# Recommend Fruits Please



## Rivera (26/1/22)

Could some of you recommend good fruit concentrates please?

I’ve ordered a few from BLK Vapour to try DIY again  Sticking to simple fruit recipes.

This is what I ordered so far. Also got sweetener.


----------



## Spunk3yMunk3y (26/1/22)

I pulled this top list from one of the DIY sites by popularity/usage/number of recipes and filtered out only the fruits for you. also includes the average percentage used in the recipes.

Name Recipes Avg
TPA Strawberry (ripe) 18743 3.56%
CAP Sweet Strawberry 11965 3.50%
TPA Dragonfruit 11670 1.94%
FA Apple Fuji 9583 1.97%
TPA Strawberry 9122 3.35%
INW Shisha Strawberry 8138 1.93%
INW Cactus 8106 0.85%
FA Lemon Sicily 6766 1.54%
FW Blueberry 6165 3.04%
TPA Banana Cream 5559 3.09%
FA Red Touch (strawberry) 5536 2.03%
TPA Raspberry (sweet) 4580 2.48%
CAP Sweet Guava 4398 3.52%
CAP Golden Pineapple 4245 2.63%
INW Raspberry 3943 0.88%
CAP Lemon Lime 3925 2.32%
CAP Sweet Tangerine 3793 2.17%
CAP Sweet Mango 3595 3.08%
JF Strawberry Sweet 3490 2.05%
FA Coco' (coconut) 3466 1.34%
TPA Blueberry (extra) 3376 3.25%
FA Pear 3374 1.47%
FLV Mango 3309 2.23%
FA Forest Fruit Mix 3276 2.82%
CAP Double Apple 3182 2.76%
FA Bilberry 3105 0.80%
FLV Sweet Coconut 3069 1.21%
FW Blood Orange 3039 2.09%
FE Lemon 2970 1.39%
TPA Peach (juicy) 2659 3.18%
FA Peach White 2657 1.76%
FLV Wild Melon 2649 1.50%
FA Juicy Strawberry 2617 2.35%
FA Lime Tahity Cold Pressed 2567 1.13%
FA Kiwi 2491 2.52%
LA Lemonade 2461 4.55%

Not sure if youll find these there but hope this can help

Reactions: Winner 2 | Informative 1


----------



## Rivera (26/1/22)

Spunk3yMunk3y said:


> I pulled this top list from one of the DIY sites by popularity/usage/number of recipes and filtered out only the fruits for you. also includes the average percentage used in the recipes.
> 
> Name Recipes Avg
> TPA Strawberry (ripe) 18743 3.56%
> ...



This is amazing!!! Thanks so much

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Spunk3yMunk3y (26/1/22)

Rivera said:


> This is amazing!!! Thanks so much


only a pleasure, if you click on the flavours itll take you to recipes that use them as well quite a nice site if i say so myself haha

Reactions: Thanks 1


----------



## Rivera (26/1/22)

Mixed up a 20ml batch of apple, kiwi and watermelon  Here's hoping! Now to decide on the second test batch.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Spunk3yMunk3y (26/1/22)

Rivera said:


> Mixed up a 20ml batch of apple, kiwi and watermelon  Here's hoping! Now to decide on the second test batch.


I found this looks so interesting but idk if you have all these flavours 
https://alltheflavors.com/recipes/41350?fb_comment_id=1842315525794618_1842360179123486

Reactions: Winner 1


----------



## Rivera (26/1/22)

Spunk3yMunk3y said:


> I found this looks so interesting but idk if you have all these flavours
> https://alltheflavors.com/recipes/41350?fb_comment_id=1842315525794618_1842360179123486



Now that looks very interesting indeed! Very keen to try it, thanks Munk3y!

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Rivera (26/1/22)

Ugh, placed another order for more fruit concentrates and more VG and PG  I’m in the mood to get back into DIY!

