Top 10 - Essential Flavorings

[bystander]

Thought I'd start a thread for myself and anyone else looking to get into DIY. What do you consider the top 10 essential flavorings to get for the beginner DIY'er? These would be the most-used, most versatile flavors that you use over and over again and can be mixed with other *non-essential* flavors to achieve great results. Calling all the experienced juice-makers out there - please chime in!

@HeadInClouds, @wllmc, @Smoky Blue, @RocketPuppy, @Botboy141, @Huckleberried, @Thunderball, @vapingmandycat

 

[Smoky Blue]

I don't think I can limit me to the top 10..

but here are mine.. a cross between tfa and fa..


van bourbon
Sweet Cream
blueberry/bilberry
Ripe Banana
Cinnamon Danish Swirl
Cinnamon Red hots
Coconut/Candy
English Toffee
Gingerbread
Graham Cracker
DK Tobacco
Cocoa fa
White chocolate tfa
Dulce de Leche
Brown Sugar

additives:
vinegar/white & apple cider
Acetyl Pyrazyine
Smooth

 

[bystander]

Thanks @Smoky Blue! I guess an actual question would be more along the lines of...what would you advise a newbie to get as far as the first 10 flavors to get are concerned? I know it's hard to whittle it down to such a small number seeing as there's hundreds out there - just don't want to get overwhelmed with all the things you need to get to get started, ya know?

 

[Smoky Blue]

Thanks @Smoky Blue! I guess an actual question would be more along the lines of...what would you advise a newbie to get as far as the first 10 flavors to get are concerned? I know it's hard to whittle it down to such a small number seeing as there's hundreds out there - just don't want to get overwhelmed with all the things you need to get to get started, ya know?

finding your flavor and flavor levels that You like..
not what someone suggests..
what they might like, you might not..

start small.. see if you like it and have the patience to keep going..

the best advice I can give.. try to think of your flavors and common recipes you like..
write things down.. and learn to trust your own judgement..
learn how to search as well.. for the questions might have already been asked..
but if not.. go slow, and ask questions!

also learn about additives.. even tho some may pass for flavorings.. they are just as important!

hope that helps you, @bystander

 

[Heabob]

CAP NY Cheesecake
CAP Vanilla Custard
TFA Cheesecake Graham Crust
TFA Brown Sugar Extra
TFA Marshmallow
TFA Graham Cracker Clear
TFA Vanilla Swirl
FA Cookie
FA Vienna Cream
FA Vanilla Bourbon
FA Meringue

I can pick 10 that are mostly just used as mixers, and there are many more.
Then you gotta pick out some fruits, etc.

 

[bystander]

finding your flavor and flavor levels that You like..
not what someone suggests..
what they might like, you might not..

start small.. see if you like it and have the patience to keep going..

the best advice I can give.. try to think of your flavors and common recipes you like..
write things down.. and learn to trust your own judgement..
learn how to search as well.. for the questions might have already been asked..
but if not.. go slow, and ask questions!

also learn about additives.. even tho some may pass for flavorings.. they are just as important!

hope that helps you, @bystander

Yep, definitely agree that taste is subjective - just wanted to get an idea what everyone feels is *essential*. There's quite a few recipes on here that I think I might like and getting all the flavorings for them would certainly cost a pretty penny - hence, the Top 10 - and yes, I'm all about starting small.

 

[bystander]

CAP NY Cheesecake
CAP Vanilla Custard
TFA Cheesecake Graham Crust
TFA Brown Sugar Extra
TFA Marshmallow
TFA Graham Cracker Clear
TFA Vanilla Swirl
FA Cookie
FA Vienna Cream
FA Vanilla Bourbon
FA Meringue

I can pick 10 that are mostly just used as mixers, and there are many more.
Then you gotta pick out some fruits, etc.

Awesome - this is a great start as I see quite a few *usual suspects* from the recipes I've seen on here... thanks!

 

[Botboy141]

• TFA Vanilla Swirl - (all)
• TFA Cheesecake (Graham Crust) - (dessert)
• TFA RY4 Double - (tobacco)
• TFA Marshmallow - (all)
• TFA Watermelon - (fruit)
• TFA Peanut Butter - (savory)
• TFA Double Chocolate (clear) - (dessert)
• CAP Vanilla Custard V2 - (dessert/all)
• CAP Sweet Strawberry - (fruit)
• FA Vienna Cream - (dessert/all)
• FA Pear - (fruit)
• FA Vanilla Classic (all)

Taken from my wiki write up: http://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/wiki/diy_beginners_guide/baseflavors

 

[HeadInClouds]

Is that for someone looking to use popular recipes or someone developing their own?
Someone who has used vendor flavors or totally new to vaping?
... concerned about diacetyl/subs or with the view that anything's better than than their old habit?
... used tobacco or just wants to try vaping for the flavors?
.. wants to mix and experiment or wants a quick DIY?

