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Can't Taste My DIY Juice

BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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i know its not vapor's tongue since i can taste all/any of my brand name purchased e liquids....but for some reason i cant taste my diy juice.
flavor concentrates used: Capella flavor concentrates.
liquid nicotine used: LiquidBarn nicotine
vegetable glycerin & propelyne glycol maker: Plant Guru

using 16 15ml bottles.
16 different Capella flavors.
24mg nic strength diluted to 3mg per bottle. 38 drops per bottle.
60 drops, 20% of Capella flavor for each bottle
40%pg/60%vg
made on Saturday morning.

have tried 3 different flavors, Blueberry cotton candy, Cup of Joe(coffee), and Chai tea.
can smell all of my flavors quite well, but when i vape i cant taste much at all.

is the problem the steep time?
or the % of the flavor? i have been told i'm using too much.
Or maybe the vg isnt very good since the Plant Guru maybe an untested vg maker?

Edit: i am steeping the "in a dark drawer" method. No ultrasonic or heat induced steeping fyi.
 
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Heabob

Heabob

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BronzyIsland said:
20% of Capella flavor for each bottle
Click to expand...

Even 10% is a bit high for most CAP flavors when using stand alone.
My average starting point for CAP, TFA, & FW is usually 5%.
But 10% or higher is fine if it's the total percent using several different flavors.
High VG, and equipment, both can have some effect on flavors too IMO.
 
Huckleberried

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I'm in agreement with using too much. Try diluting those with more of your bases and see what you think.

With Capella flavors that I'm not familiar with, I sometimes do a sample mix starting at 3%, then work up from there if necessary.
 
RonJS

RonJS

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BronzyIsland said:
60 drops, 20% of Capella flavor for each bottle
<Snip>
or the % of the flavor? i have been told i'm using too much.
Click to expand...

Welcome!

It could be too much or..maybe not enough.

Are you using a program/device to make these recipe?
If so, does it allow different drop sizes? Where might it be set at?
Do you know the drop size of the CAP bottles you are using? (Drops per ml)

I ask these questions as some flavor bottles discharge at 23 drops per ml, some at 65 drops per ml and some...somewhere in between.

I'm not all that familiar with the CAP flavors you mentioned, but drop size can count.

Ron
---
"By knowing things that exist, you can know that which does not exist."- Miyamoto Musashi
 
nightshard

nightshard

It's VG/PG not PG/VG
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With DIY less is more, you are literally shocking your taste buds.
Also Cotton Candy is not really a flavor on it's own, it's 10% Ethyl Maltol in PG and in concentrations above 1% it will mute the flavor.
In addition most pre made e-liquids have sweetener, usually sucralose, stevia, EM or a combination.
 
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BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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  • Anise Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Blue Raspberry Cotton Candy Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Cake Batter Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Chai Tea Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Cool Mint Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Grape Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Hazelnut Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Sugar Cookie Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Toasted Almond Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Sweet Cream Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Concord Grape with Stevia 13ml
  • Cup a Joe Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Fig Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Bavarian Cream Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Butter Cream Flavor Concentrate 13ml
  • Golden Butter Flavor Concentrate
those are the flavors i have used and bottled but i havent mixed any together or made any recipes either.
 
BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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RonJS said:
Welcome!

It could be too much or..maybe not enough.

Are you using a program/device to make these recipe?
If so, does it allow different drop sizes? Where might it be set at?
Do you know the drop size of the CAP bottles you are using? (Drops per ml)

I ask these questions as some flavor bottles discharge at 23 drops per ml, some at 65 drops per ml and some...somewhere in between.

I'm not all that familiar with the CAP flavors you mentioned, but drop size can count.

Ron
---
"By knowing things that exist, you can know that which does not exist."- Miyamoto Musashi
Click to expand...


i used just an online calculator..
each bottle is 13ml.
i dont know the drops per ml of each bottle. but according to the online calculator...30 drops=10% of a 15ml bottle.

uh....i dumped out everything i did and started over.
i used this webpage to give me a roundabout of how much to use per flavor.
http://www.v-ecigs.com/tfa-flavor-percentage-recommendations/
i followed it as close as i could. i didnt go over 10% on anything.


btw, a couple more questions.
which is stronger?
TFA(flavor apprentice) or Capella?

and....
any difference between using a pg based nicotine vs a vg based nicotine? i purchased 2 bottles. one of each.

why does some liquid nicotine end up "bad"?
bad as in it makes you feel crappy if you vape it?
 
nightshard

nightshard

It's VG/PG not PG/VG
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Simply put 20 drops are 1 ml more or less.
10% is still a lot for most flavors.
Unless you have a specific recipe, when mixing several flavors together I would start with 3% of each and add more if needed.
Some specific flavors are super concentrated and should be used at 1% or even less.

