Can't get to grips with DIYing.

[wardy940]

Hey guys
New to the forum and DIYing and so far haven't had much luck making any. Not sure what Im doing wrong but most of my juices taste like crap. I first tried making a pink lemonade from 10% FW lemonade and 5% TPA raspberry v2 or it might be capella can't remember now. Anyway that tasted bad not sure if I like the FW lemonade.

So I made a raspberry with 11% and a strawberry ripe at 10% not mixed and they just don't taste right. Nothing like I think they should. I'm doing 70/30 or 80/20 mixes and 3mg nicotine. I dunno what I'm doing wrong

Can anyone help?

 

[Teresa P]

You could be using too much flavoring. Always start low and work up to taste. And as time consuming as it seems, try your flavors alone in a mix to get an idea of what they taste like at varying strengths before you mix them with others. Too much flavoring can lead to harsh mixes, sometimes one flavor will overpower another and cancel it out completely.

 

[HeadInClouds]

Since you're brand new to DIY, I assume your supplies are pretty new, too.
You could test whether the problem is flavoring or some part of your nic base like this: http://vapingunderground.com/threads/finding-the-problem-when-your-diy-tastes-bad.88262/

 

[wardy940]

So you suggest starting at say 5% and working up? That will be time consuming but I guess worth it. I always thought 10% was a good starting point.

I will make up a 70/30 batch of just vg pg and nicotine, see if it tastes funky and report back once I'm home. What kind of taste am I looking for or none at all?

 

[MrScaryZ]

Hey guys
New to the forum and DIYing and so far haven't had much luck making any. Not sure what Im doing wrong but most of my juices taste like crap. I first tried making a pink lemonade from 10% FW lemonade and 5% TPA raspberry v2 or it might be capella can't remember now. Anyway that tasted bad not sure if I like the FW lemonade.

So I made a raspberry with 11% and a strawberry ripe at 10% not mixed and they just don't taste right. Nothing like I think they should. I'm doing 70/30 or 80/20 mixes and 3mg nicotine. I dunno what I'm doing wrong

Can anyone help?

I have a quick suggestion some flavorings and sometimes some PG have a odd flavor uncap your bottles for a day let them sit then start messing with % this quick tip has saved many a bottle I have a theory that some manufacturers use preservatives that are not listed some may call bull that's ok but I have tasted it and seen this do all the above as well and if this does not apply save it in your treasure chest it may with certain flavors none that I will list

 

[wardy940]

Thanks ScaryZ I'll give that ago as well. I know the lemonade flavour is supposed to contain like alcohol or something so it may help.

Another question. Is it necessary to steep single flavours for like a week or will a couple of warm water baths be enough to evaporate what ever crap is in it?

 

[STAINLESS1]

Your unflavored juice at 70/30 should be slightly sweet from the vg. I am also new to DIY, but have had some success in mixing good juices. I use the plastic 10 ml bottles for experimenting. I am using TFA primarily, and start my fruit flavors at 4% standalone, and adjust by 1% from there until i get a good shake and vape flavor. once I know the flavor and strength that I like, I experiment mixing those stand alones together. I had to mix several strawberries to get a really good strawberry base. My best so far is 4% Cap sweet strawberry, 3% tfa strawberry, and 1% tfa ripe strawberry, 1% EM (cotton candy) along with 2 drops of lemon juice per 10 ml. Hope it helps!

 

[MrScaryZ]

Thanks ScaryZ I'll give that ago as well. I know the lemonade flavour is supposed to contain like alcohol or something so it may help.

Another question. Is it necessary to steep single flavours for like a week or will a couple of warm water baths be enough to evaporate what ever crap is in it?

welcome it probably is percentage though but one never knows with strange creatures capping bottles in weird factories

 

[wardy940]

Your unflavored juice at 70/30 should be slightly sweet from the vg. I am also new to DIY, but have had some success in mixing good juices. I use the plastic 10 ml bottles for experimenting. I am using TFA primarily, and start my fruit flavors at 4% standalone, and adjust by 1% from there until i get a good shake and vape flavor. once I know the flavor and strength that I like, I experiment mixing those stand alones together. I had to mix several strawberries to get a really good strawberry base. My best so far is 4% Cap sweet strawberry, 3% tfa strawberry, and 1% tfa ripe strawberry, 1% EM (cotton candy) along with 2 drops of lemon juice per 10 ml. Hope it helps!