And then, do they like tobaccos, fruits, creamy flavors, candy/pop/gum, alcohol, florals, bakery...

If you answer all those, I could get it down to a top-10, but only then!

 

[bystander]

Is that for someone looking to use popular recipes or someone developing their own?
Someone who has used vendor flavors or totally new to vaping?
... concerned about diacetyl/subs or with the view that anything's better than than their old habit?
... used tobacco or just wants to try vaping for the flavors?
.. wants to mix and experiment or wants a quick DIY?

And then, do they like tobaccos, fruits, creamy flavors, candy/pop/gum, alcohol, florals, bakery...

If you answer all those, I could get it down to a top-10, but only then!

1. Popular recipes first - got to start somewhere
2. Have used vendor flavors but fairly new to vaping
3. Anything's better, but if diacetyl/subs can be minimized/eliminated even better
4. Used tobacco AND want to try vaping for flavors
5. Quick DIY - mix and experiment down the road

Let's start with creamy and bakery and dessert and coffee - the rest could wait.

Does that work? Thanks for the response!

 

[wllmc]

oh a top 10 list. way better than a top 5. more options . these are my favorite flavors. they may not work well in a lot of recipes or whatever just my top 10 must have flavors I love in no particular order


FA fuji apple
FA coffee espresso
FA vienna cream
TFA apple candy
inawera kaktus
capellas vanilla custard
FA dark vapor
capellas sweet strawberry
inawera wisnia cherry
and number 10 is every other FA flavor they make


my list will change in 2 months except number 10

 

[HeadInClouds]

1. Popular recipes first - got to start somewhere
2. Have used vendor flavors but fairly new to vaping
3. Anything's better, but if diacetyl/subs can be minimized/eliminated even better
4. Used tobacco AND want to try vaping for flavors
5. Quick DIY - mix and experiment down the road

Let's start with creamy and bakery and dessert and coffee - the rest could wait.

Does that work? Thanks for the response!

Okay, gotcha - I'll avoid diacetyl/sub flavors, list just ones most useful for creamy/bakery/dessert/coffee, aim for flavors good in simple mixes and widely used in recipes. Then here's my list of most useful flavors for that particular person:

1 FA Vienna Cream or Catalan Cream (would wait on Custard until fruits are added)
2 FA Espresso or Tiramisu
3 FA Apple Pie
4 FA Cinnamon Ceylon (or some other cinnamon flavor)
5 FA Cookie
6 FA Cocoa
7 FA Jamaican Rum or Irish Cream, whichever sounds best
8 FA Peppermint
9 FA Vanilla Bourbon or Vanilla Classic (Tahiti could wait until fruits are added)
10 FA Caramel

Those will make many great dessert coffees, especially. Many are great standalone. Most pairs and many trios would taste good together. All of those can be used as a collection grows to include fruits and more varied flavors.

I really wanted to put a fruit or two on there, at least to go in a pie! I'd recommend one favorite fruit just to see what fruit flavors are like. If they didn't have a favorite, I'd say White Peach for a light fruit or Forest Mix for dark berries, either of which goes with a lot of the flavors in that list.

 

[misswish]

Great starter list!

 

[glassgrl]

I'm partial to Inawera these days for the most part. They don't have any creams though so I have to go with

FA Irish Cream
FA Fresh Cream
FA Vienna Cream
INW Peach
INW Spicy Biscuit
INW Shisha Mai Tai
INW Brandy Cocoa
INW Kawa coffee
INW Plum
INW Gold Ducat

Spices run all over manufacturers but I'd be pretty happy with those 10 for a month or two.

 

[bystander]

Thanks to everyone's responses! What's a good size to get for someone who's just staring out for these flavors? How much should I expect to pay for 10 flavors? Which leads to my next question - where's the best/most cost-effective place to get them?

I would create another thread since this is for flavoring a, but I'll just throw this in here: I see all these talk about the *best* nic - are all bases (pg/vg) created equal? On the flip side, how does the amount of nic affect taste/flavor, e.g., how does a particular recipe at 0mg compare to a 6mg or a 12mg of the same recipe?

 

[EthelMaltol]

Ecigexpress.com has good prices and weekly coupons that come out every Friday. Just subscribe to their newsletter. They also carry lots of flavorings from different vendors. Ipi would buy the smallest sizes, even if you think you will love them. They last a long time, and you can always go larger once you know you like a flavor. Onestopdiyshopcom is another good one. They offer their own brand of diacetyl free flavorings, however, you do have to buy larger sizes of those and I believe heartland sells only larger bottles. I try to shop where they have the most items I am looking for. You will also need lots of empty bottles! I save and reuse vendor bottles, but I still often need more. I have found that single flavors work best for me. I like things like swedish gummy, mixed with a few drops of tfa cotton candy to sweeten.

