AcidRain's Recipe Notebook

acidrain23 · Nov 16, 2014

I thought it would be fun to put my notes in one place here on the forum for works in progress. I'm not a newbie, but definitely outclassed by some of our resident mixing wizards, lol. I feel like learning from other people's mistakes is just as valuable as their successes, so hopefully this is helpful information. Anyway, let the fun begin!

Today I'm working on a single flavor mix of FE Brandy, two single flavor mixes of my homemade cinnamon and star anise extracts, a big bottle (tweaked slightly) of Apple Pie (originally my Exotic Apple, with added homemade clove flavor- I also am subbing out the RE Rum and Amber for some Brandy as well) and my first take at a classic New Orleans cocktail, the Absinthe Suissesse (if anyone knows how to pronounce this I would love to know!).

A) Brandy (10ml, 12mg)
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 2.5ml
VG: 6.0ml
FE Brandy (3%): 0.3ml

B) Homemade Cinnamon (10ml, 12mg)
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 1.6ml
VG: 6.0ml
Homemade Cinnamon (12%): 1.2ml

C) Homemade Anise (10ml, 12mg)
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 1.8ml
VG: 6.0ml
Homemade Anise (10%): 1.0ml

Apple Pie (30ml, 14mg) v 2.0
Nic: 4.2ml (nn)
PG: 3.6ml
VG: 18.0ml
Homemade Clove (6%): 1.8ml
FA Fuji Apple (3%): 0.9ml
FE Pear (2%): 0.6ml
FE Brandy (2%): 0.6ml
NF Ginger (1%): 0.3ml

D) Absinthe Suissesse (10ml, 12mg)
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 1.5ml
VG: 6.0ml
Homemade Anise (8%): 0.8ml
FA Orange (2%): 0.2ml
FA Neroli (1%): 0.1ml
FA Gin (1%): 0.1ml
TFA Spearmint (0.5%): 0.05ml
TFA Peppermint (0.5%): 0.05ml

The absinthe suissesse begins with absinthe (duh) (or up until recently herbsaint was a popular substitute), creme de menthe, orgeat syrup (left this component out- if anyone knows how to make a convincing orgeat- let me know!

cream and/or egg whites (you are going to want a little custard in yours probably, though I omitted it) and sometimes a dash of orange or orange blossom water.

Recipe forulated by my pantented 'wild ass stab' method. Keep you posted!

wllmc · Nov 16, 2014

they all look good but the Absinthe Suissesse is catching my eye the most.

acidrain23 said:
Recipe forulated by my pantented 'wild ass stab' method. Keep you posted!

hahaha this is funny. some of my greatest hits use this method

barberguy · Nov 17, 2014

acidrain23 said:
I thought it would be fun to put my notes in one place here on the forum for works in progress. I'm not a newbie, but definitely outclassed by some of our resident mixing wizards, lol. I feel like learning from other people's mistakes is just as valuable as their successes, so hopefully this is helpful information. Anyway, let the fun begin!

Today I'm working on a single flavor mix of FE Brandy, two single flavor mixes of my homemade cinnamon and star anise extracts, a big bottle (tweaked slightly) of Apple Pie (originally my Exotic Apple, with added homemade clove flavor- I also am subbing out the RE Rum and Amber for some Brandy as well) and my first take at a classic New Orleans cocktail, the Absinthe Suissesse (if anyone knows how to pronounce this I would love to know!).

A) Brandy (10ml, 12mg)
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 2.5ml
VG: 6.0ml
FE Brandy (3%): 0.3ml

B) Homemade Cinnamon (10ml, 12mg)
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 1.6ml
VG: 6.0ml
Homemade Cinnamon (12%): 1.2ml

C) Homemade Anise (10ml, 12mg)
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 1.8ml
VG: 6.0ml
Homemade Anise (10%): 1.0ml

Apple Pie (30ml, 14mg)
Nic: 4.2ml (nn)
PG: 3.6ml
VG: 18.0ml
Homemade Clove (6%): 1.8ml
FA Fuji Apple (3%): 0.9ml
FE Pear (2%): 0.6ml
FE Brandy (2%): 0.6ml
NF Ginger (1%): 0.3ml

D) Absinthe Suissesse (10ml, 12mg)
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 1.5ml
VG: 6.0ml
Homemade Anise (8%): 0.8ml
FA Orange (2%): 0.2ml
FA Neroli (1%): 0.1ml
FA Gin (1%): 0.1ml
TFA Spearmint (0.5%): 0.05ml
TFA Peppermint (0.5%): 0.05ml

The absinthe suissesse begins with absinthe (duh) (or up until recently herbsaint was a popular substitute), creme de menthe, orgeat syrup (left this component out- if anyone knows how to make a convincing orgeat- let me know! cream and/or egg whites (you are going to want a little custard in yours probably, though I omitted it) and sometimes a dash of orange or orange blossom water.

Recipe forulated by my pantented 'wild ass stab' method. Keep you posted!

barberguy · Nov 17, 2014

acidrain23 said:
I thought it would be fun to put my notes in one place here on the forum for works in progress. I'm not a newbie, but definitely outclassed by some of our resident mixing wizards, lol. I feel like learning from other people's mistakes is just as valuable as their successes, so hopefully this is helpful information. Anyway, let the fun begin!