You can use either VG or PG based nic, just as long as you take into account the PG or VG in then when calculating you juice PG/VG ratio.
PG is easier to work with since VG has thicker consistency, especially if it's cooled or put in the freezer.

Nic base eventually spoils, but usually bad nic comes bad from the supplier after being stored improperly or for too long, or being of low quality in the first place, that's why is a good idea to buy nic from a good manufacturer or through a good supplier.
 
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Jimi

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Your Vg might be SOME of the problem. First is it USP grade? Some VG's can mute flavor, some more than others. The one I have found to NOT mute flavors is RTS Vapes it is made from coconuts not soy, not palm last i bought was 19.99 a gal. i buy my PG there also. Either get a scale or a syringe to measure with it's to easy to get off with drops method. TFA is a little stronger than Cap. As was said nic in PG is easier to use just BE SURE TO SHAKE THE SHIT OUT OF IT JUST BEFORE USING IT and your flavorings too as the nic layers and the flavorings settle. I use some of the flavors you listed and can taste them fine and my taste buds are burnt out.
 
RonJS

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BronzyIsland said:
i used just an online calculator..
each bottle is 13ml.
i dont know the drops per ml of each bottle. but according to the online calculator...30 drops=10% of a 15ml bottle.

uh....i dumped out everything i did and started over.
i used this webpage to give me a roundabout of how much to use per flavor.
http://www.v-ecigs.com/tfa-flavor-percentage-recommendations/
Click to expand...

In your OP you said you were using CAP flavors and now TFA? You got me confused. :)

I and others use ejuice me up ( http://ejuice.breaktru.com/ ). You can vary the drop sizes there. You can determine your drop size by counting the # of drops per ml as you place them in a marked container. Usually that would be an easy to get 1ml syringe.

You may also think about get a scale and measuring by weight.

Ron
---
"Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy."- Lao Tzu
 
Heabob

Heabob

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BronzyIsland said:
which is stronger?
TFA(flavor apprentice) or Capella?
Click to expand...

Both are fairly close in strength IMO, (and 4-5% is my typical starting point for fruits, but Blackberry is 2%).
And INW & FA are usually stronger, (usually 2-3%).

Careful with Anise & Cup of Joe.
Typically they're stronger type flavors.
Cake Batter will make itself known and some can't take even small amounts.
Some love it, and some hate it.

Sugar Cookie is nice (3-6% range)
Add in 1% Hazelnut OR 1% Toasted Almond (may need adjusting depending on how strong they are)
You could also add 0.5-1% Sweet Cream OR Butter Cream OR Golden Butter.

Easier and more accurate measuring drops by weight, get a cheapo scale from Amazon that reads down to 0.01.

Where's @Squonk with that link, guide to measuring with a scale.
 
BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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RonJS said:
In your OP you said you were using CAP flavors and now TFA? You got me confused. :)
Click to expand...
No i just used Capella. But i used the TFA flavor percentage page to give me a roundabout idea of how much to use of drops per flavor.

Jimi said:
Your Vg might be SOME of the problem. First is it USP grade? Some VG's can mute flavor, some more than others. The one I have found to NOT mute flavors is RTS Vapes it is made from coconuts not soy, not palm last i bought was 19.99 a gal.
Click to expand...

http://www.shop.theplantguru.com/searchquick-submit.sc?keywords=GLYCERIN

i used this but i dont know what its base is. its usp though.

nightshard said:
Nic base eventually spoils, but usually bad nic comes bad from the supplier after being stored improperly or for too long, or being of low quality in the first place, that's why is a good idea to buy nic from a good manufacturer or through a good supplier.
Click to expand...

i asked because i have this one 15ml bottle of Mewlew's Magic by the vape company Velvet Cloud Vapor....and i swear that every time i try to vape it it makes me feel.....
really funky.
like if i had just vaped a 24-36mg juice when its only a 3mg.
Worst nic ever.
i dont know where they got their nic but its bad.
they're based in San Francisco.
i would dump it out if it wasnt for the fact the taste is mind blowing.
its a chocolate fudge taste and this Velvet Cloud company is famous for its chocolate taste. i need to buy another bottle but in 0mg and throw this one out.
 
