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DIY in canada? Where do I go?

ceecee

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That has been suggested. Hasn't it Dan?
TheBrokeVaper
I even mentioned I'd be willing, cheap bastard that I am to pay an extra dollar or so for a box. However, one thing has nothing to do with the other.

Do not ever underestimate the malicious glee and destructive potential of our posties here. They are not so easily cheated out of their spiteful pleasures.

For that matter, they could also use the "parcel locker", the one in the first picture, the one that Canada Post insisted be installed, but to do so would require those poor pitiful SOBs to walk an extra 14 paces. (7 each way)

I'm sure a Canada Post van has sufficient weight to make short work of any box constructed out of any material short of unobtainum alloy.

Ah... I lived in Toronto for 30 years so I do understand what you're talking about.

I'm lucky - I have a postal carrier here in Ontario's rural wonderland who's just fabulous. She's not actually a unionized member of CP - just a contract carrier, so she's good at what she does and goes that extra mile.
 

Bobx

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For that matter, they could also use the "parcel locker", the one in the first picture, the one that Canada Post insisted be installed, but to do so would require those poor pitiful SOBs to walk an extra 14 paces. (7 each way)
Boy you do have problems with Canada Post. I feel for you!!
But not that I am sticking up for them, because I have had other types problems with them, but could it be the parcel boxes you show are already full?? There are only 6 boxes and we all know that there is a lot of online shopping these days.
 

Bobx

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Ah... I lived in Toronto for 30 years so I do understand what you're talking about.

I'm lucky - I have a postal carrier here in Ontario's rural wonderland who's just fabulous. She's not actually a unionized member of CP - just a contract carrier, so she's good at what she does and goes that extra mile.
I guess we are the lucky ones. I have the same thing. I live in Chilliwack BC and also have a women contract carrier. She is also great at what she does.:inlove::stars:
 

OneBadWolf

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Boy you do have problems with Canada Post. I feel for you!!
But not that I am sticking up for them, because I have had other types problems with them, but could it be the parcel boxes you show are already full?? There are only 6 boxes and we all know that there is a lot of online shopping these days.


They are never full, because they never use them. I know, because the tiny pieces of Scotch tape I use as indicators are unbroken. They last used Box A Dec. 17. I started using the tape after the first mangled parcel, when they bent the hinges.

This is not a large building. All three that have been rammed in to the tiny box, were Expedited Parcel service, the first, requiring a signature.

They should be bringing them to my door, and if I'm not home, leaving a key in my box to the parcel locker. If the parcel locker was ever full, they should leave a notification card of attempt to deliver, and leave my parcel at the Postal outlet, across the fucking street! Many times, I've opened the door only to find my parcel sitting on the floor outside. Takes too long to knock, and get a signature.

In fact, many times they have made no attempt to deliver a parcel at all, or even left the card, just dropped it across the street, where the online tracking tells me I can go get it.

I complained for the first time yesterday. lol On line. Service ticket (try that yourself. Don't worry no ticket will be generated) took one and a half hours to accomplish. Have not heard back. I don't expect that I will either.

I used to live in Hollywood CA. Never once had any reason to complain about USPS. A letter there cost half of what it does here to post. It virtually always arrived at its destination anyplace in the LA area by the next morning, if mailed before 4. For that matter, Nicaragua and El Salvador have more efficient postal services than we do. Our postal service is an embarrassment.


:bomb::vapemail::xD::drunk:
 
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OneBadWolf

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Cheap nic is not always the best nic!


Agreed. Usually, cheap Nic is not cheap. Consider a breakdown of your juice cost, if yours is like mine, Nic is one of the least expensive components, pennies in a 30Ml bottle and bad Nic will destroy your DIY.

I make juice for about 6 -10 people. Most of them, friends I've got into vaping, and while I encourage them to try commercial juice to find out what they like, I then take their requests. if I can make it for them, to their satisfaction, I happily do so on one condition. That I don't charge them a dime.

I don't mind a bit. In fact, its my honor to do so. It still costs me less than smoking, and I enjoy learning the craft of DIY, They actually assist me in furthering my ability because I could never vape that much myself, and many of the flavors they prefer, I would never have thought to try and make. but getting them nailed down sure sharpens the skills.

I also have the best friends in the world. They deserve the best juice.

As a result of decades of smoking, and even though I've been vaping for nearly 3 years, The stinkies caught up with me, and in late August 2016, I died.

Several times on the way, and 3 on the table. My friends took shifts talking to me 24 hours a day while I was in a coma afterwards, And they were there when I awoke, having beaten the odds and avoided not just the permanent dreaded deadies, but any discernible brain damage. (although I don't know how they would be able to determine that in my case.:giggle:) My X-Rays depict the lungs of a non-smoker. My heart, well it has a few aftermarket parts. I have to carry product ownership cards for them on my person. No shit.

Providing the best juice I am able to make was my goal before, and remains even more so now. In fact it is no longer a goal, but a duty. From my perspective, the best Nic obtainable, is worth every dime.
 
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Bobx

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I have to agree nic is the cheapest thing you will buy. At least for me!!
I did some figuring about a month ago on what it costs me to vape, and how long a Lt. of nic would last me. Keep in mind here that this is based on 70/30 PG/VG and I will never go over 5% flavor total using FA flavors. 5% is the highest and have not hit that yet. This is based on a Lt of 100mg/ml nic that I had bought.