Reactions: Winner 1 | Funny 1


----------



## Viper_SA (26/1/22)

I always enjoyed Inawera's fruits. Well, most of their concentrates actually.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


----------



## Rivera (26/1/22)

Spunk3yMunk3y said:


> I found this looks so interesting but idk if you have all these flavours
> https://alltheflavors.com/recipes/41350?fb_comment_id=1842315525794618_1842360179123486



Got most of the concentrates for this! I left 2 of the limes out though, seems to be heaps of lime there lol. Will report back here once I've received them, mixed them up and tested

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Spunk3yMunk3y (26/1/22)

Rivera said:


> Got most of the concentrates for this! I left 2 of the limes out though, seems to be heaps of lime there lol. Will report back here once I've received them, mixed them up and tested


Ok cool that's awesome  look forward to hearing about the mix

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## YzeOne (27/1/22)

Back in the day when we were charfing chicks - our go to gum was Beechies Peach & Apricot.
I'm surprised to see that it is not a common combo for vape juices.
I have only see it once by IVC mixers but it was with ice & I'm not a fan of ice.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Rivera (27/1/22)

YzeOne said:


> Back in the day when we were charfing chicks - our go to gum was Beechies Peach & Apricot.
> I'm surprised to see that it is not a common combo for vape juices.
> I have only see it once by IVC mixers but it was with ice & I'm not a fan of ice.



That's a good point! I have both now, I might mix them  I'm sure @ivc_mixer mastered the combo though, mine will probably not be nearly as good  I like a little bit of black ice in my juices, but not too much! My worst is when a juice has heavy ice or worse still, menthol, lol. I bought a bottle of Red Pill because somehow I recalled it as good when I tried it a few years back, and when that menthol hit me I cursed the day I bought it

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## YzeOne (27/1/22)

Good luck with your mix. I'm available for quality control tests. 
I have seen the hype about this Red Pill but will not venture in purely because of the ice/menthol bit

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Rivera (27/1/22)

Took a gamble and made a 50ml batch of pineapple, peach, mango and a little meringue. Fingers crossed this is good! If it turns out well I'll share the recipe  Going to make the one Munk3y linked to above, tomorrow.

I'm over the crazy sweetness of commercial juices, so ready to climb into my own mixes.

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 1


----------



## Rivera (28/1/22)

Strawberry and apricot recipe is a success!  If anyone wants the recipe I'm happy to share it

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 1


----------



## Timwis (30/1/22)

Must have over 700 concentrates and without doubt MF do the best fruits but damn they are expensive!

Reactions: Informative 2


----------



## Timwis (30/1/22)

Spunk3yMunk3y said:


> I pulled this top list from one of the DIY sites by popularity/usage/number of recipes and filtered out only the fruits for you. also includes the average percentage used in the recipes.
> 
> Name Recipes Avg
> TPA Strawberry (ripe) 18743 3.56%
> ...


Good list but when vaping first became a thing food flavourings were all there was such as FA, FW, TPA, CAP etc so they are always going to dominate the long standing DIY stats as they had a big head start before we got the brands specifically designed for vaping or after vaping came into being such as INW, FLV, VTA extra! Still some great concentrates in that list!

Reactions: Agree 1 | Informative 2


----------



## ivc_mixer (30/1/22)

Timwis said:


> Good list but when vaping first became a thing food flavourings were all there was such as FA, FW, TPA, CAP etc so they are always going to dominate the long standing DIY stats as they had a big head start before we got the brands specifically designed for vaping or after vaping came into being such as INW, FLV, VTA extra! Still some great concentrates in that list!


I was about to say the same. Solid list, some good flavours there, but it's over a long period of time and does not consider the newer flavour houses which have some awesome flavours like SSA, VT, Wonder Flavors, etc. I still use a number of the ones on the list, but there are also a lot of which I use from the new flavour houses.

_But_ that being said, even though you may be comparing apples to apples (w.r.t. flavour names) it's not a true apples to apples comparison as each flavour house brings a different aspect to a flavour. The best example of this would be with my Blackcurrant juice which makes use of three different blackcurrant flavours, each bringing a specific aspect to the end flavour. I find that reading up about flavours before buying them helps a lot, but you must know what you are wanting as most reviews will just say it's good or bad, but you want to read up about the nuances people pick up and then focus on what you want the flavour to do in your recipe.