Sounds like a decent mix. Shame I've just ordered some more flavours. Got a sweet strawberry but would of picked up a tfa strawberry as well. Still got a bit of strawberry ripe left. Gonna try like 5% raspberry and see how it goes.

Also just got a catalan cream. Flavour art I think. Does anyone have any good recipes for that flavour?

 

[wllmc]

Hey guys
Not sure what Im doing wrong but most of my juices taste like crap.

Hey ! Welcome to the club ! we all start that way. that just means you are on the right track lol

lemon flavors are strong I might even start at 3% and just a touch of your other "pink" flavor and adjust from there. its easy to add flavoring but not so easy to take it out

mixing is like riding a bike you are going to fall over and over but thats just part of the fun.

 

[wllmc]

Gonna try like 5% raspberry and see how it goes.

most raspberry flavors are very strong also, depending on the brand 1% may be plenty or close to extremely over flavored

 

[wardy940]

most raspberry flavors are very strong also, depending on the brand 1% may be plenty or close to extremely over flavored

Cheers for the advice. Wish I knew all this when I started I've wasted alot of flavouring. I'll start low with the raspberry it's the v2 capella flavour. Also I only put 10% for lemonade because people were saying that flavour West is a bit weaker. Seems like I've got alot to learn yet.

 

[wllmc]

Cheers for the advice. Wish I knew all this when I started I've wasted alot of flavouring. I'll start low with the raspberry it's the v2 capella flavour. Also I only put 10% for lemonade because people were saying that flavour West is a bit weaker. Seems like I've got alot to learn yet.

if its the capellas raspberry maybe do like 4 % of your lemon flavor and 2% raspberry. might be a tad light but easily adjusted once you taste it

 

[wardy940]

if its the capellas raspberry maybe do like 4 % of your lemon flavor and 2% raspberry. might be a tad light but easily adjusted once you taste it

Thanks man I'll give that ago. Got some fa lemon on the way anyway which should be better. Do you recommend steeping?

 

[wllmc]

Thanks man I'll give that ago. Got some fa lemon on the way anyway which should be better. Do you recommend steeping?

I hardly steep anything, a raspberry lemonade wont NEED any steep time. Id vape some right away and try it. I'd also give it 24hrs before I adjusted the mix though unless its clearly not the balance of raspberry and lemon you want.

that's the biggest part about "%" and usage. if I wanted some pink lemonade Id want much more "pink" than lemon because I dont like sour things much really and you may want it the exact opposite. its just trail and error man, dont discredit any attempts as failures rather than gaining knowledge. the more you mix the better you get

 

[wllmc]

you know what worse than a bad mix , buying premade that taste like a goat A$$ !!!! lol. Id vape any of my biggest failures over most the vendor stuff Ive blown tons of money on

 

[wardy940]

That's a great way to think of it really. Pink lemonade by element is my favourite but I can't justify 30-40 pound a week on buying pretty made. I'd rather go through this and get better than go back to buying pre made. I'll get there and this is a great forum so all the help I need is here. Been looking at some of the stickies and stuff. Some great threads.

 

[wllmc]

That's a great way to think of it really. Pink lemonade by element is my favourite but I can't justify 30-40 pound a week on buying pretty made. I'd rather go through this and get better than go back to buying pre made. I'll get there and this is a great forum so all the help I need is here. Been looking at some of the stickies and stuff. Some great threads.

yes !!!!!!!!!!!!! agreed and this is the best place by far of anywhere else to learn how to make E-liquid. People advance so fast on this forum due to the amount of veterans willing to share and help. I so needed this place when I started , my first mix was 20% TFA coffee. I almost didnt survive that one lol. I just kept reading"20%" everywhere and all the questions I had asked got swept under the table because I was the new kid or got "forwarded" to some general and vaguely written blogs lol. I love how people here are just so helpful. good luck to you !