1000 ml of nic
Will make 16666 ml @ 6 mg strength
I Use per month 60 ml

60 X 12 months = 720 ml per year
16666 divided by 720 = 23.147222 years

CostTo buy:
Nic $135 for 1000 ml
PG $14.95 for 1000 ml
VG $14.95 for 1000 ml

Cost to make 16666 ml:
Nic> 999.96 ml > $134.995
PG> 10666.24 ml > $159.46
VG> 44999.8 ml > $74.747
Total > $369.20
Cost per ml > $0.022

If I add the cost of Flavor
I Never add more than 5% Total
Flavor cost > $5.45 for 10 ml
Nic> 999.96 ml > $134.995
PG> 9832.94 ml > $147.002
VG> 44999.8 ml > $74.747
Flavor > 833.3 ml > $454.149
Total > $810.89
Cost per ml > $0.049

Cost per year for me to vape $.049 X 720 ml = $35.28

Calculator To Use
https://ecigvape.com/e-liquid-combining-calculator
 

rufftimes

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Ok gang, after spending a good half hour going through this thread, I'm confused as old hell. Maybe its time for an update since things may have changed a lot since this thread was started. So if anyone wants, post their opinion on the top three places to order from in Canada? I'm leaning towards the broke vaper right now, but I'm brand new so open to opinions.

Question, I was looking at their starter kit and seems like a good deal, but I'd be primarily looking at mixing 70/30 or 80/20. However, I may be doing some 50/50 for friends. Wouldn't it make sense for me to get a larger amount of vg? For example, how far would getting 250 ml of pg and 750 mil of vg get me? something along those lines?
 

riverdan

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I haven't compared prices in while but I've been happily using these guys for the past year for flavour/pg/vg. Stuff is packaged really well and gets here pretty fast.

http://www.diy-ejuice.com/default.asp

If you're going to be mixing mostly VG heavy then you'll probably need to order more VG. Even if you're mixing 50/50 you'll most likely need more VG as most flavours as far as I know are PG based.

As for how far you would get with those amounts of vg/pg it all depends on your % of overall added flavouring and NIC. You'll have to do a bit of maths.

If you haven't seen it yet. Take a look at this site. It'll help you figure out your calculations a bit better. https://e-liquid-recipes.com/


*Edit* Just to clear up my own confusion. When you say 70/30-80/20, are you talking vg/pg or pg/vg?
 
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Etown smoke

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250mil of pg and 750mil of vg will last you a little while depending on how much juice you make. When it come to nic it can be hit and miss on the quality but for the price and from the reviews the broke vapors starter kit is actually a good deal. Like I said in the other thread it's a good enough deal that when I need more nic I'm going to just get the starter kit for the sake of adding more flavors to my collection.
Just curious, where in Canada are you located cause we all have a spot close by for flavors. It's the nic that I have to get shipped from a few provinces over.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

c flakes

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Ok gang, after spending a good half hour going through this thread, I'm confused as old hell. Maybe its time for an update since things may have changed a lot since this thread was started. So if anyone wants, post their opinion on the top three places to order from in Canada? I'm leaning towards the broke vaper right now, but I'm brand new so open to opinions.

Question, I was looking at their starter kit and seems like a good deal, but I'd be primarily looking at mixing 70/30 or 80/20. However, I may be doing some 50/50 for friends. Wouldn't it make sense for me to get a larger amount of vg? For example, how far would getting 250 ml of pg and 750 mil of vg get me? something along those lines?

Nic, The broke vapor. Flavors, The broke vapor and DIY ejuice.

Your PG and VG will make about 1100 ml of 30/70 ejuice depending on nic level and flavor percentages.
 

ceecee

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For full selection of flavours, nic and pg and vg - in other words, ONE STOP SHOPPING - I recommend diy-ejuice.com as well. I've never bought from the Broke Vaper simply because of the lack of selection. Prices are a bit higher in some instances and a bit lower in others.

With diy-ejuice I get top notch customer service - overall best prices in Canada - broad range of manufacturers - product well packed in good quality HDPE plastic bottles with reliable drip heads - order is carefully sealed in plastic - shipped safely in boxes - reasonable shipping charges if your order is under $100 - free ship if over $100. Email first for nic prices and ask for a first time buyers discount code.

I've ordered from a few different places and they take top honours from me. :)
 

CDroverNL

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Hi all
I'm still new to diy and am trying to learn. The steeping process is killing me. Does anyone know where to buy bottles of flavor concentrates in canada? I mean bottles of premixed flavors, like an apple pie or pebbles cereal, etc. I'd like to pick up a couple of these to get me through until I can increase my flavor stash.
I've heard of them in the UK but not here in Canada.
 

ceecee

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Hi all
I'm still new to diy and am trying to learn. The steeping process is killing me. Does anyone know where to buy bottles of flavor concentrates in canada? I mean bottles of premixed flavors, like an apple pie or pebbles cereal, etc. I'd like to pick up a couple of these to get me through until I can increase my flavor stash.
I've heard of them in the UK but not here in Canada.

The Infinite Vaper has a pre-mixed flavouring line however I can't vouch for their taste as I've not tried any of these.
Moose Juices: https://infinitevaper.com/collections/flavourings-1/moose-juice-flavourings

Just about every one of the major flavouring comanies has some sort of pre-mix available if you take some time to go through the individual offerings. Capella has a lot (like Pina Colada, etc). Real Flavours does too. TFA has several. DIY-ejuice has a pretty good selection of these:
http://www.diy-ejuice.com/default.asp

They're all acceptable as pre-mixes but ultimately missing something on a personalized level. IMHO, it's better to find some well regarded recipes that interest you, buy the ingredients to make those then dial them in to your own preference from there. Then, instead of having one bottle of Pina Colada (for example), you have bottles of pineapple, coconut and cream that can be used individually somewhere else without the other flavours tagging along where they might not belong.
 