Today I'm working on a single flavor mix of FE Brandy, two single flavor mixes of my homemade cinnamon and star anise extracts, a big bottle (tweaked slightly) of Apple Pie (originally my Exotic Apple, with added homemade clove flavor- I also am subbing out the RE Rum and Amber for some Brandy as well) and my first take at a classic New Orleans cocktail, the Absinthe Suissesse (if anyone knows how to pronounce this I would love to know!).

A) Brandy (10ml, 12mg)
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 2.5ml
VG: 6.0ml
FE Brandy (3%): 0.3ml

B) Homemade Cinnamon (10ml, 12mg)
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 1.6ml
VG: 6.0ml
Homemade Cinnamon (12%): 1.2ml

C) Homemade Anise (10ml, 12mg)
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 1.8ml
VG: 6.0ml
Homemade Anise (10%): 1.0ml

Apple Pie (30ml, 14mg)
Nic: 4.2ml (nn)
PG: 3.6ml
VG: 18.0ml
Homemade Clove (6%): 1.8ml
FA Fuji Apple (3%): 0.9ml
FE Pear (2%): 0.6ml
FE Brandy (2%): 0.6ml
NF Ginger (1%): 0.3ml

D) Absinthe Suissesse (10ml, 12mg)
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 1.5ml
VG: 6.0ml
Homemade Anise (8%): 0.8ml
FA Orange (2%): 0.2ml
FA Neroli (1%): 0.1ml
FA Gin (1%): 0.1ml
TFA Spearmint (0.5%): 0.05ml
TFA Peppermint (0.5%): 0.05ml

The absinthe suissesse begins with absinthe (duh) (or up until recently herbsaint was a popular substitute), creme de menthe, orgeat syrup (left this component out- if anyone knows how to make a convincing orgeat- let me know! cream and/or egg whites (you are going to want a little custard in yours probably, though I omitted it) and sometimes a dash of orange or orange blossom water.

Recipe forulated by my pantented 'wild ass stab' method. Keep you posted!

acid rain I know this is a stretch an I dont know if it is allowed but I am asking do you have two items
recipes for
chocolate
blueberry
let me know these happen to be my favorite so I thought I would start my diy on these two
thanks for listening.......barberguy

acidrain23 · Nov 17, 2014

Hi barberguy- unfortunately I have yet to do much with chocolate or blueberries- I only have the TFA Double Chocolate Dark (black as night and murders coils- not to my liking). And I have messed with some berry flavors, but I haven't found a blueberry that I like yet. FA Bilberry seems to get a lot of praise around these parts- I would start there for your blueberry. Chocolate- no ideas- but others here will have some suggestions, I'm sure!

As far as what is allowed- no worries! I'm no thread nazi- please feel free to post any comments or questions in this thread that you would like!

acidrain23 · Nov 17, 2014

So today I'm sampling the Apple Pie v 2.0. It really is too early to be vaping this- needs another day or two at least to steep- so take this with a grain of salt- but I find I am missing the contributions from the FA Amber and FE Rum. I think next time I will leave in the brandy trying 1% of each (brandy, rum and amber). The spices taste weird too, but they did last time until they steeped a bit longer so I'll post an update later on this one.

OH, also- I made a last minute substitution to the Absinthe Suissesse recipe- TFA Lemon is pinch hitting for the FA Orange (same percentage). I was smelling my flavors again and FA Orange just smelled too weird and artificial to go with this combo. I'm going to give that one until this weekend to sample, but so far it smells like a cross between toothpaste and jagermeister, lol.

HeadInClouds · Nov 17, 2014

acidrain23 said:
The absinthe suissesse begins with absinthe (duh) (or up until recently herbsaint was a popular substitute), creme de menthe, orgeat syrup (left this component out- if anyone knows how to make a convincing orgeat- let me know! cream and/or egg whites (you are going to want a little custard in yours probably, though I omitted it) and sometimes a dash of orange or orange blossom water.

Recipe forulated by my pantented 'wild ass stab' method. Keep you posted!

Those all look interesting, and the asbinthe suissesse (ab-sahn or ab-sinth swee-sess) catches my eye.

Orgeat is basically very sweet almond syrup, maybe some orange blossom or peel, sometimes lemon. The citrus is already in your recipe (that FA Neroli sure is strong, huh?), so you mostly need the almond. I'd pick FA Marzipan over Almond for this, because it's sweeter, has a hint of bitter almond edge, and egg white is actually a part of absinthe suissesse. If you need your result even sweeter, FA Meringue could give you sweet egg whites. About the creme de menthe part, if you're not totally pleased with that part already, a bit of vanilla wouldn't be out of place.

mmmmm - I'll bet your homemade anise is tasty!

acidrain23 · Nov 17, 2014

Just put some anise in the tank for the heck of it. It's not bad! It is weak at 10%. I can tell it is going to be too little in the suissesse, but we'll see. Probably too much neroli too! The anise, I'm going to try cranking up to 15-20% to see what that does. Luckily I had the forsight to extract into 50/50 PG/VG so it shouldn't throw my ratios off too much.

