Is DIY right for me?

[turp]

I am spending a fortune on juice. I only use one b&m and it's $59 for 120ml. They only sell their brand of juice, and my favorite flavors are good but not great. I had the luxury of trying a premium brand of fruit loops cereal flavor and it was to die for. With all that being said, I feel brain dead when I think about crafting my own recipe.

My question(s) are:

Is it cheaper to diy?

Is it possible to create a premium juice that is better than my b&m favorite?

Where and what flavors do I start with?

 

[fq06]

Way cheaper to DIY. Around $4 to $5 per 30 ml.

It is possible with at least a year of trial & error but there are a ton of recipes to follow while you get started. Find a couple that sound good to you and you will make it yours after mixing it a few times.
Like maybe you want more or less sweetner, maybe you want more milk to the fruit loops mix than the recipe has.
After mixing for a while you learn the flavors and how to put them together to eventually start creating your own mix.

MamaJ's sells great mixes of his recipes ready to go mixed up into 1 bottle, just add to your vg/pg/nic base and your done. Literally 5 minutes including clean up.

Head In Clouds has a recipe site that you can buy a recipe(s) from, order the flavors in it and mix up a great juice.

Search for the cereal mixing megathread here for multiple cereal recipes and start with those flavors needed.

Seriously, the simplest way to start is to get a few premixed concentrates from MamaJ's, vaperstek nicotine http://www.vaperstek.org/120-ml-eu-sourced-nicotine-100-mg-usp-ep/ and some vg/pg... a 5ml & 10ml and a hand full of 1ml syringes and you have 260ml+ of juice for about your $60.
The 120ml nic may last you a year.

Edit: added link to the most important ingredient

 

[MercuryVaper]

Yes and yes. Look at the diy section, you'll see many easy recipes to get you going. Careful though, you are entering a completely new addiction.

 

[turp]

I use a 70vg/30pg mix @ 3 mg nic. Which nic do I buy, pg or vg?

 

[turp]

Yes and yes. Look at the diy section, you'll see many easy recipes to get you going. Careful though, you are entering a completely new addiction.

Not good, I have an addictive personality!

 

[MercuryVaper]

Most, not all flavors are carried with pg. If your at 70 vg, I'd get vg nic along with a small bottle of pg.

 

[turp]

Would you suggest I adjust my mix to 50/50? If I understand what your saying, a higher pg would carry more flavor,right?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[MercuryVaper]

Would you suggest I adjust my mix to 50/50? If I understand what your saying, a higher pg would carry more flavor,right?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

You don't need to change you ratio, but you could. And no, I wasn't saying higher pg is more flavor, although true. I was just pointing out that the flavors that are created are mostly a pg base. The flavoring will be a part of the pg used within a mix. Very rough example...If you mix a recipe that is a 70vg/30pg, The flavors alone would make up the 30%pg if the recipe called for 30% flavoring, then you'd just use the other part with vg and your vg nic.

 

[turp]

Would 10 ml bottles of flavoring be enough if a recipe calls for 2%?

 

[MercuryVaper]

Would 10 ml bottles of flavoring be enough if a recipe calls for 2%?

Lol, Diy is a slippery slope...You'll want to try many different flavors. Start with the smallest amount you can. You may not like what you buy. Don't want a big bottle of something you don't like. It will cost a bit on shipping, but if you find a flavor(s) you do like, then get larger sizes. Many places sell sample sizes. I'd start with that first, see where it takes you.
10ml's of flavoring is a lot. It can make many batches if using the 2% you stated. I buy some flavors in 4oz bottles, but I've been doing this for a while.

 

[turp]

I'm not ashamed to admit I suck at math. The 10ml bottle is the smallest I found of some flavors for a recipe I found in the megathread. Care to recommend an online vendor?

 

[MercuryVaper]

http://mamajsflavorshop.com/
http://www.ecigexpress.com/
I don't want to seem that I endorse any particular vendor, but these have small samples. ECX has many different suppliers to offer. Good place to start. Many other very good vendors out there. I use several.

 

[Discobob]

Take the day and absolutely destroy(search a lot) in the DIY section, get your ducks in a row before ordering..I didn't and now I have so much stuff I don't even know what to do with it. You don't need much to get started start small and don't get overwhelmed, it's easy to do if money is not an issue

Were all here to help, I'm still learning too.