CDroverNL

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The Infinite Vaper has a pre-mixed flavouring line however I can't vouch for their taste as I've not tried any of these.
Moose Juices: https://infinitevaper.com/collections/flavourings-1/moose-juice-flavourings

Just about every one of the major flavouring comanies has some sort of pre-mix available if you take some time to go through the individual offerings. Capella has a lot (like Pina Colada, etc). Real Flavours does too. TFA has several. DIY-ejuice has a pretty good selection of these:
http://www.diy-ejuice.com/default.asp

They're all acceptable as pre-mixes but ultimately missing something on a personalized level. IMHO, it's better to find some well regarded recipes that interest you, buy the ingredients to make those then dial them in to your own preference from there. Then, instead of having one bottle of Pina Colada (for example), you have bottles of pineapple, coconut and cream that can be used individually somewhere else without the other flavours tagging along where they might not belong.
That's what I'm working on but it's taking me a while to build my flavors. I should have started buying flavors before I gave up using store bought juice...lol
I have a couple recipes I want to try, just need to get the flavors. I'm also having slight trouble finding simple recipes using the flavors I want to vape. Grape and pineapple for example. I've been scouring the eliquidrecipe site and have come up with a couple good and simple strawberry cheesecakes but a lot of recipes on there take 4 or more flavors.
 

ceecee

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That's what I'm working on but it's taking me a while to build my flavors. I should have started buying flavors before I gave up using store bought juice...lol
I have a couple recipes I want to try, just need to get the flavors. I'm also having slight trouble finding simple recipes using the flavors I want to vape. Grape and pineapple for example. I've been scouring the eliquidrecipe site and have come up with a couple good and simple strawberry cheesecakes but a lot of recipes on there take 4 or more flavors.

This could be of some help (highly rated 2, 3, 4 and 5 ingredient recipes):

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=2

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=3

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=4

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=5

One of the reasons I started DIY was because I wanted premium e-liquids without the premium price. Some of my recipes (most really) have between 8 - 14 flavours in them. However, I did start with fairly simple 4 and 5 ingredient recipes until I got the hang of it. 2 flavour recipes are lacking after you go through a couple of tanks but we all need to start somewhere. After you've been doing this for a couple of weeks or months, it will come to you. In the beginning, patience and perseverance is important.
 

CDroverNL

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This could be of some help (highly rated 2, 3, 4 and 5 ingredient recipes):

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=2

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=3

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=4

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=5

One of the reasons I started DIY was because I wanted premium e-liquids without the premium price. Some of my recipes (most really) have between 8 - 14 flavours in them. However, I did start with fairly simple 4 and 5 ingredient recipes until I got the hang of it. 2 flavour recipes are lacking after you go through a couple of tanks but we all need to start somewhere. After you've been doing this for a couple of weeks or months, it will come to you. In the beginning, patience and perseverance is important.
Thank you! I'll take a look at those asap. I didn't know that you could search by number of ingredients.
 

ceecee

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That's what I'm working on but it's taking me a while to build my flavors. I should have started buying flavors before I gave up using store bought juice...lol
I have a couple recipes I want to try, just need to get the flavors. I'm also having slight trouble finding simple recipes using the flavors I want to vape. Grape and pineapple for example. I've been scouring the eliquidrecipe site and have come up with a couple good and simple strawberry cheesecakes but a lot of recipes on there take 4 or more flavors.[/QUO
Thank you! I'll take a look at those asap. I didn't know that you could search by number of ingredients.

Oh! Another thing you may find helpful as a new mixer:

Flavourfog.com sells up to ten 3ml bottles of flavours with only $3 shipping anywhere in Canada. These are little sample sized bottles, perfect for trying out different companies flavours to see which ones you might best like. Use the code ELRECIPES for 10% off.

So say you buy ten 3ml bottles, with the discount code and $3 shipping, you only pay around $14.50 and you can sample 10 different flavours. They offer FlavourArt this way so it's a good method to make up quite a few mixes that use concentrated flavours and do tend to go further than Capella's and TPA.
 

ceecee

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How did you create a search like that?

I didn't. When I started on my mixing journey somebody gave me those links so I could start simple. :)
Just paying it forward.


http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=6

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=7

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=8


If you want highly rated 12 ingredient recipes, just change the number at the end of the URL and hit enter. ;)
 

CDroverNL

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I didn't. When I started on my mixing journey somebody gave me those links so I could start simple. :)
Just paying it forward.


http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=6

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=7

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/list?q=&exclsingle=0&sort=score&direction=desc&fcount=8


If you want highly rated 12 ingredient recipes, just change the number at the end of the URL and hit enter. ;)
Ahhh. Gotcha. Lol
Thanks again!
 

OneBadWolf

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The steeping process is killing me.

Steeping is a myth. Once the ingredients are mixed, the only chemical process that takes place is oxidation, which is not a good thing.

It is not brandy, it is not fermenting.Steeping can even result in ingredients coming out of solution.

Gentle, very slightly warmed mixing, until thoroughly mixed, will result in your juice at its best. It can only degrade from that moment on.

Try some blind taste tests with others, and see if the "steeped" juice is preferred. I think you will be surprised.

On the other hand, if your juice seems too "vivid", use less flavoring. Don't wait for "steeping" to mute the juice, make it properly to start with.
 