HIC! Now I gotta nab that marzipan, lol. What vanilla would you suggest? I have vanillin too. Cheerz

HeadInClouds · Nov 17, 2014

acidrain23 said:
HIC! Now I gotta nab that marzipan, lol. What vanilla would you suggest? I have vanillin too. Cheerz

For a creme de menthe, I prefer plain vanilla like FA Vanilla Classic. Vanillin should be fine. Because of the almond in orgeat, Vanilla Tahiti would be very nice. It's the sweetest one, too.

acidrain23 · Nov 18, 2014

Cool! I have marzipan and vanilla tahiti on the way!!! I couldn't wait (of course) and broke out the Suissesse. Its not bad at all!
The anise is muted as I suspected, but in there. The neroli adds a little floral and earthy touch and it ends with a minty citrus finish.
Plan for next time:

Absinthe Suissesse v. 2.0
Homemade Anise 15%
FA Neroli 1%
FA Lemon Sicily 1%
FA Gin 1%
FA Marzipan 1%
FA Vanilla Tahiti 1%
TFA Peppermint 0.75%
TFA Spearmint 0.5%

Also thinking about adding-
TFA Sour 1%
Possibly Menthol or Koolada
???

Cheers!

Smoky Blue · Nov 18, 2014

acidrain23 said:
Cool! I have marzipan and vanilla tahiti on the way!!! I couldn't wait (of course) and broke out the Suissesse. Its not bad at all!
The anise is muted as I suspected, but in there. The neroli adds a little floral and earthy touch and it ends with a minty citrus finish.
Plan for next time:

Absinthe Suissesse v. 2.0
Homemade Anise 15%
FA Neroli 1%
FA Lemon Sicily 1%
FA Gin 1%
FA Marzipan 1%
FA Vanilla Tahiti 1%
TFA Peppermint 0.75%
TFA Spearmint 0.5%

Also thinking about adding-
TFA Sour 1%
Possibly Menthol or Koolada
???

Cheers!

perhaps some white vinegar, malic acid, and sweetener..
i'd stick with the menthol, koolada fades over time.. .5% and up

barberguy · Nov 18, 2014

acidrain23 said:
Hi barberguy- unfortunately I have yet to do much with chocolate or blueberries- I only have the TFA Double Chocolate Dark (black as night and murders coils- not to my liking). And I have messed with some berry flavors, but I haven't found a blueberry that I like yet. FA Bilberry seems to get a lot of praise around these parts- I would start there for your blueberry. Chocolate- no ideas- but others here will have some suggestions, I'm sure!

As far as what is allowed- no worries! I'm no thread nazi- please feel free to post any comments or questions in this thread that you would like!

Thankyou that was very nice

acidrain23 · Nov 19, 2014

Continuing to vape on the absinthe suissesse- it is not exactly what I was going for, but it is tasty in its own right. I'm always happy if I don't have to pour it down the drain!

(don't ask about the banana marshmallow, lol). In addition to the 2nd version of that, I am gearing up for another big (for me anyway) mixing session this weekend. Here's what I've come up with, percentages mostly still tbd but working on it...

I. Absinthe Suisse v 2.0
II. "Earl Grey Tea": FA Black Tea, FA Bergamont
III. "Morrocan Mint Tea": FA Black Tea, TFA Green Tea, TFA Spearmint, TFA Peppermint mmmm
IV. "Dionysus": 3% FW Merlot Wine, 3% FW Blush Chablis, 2% INW Smoked Plum, 2% FE Brandy, 1% FA Amber, 1% CAP Harvest Berry (maybe less berry possibly)
V. "Tropical Fruit Embolism": TFA Papaya, FA Grapefruit, Hangsen Pineapple, INW Mango, CAP Passion Fruit, FW Passion Fruit, CAP Lychee
VI. "Coconut Lemonade": FA Coconut, TFA Coconut Candy, FW Lemonade, FA Lemon Sicily

I also have NF's butterscotch and danish pastry coming, so I might try single flavor mixes of those as well as FA Tiramisu which everyone seems to like.

This should keep me busy for a while!

acidrain23 · Nov 19, 2014

Question re: the FA Marzipan- is it "toasty"? Trying to avoid adding a strong toasted element. Will 1% give me the hint of almond I'm looking for in the Suissesse?

Huckleberried · Nov 20, 2014

I don't get toasty from Marzipan. To me, it's very sweet.

acidrain23 · Nov 20, 2014

Ok, good to know! Thanks HB!

acidrain23 · Nov 20, 2014

So, my wife loaded up a tank with apple pie v2.0 last night. Unfortunately, she descibed it as 'tasting exactly like a christmas candle'. I tried it and yep- spot on candle! Lol. I'm convinced its the Flavors Express Brandy, will have to retry this with Flavourart's version if I ever pick that up.

Smoky Blue · Nov 20, 2014

i'd go with .5% fe brandy.. that is some strong flavoring there..

but if i wasn't going with fe.. i do a mix of tfa and fa brandy..
like:

1.5% tfa brandy
.75% fa brandy

acidrain23 · Nov 20, 2014

Yah, I tried the 3% brandy on its own and it is definitely a little strong. Probably dial it back to 0.5-1% in a mix.