 

[wllmc]

oh I didnt answer your question about Lemon Sicily, as far as the flavor and profile itself I prefer FA lemon just because like I said I dont like lemon really at all and FA lemon has some creaminess to it, slightly sweet and not so much like I just bit into a lemon and now Im making the lemon face lol. I think you will like the lemon you have for hitting the mark of pink lemonade but keeping both on hand is awesome because of the difference's. Creamy pink lemonade would be awesome though, we have a place over here called sonic a drive up burger place, you may know of it anyways you can add cream to anything and if I ordered pink lemonade Id definatley add cream

 

[wardy940]

Yeah 20% on coffee sounds bloody strong!! Yeah I find with alot of forums you get a couple of answers then your thread dies out but you guys have given me loads of good advice.

Is the sicily lemon quite bitter then? Does fa have a normal lemon. I'm looking for like a real cloudy lemonade taste. Not sure how element did it but theirs is so like lucozade pink lemonade. I live in the uk so I don't know sonic but it sounds awesome. Cream in anything!!!

 

[wllmc]

Yeah 20% on coffee sounds bloody strong!! Yeah I find with alot of forums you get a couple of answers then your thread dies out but you guys have given me loads of good advice.

Is the sicily lemon quite bitter then? Does fa have a normal lemon. I'm looking for like a real cloudy lemonade taste. Not sure how element did it but theirs is so like lucozade pink lemonade. I live in the uk so I don't know sonic but it sounds awesome. Cream in anything!!!

I wouldnt say it was bitter. FA does not have a regular lemon flavo but everythig taste like lemon !!!!!!!!! haha ok thats an FA joke. they have croissant... taste like lemmon....FA custard.... taste like lemon. pandoro I think it is ..... taste like lemon . a weird vicious cycle they have in Italy I guess. I think they sit around thinking ....hmmmmm ?????? what does this need ?????? then the other guys is like oh lightbulb ! let put lemon in it! hehehe

 

[wardy940]

Lol its a good job I like lemon then because I'm gonna be trying alot of FA flavours. I can't wait to try out catalan cream. Also got the juicy lemon from capella so will give that ago. Just mixed some raspberry at 4%. Still smells alot like the flavouring so even at 4% it seems strong. Yet to try though.

 

[Teresa P]

If you want a flavor that tastes like pure lemon juice, try Flavor Express.

 

[wardy940]

Thanks Teresa I'll give that a go. I've just made up a mix of vg and pg. The bottle had a tiniest smell of lemonade but when I smoked it, it was horrible. It smelt bad and taste bad as well. Sweet but almost burnt. Could it really be bad carrier fluids?

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Mixing is a try & learn thing. It is simple & complex. I can taste different flavors in the juice I make I combine. It's well worth the effort to learn.

 

[wardy940]

I think I may just order some new vg/pg for somewhere else and see if that makes a difference. Right now I've nothing to smoke and nothing to show for my 30 pound spent. Bit annoying, I didn't expect results straight away but thought I would have something after nearly a week

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Most stores carry VG in their cake baking section. Cake flavoring also. Alcohol based flavorings. PG is them. I would look into that. I like the Rum flavor. Works in a pinch.

 

[wardy940]

Not sure if it's the same in the uk I've seen vg in shops. I think I should of ordered from a more reputable website instead of going for the cheaper option. I'll see when the new stuff comes. Maybe it's just how it tastes but Idk it seems bad to me. Are the alcohol ones nice?

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Not sure if it's the same in the uk I've seen vg in shops. I think I should of ordered from a more reputable website instead of going for the cheaper option. I'll see when the new stuff comes. Maybe it's just how it tastes but Idk it seems bad to me. Are the alcohol ones nice?

All I know about the UK is I'm not there. If it seams bad, leave it be. Don't make yourself sick. Human grade PG Or VG in My country won't make me sick. I don't know for you. Find out, part of the Hobby.

 

[Jimi]

There are different grades of VG and PG here in the U.S. we always get USP grade don't know if it"s the same in your country . Maybe try vapor tek I think they are UK based they have good bases and the best nic IMHO

 

[Saddletramp1200]

I'm just a cowboy from Texas. My standards are Based on what I want. I get the best as I can.

 

[wardy940]

There are different grades of VG and PG here in the U.S. we always get USP grade don't know if it"s the same in your country . Maybe try vapor tek I think they are UK based they have good bases and the best nic IMHO

Thanks I'll give them a try. I wish I was a cowboy from anywhere in the US. The uk sucks.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Thanks I'll give them a try. I wish I was a cowboy from anywhere in the US. The uk sucks.