CDroverNL

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Steeping is a myth. Once the ingredients are mixed, the only chemical process that takes place is oxidation, which is not a good thing.

It is not brandy, it is not fermenting.Steeping can even result in ingredients coming out of solution.

Gentle, very slightly warmed mixing, until thoroughly mixed, will result in your juice at its best. It can only degrade from that moment on.

Try some blind taste tests with others, and see if the "steeped" juice is preferred. I think you will be surprised.

On the other hand, if your juice seems too "vivid", use less flavoring. Don't wait for "steeping" to mute the juice, make it properly to start with.
Makes a lot of sense, actually.
I never looked at it like that
 

Bobx

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Steeping is a myth.
Gentle, very slightly warmed mixing, until thoroughly mixed,

I agree with this. But I do a half ass type of steep. I make my juice about a week before I need it then stick it between 2 external Hard Drives that get warm. I shake them every once in a while when I think of it. Works for me.

My steeping rack set for 30ml bottles.

Capture_027.jpg
 

c flakes

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Steeping is a myth. Once the ingredients are mixed, the only chemical process that takes place is oxidation, which is not a good thing.

It is not brandy, it is not fermenting.Steeping can even result in ingredients coming out of solution.

Gentle, very slightly warmed mixing, until thoroughly mixed, will result in your juice at its best. It can only degrade from that moment on.

Try some blind taste tests with others, and see if the "steeped" juice is preferred. I think you will be surprised.

On the other hand, if your juice seems too "vivid", use less flavoring. Don't wait for "steeping" to mute the juice, make it properly to start with.


I will give that a try.
 

OneBadWolf

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I need it then stick it between 2 external Hard Drives


Lolol. For a second, I thought you were using them as a magnetic stirrer.

I do a similar thing to effect full blending. I mix half of the amount of the juice, for example if I'm making 120Ml, I use two 120Ml bottles, mixing 60Ml of juice in each bottle, then I gently shake and swirl each until they appear blended, then I place both bottles in the microwave for precisely 9 seconds.

According to my laser thermometer, this heats each to 40C. I then shake and swirl each, then pour one bottle into the other.

What this does is two things. Firstly, it slightly warms the liquid, making it thinner, which allows it to blend more quickly, and fully, and secondly, the microwaves basically bash the molecules against each other, producing heat, but also causing minute thermoclastic convection vortices. I used some old VG that was not going to be used for juice, and some food coloring to observe, and evaluate the effect of the microwaves. The effect continues for several minutes after the juice is removed from the microwave, and does a very good job of thoroughly mixing the ingredients.

The reason I use 2 bottles, it that if I just used one, there is no room in the bottle for the juice to be stir/swirled, only a tiny air bubble.

The number of seconds in the micro are only for my make model and wattage. I don't recommend that anyone use my numbers, instead start at 2 seconds, and take the temp to determine for your micro and size of bottle how long it takes to reach approx 40 C. increase the time by one second at a time until you attain your target temp.

Make sure that your test VG has fully cooled before proceeding to the next time test, and do the test for each size of bottle, as well as each type of bottle material. The amount of nuke time to quantity of liquid to is not linear, the 9 seconds I mentioned above is for 60Ml in a 120 LDPE bottle. Time for 30Ml in a 30Ml LDPE bottle is 7 seconds for example, so don't be tempted to guesstimate, as the results are not easily estimated. For instance, 20 Ml in a glass dropper bottle was so much too much that the glass bottle broke while it was cooling. Sometimes the difference in time between 40 C and boiling, might be as little as 2-3 seconds.

Because the VG is so dense, it reflects much less and absorbs more of the microwave energy, so do not substitute water for this test, because water is totally different, and takes much longer to attain the same temp as an equal amount of VG

The juice does not suffer from the Nic oxidizing as a result of the Micro, as the procedure does not introduce any air bubbles like vigorous stir/shaking does. I keep trying to get excited about using a ultrasonic transducer to do the same thing, but so far, it seems that the ultrasound DOES introduce fine bubbles into the juice, which will oxidize the Nic.

My secret exposed at last!
 
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OneBadWolf

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My microwave has done much weirder stuff. Using it for creating plasmoids is always a crowd pleaser. I also had a lot of fun duct taping a 10" fluorescent bulb from a camp lantern into the top of it, and the look on the face of my unsuspecting room mate as the whiter than white Close-Encounters-of-the Third-Kind light flooded out of the micro window, lighting up the kitchen like the sun was inside the micro as they went to re heat their coffee was priceless.

I'm the only one here who uses it anymore, they think the RF Energy Deitys will poison their food as punishment for the foreign objects, and warrantee voiding experiments I've subjected it to. lol

:xD::xD:
 
Hey fellow canucks :)

A few things I'd figure I'd throw my 2 cents in on.

1) Vendors: I've used Infinite Vapor, Flavourfog and DIY-EJUICE and a few others. I know only buy exclusively from Flavourfog and DIY-EJUICE. I'm in Alberta, and Flavourfog is in Edmonton and DIY in BC. Both get here in 2-3 days. Most of what I need is at Flavourfog, but sometimes they don't have a particular flavor so I go to DIY. Problem is I'm addicted to making juice and end up quadrupling my order from DIY lol. The only down side, is neither DIY or Flavourfog sell NIC juice anymore. Infinite Vapor does, but I didn't get the best tasting NIC juice from them. It tasted peppery. Any ideas there?

