Sampling Flavors and Steeping

[ralph029]

After tossing way more DIY ejuice than I should have, I'm going to take a step backwards and start sampling flavors for taste prior to use. The question that I have is what are the thoughts around steeping a single flavor in a 100% VG solution. I'm much more of a cook than a chemist so I could use some guidance on the chemistry of what we do. I'm sure there is no hard and fast rule on steep time for this but some thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[HondaDavidson]

Juice making is more chef like than chemist. Steep/age time varies by juice solution.... every juice mixture has different requirements for every vaper...imo every juice made should be shake and vapable.. steeping and aging should only improve a juice.

Steeping and aging won't make a bad juice good.. but it can make a So So juice great.

Steep ahead of time if you want. Just remember the clock resets to a different time. with every added ingredient.

Shake and vape blend for one is a 3 week aging required juice to the next.

I find the key to not tossing juice is small first couple batches.... more time..... and not making stuff you might not like.

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[ralph029]

Juice making is more chef like than chemist. Steep/age time varies by juice solution.... every juice mixture has different requirements for every vaper...imo every juice made should be shake and vapable.. steeping and aging should only improve a juice.

Steeping and aging won't make a bad juice good.. but it can make a So So juice great.

Steep ahead of time if you want. Just remember the clock resets to a different time. with every added ingredient.

Shake and vape blend for one is a 3 week aging required juice to the next.

I find the key to not tossing juice is small first couple batches.... more time..... and not making stuff you might not like.

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Thank you. I understand all of the above and adhere to most of it My lack of knowledge about each individual flavor, I believe, is what causes my juice to not turn out the way I think it will. If I'm understanding you correctly, you feel that I should be able to mix a couple mil's of VG with 10% flavor and have a full grasp of what that flavor will taste like when used in a recipe? Being a cook, I understand the impact one flavor has on another and that's not what I'm asking. It''s the what the hell do these flavors individually taste like and how can I best use them to create a recipe. Again, you subscribe to the thought that no steep time is needed to simply taste, for example, what a 10% Caramel from LorAnn should taste like? Correct?

 

[MWorthington]

Since taste is so subjective, about the only way you can get a valid answer to your question is do exactly what you said...mix up a small batch of each flavor indvidually and see what it tastes like TO YOU. Be sure to take notes as you taste so you have them to refer to when you get ready to blend.

Edit...you should be able to see what a flavor is gonna taste like as soon as you mix it. No steeping needed.

Now blending those flavors together MIGHT benefit from some steeping time, but you are the only judge of what YOU like.

 

[ralph029]

Since taste is so subjective, about the only way you can get a valid answer to your question is do exactly what you said...mix up a small batch of each flavor indvidually and see what it tastes like TO YOU. Be sure to take notes as you taste so you have them to refer to when you get ready to blend.

In your opinion, is steeping time needed with a single flavor in a 100% VG base (minus the PG that the flavors are blended with)?

 

[MWorthington]

In your opinion, is steeping time needed with a single flavor in a 100% VG base (minus the PG that the flavors are blended with)?

No

 

[HondaDavidson]

In your opinion, is steeping time needed with a single flavor in a 100% VG base (minus the PG that the flavors are blended with)?

Sometimes yes sometimes no...... imo the steep requires change with every ingredient added to the bowl..... just like with cooking.. every ingredient added affect the whole of the recipe. Including cooking requirements.

Your using food based flavorings... what part of that sounds more chemical than culinary. Why reinvent the wheel just because you don't need a kitchen to make juice. As a cook ypu know what flavors go good together. By smell.... you do realize that smell comes from food vapors......

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[Heabob]

If I'm understanding you correctly, you feel that I should be able to mix a couple mil's of VG with 10% flavor and have a full grasp of what that flavor will taste like when used in a recipe?

Amount used really depends on the flavor and brand.