 

[Huckleberried]

I'm not ashamed to admit I suck at math.

Online or downloaded eliquid calculators do the work for you

DIY does seem intimidating when you first research starting up. It really is easier than I ever thought it could be. There are a lot of great vendors, Mama J's and Bull City are my faves for flavors. Mama J's sells the 3ml sample sizes of FlavourArt and a few others. BCV sell other brands with good prices. Both are highly recommended by many. Ecigexpress has a large selection,too. Lots of places sell nicotine, my personal preference is Vaperstek, but I hear good things about MyFreedomSmokes, too.

The initial start up cost may seem kinda high, but the flavors will last quite a while! It's definitely cheaper in the long run, and so much fun! There are so many great recipes here at VU and also available from Mama J' and HIC's Mixes. PLUS, you have the DIY subforum here. LOTS of awesome people, immensely helpful and talented mixers.

 

[scarecrowjenkins]

Before i started diy'ing i was spending about $500/month on juice. Now i spend about $50/month haha. The resources available here are amazing, and it's not as complicated as it may seem. The way i see it is like this: if you buy flavors that you enjoy in other juices and mix them together then even a "bad" batch tastes pretty damn good!! It's like using 2% milk or whole milk or skim milk to make chocolate milk. At the end of the day it's still delicious in its own way hahaha. And it is right at about the same skill level, save for the use of a calculator. What i'm trying to say is that it's cheap, it's pretty darn easy and it's really, really FUN. And there are a lot of people here who have been doing it for a long time who are just as nice as can be. I drip so i only use VG. It saves me from having to think about the whole vg/pg aspect. All i do is calculate how much nicotine base to use and make sure my flavor mixture adds up to 10% of my total amount. I buy flavors that i think will taste good and haven't gone wrong yet. Make use of the help here and it'll open up a whole side of vaping that you can't believe you've been missing. Good luck!!

 

[turp]

I appreciate all the input. The premium juice I tried yesterday was cut wood's fruity bird or something like that. I found a recipe in the megathread I want to try and I am trying to find all the flavors in one place, but some are out of stock.

 

[MercuryVaper]

I appreciate all the input. The premium juice I tried yesterday was cut wood's fruity bird or something like that. I found a recipe in the megathread I want to try and I am trying to find all the flavors in one place, but some are out of stock.

That's usually the way it goes, for me anyhow lol.

 

[Squonk]

That's usually the way it goes, for me anyhow lol.

So true. Welcome to the rabbit hole turp. You may find along the way that your taste may change once you mix for awhile. It's so cheap to DIY once you get set up that you may find yourself exploring more flavors. Once you mix your first wow that's good juice, you'll kick yourself in the ass for not DIYing sooner. I hesitated DIY because I didn't want to deal with all the syringes. This changed my mind. http://vapingunderground.com/threads/guide-to-mixing-by-weight.22891/

 

[MercuryVaper]

So true. Welcome to the rabbit hole turp. You may find along the way that your taste may change once you mix for awhile. It's so cheap to DIY once you get set up that you may find yourself exploring more flavors. Once you mix your first wow that's good juice, you'll kick yourself in the ass for not DIYing sooner. I hesitated DIY because I didn't want to deal with all the syringes. This changed my mind. http://vapingunderground.com/threads/guide-to-mixing-by-weight.22891/

I have been reluctant to consider by weight mixing. I'm just so set in my ways. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks as they say. Maybe someday...

 

[Huckleberried]

I have been reluctant to consider by weight mixing. I'm just so set in my ways. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks as they say. Maybe someday...

LOL, you sound like me. But, I grew tired of endlessly cleaning syringes. I got help from Rocketpuppy and Amanda D and they helped build my confidence in mixing. I wish I'd started it sooner, but I'm glad I got there.

 

[Squonk]

I love not cleaning stuff. I just couldn't see myself cleaning all those syringes. Hell, I got about 20-25 empty bottles I still got to get to. When I got into this I figured I could get a half way decent scale for the cost of syringes. I saw HIC's Heart Of The Andes recipe pop up today and had 20mls mixed in less than 2mins. No muss, no fuss and not a thing to clean.