2) Flavors: I high recommend you download Recipe Calculator (google it I don't have the link handy). Steam has a good calc, and there are LOTS of other good ones out there. What I like about RC though is when I get new flavors I add it (quanity/cost) to the software and it keeps my inventory for me. I input all my recipes, and it tells me what I have enough flavoring to make, and warns me when I'm getting low. Heck when I start getting low on a flavor, it adds it to a shopping list for me. So when I start a new recipe, I only order enough flavoring to make 30ml batch. Then if I like that particular recipe, I'll order it in bulk. This has saved me lots of money (I have soooo much fricking root beer and gingerale flavoring barf).

3) Steeping: What I find is everyone has a different method. It is important to do what works for YOU. If your not marketing your juice, do what ever process makes the juice taste the best to you. Or your friends if your making it for them. I do all my batches in glass beakers. I mix the VG, PG and NIC in first. I stir with an electric frother. I let the bases settle, then add the flavoring. Once flavoring is in, I mix the batch good again with the frother (30-40 seconds) and then into the ultrasonic cleaner for 8 minutes. After its in the cleaner, and nice and thin, I give it another 30 seconds with the frother then let it sit over night with no cap. The next morning, I cap and leave it. Depending on what flavoring your using, and what your preferences are, steeping = time = better taste. I have made over 100 of HIC's recipes. Some taste better with a steep. IE: Unicorn's Milk and Summer Sweet are perfect after 6-8 days. Others, like my rendition of Cuttwood's Boss of Bag Pipes needs atleast 2-3 weeks. Do I mix too much? Maybe. But it tastes good to me and my friends and that's all that matters :)

4) Careful with pre-made flavors. I got blue meanie moose juice from Infinite Vapor. They recommend 15-20%. I've tried it from 2-25% and can not make it taste good what so ever. Even tried using it in a blue razz type recipe. With sour. With smooth. With sweet. With MTS Wizard and Bitter. Nothing works lol.

I attached a picture of my current steeping closet. I have 2 ADV's (Unicorn's Milk & Summer Sweet). Currently 27 recipes in various degrees of testing/steeping. The other great thing about that software I use is when I test something, I record when I tested it, what it tasted like, what it needs and how long its been steeping. Software records all of it.

Also, I use a Dymo LabelWriter 400 for my labels with the mix date, nic strength, quantity and name.

Cheers
juice.jpg
 

OneBadWolf

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t. I stir with an electric frother. I let the bases settle, then add the flavoring. Once flavoring is in, I mix the batch good again with the frother (30-40 seconds) and then into the ultrasonic cleaner for 8 minutes. After its in the cleaner, and nice and thin,


Allo! Welcome to VU! Edmonton here also.

Great info, but I'd research the frother. I also do my own extracttions for some flavors, and during that research, became aware of the issue of oxidation.

Although Nic is recognized as greatly affected by oxidation, so are the flavorings. The greatest factor influencing oxidation, is cavitation,

Cavitation,is caused by the hydrodynamic introduction of small air bubbles into the liquid. The thicker the liquid, the more the air becomes suspended in it, and the greater the effect of the oxidation. I communicated with several commercial flavor extraction companies, and they explained that to accomplish the extractions without oxidation, they use a cavitator that uses nitrogen infusion, and other exotic equipment.

Ultrasound works, and that is what I used before microwaves, but care must be taken to ensure that the ultrasound levels are low enough so as not to introduce any air.

As for the Nic, I've been happy with the Nic from The Broke Vaper. PM me If you would like to meet for a coffee sometime, I'll give you a sample.
 

Vapin-Dave

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Hey guys and gals. I just started making my own juice about a week ago and have been reading up on many brands and flavours to see which ones I would like to add to the collection. I came across some Super Concentrated flavours but can't seem to find much info on them. Just wondering if some of these would be a worthwhile purchase or not.

http://www.diy-ejuice.com/category-s/1859.htm

I would be very interested in hearing any thoughts or opinions you have on these to help me decide if I should pull the trigger or keep on lookin'. :cool:
 

ceecee

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
ECF Refugee
Hey guys and gals. I just started making my own juice about a week ago and have been reading up on many brands and flavours to see which ones I would like to add to the collection. I came across some Super Concentrated flavours but can't seem to find much info on them. Just wondering if some of these would be a worthwhile purchase or not.

http://www.diy-ejuice.com/category-s/1859.htm

I would be very interested in hearing any thoughts or opinions you have on these to help me decide if I should pull the trigger or keep on lookin'. :cool:

I've bought 4 different Super Concentrated flavours from diy-ejuice.

Blackberry - strong, brighter than FA Blackberry, I would recommend to use sparingly at very low percentages (0.5 to 1% max)

Forest Strawberry - use at 1% to 2% stand alone, 0.3% to 0.75% in mixes - nice complex berry profile, strawberry forward

French Pipe - rich pipe tobacco, the only tobacco I use when I need a fix for a "smoke", I use at 2% and add a bit of vanilla and caramel

Lemonade - okay for lemonade flavour at 2%, nice mixed with other fruits and useful to keep other lemon flavours from fading in mixes (at 0.3% to 0.5%)

I'm planning on trying some other flavours as I go along. One thing I should mention is that these tend to get stronger, the longer they sit AND they also need some time to properly bloom - so be careful. Start low and work your way up. :)
 

Vapin-Dave

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
......
I'm planning on trying some other flavours as I go along. One thing I should mention is that these tend to get stronger, the longer they sit AND they also need some time to properly bloom - so be careful. Start low and work your way up. :)

Ok ... thanks for the advice and thoughts on the flavors you've tried. I assumed the starting percentage would be quite low. I was wondering about the flavour profiles being accurate. For instance I can find various reviews/opinions on a certain brand's flavour to help me decide if I'd like to get it. But I can't seem to find much on these. I did find info on several types of Super Concentrated flavours but I'm not sure if they're the same brand. I guess I'm basically just unsure of what to search for. o_O

I was also wondering if there were any disadvantages to getting these super concentrated flavours. Perhaps trying to use them in tiny amounts would be an issue but I suppose they could always be diluted in PG first. I guess the only way to know for sure is to get a couple and try them. ;) From what I've read it seems like many of Inawera's flavours are super concentrated as well.
 