I also broke out the ECX RY4 single flavor mix finally. This stuff is pretty good! To me, tastes like a toasty medium golden shag, slightly sweet, with a hint of caramel, vanilla and mown hay. There is a whiff of tannin and very slight herbal astringency. I like this! I'm a tobacco newbie, YMMV.

Smoky Blue · Nov 20, 2014

acidrain23 said:
Yah, I tried the 3% brandy on its own and it is definitely a little strong. Probably dial it back to 0.5-1% in a mix.

I also broke out the ECX RY4 single flavor mix finally. This stuff is pretty good! To me, tastes like a toasty medium golden shag, slightly sweet, with a hint of caramel, vanilla and mown hay. There is a whiff of tannin and very slight herbal astringency. I like this! I'm a tobacco newbie, YMMV.

that is funny

glad you are liking them.. i have a few recipes for those tobacco type..
in fact, some of my vanilla tobacco uses bits of the te

will have to hunt it down..

but i get the opposite when i do the ry4.. too much grassy caramel and not enough of the vanilla and tobacco..
so I make my own.. its how my vanilla tobacco came out i make for one of my friends..

acidrain23 · Nov 21, 2014

Grassy caramel- that is a good descriptor! Yeah, I could go for more vanilla and a touch of a darker tobacco maybe. Care to suggest something complimentary for my next ECX order?

Would love to check out your vanilla tobacco recipe too if you find it and care to share. I have FA Vanilla Bourbon on the way- that might work?

Smoky Blue · Nov 21, 2014

acidrain23 said:
Grassy caramel- that is a good descriptor! Yeah, I could go for more vanilla and a touch of a darker tobacco maybe. Care to suggest something complimentary for my next ECX order? Would love to check out your vanilla tobacco recipe too if you find it and care to share. I have FA Vanilla Bourbon on the way- that might work?

it will work, don't think it won't.. but as you tinker with your flavoring, you will be able to pick things apart..
once you reach that level.. from there you can decide if to improve it for a main taste in your juice, or..
decide to make it a minor attraction..

for my version of a "ry4":

first, i pick the tastest tobacco as the main player..
then 2 more... for body and depth..
i have used the lightest, and the darkest and in between..
as you go thru the web hunting.. you might even see things like:

tobacco brown or tobacco light

a brown tobacco would be like the nutty 555, or even a heavy tobacco/cigar like tuscan reserve
a light would be your oryental or english tobacco..

then you need to think on your vanilla's or creams..
how heavy or light do you want it? there is nothing stopping you.. either way is right..

do you want it spicy, plain, vanilla-ish, barely noticeable, or heavy?

and your sweets..

i always pair my vanilla with a half dose of caramel/butterscotch.. or an equal of both..

so to look at an ry4 like this, my version:

tobaccos (going for a bold ry4)
1.5% fa burly (dark)
1% fa max (medium)
.75% fa shade (for the wrapping, light)

vanilla/cream (since my tobacco is bold.. heavy cream is out!)
.75% fa irish cream (oh yes, i went there! light vanilla with that tiny bit of mint)
.5% fa vanilla tahiti (for the nut! with cream..)

now at this point, you can decide if you want it an alcohol flavored ry4 or not..
if so, i have better luck with the bourbons and rums from tfa..

1% tfa bourbon
.5% tfa brandy (or go crazy and try .35% tfa orange brandy)

smoother or burnt sugar effect
.25% fa butterscotch

and your additives..

.25% mts vape wizard (to smooth, not smother!)
.5% apple cider vinegar (for dark tobaccos, blender, smoother and enhancer)

and finally.. if i want good luck, i might drop .25% fa black cherry

or.. if I want a tastier vanilla-ish.. i would go as far as 2-2.5% vanillin..

thats about it

Smoky Blue · Nov 21, 2014

in fact.. i have stopped all of my extracts for this winter.. why?
to play around with more of the tobbys i find that can pass flavor testing.

next spring i have my garden lined up, i hope.. if i do not see me moving..
it just depends..

acidrain23 · Nov 21, 2014

Wow Smoky- dyanmite advice, thanks again! Learning not just what to mix with what, but your actual thought process behind it is so helpful for myself and I'm sure others. Cheers!

Smoky Blue · Nov 21, 2014

i dont get as deep as HIC..

but.. i try to get my point across..

working with flavoring that is used mostly in food..
now being re-finessed for us vapers..well.. it takes time..
and sometimes i just can not explain it.. but it just fits..

Botboy141 · Nov 22, 2014

Just out of curiosity, what's your preferred extraction method for things like star anise?

I just pulled a 50/50 PG/VG blend that's been 'cold macerating' for 3 weeks and am now filtering. In the interest of full disclosure though, it's not actually 'cold maceration' I set all of my extractions on top of my water heater (house is always around 71) which keeps them around 85F which seems to help speed up the process by about a week from my previous 4 week 'cold macerations'.