 

[turp]

I don't mind the startup cost. I would like to vape my first batch after mixing it up so maybe I should order a pre made recipe from mama j. Just don't know what to order, any suggestions? I'm in to fruits, and citrus. Scale or syringes, I don't know. Which is easier? All I know is the recipe for cereal I want to make has percentages, and it hurts my head to think about all of that. And then what after I get my cereal batch done? What do I do with the flavors I have left over? Will there be any?

 

[MercuryVaper]

For a first time in to diy, I think the mama j pre made is a fantastic idea. I just now found them myself. I am waiting on the GOC(Gameovercustard)to try for the first time. Many speak highly of this stuff. If it were me, I'd just get, I think they have 3 or 4 pre mix flavors. That would be a pretty good start i would think. As far as learning, well, I use the old syringe method, but if I were to start fresh, I'd definitely go to the by weight method. Why learn twice when you can learn something once, probably the better of the two from what I've been reading.
You should have enough leftovers flavors to make several small batches.

 

[turp]

Should I order syringes for measuring, and a scale?

 

[Huckleberried]

With a scale, you won't need syringes, as long as all your bottles have dropper tips. Most do, some vendor bottle in screw capped glass, though. SOME syringes couldn't hurt. MamaJ's pre-measured flavor mixes are delicious, as well as the HIC's mixes that they sell.

 

[fq06]

I don't mind the startup cost. I would like to vape my first batch after mixing it up so maybe I should order a pre made recipe from mama j. Just don't know what to order, any suggestions? I'm in to fruits, and citrus. Scale or syringes, I don't know. Which is easier? All I know is the recipe for cereal I want to make has percentages, and it hurts my head to think about all of that. And then what after I get my cereal batch done? What do I do with the flavors I have left over? Will there be any?

Anything you mix will get better with time. Some mixes are decent after an hour or two (and one helluva shake) but the flavors will blend together and improve over time. MamaJ's may steep a little faster than throwing a mix of a bunch of other flavors together but to me it still isn't ready to vape 5 minutes after you've mixed it up.

I just picked up the quickberry pink and strawberry whopper premixes of HIC's and on the third day is now starting to taste good. I think I am going to give it a couple weeks so I can taste it at it's best.

 

[NGAHaze]

All I know is the recipe for cereal I want to make has percentages, and it hurts my head to think about all of that.

That's where the Juice Calculator that Huck mentioned comes in. You take those percentages from the recipe along with your desired VG/PG ratio, your starting Nic level and desired end result Nic level, plug them into the calculator and ti will tell you how much of each component to put in your mix.

Save your remaining flavor for the next time you are ready to mix some more juice and yes, you will have some left.

 

[mjag]

I used this to learn how to mix with weight: http://www.vapingunderground.com/threads/guide-to-mixing-by-weight.22891/

I love it waaaaaay more than mixing with syringes, not even close.

I really like the calculator that is linked to in the about thread, was using e juice me up before that but JuiceCalculator is much more powerful, keeps my inventory and gives me an accurate price of how much a recipe cost me minus the cost of the bottle.

 

[turp]

Any info on a good scale?

 

[Huckleberried]

This is what I use. I;m quite happy with it. Pocket sized.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...liid=I3ELBUCUL5JYW9&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl

 

[mjag]

I got this one when it was $28 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UGBG20?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01 Now I see it is $40 so hucks scale is the definite value in this case. I picked up this one as it was recommended on the link I posted above and it has been great.

 

[Discobob]

Just ordered the exact scale a moment ago, seems to come with calibration weights and an ac adapter and no auto shut off, not sure why I never pulled the trigger on this I have been using syringes, using them in kinda of a funky way(hard to explain) and I got fed up tonight with my weird measuring practices

Sat on Amazon for about an hour looking at different scales this one seems to be a great option. I'm the type that would have spent 200 bucks but the more I searched the more confusing it got, I'm happy with my trigger finger on this one

 

[mjag]

It does come with the calibration weights which with the ac adapter seams like a good deal to me. The cover can be removed as well which is what I do as it leans on the whatever you have it on which may throw off the balance. For what it does I think its a great deal and have no complaints aside from the first 1 got which had a single foot which was shorter than the other 3. Amazon sent out a replacement which works perfectly and a label to return the faulty one.