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ceecee

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
ECF Refugee
Ok ... thanks for the advice and thoughts on the flavors you've tried. I assumed the starting percentage would be quite low. I was wondering about the flavour profiles being accurate. For instance I can find various reviews/opinions on a certain brand's flavour to help me decide if I'd like to get it. But I can't seem to find much on these. I did find info on several types of Super Concentrated flavours but I'm not sure if they're the same brand. I guess I'm basically just unsure of what to search for. o_O

I was also wondering if there were any disadvantages to getting these super concentrated flavours. Perhaps trying to use them in tiny amounts would be an issue but I suppose they could always be diluted in PG first. I guess the only way to know for sure is to get a couple and try them. ;) From what I've read it seems like many of Inawera's flavours are super concentrated as well.

Yup it's hard to find reviews, that's for sure. A quick look around at some US vendors shows that it is referred to as both Super Concentrates and Super Concentrated (Bull City Flavors has it listed as Super Concentrates in their listings then in specific flavour descriptions it states "Super Concentrated is made in China".

However, I know VapingZone.com also has a line called Super Concentrated and in their descriptive blurb it says,

"...we developed our VZ Cig Super Concentrated Flavoring."

DIY-ejuice states on their website that they are carrying the line from China. A quick look reveals that both lines are alcohol based so I wouldn't be surprised if VZ SC is actually made in China as well. For now (until I hear something otherwise), I am assuming that Super Concentrates and Super Concentrated are one in the same.

Inawera and FlavourArt are both very concentrated as well. I have quite a few flavours from these lines too.

As far as "flavour profiles being accurate".... All flavouring companies do certain flavours very well, other flavours not so much. Since everyone's perception of flavour is different (you'll hear this a lot!) you'll need to work out what you like best. Are they accurate? Only you can decide that.

As for mixing, I use a scale and that makes it easy to use any flavouring that is super concentrated or otherwise. If you're using a volume method it's going to be much harder to be accurate and thus could be quite unhappy with your resulting mix. If you don't already have one, I highly recommend you get yourself a scale that measures to two decimal places. They're not expensive and worth the investment.

No need to buy one from a vape shop. You can pick one up on eBay for under $7 with free shipping from China.

I have an American Weigh Scale so I can't vouch for these ones on eBay, just saying they can be had for relatively reasonable prices. If you know you're going to be mixing for the foreseeable future, have a look around for a well made, accurate scale - they're reasonably priced and will work for years.

If you've never mixed by weight just check youtube for "DIY mixing by weight" tutorials. It's the most accurate, repeatable method available (specific gravity never changes, volume can fluctuate depending on atmospheric conditions). It's super fast and there's no clean up. Easy as pie!
 
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Vapin-Dave

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Yup it's hard to find reviews, that's for sure. A quick look around at some US vendors shows that it is referred to as both Super Concentrates and Super Concentrated (Bull City Flavors has it listed as Super Concentrates in their listings then in specific flavour descriptions it states "Super Concentrated is made in China".....

Thanks for the detailed reply. That answers many of my questions. I was wondering if they were the same concentrates as some of the others mentioned. For instance if I go to e-Liquid-Recipes there are a few that just say 'Super Concentrated' and some that just have (SC) after the name. Then there are a lot that have (SC) (VZ) and (SC) (Real Flavors) after the name. So I was starting to get a bit confused. LOL I didn't notice that these flavours on DIY E-Juice were from China. Should I have any concerns about what's in these flavourings then or are they generally considered safe to use?

Yeah I've noticed that different brands have different flavours that are good that's why I was hoping to find some flavour profiles for the SC versions. Like I said maybe I'll just grab a handful and see how they work out. Yup I'm all set up with my AWS Scale, PG, VG etc. I created a thread with my starting collection HERE. Please let me know if there's anything I should add.

So thanks again for your help and I'll be sure to report back if I try some of the SC flavours from DIY-Ejuice. :D
 

ceecee

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
ECF Refugee
Thanks for the detailed reply. That answers many of my questions. I was wondering if they were the same concentrates as some of the others mentioned. For instance if I go to e-Liquid-Recipes there are a few that just say 'Super Concentrated' and some that just have (SC) after the name. Then there are a lot that have (SC) (VZ) and (SC) (Real Flavors) after the name. So I was starting to get a bit confused. LOL I didn't notice that these flavours on DIY E-Juice were from China. Should I have any concerns about what's in these flavourings then or are they generally considered safe to use?

Yeah I've noticed that different brands have different flavours that are good that's why I was hoping to find some flavour profiles for the SC versions. Like I said maybe I'll just grab a handful and see how they work out. Yup I'm all set up with my AWS Scale, PG, VG etc. I created a thread with my starting collection HERE. Please let me know if there's anything I should add.

So thanks again for your help and I'll be sure to report back if I try some of the SC flavours from DIY-Ejuice. :D

Real Flavors SC flavours is their extract line which I'm hearing some pretty good buzz about lately. I have little respect for their VG line - IMHO it sucks but I've only tried a handful of those and some flavours may indeed be good. Don't know and won't be spending any more money to find out.