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BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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i heard that Polyethylene Glycol 300 or 400 molecular weight was safer than propylene glycol since its the polyethylene glycol 300-400 thatt is used in inhalers.

is this true, and if it is why are most folks not using it?
 
RonJS

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BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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yeah, it still amazes me that chocolate is toxic to animals like dogs.
they cant metabolize the chocolate.
i also heard cats cant metabolize propylene glycol very well either. considered toxic to cats.
 
N

Nate. H

Member For 4 Years
BronzyIsland said:
i heard that Polyethylene Glycol 300 or 400 molecular weight was safer than propylene glycol since its the polyethylene glycol 300-400 thatt is used in inhalers.

is this true, and if it is why are most folks not using it?
Click to expand...
There was a big fuss a few years back about PEG being an ingredient in anti freeze so ejuice companies switched to PG because it is recognised by the fda to be safe to ingest and metabolize in the body. PG is also in anti freeze too btw lol

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
 
BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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so i just bought like 45 different flavors by capella, flavor apprentice, lorann, etc at wizard labs and also bought more vg but this time i made sure its palm fruit based.

i shouldve bought the capella flavors that are used to make unicorn milk to help teach me about correct percentages and mixing ...for lessons. i now bought the flavors needed to make it so.....if it doesnt come out right in taste its most likely the old vg i used that is hindering the taste.
 
Heabob

Heabob

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BronzyIsland said:
if it doesnt come out right in taste its most likely the old vg i used that is hindering the taste.
Click to expand...

I doubt it's the VG but you'll never know unless you have another to compare with.
A few others starting DIY had trouble tasting anything until they added some PG.
 
BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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so i got my flavor concentrates in the mail this morning.
along with the order came the um....the VG that is palm based.
so........
to see a comparison between the old vg and the new palm based vg that mutes flavors less...
i made clones of Cuttwood's Unicorn Milk.
the clone recipe thats reported to be the authentic recipe.
So anyway,
i followed the recipe instructions to the T. For both clones.
i already have a full bottle of Unicorn Milk on hand for comparison.
in one clone bottle i used the old vg.
in the other clone the palm based vg.
heat steeped both bottles.
both smelled and vaped like the original Unicorn M.
but the palm based vg clone smelled and tasted stronger than the other clone. but it couldve been my imagination/prejudice.
but i think i'll be using palm based vg from now on.
im not saying that it was the vg causing the flavors i had made a couple days ago muted....cuz it was much more that i was using waaaay too much flavor. but the vg most likely soy based wasnt helping either.
er...
btw, if u want it here is the UM recipe.
i got from e-liquids-recipes.com

Nicotine juice 3%
PG dilutant 5.5%
VG dilutant 75%
Total base 83.5%
Butter Cream (CAP) 1.5%
Graham Cracker v1 (CAP) 0.5%
New York Cheesecake (CAP) 0.5%
Sweet Cream (CAP) 1.5%
Sweet Strawberry (CAP) 8.5%
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (CAP)1%
Vanilla Custard v1 (CAP) 3%
 
BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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i hear that this is the recipe for Sugar Drizzle by Cuttwood.


Cap Cinnamon Danish Swirl 1.2%
Cap Graham Cracker 4%
Cap Custard (original) 2%
Cap Sugar Cookie 2%
Cap French Vanilla .25%
Cap Sweet Cream 1%
Cap Marshmallow .5%
Cap Butter .3%
Cap Pancake Syrup .25%
 
BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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btw, i wanna thank everyone that helped educate me on DIY'ing and on how flavor concentrates work, and vg variations.
 
BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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Heabob said:
Have you tried it yet:D.
Hmm, CAP Pancake Syrup, don't have that one yet, may have to sub with some FA Maple Syrup.
Click to expand...
no. not yet but the guy who did said it was very close to the original. let me link you the section where i found it.
http://e-liquid-recipes.com/recipe/41865/cuttwood+sugar+bear+clone+
scroll down till you reach post #42.
one of the guys says he made it and said its much closer to Sugar Drizzle than the OP recipe.
i think its because it uses alot of the ingredients of the unicorn milk recipe.
the same sweet cream, graham cracker, and vanilla custard is why i think its very close to the original recipe.


but i'll say this.
i have Sugar Drizzle in my Ego One and every time i vape it it always produces this coating of what looks like sugar crystals on my metal drip tip.
So i suspect Cuttwood is using some type of sweetenerr as a finishing touch.
that particular recipe doesnt include any sweetener so i doubt its the real recipe.
i would say Cuttwood is using Capella Sucrolose sweetener to some degree.

in my opinion i think Cuttwood is using sorta the same recipe as their Unicorn Milk minus a few things.
Because the base back notes tastes the same.

but i dont think they are using marshmellow or pancake.
i would follow the Unicorn Milk recipe i posted above. remove the sweet strawberry and cheesecake, insert the CAP cinnamon danish swirl, the CAP sucrolose sweetener, and maybe add a very low percentage red hot cinnamon. something barely perceptable amount. Because i sense a tiny amount of warmth to the Drizzle.

point is i think that recipe is missing sucrolose and a little red hot cinnamon and replace the pancake and butter with butter cream. i think then it'll be perfect. i would try to make e the recipe but i dont have the cinnamon flavor yet.
 
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BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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its interesting you mention brown sugar because i've always thought it had brown sugar tastewise.
i would describe describe Sugar Drizzle to friends as,
"A warm cinnamon bun straight from a baker's oven with some brown sugar sprinkled over it."

i dont know about you but i can sense warmth from it.
which is why i suspect there is a miniscule amount of red hot cinnamon ...like teeny tiny amount just to warm it up.

for me, sugar drizzle is my 2nd favorite vape.
my favorite vapes are
1)Penthouse Dream by Gallery Vape-flavor profile-salted caramel with bourbon and custard.
2)Sugar Drizzle by Cuttwood-flavor profile-cinnamon bun w brown sugar
3)Apollo by Elysian Elixirs-flavor profile-pineapple with guava
4)Koi by Philip Rocke-flavor profile-coconut and honeydew
5)Coconut Thai by Ripe Vapes-flavor profile-coconut and lemongrass with a touch of basil
6)Pound Cake remixed by Teleos-flavor profile-cake plus lemon
7)#64 by the Beard co-flavor profile-hibiscus and blueberry
8)Berry McQueen by Okami-flavor profile-strawberry and butter......this one is slowly rising up my fav chart lol.

er...9 and 10 i will leave blank cuz ...the rest are just average.
 
BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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try this recipe. its mine.
i'm trying to replicate Berry McQueen which is amazing. That buttery flavor is.....orgasm. The company says that berry mcqueen is a mix of strawberry + mochi...which is a japanese rice cake. Since i've never had mochi i cant say that that is what it tastes like but...to me its like a very buttery graham cracker/cookie.

anyway. try this recipe.

BUTTERY STRAWBERRY
Sweet Strawberry (CAP) 3%
Organic Strawberry (TFA) 4%
Graham Cracker (CAP) 1%
Golden Butter (CAP) 1%
Butter Cream (CAP) 1%
Butterscotch (TFA) 0.5%

It tastes and smells somewhat like berry mcqueen but still not close enough. i'm still working on it. but its good regardless. butter flavor really surrounds and envelops a strawberry. its not like a classic strawberry milkshake flavor like unicorn milk or mother's milk. i find berry mcqueen is even better.
 
Jimi D

Jimi D

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Capella dropper bottles are roughly 40 drops per ml. Not 20 drops per ml. Add another 60 drops if you're trying to reach 20%. Just remember 4 drops= 1% from a Capella bottle.
 
Heabob

Heabob

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BronzyIsland said:
"A warm cinnamon bun straight from a baker's oven with some brown sugar sprinkled over it."
Click to expand...

That's what I get from FW Cinnamon Roll stand alone.
Without the warm part, although it does get kinda warm when I chain vape the stuff:D.
 
BronzyIsland

BronzyIsland

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@Jimi D thank you. good to know. appreciated.
just to avoid confusion. when i say 10% of a flavor i mean 30 drops for a 15ml bottle.
so for a 15ml bottle
10%=30 drops
5%=15 drops.
1%=3 drops
 
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