I use really high end scales for business but this one really impresses me in how accurate it is for the money, great deal.

I am new to DIY but was getting tired of cleaning syringes, now measuring by weight has made it so much more enjoyable.

 

[Discobob]

Yea I can't wait till I get it now I have hurry up already I should have ordered it months ago thing going on, but I was going by drops for a couple batches but figured out real quick it was highly inaccurate due to the different bottles and such. But really excited cause I know it's gonna be way better

 

[cubey]

I'm not ashamed to admit I suck at math. The 10ml bottle is the smallest I found of some flavors for a recipe I found in the megathread. Care to recommend an online vendor?

The DIY Flavor Shack has 4 ml bottles if you are looking for a smaller amount of concentrates.

 

[turp]

Still researching, I'm overwhelmed. I think I will order the pg/vg and the get some pre-made juice to add to my mix. Ordering all the individual flavors will melt my brain melt. Do they make a premix I can add to my mix and get something fantastic?

 

[Mattp169]

@turp

what flavors do you use now from the store?

Maybe we can make some recommendations as to what to get for your first order or so to get you started

 

[Huckleberried]

Still researching, I'm overwhelmed. I think I will order the pg/vg and the get some pre-made juice to add to my mix. Ordering all the individual flavors will melt my brain melt. Do they make a premix I can add to my mix and get something fantastic?

Add this to a nic base and done. Recommended percentage printed on the label. http://mamajsflavorshop.com/game-over-custard-14/

 

[Squonk]

Still researching, I'm overwhelmed. I think I will order the pg/vg and the get some pre-made juice to add to my mix. Ordering all the individual flavors will melt my brain melt. Do they make a premix I can add to my mix and get something fantastic?

Don't let it freak you out. Find a few simple 2-4 flavor recipes http://www.vapingunderground.com/forums/diy-e-liquid-recipes.50/
that fall into your flavor profile. You can always order more flavors as you see fit. I personally have been very happy with 98% of Flavourart flavors. They're high quality and take small %'s, so they are your best bang for the buck. If you go the Flavourart route I would recommend getting all their creams and custard. I wish I would have stayed with one flavor company when I started out because it's so much easier to shop when only looking at their selection. There is only one single flavor mix that I can recommend and that is Capellas Horchata(if that fits your profile) @ 10%. I always have 30mls of it steeping, I love the stuff. As time goes by and you begin to feel more comfortable and get a better sense for flavor paring you'll have a better understanding about what to buy. I feel the worst thing you can do is order a ton of flavors and then become overwhelmed once you actually have them in front of you. Just don't forget to order bottles. I use 15ml glass for testers(12ml mix for room to shake) and 30ml plastic for my daily juices. We're here for you.

 

[turp]

I'm using green smurf house juice from a b&m. It has kiwi, blueberry, and tart green apple.

I also tried cut wood's bird brains that I love, as well as key lime cookie.

 

[Squonk]

I use a 70vg/30pg mix @ 3 mg nic. Which nic do I buy, pg or vg?

I recommend for starters 18-36mg nic in VG and one bottle each of PG and VG. At 70vg you will be going through more VG than PG. I also mix 70vg.

 

[turp]

What size bottles vg/pg should I order. I'm using 70vg lately. What size nic bottle, since I am using 3 mg. If I could start off with a premix flavor that I dump in my vg/pg/nic mix would that get me started?

 

[Squonk]

I'm using green smurf house juice from a b&m. It has kiwi, blueberry, and tart green apple.

I also tried cut wood's bird brains that I love, as well as key lime cookie.

To give you an Idea. You can use FA Cold Pressed lime in a lower%. JUST an idea of flavorings.
http://www.vapingunderground.com/threads/key-lime-cookies.121415/

 

[Mattp169]

I'm using green smurf house juice from a b&m. It has kiwi, blueberry, and tart green apple.