Done a handful of herbal extractions before but had never done anise, always interested in hearing others extraction techniques!

acidrain23 · Nov 22, 2014

Honestly, I haven't ben doing this long enough to have a preferred method. But, what I did with these is to heat water up to boiling, let it cool for a few mintes, then added my containers and left with the heat off until room temp. I did this every day for two weeks aproximately. "Heat Cycling" is a good descriptor I think. So, two weeks of heat cycling once per day, followed by an additional 4-8 week steep at room temp. I chose this method based on other extractions I've done- medicinal teas, alcohol tinctures, etc.

Technically what we are making are called glycerites, since we are extracting into glycol/glycerine. As a general rule, woody matter like bark, roots, and seeds need more heat. Too much heat degrades the more delicate qualtities of the aromatic compounds, so a balance has to be stuck, hence the cycling. I did notice a difference between freshly heat steeped and the longer additional cold steep. Cold steep portion picked up more delicate aromatics and florals. The level of science involved is somewhere around stone age tribal shamanism, so plenty of room for improvement. Is a long warm steep beneficial? All cold better? Hard to say unless you compare side by side, and I dont have time for a double blind experiment at the moment. Haha

acidrain23 · Nov 22, 2014

Here is my session for tomorrow. Lets do this!!!

I. Single Flavor Mix: FA Marzipan 2%
10ml; 60/40 PG/VG; 12 mg nic
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 2.6ml
VG: 6.0ml
FA Marzipan 2%: 0.2ml

II. Single Flavor Mix: FA Tiramisu 2%
10ml; 60/40 PG/VG; 12 mg nic
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 2.6ml
VG: 6.0ml
FA Tiramisu 2%: 0.2ml

III. Single Flavor Mix: NF Organic Butterscotch 3%
10ml; 60/40 PG/VG; 12 mg nic
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 2.5ml
VG: 6.0ml
NF Organic Butterscotch 3%: 0.3ml

IV. Earl Grey Tea
10ml; 60/40 PG/VG; 12 mg nic
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 2.5ml
VG: 6.0ml
FA Black Tea 2%: 0.2ml
FA Bergamot 1% 0.1ml

V. Moroccan Mint Tea
10ml; 60/40 PG/VG; 12 mg nic
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 2.07
VG: 6.0ml
TFA Green Tea 5%: 0.5ml
FA Black Tea 1%: 0.1ml
TFA Spearmint 0.75%: 0.08ml
TFA Peppermint 0.5%: 0.05ml

VI. Coconut Lemonade
10ml; 60/40 PG/VG; 12 mg nic
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 1.5ml
VG: 6.0ml
FW Lemonade 6%: 0.6ml
FA Coconut 4%: 0.4ml
FA Lemon Sicily 2%: 0.2ml
TFA Coconut Candy 1%: 0.1ml

VII. Butterscotch Cookies
10ml; 60/40 PG/VG; 12 mg nic
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 2.2ml
VG: 6.0ml
FA Cookie 2%: 0.1ml
NF Butterscotch 1%: 0.1ml
FA Marzipan 1%: 0.1ml
FA Vanilla Tahiti 1%: 0.1ml
TFA Vanillin 1%: 0.1ml

VIII. Kraid’s Lair
10ml; 60/40 PG/VG; 12 mg nic
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 2.2ml
VG: 6.ml
FA Black Cherry 2%: 0.2ml
FA Coconut 2%: 0.2ml
NF Ginger 1%: 0.1ml
FA Cardamom 0.5%: 0.05ml
FA Bergamot 0.5%: 0.05ml

IX. Dionysus
10ml; 60/40 PG/VG; 12 mg nic
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 1.85ml
VG: 6.0
FW Merlot Wine 3%: 0.3ml
FW Blush Chablis 2%: 0.2ml
INW Smoked Plum 2%: 0.2ml
FE Brandy 1%: 0.1ml
FA Amber 1%: 0.1ml
CAP Harvest Berry 0.5%: 0.05ml

X. Absinthe Suissesse v. 2.0
10ml; 60/40 PG/VG; 12 mg nic
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 0.67ml
VG: 6.0ml
Homemade Anise 15%: 1.5ml
FA Neroli 1%: 0.1ml
FA Lemon Sicily 1%: 0.1ml
FA Gin 1%: 0.1ml
FA Marzipan 1%: 0.1ml
FA Vanilla Tahiti 1%: 0.1ml
TFA Peppermint 0.75%: 0.08ml
TFA Spearmint 0.5%: 0.05ml

XI. Tropical Fruit Embolism
10ml; 60/40 PG/VG; 12 mg nic
Nic: 1.2ml
PG: 1.1
VG: 6.0ml
TFA Papaya 4%: 0.4ml
FE Rum 4%: 0.4ml
INW Mango 3%: 0.3ml
FA Grapefruit 2%: 0.2ml
Hangsen Pineapple 1%: 0.1ml
CAP Passion Fruit 1%: 0.1ml
FW Passion Fruit 1%: 0.1ml
CAP Lychee 1%: 0.1ml

Smoky Blue · Nov 22, 2014

Botboy141 said:
Just out of curiosity, what's your preferred extraction method for things like star anise?

I just pulled a 50/50 PG/VG blend that's been 'cold macerating' for 3 weeks and am now filtering. In the interest of full disclosure though, it's not actually 'cold maceration' I set all of my extractions on top of my water heater (house is always around 71) which keeps them around 85F which seems to help speed up the process by about a week from my previous 4 week 'cold macerations'.

