Tasting your juice.

[Thejoebear]

Started the diy venture earlier this week, have had a couple failures and a couple very nice wins. Very pleased with this new aspect of vaping and will definitely continue to do so no matter what. I really enjoy the tweaking of recipes, learning how flavors interact with each other, the creativity, the math, etc... BUT, the process of trying the current juice I'm working on is, just to be straight forward, super fucking annoying. Re- wicking is a pain and it's messy, and a dude only has so many rda's and tanks to test with before he has to do the inevitable cleaning and re-wick.

So, now the point of this thread, the friend that got me into diy straight up tastes his juice. Puts a couple drops on his finger and let's his tongue figure it out. He makes really good juice so he knows what's up, I just wanna know if this is common practice or if he's just a weirdo. Which he is but that's a different thread. He does 80/20 vg/pg no nic. Which I've also started doing because I no longer yearn for the nicotine and it feels better on my troubled throat and sinuses.

The question.
Who here puts their juice straight in their mouth to try it and prefers this method? Does the flavor interpret the flavor of the vape well? What mix and mg nic are you working with? Do you ever experience any consequences?

I need answers, y'all.

 

[AmandaD]

I always taste it before I vape it! It gives me some idea of what it's like. No consequences at all, and I work usually with 6mg, 80pg/20vg.

 

[Jaaxx]

On the tongue until I think the flavor is right. I err on the side of mixing it too strong, then I steep. After steeping I give it a vape and if it's strong I thin it with some unflavored liquid of the same nic strength.

 

[Pauly Walnuts]

I also mix a tad too strong, steep, then dilute when necessary. Whats the worst that can happen, you get more juice?
Adding flavoring after your steep will wreck you mixes, and your mind.
I taste my juice both ways, but I only vape 4%nic. It would be much harder to 'tongue taste' if I was vaping 24% nic.

 

[Heabob]

Yep, I even drip a drop from a flavoring bottle to test it for strength.

Much better to taste test a recipe without NIC as you won't get the bitter aftertaste.

Usually, but not always, if it tastes good on the finger it will be a good vape.
But I've had some that tasted great, but the vape was awful.

Keep in mind these flavoring were made to be food grade.

 

[Panther1911]

what about a coil set up like this : http://vapingunderground.com/threads/tasting-coil-setup-for-juice-blending-the-splash-coil.48935/

no wick needed

 

[Huckleberried]

I do sometimes put a tiny bit on my finger and taste it. No, it doesn't taste like the vaped juice, but the general idea is there, to me. I have a tiny dripper and a full size, but I use tanks for the most part. I was testing in the dripper, but the flavor, for me, was better in my tanks, so I stopped using the drippers at all, really. Lately, I put a small amount in my tank, vape it. If it's tasty, fill up with that flavor. If not, fill up with another fave til that flavor is gone. I'm too lazy to continually re-wick and clean 'em out when sampling.

 

[Jaaxx]

Adding flavoring after your steep will wreck you mixes, and your mind.

Very true. I like sweeter tobacco/caramel type flavors and the only thing I *might* add after steeping is a little Ethyl Maltol if it's not sweet enough. But it will need another steep afterwards. In those cases I usually employ heat/ultrasonic to speed things up a bit, keeping in mind that the sweetness will increase over time.

 

[DeadShort]

I have always used a very small mini rda like this one http://altsmoke.com/phoenix-rebuildable-atomizer-dripper-v4.html
- short 32g. coil and short silica wick
I would drip a couple of drops of my mixed juice in it vape 2 or 3 puffs, then add 3 drops of pure PG and vape that off for few puffs, then repeat with your tweaks to it. - quick rinse and even a dry burn work good for this also.

 

[Thejoebear]

I have always used a very small mini rda like this one http://altsmoke.com/phoenix-rebuildable-atomizer-dripper-v4.html
- short 32g. coil and short silica wick
I would drip a couple of drops of my mixed juice in it vape 2 or 3 puffs, then add 3 drops of pure PG and vape that off for few puffs, then repeat with your tweaks to it. - quick rinse and even a dry burn work good for this also.