Nothing wrong with Chinese flavouring - Hangsen (for one) is considered top of the line. I know that Chinese wares can be considered inferior sometimes however they have some fine quality labs in China just as we do here in North America.

There is also a brand called My Fresh Lab which is also really good and also very concentrated. I've been playing with these lately and I'm impressed.

@Vapin-Dave FYI Real Flavors have two lines of flavors, their regular in VG which tends to take more, and their concentrated line. You can get both from Walmart. I think Walmart has invaded Canada... :giggle: There are some Real Flavor review threads here in VU.

Walmart Canada doesn't have them :(
At least not yet!
 

ceecee

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
ECF Refugee
Thanks for the detailed reply. That answers many of my questions. I was wondering if they were the same concentrates as some of the others mentioned. For instance if I go to e-Liquid-Recipes there are a few that just say 'Super Concentrated' and some that just have (SC) after the name. Then there are a lot that have (SC) (VZ) and (SC) (Real Flavors) after the name. So I was starting to get a bit confused. LOL I didn't notice that these flavours on DIY E-Juice were from China. Should I have any concerns about what's in these flavourings then or are they generally considered safe to use?

Yeah I've noticed that different brands have different flavours that are good that's why I was hoping to find some flavour profiles for the SC versions. Like I said maybe I'll just grab a handful and see how they work out. Yup I'm all set up with my AWS Scale, PG, VG etc. I created a thread with my starting collection HERE. Please let me know if there's anything I should add.

So thanks again for your help and I'll be sure to report back if I try some of the SC flavours from DIY-Ejuice. :D

I just checked out your flavour list - you'll probably be needing some creams and some vanilla to go with your fruits.
Everyone is different but for myself, I like creams paired with my fruits.
I have very few straight fruit recipes that I make.

FWIW, I would suggest you get some basics like:
CAP Vanilla Custard (I prefer version 1 but version 2 is diketone free, if thats's what you're into)
CAP Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (or TPA/TFA, I'm good with either but some people say TFA has a peppery taste)
TFA Bavarian Cream
CAP Sweet Cream

I also love CAP Vanilla Cupcake and CAP Vanilla Whipped Cream. Never let myself run out of these two.

For straight vanilla you could get Inawera, either Vanilla Shisha or Vanilla Classic. Both good vanilla flavours where a little goes a long way.

You'll use these in a lot of recipes and you'll end up seeing them a lot when you're searching for something to make and then you'll wish you had them.
 

OneBadWolf

VU Donator
Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
Nothing wrong with Chinese flavouring


Um. If you would not feed your dog Chinese made pet food, why would you vape their juice/flavorings? There is also the issue of counterfeit Hangsen/Hangda/Hangdog/Hangnail,

Even if a particular batch of the authentic tested OK, there is no assurance the next will, much less the identically labeled fakes.

I discovered Super Concentrated flavorings by accident. An incredibly inexpensive source of certified food grade flavorings is Art Soap wholesale suppliers.

.5 to 1% of those is lots. I started at a conservative 5%, and it was so strong, that at first I thought it was crap. The best chocolate flavoring I've ever used I get from a Soap making wholesaler. 90Ml for $6. They also sell USP VG for 20% of the cost of anyplace else.
 

ceecee

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
ECF Refugee
Um. If you would not feed your dog Chinese made pet food, why would you vape their juice/flavorings? There is also the issue of counterfeit Hangsen/Hangda/Hangdog/Hangnail,

Even if a particular batch of the authentic tested OK, there is no assurance the next will, much less the identically labeled fakes.

I discovered Super Concentrated flavorings by accident. An incredibly inexpensive source of certified food grade flavorings is Art Soap wholesale suppliers.

.5 to 1% of those is lots. I started at a conservative 5%, and it was so strong, that at first I thought it was crap. The best chocolate flavoring I've ever used I get from a Soap making wholesaler. 90Ml for $6. They also sell USP VG for 20% of the cost of anyplace else.

Not sure I understand your logic. Nobody was talking about dog food or commercially made e-liquid.
I was talking about using food grade flavouring, made in China. Hangsen is made in China.
Super Concentrated is made in China.

Perhaps you are unaware of the metric tons of food grade ingredients that find their way into our human food supply on a daily basis, courtesy of "Made in China". It's the dirty little secret that the North American food industry doesn't want to talk about.

Is it safe? That's highly debatable. Do the vast majority of us eat it, no questions asked?

Yes.
 
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OneBadWolf

VU Donator
Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
Is it safe? That's highly debatable. Do the vast majority of us eat it, no questions asked?
Yes.


Logically, everything is lethal poison. Nothing is safe. Only the dosage is up for debate.

However, in matters where there is a question about precisely what poison, and how much, Personally, I prefer known quantities.

Statistically, it is a virtual certainty, that some North American food products contain substances they should not, and other substances in amounts differing from the description. It happens.

It is a numbers game. The fastest horse does not always win the race. Logically though, that is how the betting goes.

I don't own a gas chromatograph, or mass spectrometer. And Bobx's are still in the shop.


My point, is that through knowledge, risk can be managed. In order to do so, one must first identify and quantify precisely what substances are actually being dealt with in order to manage risk.

To me at least provenance has a value. I use the word here with the connotation meaning the original, bona fide source,and chronology of the ownership For a large part of my life, risk management was a primary core objective. The decisions I made each day, could have a potential impact on hundreds of lives. And I use the word impact in the literal sense here.