Done a handful of herbal extractions before but had never done anise, always interested in hearing others extraction techniques!

i slightly crush the anise..
then i use vg.. (cant do pg - allergic) in a mason jar that holds 1 cup..
the anise (star anise) when crushed, gives me 1/4 cup..
i add 1/2 cup vg and let it soak in for about a hour..
then i top off for my half cup..

i place my jar in a pot of water, with the water about a inch higher than the inside..
this last time, i had it set to high, till it was almost boiling.. and turned my stove down to #3 (mid low)
i let this sit for around a hour, topping my water off..
then remove it and wrap in a towel and repeat every 8 hours till the next day..

check the anise..
if it looks "spent" then on the last heat, strain thru a coffee filter, or tshirt (i like the tshirt, works better for me than the filter)
and replace it..

then i follow my heat step once more and let it sit for 3 days, without heat or light..
i heat it one more time, then filter it 3-5 times.. depending on how fine i crushed the anise..

acidrain23 · Nov 22, 2014

Hell yeah!

Smoky Blue · Nov 22, 2014

You go, AC!! make sure you send me some

(kidding) still.. they look good

Oggy · Nov 22, 2014

@acidrain23 Now for the REALLY hard part, You have to test them all

acidrain23 · Nov 23, 2014

Yeah, this ought to keep me busy for a while!

acidrain23 · Nov 25, 2014

So far I've tried VI-XI.
Initial impressions-

VI. Coconut Lemonade: Nice creamy sweet coconut with a little lemon. FA Sicily gives is a little zest. FW Lemonade needs to come up a little more. Simple, pretty balanced, but not blowing my mind.

VIII. Kraid's Lair: This one is admittedly, a little werid! It's good though, going to wait a few more days before I pass full judgement
Cherries, spices, a little incensy though.

IX. Dionysus: Ack! Purfume. Holy cow! Hoping this mellows out a lot. Getting past the initial fragrance, there is some wine like tones in there. It actually tastes a lot like a fruit mead I made. More country/fruit wine/mead than a fine wine. Probably too much berry- that harvest berry is powerful. Will give it another week to settle!

X. Absinthe Suissesse V. 2.0: Pretty good! An improvemnt over V 1.0. More anise, though it is still a little lacking- that might change after steep more though. Possibly add FA Anise for more power if I pick that up in the future. Mint is dominant, maybe even a little too much but its tasty. Gettin a little of the lemon but wanting more. Marzipan adds a smooth creamy and subtle almond quality which is nice (thanks for the suggestion HIC!). This all tastes good but it's not really giving me the cocktail character that I was hoping for. I think some acidity and menthol will be tried in future versions.

XI. Tropical Fruit Embolism: This one is my favorite so far! Papaya and mango are the main flavors as intended with hints of passion fruit and the other fruits blend into a nice tropical background. Tasty! Will make this one again.

Huckleberried · Nov 25, 2014

Whether you use FA Anise for Absinthe Suissesse, or not, you want FA Anise. It's a really nice one.

acidrain23 · Nov 25, 2014

Definitely going to add that to my to order list.

On to- V. Moroccan Mint Tea! Getting mostly sweet spearmint with a hint of herbal tea. Tasty! I'm tasting the nicotine now, which is not suprising considering I'm coming to the end of my Wizard Labs jar. That stuff is pretty oxidized, so trying to use it up quickly! I did just get my shipment of nude nicotine which went straight into the freezer, so will try it with clean nic going forward. Would mix again! This is good, but wanting to try more real tea extracts- will hafta give that a go.

acidrain23 · Dec 8, 2014

Alrighty! Finally got back to some mixin this weekend. Got a handful of ECX tobacco flavors to mess with. Here is what I mixed up!

T1) Yunyan 3%
Nic: 1.2 ml
PG: 2.5 ml
VG: 6 ml
Yunyan: 0.3 ml

T2) New Bay 3%
Nic: 1.2 ml
PG: 2.5 ml
VG: 6 ml
Hangsen New Bay: 0.3 ml

T3) "Enhanced RY4"
Nic: 1.2 ml
PG: 2.2 ml
VG: 6 ml
ECX Ry4 3%: 0.3 ml
ECX Yunyan 1%: 0.1 ml
FW Honeywood Tobacco 1%: 0.1 ml
ECX Hongtashan (Black Fire) 0.5% 0.05ml
DNB 0.5%: 0.05ml

T4) "Dirty Menthol Cigarette"
Nic: 1.2 ml
PG: 2.2 ml
VG: 6.0 ml
2% Hangsen New Bay: 0.2 ml
1% Hangsen Virginia: 0.1 ml
1% ECX Yunyan: 0.1 ml
1% TFA Menthol: 0.1 ml
1% INW DNB: 0.1 ml

[PS- unless otherwise stated, I always mix 10ml samples at 40/60 PG/VG and 12 mg nicotine]

acidrain23 · Dec 8, 2014

I have some friends that vape occasionally that are primarily Newport smokers, so I'm trying to make something that they would enjoy. We'll see! The Hangsen New Bay is supposed to be a Newport type flavor, but it smells like limes out of the bottle. Kinda weird!