That little thing Is sweet. I'll probably get one just because lol.

 

[Thejoebear]

I do sometimes put a tiny bit on my finger and taste it. No, it doesn't taste like the vaped juice, but the general idea is there, to me. I have a tiny dripper and a full size, but I use tanks for the most part. I was testing in the dripper, but the flavor, for me, was better in my tanks, so I stopped using the drippers at all, really. Lately, I put a small amount in my tank, vape it. If it's tasty, fill up with that flavor. If not, fill up with another fave til that flavor is gone. I'm too lazy to continually re-wick and clean 'em out when sampling.

I've also noticed that. especially around the 1 ohm area. But I still love my drippers too much, the whole process of dripping and mixing flavors in them is just too enjoyable. Since I got my kanger nano I've been vaping that thing like crazy.

 

[Huckleberried]

My little one is along the lines of the one DeadShort posted.

 

[Thejoebear]

Yep, I even drip a drop from a flavoring bottle to test it for strength.

Much better to taste test a recipe without NIC as you won't get the bitter aftertaste.

Usually, but not always, if it tastes good on the finger it will be a good vape.
But I've had some that tasted great, but the vape was awful.

Keep in mind these flavoring were made to be food grade.

I didn't think about trying the flavors that's a really good idea.

 

[Thejoebear]

My little one is along the lines of the one DeadShort posted.
View attachment 15037

What a cute little fella! For how cheap they are I think I can definitely make that investment.

 

[Thejoebear]

On the tongue until I think the flavor is right. I err on the side of mixing it too strong, then I steep. After steeping I give it a vape and if it's strong I thin it with some unflavored liquid of the same nic strength.

You guys have swayed me to add this is my testing regiment for sure.

 

[Zamazam]

Perhaps I'm old school, but as I mix a batch, I test it in a long barrel 357 atomizer. Just a few drops and few draws tells me if I need to alter or stick with the recipe at hand. The biggest bitch I've heard is that the 357 atomizers are too expensive, well, I have 5 of them and they have lasted over 3 years of testing. Food for thought.

 

[Thejoebear]

Perhaps I'm old school, but as I mix a batch, I test it in a long barrel 357 atomizer. Just a few drops and few draws tells me if I need to alter or stick with the recipe at hand. The biggest bitch I've heard is that the 357 atomizers are too expensive, well, I have 5 of them and they have lasted over 3 years of testing. Food for thought.

Seems like a pretty solid investment. Do you think those shitty little black cartomizers would do well for testing? I haven't even thought about those things in years ha.

 

[Zamazam]

NO! 357 Atomizers produce the real flavor since the actual coils do the vaporization, carto's impart the flavor of the filler, and what was used previously.

Soak the 357's in vodka or everclear and blow them out, just like a new atomizer...

 

[Thejoebear]

NO! 357 Atomizers produce the real flavor since the actual coils do the vaporization, carto's impart the flavor of the filler, and what was used previously.

Soak the 357's in vodka or everclear and blow them out, just like a new atomizer...

Haha I totally expected that answer. Thanks.

 

[Zamazam]

I've been vaping for a while. Love my RDA's and RTA's, but for making new recipes, the old standard of the bridge-less atomizer is king IMHO.

 

[Thejoebear]

I've been vaping for a while. Love my RDA's and RTA's, but for making new recipes, the old standard of the bridge-less atomizer is king IMHO.

They aren't even that expensive compared to what people drop on authentic rda's. Some folks just need something to get worked up about. they seem super convenient. Might have to pick one up.

 

[AmandaD]

I use a little Igo-L for initial testing - less than $10, really easy to build (and wash out)!

 

[DeadShort]

Those 357 types can be a bit delicate to use, you can burn one out in a heart beat if they get dry. Well, that was my experience with them when I used them for juice testing. (maybe I bought some off brands ones, I remember had to prime them)