Everywhere sucks, just have to make it better. You have a lot to offer. Never sell yourself short. I'm old, but I'm good.

 

[wllmc]

 

[Saddletramp1200]

I live in Houston. Texas. This is normal I have two wheels. 4 legs if needed. Never name a horse Spook. Trust Me.

 

[wllmc]

I live in Houston. Texas. This is normal I have two wheels. 4 legs if needed. Never name a horse Spook. Trust Me.

grew up in northern new mexico where the cow and horse population out numbers the human population lol

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Have no desire to fix what I can't. All Bikes welcome. Columbus found the place. might as well ride around and look at it.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

grew up in northern new mexico where the cow and horse population out numbers the human population lol

I'm Biker. Just how t is. I fall over sometimes. Only time my truck was robbed was in New Mexico. Born there. Not happy with that place. There less than 24 hours so I was born in California. Good luck with that.

 

[misswish]

Ward - one of the best hints ever - take lots of notes! No, you won't remember next week the percentages you used today.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Aqua Lung, you see it's only Me.

 

[OneBadWolf]

FWIW, that is coming from a cheap bastard, me, never add nic until you like the flavor, and never throw juice out unless it has gone bad. I've had 2 putrid juices that I mixed together , and the result was amazing. May as well keep it for experiments. Or really annoying people that are too cheap to buy theirs, and too lazy to learn DIY and just want to mooch from you.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

FWIW, that is coming from a cheap bastard, me, never add nic until you like the flavor, and never throw juice out unless it has gone bad. I've had 2 putrid juices that I mixed together , and the result was amazing. May as well keep it for experiments. Or really annoying people that are too cheap to buy theirs, and too lazy to learn DIY and just want to mooch from you.

I learned juice kills ants. They are drawn to it. I think they love it too much, but can't Vape it. So they drown in the miniscule amount left on my desk. I need another Grant for more tests.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

I learned juice kills ants. They are drawn to it. I think they love it too much, but can't Vape it. So they drown in the miniscule amount left on my desk. I need another Grant for more tests.

It's Nicotine. Ant's are not Human. Insects are not equipped for it.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Sorry, had to put a check into the Maw of the bank/ provider. Only change between a Million & a Hundred is the Decimal point. I'm goin' riding.

 

[Jimi]

Yeah, if it was a million its time to get a new bike!!!

 

[wardy940]

Ward - one of the best hints ever - take lots of notes! No, you won't remember next week the percentages you used today.

Yeah started taking notes now. Got labels for bottles as well. The raspberry I made turned out OK and I think I may be being paranoid about my vg and pg. Gave it to someone to try and they said it was fine.

 

[Mattp169]

vapertek is NOT IN THE UK
they buy their nicotine from the UK they are in North Carolina I believe off the top of my head, there or south carolina which ever one BCV is not in

but for the life of me I cant remember the UK company that sells the exact same nic under a different name

i find its best to always look for a recipe that features the same flavor I am experimenting with and see what % it uses

then go down a % or 2 or 3 depending and mix just that flavor and see how i like it. if its not strong enough then add a few drop and try again until I find my % for the flavor by itself

then i go to the next flavor and repeat. then once i have 2 flavors where I liek it I can combine the two mixes to see where I like them balanced and continue on and on

after while you know where certain flavors work for you

like i know what i add to a recipe for peach
its 3% fa white peach and
2% fa peach

now if peach isnt going to be the MAIN flavor I may cut those down in half to allow other flavors to stand out

 

[wardy940]

Ahhh if you remember give me a shout please mate. Could do with reliable source. I've heard Fa flavours are quite concentrated?

 

[PuffPuffPass]

Have you tasted the flavors you're blending solo? I generally do this before mixing, unless I'm working with a known recipe I've tried from someone.

It can save a lot of time, flavoring, and headache.

 

[wardy940]

Have you tasted the flavors you're blending solo? I generally do this before mixing, unless I'm working with a known recipe I've tried from someone.

It can save a lot of time, flavoring, and headache.

Yeah I do make up mixtures of single flavours if that's what you mean. At the moment I'm doing a few small mixtures with increasing flavour percentage with each one and just trying them. Although I am trying to make a strawberry and cream but it's not going to well.