I'm trying out the 3% ECX Yunyan right now- this flavor line continues to impress me! I get a mild medium bodied virginia tobacco (darker than the RY4) followed by sweet caramel, honey and some hay/vanilla w/o the grassiness that the RY4 has. I've never smoked these Chinese cigarettes, so I don't really have a point of reference, but this one is pretty good on it's own! 3% seems to be working for most of these flavors.

I have high hopes for "enhanced RY4" but gotta let that settle a week or so. Waiting is the hardest part, of course!

acidrain23 · Dec 8, 2014

...ugh, I am hopeless. Haha. Temptation got the better of me and I tried the "Enhanced RY4". GAWD this is insanely good!
Yunyan and Hongtashan give some of that dark rich tobacco complexity the RY4 needs. FW Honeywood tobacco provides a sweet honey note and lightens the mix (can see this flavor getting overpowering quickly though- be careful with this one; the exhale has that telltale "catty" *ahem* aroma too that I like, but others might not appreciate you using indoors). The DNB does indeed give it a "real" smoky finish. Mmm mmm mmm. I'm calling this one a keeper!

DISCLAIMER: I know its weird, but I have never have a commercial RY4 liquid, so I can't really say how this stacks up to the "traditional" version if that is your jam. In fact, I avoided tobacco flavors in general for a long time, proabably because almost all of the vendor tobaccos i tried tasted like a combination of molasses and rotten chocolate. What the hell were vendors doing to murder these flavors?!? They obviously had not discovered ECX's (or FA's) line of great tobaccos I'm sure!

EDIT: Props to Smoky for the mixin tips!

acidrain23 · Dec 13, 2014

Back to VI. Coconut Lemonade: after additional steeping, this blend is pretty good! The coconut is creamy, sweet and realistic (not cloying though). The lemons combine to make a convincing lemonade! FW Lemonade on its own is a bit artificial- tastes almost exactly like countrytime lemonade- that being said, it is spot on. FA Lemon sicility adds more realistic lemon flavor back in the mix and gives it that hint of lemon rind it needs. This mix could easily be an ADV if you like these flavors.

In terms of improving the recipe, i think next time I'm also going to add 1% tfa lemon for additional lemon "body". It also could benefit from some acid, going to try 1.5% tfa sour. Otherwise, this is good stuff! 4/5

acidrain23 · Dec 16, 2014

So, some additional updates! I forgot that I got around to trying the Hansen "New Bay" (Newport) flavor. Unfortunately, this one is a fail. Just got a faint cigarette tobacco taste, weird hint of limey citrus that doesnt belong there and a hint (barely) of menthol. Maybe I didn't mix it strong enough, but I didn't care for this. "Dirty Menthol Cigarette" was not wonderful either. Yunyan is really tasty, but I think its too, what's the word? aromatic? for this blend... Next time I'm going to try:

ECX Virginia 3%
TFA Menthol 2%
DNB 1%

I think that'll do it!

"Enhanced RY4" has been in the daily rotation, my sample is almost gone! I want to try it with a little coconut and vanilla I think, but its pretty good as is!

In other news, I finally got around to updating my hardware. I picked up a Lemo (by Eleaf). It is my first rebuildable, so that is kind of exciting. This thing hits like a monster, so I'm using 6mg (down from 12). Definitely more flavor with this tank! I gotta reformulate some of my favorites at 6mg. I can also taste the nicotine more now, so finally time to crack open my cleaner nic I have stashed in the freezer. I'll save the rest of my now brown WL nicotine for the garden next year.

acidrain23 · Dec 16, 2014

Here are my notes for the next session! Hoping to get around to mixing again on Wednesday. ECX Captain is the only tobacco flavor of the last lot that I haven’t tried yet. It has a buttery smell (diacetyl probably) so I have low expectations, but hey- you never know! I have high hopes for V2 of the coconut lemonade and the lychee lemonade derivative recipe. Super Honey Peach Tobacco is gonna be great I think. Then I have two bigger bottles of the Enhanced RY4 and Tropical Fruit Embolism because I can’t get enough of them and they are gone already! I’m gonna mix everything at 6mg and more VG to compensate for my new more powerful tank. Cheers!

ECX Captain 3%- Single Flavor Mix
(6mg; 10ml; 70/30 VG/PG)
Nic: 0.6ml
PG: 1.6ml
VG: 7.0ml
5% DW: 0.5ml
ECX Captain: 0.3ml

Lychee Lemonade v1.0
(6mg; 10ml; 70/30 VG/PG)
Nic: 0.6ml
PG: 0.1ml
VG: 7.0ml
5% DW: 0.5ml
8% CAP Lychee: 0.8ml
6% FW Lemonade: 0.6ml
2% FA Lemon Sicily: 0.2ml
1% TFA Lemon: 0.1ml
1% TFA Sour: 0.1ml

Coconut Lemonade v2.0
(6mg; 10ml; 70/30 VG/PG)
Nic: 0.6ml
PG: 0.4ml
VG: 7.0ml
5% DW: 0.5ml
6% FW Lemonade: 0.6ml
4% FA Coconut: 0.4ml
2% FA Lemon Sicily: 0.2ml
1% TFA Lemon: 0.1ml
1% TFA Coconut Candy: 0.1ml
1% TFA Sour: 0.1ml