I also tried cut wood's bird brains that I love, as well as key lime cookie.

well greenhouse smurf should be easy enough for you to try

Now I never tasted it, so the first question is
Des it taste like REAL fruit or Candy

If its more like real fruit get some flavour art flavors

If its more candy like go with TFA flavors

The smallest bottles will let you make plenty to try this out

Once you get the flavors you want to do small 1ml samples of teh individual flavors to find out how the percentage you like for that flavor. For FA start at 1% and if its not strong enough add some more
for TFA start at about 5%

Once you know what % you like each flavor individually, then you can start mixing. If you want all 3 flavors to be some what balanced, cut your individual percentages to 1/3. If you want more apple then you use a littel more apple then you 1/3 of your individual percentage for apple.

Always add less to start with. You can add a drop or two to your tank or mix to increase an individual flavor if its not enough.

 

[Squonk]

What size bottles vg/pg should I order. I'm using 70vg lately. What size nic bottle, since I am using 3 mg. If I could start off with a premix flavor that I dump in my vg/pg/nic mix would that get me started?

Get 1 18mg nic in VG 250ml or more-1 500ml or more VG and 1 500ml or more of PG. Remember you can always get more when your running low and get larger amounts once your up and running. You will more than likely be ordering more flavors and you will know how much Nic,PG/VG your going through and can order it along with your flavorings. You can order NIC-PG -VG & bottles and flavoring from ECX http://www.ecigexpress.com/ in one order, they carry it all. That will get you started without ordering from several different vendors. Keep it simple to get started(to keep from going insane) then do more research before your next order.

 

[mjag]

When I decided to dip my toes into the DIY world I just ordered a premixed vg/pg blend with 3mg nicotine so I did not have to mix it all my-self and just make it easy. ECX sells 120ml of a 70vg 3 mg nic base for $6 + shipping: http://www.ecigexpress.com/diy-e-li...3mg-unflavored-nicotine-base-select-size.html so does Nude Nicotine for about $8 http://www.nudenicotine.com/product/3-36mgnicotinebase/

ECX is probably the way to go since you can get your flavors there too to cut down on shipping costs. Check out there FB page as well since they always seem to have coupon codes. I have never tried ECX nic though, maybe others can comment on there quality there but I have ordered a bunch of flavors from them and it has been all good. Nude Nicotine and http://www.vaperstek.org/ seem to be the consensus around here for premium nicotine but to try out they will be a little more pricey for admission.

Like others have mentioned just find a recipe or 2 that you think you would like and order the small bottles of flavors to see if DIY is for you. I spent about $35 for all the supplies I needed to give DIY a try and a lot more after finding out I love DIY

 

[Squonk]

In a typical 30ml 10% flavoring recipe 3mg 70vg/30pg using 18mg nic in VG, you will be using 3.33ml Nic base- 6ml PG- 17.66 VG and 3ml of flavoring. This will give you a good clue on the amounts you need to order. You will be using 3 times more VG than PG.

 

[turp]

I'm pulling the trigger today. I am going to place an order with ECX. 120ml in one week at $60 my wife is going to loose her mind, and I don't feel like hearing it.

I'm going to do Sqounk's key lime cookies but the meringue is out of stock. I guess I will order everything but that, unless you know where I can find it online.

 

[skiball]

I'm pulling the trigger today. I am going to place an order with ECX. 120ml in one week at $60 my wife is going to loose her mind, and I don't feel like hearing it.

I'm going to do Sqounk's key lime cookies but the meringue is out of stock. I guess I will order everything but that, unless you know where I can find it online.

Hey thurp mind posting your shopping list so can see if all your bases are coverd. The best site for recipes is http://e-liquid-recipes.com/ also I read your bad at math it has a built in juice calculator that yes easy as pie

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk

 

[Squonk]

Looks like BCV is out too http://www.bullcityvapor.com/. Just make the recipe without and replace it with FA Marshmallow if your getting it(1%). Then add Meringue when you do get it. Then you'll know what the difference between the 2 taste like. Flavors out of stock is one of the most frustrating things regarding ordering. Just use the "notify me when in stock option" and build a wishlist so your ready when it does show in stock. A lot of the popular flavors can sell out fast so having a cart/wishlist ready will speed things up for you. You definitely want Meringue and marshmallow as different sweeteners. Marshmallow adds sweet poofy fluff and Meringue adds sweet bake/toasted fluff.