
I know that sounds super bad, but Iād rather be honest, you never learn anything from having an ego. 
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For some of us, yes. Extremely important.
For instance, some of us have sensitivity to PG (in varying degrees), so we have to cater to (or address) that first and foremost. Some experience a tightness of chest, etc, itās effect on me when using beyond a certain percentage is āwaking up with my mouth glued shutā (so dehydrated that it makes it both hard to open my mouth, and hard to breath). The severity for each person is different, and directly affects how they have to mix.
Itās then that choice of flavors becomes even more important (or limited) due to the percentages required for some flavors or vendors (FW and TFA often fall into this bracket sadly) to achieve the desired taste/results needing to be in higher ranges of 8-12% (or more, to some tastes and/or hardware combinations). So in example, if I have to stay at (or higher than) an 80vg minimum to avoid āglue mouthā, and I want to make a semi-complex recipe (4 or more flavors) then Iām probably going to be SOL by the time I got to the third flavor (if using all FW @8%) as Iāve already exceeded the 20% margin for flavoring that I have to stay in.
As for effecting recipes, again, a resounding yes.
As you continue delving further down the rabbit hole, youāll learn that hardware makes a difference in how your mixes are āprocessedā (or delivered).
For instance, a mod that doesnāt provide consistent regulation can yield highs and lows in power delivery in a single āpuffā (how long you hold the fire button), and the longer the drag you take, the more it becomes noticeable. Easy for me to notice because I take 5-7 second pulls on average. Whereas those who do monster high power seem (more often) to do shorter blasts. Thereās exceptions to every āruleā though, but the key is in understanding the variables first, and then you can apply them. And thatās just with mods. Same can be said for batteries. Different ones respond in different ways (deliver power differently).
And then thereās the atomizers.
Generally speaking, itās generally accepted that:
- clearomizers (or mouth to lung or MTL tanks) require more flavoring than a restricted lung tank would require.
- a restricted lung tank would require more flavoring than a direct lung (DL) tank does.
And then things start to get a bit tricky.
Some DL tanks are awesome by design for flavor (such as the Aspire Cleito), and will almost deliver an experience similar to a RDA. Others more closely respond like a restricted lung hit. So thereās some leeway to juggle (and adjust) for given performance disparities.
Then you have RDAās. These are the most, again, generally speaking, flavor friendly. In so much as, they require the least flavoring (percentage-wise) yet deliver the fullest flavor taste, and are much more tolerant of high vg content due to being able to supply an immediate and unrestricted supply of liquid.
Tanks have to fight for their supply, through all manner of delivery holes, size of hole restrictions, number of holes, sealed vs vented liquid supply chambers, etc. All dependant upon the design of a given tank. And as a result, the tanks typically prefer a thinner liquid to help facilitate the feeding process. But it all hinges on design.
I know this is a lot to soak in, and I apologise for it turning into a novel, but I vote this helps you understand some of the interactions, and why youāll see certain things as you progress!
Mixing your own base is just as easy as mixing flavors though. Donāt let it intimidate you, as youāre doing the exact same thing. Do be respectful to the nicotine though, and always use the proper safety gear, and handling techniques though!
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It depends. Like @Sprkslfly mentioned, some people have have allergies and in that case itās very important. But for pretty much everyone else it just depends on either finding a vaping style that works with your pg/vg ratio, or a pg/vg ratio that suits your vaping style.
I started out anywhere between 50/50 and āmax vgā and I would adjust my vaping according to how fast or slow my dinky little coils kept up. Once I started DIYing I switched to max vg for a while, since I thought thatās what serious vapers were supposed to do. Eventually I realized that I liked a little more pg in my mixes because I quite enjoy chain vaping and my wicks soak up juice a lot faster when thereās more pg to thin the mix. I like a little more throat hit from the pg, too.
Iāve landed at 80vg/20pg as my sweet spot. Itās fun to be able to play around and find where your preferred ratio is but I wouldnāt say itās an absolute necessity. If itās more important to you to keep it super simple and just use a premade 70/30 base, thereās nothing wrong with that, and if need be you can adjust your vaping style to work with that ratio. If you do that for a while and realize that you want to switch it up for any reason then you can do that too. Thatās the beauty of diy. 
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I recommend: Marshmallow
Sugar Cookie
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Graham Cracker
Cheese Cake Graham Crust
Lemon Sicily
Lemon Juicy
Butterscotch & Butterscotch Swirl
Meringue
Cotton Candy
Sweet Cream
Iāll stop thereā¦
you can do so much with these flavors I can suggest so many more
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@Radiocake
You make scales and grams sound easy and efficient. Thank you. I may have to start doing this.
It does get tedious with syringes!
Looks like I stole your avatar! Haha. Iāll have to change it 
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I stole it from somewhere else in the first place. . so it`s all good.
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