"Super Honey Peach Tobacco" v1.0
(6mg; 10ml; 70/30 VG/PG)
Nic: 0.6ml
PG: 0.9ml
VG: 7.0ml
5% DW: 0.5ml
2% ECX RY4: 0.2ml
1% ECX Yunyan: 0.1ml
1% FA White Peach: 0.1ml
1% TFA Juicy Peach: 0.1ml
1% NF Honey Peach: 0.1ml
1% FW Honeywood Tobacco: 0.1ml
1% TFA Honeysuckle: 0.1ml
1% FA Vanilla Tahiti: 0.1ml
1% INW DNB: 0.1ml

Enhanced RY4 (6mg; 30ml; 70/30 VG/PG) v1.0
Nic: 1.8ml
PG: 3.9ml
VG: 21.0ml
5% DW: 1.5ml
3% ECX Ry4: 0.9 ml
1% ECX Yunyan: 0.3 ml
1% FW Honeywood Tobacco: 0.3 ml
0.5% ECX Hongtashan: 0.15ml
0.5% INW DNB: 0.15ml

Tropical Fruit Embolism (6mg; 30ml; 70/30 VG/PG) v1.0
Nic: 1.8ml
PG: 0.6ml
VG: 21.0ml
5% DW: 1.5ml
4% TFA Papaya: 1.2ml
4% FE Rum: 1.2ml
3% INW Mango: 0.9ml
2% FA Grapefruit: 0.6ml
1% Hangsen Pineapple: 0.3ml
1% CAP Passion Fruit: 0.3ml
1% FW Passion Fruit: 0.3ml
1% CAP Lychee: 0.3ml

acidrain23 · Jan 14, 2015

Alright alright, back to more mixing! Will be gettin to these over the course of the next couple of days. Got some new TFA flavors to try for a change (had to pick up some TFA Bubblegum Juicy for my friends that can't get enough of that- so I picked up some other stuff too). Got TFA Guava, Kiwi, and Nectarine. Also picked up the infamous RY4 Double, so I'm going to try a vairation on wllmc's blend. I also have a NET that finally finished up (6 weeks cold maceration- Lane BCA- its an aromatic cavendish cased with vanilla and whiskey) so giving that a go too. I have a feeling that is going to be a coil clogger, but we'll see. If it tastes amazing, I might have to invest in some low micron filter paper.

Anyway, here is what is next up on the agenda!

(Single) TFA Kiwi Double (4%)
Nic: 0.6ml
PG: 5.0ml
VG: 4.0ml
TFA Kiwi Double: 0.4ml

(Single) TFA Guava (6%)
Nic: 0.6ml
PG: 4.8ml
VG: 4.0ml
TFA Guava: 0.6ml

(Single) Homemade Lane BCA Extraction (@25%)
Nic: 0.6ml
PG: 2.9ml
VG: 4.0ml
Lane BCA: 2.5ml

Miami Knife Fight
Nic: 0.6ml
PG: 4.5ml
VG: 4.0ml
3% TFA Guava: 0.4ml
2% TFA Kiwi: 0.2ml
2% TFA Nectarine: 0.2ml
1% TFA Papaya: 0.1ml

Nice tRy4
Nic: 0.6ml
PG: 4.55ml
VG: 4.0ml
5% TFA RY4 Double Flavor: 0.5ml
2% Capella Caramel: 0.2ml
0.5% TFA- Acetyl Pyrazine: 0.05ml
0.5% FA Vanilla Bourbon : 0.05ml
0.5% TFA Vanillin: 0.05ml
(I'm not a big fan of creams, even FA's so replaced with some vanillin, should be tasty!)

Smoky Blue · Jan 14, 2015

Happy to see you are still tinkering, AR.. those look good!!!

acidrain23 · Jan 14, 2015

Thanks Smoky! Hope you are doing well. You cookin up anything interesting?

Smoky Blue · Jan 14, 2015

not really.. just vaping up juices i have laying around..

maybe towards the end of this month..
might have to try out one of yours..

will give you some feedback if i see anything catching my eye

acidrain23 · Jan 15, 2015

Cool! If you mix any of these, would love your feedback of course. Hope you are having a fantastic week! Cheers.

Smoky Blue · Jan 15, 2015

You got it, AR

and same right back to you!!

acidrain23 · Jan 16, 2015

Got around to trying "Miami Knife Fight". Its good! Nice juicy guava flavor, fairly natural too. Blends really well with the other flavors- they all have kind of a similar flavor profile so they work well together. I don't really have a good descriptor for it- "musky" tropical fruit? If you gave this to someone without telling them what was in it, I think they would have a hard time identifying the other flavors, but they add a little complexity to the recipe. Will port this one over to the recipes section! I prefer TFA's guava to Capellas- Capellas to me has a grassy and artificial note that I don't care for. TFA's is artificial in a way, but tastes more 'right'.

Smoky Blue · Jan 18, 2015

i havent had a chance yet, but will try today, AR and post up for you

been a lil busy here..

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