 

[bystander]

Thanks! Without sounding too much of a noob, what's the smallest size I can get, and how far can they go? How many empty bottles to start with, and why would I need that many? Oh, and where's your Top 10 list?

 

[HeadInClouds]

Thanks to everyone's responses! What's a good size to get for someone who's just staring out for these flavors? How much should I expect to pay for 10 flavors? Which leads to my next question - where's the best/most cost-effective place to get them?

http://vapingunderground.com/threads/where-to-find-sample-size-flavorings-cheap.1989/

 

[bystander]

http://vapingunderground.com/threads/where-to-find-sample-size-flavorings-cheap.1989/

Heh, I found that already and liked it way back then - but that was four months ago! Info contained still stands to this day?

Oh, and I would appreciate your response to my latest post above when you have some time

 

[HeadInClouds]

I would create another thread since this is for flavoring a, but I'll just throw this in here: I see all these talk about the *best* nic - are all bases (pg/vg) created equal? On the flip side, how does the amount of nic affect taste/flavor, e.g., how does a particular recipe at 0mg compare to a 6mg or a 12mg of the same recipe?

All bases are not created equal. I don't use PG any more, so I can only tell you about VG currently available. It can be produced from entirely different base materials, so there's wide variation in flavor (and sensitivity to ingredients for some of us). The sweetness can also vary quite a bit. Some have no odor and just taste sweet; some smell like low tide and taste like sweetened metal.

The amount of nic used has very little effect on the overall flavor IF it's super-clean nic. The more strongly-flavored options (usually cheaper, often with a clear odor) do affect overall flavor -- some can totally wreck everything you mix. With that kind of nic, the less you use, the less impact it has. But even at 3-6mg, some crappy nic I've had still wrecked my flavors. I'm not talking about subtle flavor differences, but the difference between delicious and ewwwe.

 

[bystander]

Thank you kindly! What base material is VG made out of, and what does *low tide* smell like?

It's that bad, huh? Here I am thinking I'm just about ready, and then I had to ask all these questions whose answers make me hesitate!

What are your thoughts on premixed nic/base? Is that a good first step and a simpler route in that all you need to do is add flavoring?

 

[BigNasty]

I have a few that are main stays for mom's juices. Mine I mix around and came up with a few for mine I try not to run out of but if I had an adv choice is TFA mango, pineapple and green tea.

That is a helluva shake and vape I burn through in no time.

 

[HeadInClouds]

Thank you kindly! What base material is VG made out of, and what does *low tide* smell like?

It's that bad, huh? Here I am thinking I'm just about ready, and then I had to ask all these questions whose answers make me hesitate!

What are your thoughts on premixed nic/base? Is that a good first step and a simpler route in that all you need to do is add flavoring?

A quote from here will give you an idea of what you might find in random VG:

"Glycerol forms the “backbone” of many lipids, or oils and fats, and there are various processes that can be used to extract it from these substances. Most glycerin is made as a by-product of the manufacture of soap. In this process, either animal fat or vegetable oil can be used...

Vegetable glycerin can also be made directly from vegetable oil — often coconut or palm oil — by heating it to a high temperature under pressure with water....

The interest in biodiesel fuel has resulted in the production of large amounts of low quality, non-food grade vegetable glycerin as a by-product. Purifying the liquid is not considered economically viable and it cannot be casually disposed of as it contains toxic methanol, which is used in the manufacturing process. As of 2013, there is much research into finding a use for this substance — something that does not require high purity glycerin. One promising possibility is to use it as a precursor in the production of some useful plastics."


So - you just want to shop carefully and know your supplier. Get a small bottle to try before you buy a liter, and see how it smells/tastes/vapes to you. Maybe avoid farm supply sources.

 

[Heabob]

Thank you kindly! What base material is VG made out of, and what does *low tide* smell like?

It's that bad, huh? Here I am thinking I'm just about ready, and then I had to ask all these questions whose answers make me hesitate!

What are your thoughts on premixed nic/base? Is that a good first step and a simpler route in that all you need to do is add flavoring?

I got my VG from RTS Vapes, and it's made from Coconuts, I like it so far.
They also sell a lot of 3ml sample size flavors for cheap, just to find what you like best.
Get my nic from VT, it's clean tasting.

 

[kh888]

I really like the super concentrated flavors (SC) from VapingZone. In many cases 10mls makes 200mls of eliquid. Coupons come out almost every week.


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