Some of those lives were able to make informed decisions to a greater, or lesser extent to trust my judgement, Not too big a leap of faith for them because after all, their asses were only a tiny fraction of a second behind mine. Many more people went about their daily lives blissfully unaware that I was flying overhead.

In flight school, and my brief studies in aerodynamics, I was taught that officially, physics are what make airplanes fly. Bernoulli, Newton etc. That is the official explanation. Personally, I've always known it is sorcery. Practitioners of the art perform rituals, walking around the ship in the prescribed manner, pushing on this, pulling on that and peering at the other thing, then, through strange incantations, and recitations of lists, the arrangement of numerous mystical objects in carefully prescribed positions, and after conversing with unseen deitys in high places, more spells and incantations, there is the moment when lift equals weight, thrust equals drag, and you feel the wings start to take the weight from the wheels, and at that moment, all those thousands of them, I never once experienced any doubt that something less than magic was at work.

The truth though, is that aircraft fly neither because of physics, nor magic (well, perhaps a little of each) primarily, they fly on trust. Every component has a recorded provenance. Every system, every sub component can be tracked from its creation to the present moment. One trusts that they were engineered and designed and tested and manufactured and tested again, and maintained and tested more still.

We are taught to trust our instruments. However, if one trusts a control, navigation, engine management, or communication system which has a counterfeit surface mounted integrated circuit, manufactured in China, marked in a identical manner to the authentic certified part, it will probably be just fine. The chain of fictitious PRC registered companies whose existence and only purpose is to obscure the actual origin of these components is no mere accident, it is a national industry, coordinated by a corrupt government, to whom the dollar outweighs your safety. The definition of probable being 51% or greater. (BTW, random, is often described as a coin toss, with the outcome being 50/50, with a variance of +/- 5%) It will probably test the same as the authentic, and perform the same, at least that is, at sea level, with no vibration, at room temperature.

Not all Efest batterys are deliberately over rated, not all will go into thermal overload, explode, and propel an atomizer through your palate into your sinus cavity, fracturing your cervical vertebra in the process. Most are just factory seconds of dubious origin, re-wrapped with outlandish specifications. Probably, they will be safe to vape. Probably.

Now, we are seeing counterfeit Efest batterys. Counterfeits of counterfeits. Can you guess where they are manufactured? Here is a hint. Not in Switzerland.

Of course, given a long enough timeline, the survival rate of anything equals zero. I have some recent experience in this, I should know. I won't ruin the surprise, but for me at least, there was no welcoming, warm white light. FWIW, I advise avoiding death for as long as possible. I advise that if one is going to do something that may be dangerous, (and what isn't) that one should at least know to a reasonable degree the composition of the involved materials, in order to make an informed decision.

Not sure I understand your logic.


I hope you better understand it now. I respect your personal choice to put whatever substances you choose into your body. Even if it were cigarettes. I do not have a double standard. In the same manner, I'm sure you respect my decision to inform, and advise others about ingesting substances of dubious provenance. More so if they are just beginning on their journey in this particular art. While I might understand and respect the right to choose to smoke cigarettes, I won't recommend them to others. Unless they happen to be my mailman.
 
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gbalkam

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
Reddit Exile
I get my PG and VG from the local pharmacy. Not available at ALL pharmacies, most can order it in. No Frills pharmacy (prob also superstore and sobeys, since they are all the same company (Loblaws) may or may not. Point is.. if you have 6 pharmacies near you, chances are pretty good that you can get it. LOL..my local pharmacy even started keeping it in stock... word of mouth works...
 

Darth Omerta

Silver Contributor
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
ECF Refugee
Hey everyone! Been on the site for a month or 2 now but not new to vaping by any stretch. been doing DIY for almost as long as Ive been vaping and Im not sure Im ready to read up on 8 pages to get fully caught up but definitely wanna follow this thread as I am a Canadian DIY vaper! That said...

@Phantom
Diy does have nicotine, you just have to email them.

WTF?!?!?!?!? Ive been ordering from them for 2 years and I could have been getting Nic from them this whole time! Ive been paying a suckers price to order somewhat locally and getting 50mg PG for $25/100mls

What are their prices like and hows the nic? Cloudy? Peppery? Harsh? Does it come in PG and VG? 50ml and 100ml?
 

ceecee

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
ECF Refugee
Oh....and...Hi @ceecee !!! I knew you were over here as well as the other place but havent ran into you since my first post over here!

:wave: I pretty much just hang around in the DIY section, don't get around much.

and...
WTF is right!!! You didn't know diy-ejuice had nic??? Just email for prices - they'll hook you up ;) and you'll be pleased with the prices. Really great nic too - I only buy from them now as they are the most reasonable place in Canada with the cleanest nic I've found. I've been pointed to another vendor I haven't tried yet but they are really pricey compared to these guys.
 

Darth Omerta

Silver Contributor
Member For 2 Years
Member For 1 Year
ECF Refugee
:wave: I pretty much just hang around in the DIY section, don't get around much.

and...
WTF is right!!! You didn't know diy-ejuice had nic??? Just email for prices - they'll hook you up ;) and you'll be pleased with the prices. Really great nic too - I only buy from them now as they are the most reasonable place in Canada with the cleanest nic I've found. I've been pointed to another vendor I haven't tried yet but they are really pricey compared to these guys.

So crazy!!!! I just placed an order with TBV because I was running dangerously low on Nic. I could use a few concentrates as well but was waiting for a full order from DIY before going that route. Probably would have gone with them had I known. Oh well...Definitely ordering nic from them on my next order...next month LOL!!!!
 

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