10% Cherry No
10% Raspberry No
10% FA Tiramisu No
10% FA Fuji Apple No
10% TFA Strawberry Ripe Maybe
10% TFA Blueberry Wild OK but might taste fine at somewhat less
10% TFA Orange Cream OK

Usually safer to start with less and work upward.
Some flavors/brands are so strong just a few drops are enough.
Others may require 10%+

 

[MWorthington]

Yeah, I didn't read the question correctly. I saw 10ml sample instead of 10% flavoring. My bad.
(Note to self: read more carefully!)

 

[HondaDavidson]

As for flavoring %..... I start all flavors at 1%. Or 1/2 what is recommended by MFG. whichever is less.. Once I get a feel for how that flavor acts at different levels of dilution.. Flavor vs % of flavoring is not always linear or progressive. Sometimes less is more. Then I adjust my starting % point for that flavoring. Sometime a flavoring you like in 9 recipes at 2% is over powering or weak in the 10th. Sometime you need more or less of a flavor as the batch size changes.
AS with cooking.... when Making a NEW experimental juice recipe. You take sample tastes throughout the process. As with a pot of pasta sauce...... it wont always taste the same when fully cooked, but the early tastings do tell you if you are going in the wrong or right direction. All the juices I make for myself EXCEPT those with some alcohol in the flavorings are shake and vape... ABLE.... Because the did NOT taste BAD when mixed. Nearly every one of the gets better with age or if you will a little cooking time. I prefer no induced heat when cooking juice.

 

[ralph029]

AS with cooking.... when Making a NEW experimental juice recipe. You take sample tastes throughout the process. As with a pot of pasta sauce...... it wont always taste the same when fully cooked, but the early tastings do tell you if you are going in the wrong or right direction. All the juices I make for myself EXCEPT those with some alcohol in the flavorings are shake and vape... ABLE.... Because the did NOT taste BAD when mixed. Nearly every one of the gets better with age or if you will a little cooking time. I prefer no induced heat when cooking juice.

I like this and never thought about this approach even though this is how we all cook. My only comment would be how would you know how much onion to use with what if you've never tasted the onion itself.
When I mix ejuice, my first batches are never more that 10% total flavorings and then increase after the initial steeping and tasting.

 

[HondaDavidson]

I like this and never thought about this approach even though this is how we all cook. My only comment would be how would you know how much onion to use with what if you've never tasted the onion itself.
When I mix ejuice, my first batches are never more that 10% total flavorings and then increase after the initial steeping and tasting.

Thats why you do first time juices in small batch sizes 5ml to 10ml.. Flavoring percentages can vary by batch size and other ingredients .. ie like cooking. You experiment.. Now its always easier to learn if you make recipes with flavor profiles you are familiar with. The question isn't if the onion flavoring tastes like an onion or not as much as if it adds a good flavor or not to the final recipe. What does an onion taste like? Final flavoring % also varies by recipe. I have some that are 2% flavorings and others that are 25%.

 

[ralph029]

What does an onion taste like?

Like chicken, duh!

 

[Slots]

I make a small test of each flavor solo ... but I add the nic because it effects the flavor.

 

[ralph029]

I make a small test of each flavor solo ... but I add the nic because it effects the flavor.

Thanks. I was curious how/if nicotine would effect the flavor.

 

[RonJS]

My only comment would be how would you know how much onion to use with what if you've never tasted the onion itself.

Depending on Which flavor, sometimes 1% is too much and 10% may not be enough. The answer to your question? Do some research. Plug the flavor into your favorite search engine. It's very likely you will find a median flavor amount folks like you can start with. There's also a Search box in this and other parts of the forum one can use.

The one thing I can't answer is: how much onion do You Like? (Personal taste) You can of course ask about any particular flavor here. Be prepare for a wide range of opinions....

Ron
---
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth."- Marcus Aurelius

 

[HondaDavidson]

Thanks. I was curious how/if nicotine would effect the flavor.

Yes it can. I will say once I got below 12mg/ml I no longer could really taste it. even in unflavored juice at below 9mg not at all.... still I mix all test bottles the same as I would a finished juice... just smaller qtys.

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