Or you can, you know, just throw in something and hope for the best

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


----------



## Viper_SA (30/1/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> I was about to say the same. Solid list, some good flavours there, but it's over a long period of time and does not consider the newer flavour houses which have some awesome flavours like SSA, VT, Wonder Flavors, etc. I still use a number of the ones on the list, but there are also a lot of which I use from the new flavour houses.
> 
> _But_ that being said, even though you may be comparing apples to apples (w.r.t. flavour names) it's not a true apples to apples comparison as each flavour house brings a different aspect to a flavour. The best example of this would be with my Blackcurrant juice which makes use of three different blackcurrant flavours, each bringing a specific aspect to the end flavour. I find that reading up about flavours before buying them helps a lot, but you must know what you are wanting as most reviews will just say it's good or bad, but you want to read up about the nuances people pick up and then focus on what you want the flavour to do in your recipe.
> 
> Or you can, you know, just throw in something and hope for the best



With an unrefined palate like mine there are no nuances. Just good or bad 

Luckily though, your juices seems to be more on the good side for me and I'd hate to go down the DIY rabbit hole AGAIN

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## ivc_mixer (30/1/22)

Viper_SA said:


> I'd hate to go down the DIY rabbit hole AGAIN


And it can be a very deep, dark hole indeed

Reactions: Agree 3


----------



## Puff the Magic Dragon (30/1/22)

Please help me out here @ivc_mixer .

Molinberry claims to make a range dedicated to the electronic cigarette market.

I would assume that a concentrate such as Smore’s Marshmallow Brownies would be their best effort to make this flavour and that, given the high 7% dosage, it is essentially a one-shot. This could also apply to concentrates such as Butter My Biscuit (8%), Chocolate Peanut Butter (7%), Stranger Things (7%) etc. 

Their SSA concentrates such as Dragon Fruit (2.4%) and Fruit Hard Candy (3%) would seem to be more like other food flavours where it is usually necessary to use them in a more complex recipe.

Is this correct? If not, why claim to have an electronic cigarette range with seemingly complete recipes? I can understand why, for example, TFA Apple pie is not a single flavour for vaping as it is designed as a food flavouring.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## ivc_mixer (30/1/22)

Puff the Magic Dragon said:


> Please help me out here @ivc_mixer .
> 
> Molinberry claims to make a range dedicated to the electronic cigarette market.
> 
> ...


Technically all flavourings we use are food flavourings. The likes of Capella, TFA, etc. were food flavourings long before they were used to make e-liquids (some are still used by manufacturers in making biscuits, etc), and most still are and then you have companies like Flavorah who developed their flavours specifically just for vaping. But in saying that, before I continue, not all food flavourings are usable in vaping, _*specifically ones which have a oil base*_, so do not just go into Pick and Pay and buy something off the racks and use it. Also, there are flavourings which contain sugar, which crystalise at high temps and thus are also very bad for vaping (alas, FW used to be a big culprit on these). If you are unsure on whether a flavour can be used in vaping, do research. Go look up the MSDS data sheets or review the flavour on sites like e-liquid-recipes which has a prominent indicator on whether such things exist. Now to get off that soap box and address your further questions.

Yes, things like Smore's Marshmallow Brownies can technically be used as a one-shot, and should be quite good, though once you start mixing you notice that the flavour house is developing a generic flavour which should be good for everybody but adding something like - before I continue, I have never had this flavour before so the following is just arbitrary guesswork - CAP Vanilla Custard can give it more depth and adding a sweetener will lift the profile more. I'm not saying it cannot be used as a single flavour, but take FA Forest Fruit for example, a single flavour but with a little sweetener it is a complete profile on its own, not requiring any other flavourants. 

I think the reason they develop flavours like these is so that you do not need to buy something like CAP VC but only need to buy their one flavour for a complete juice, but they do realise that people like mixing their own stuff and like any other manufacturer, they want more sales and market share, so they offer a variety consisting of the seemingly one shot flavouring as well as other single flavours so one can develop something new. Note that I started this paragraph with 'I think' as this is my humble opinion.

Reactions: Thanks 1


----------



## Rivera (30/1/22)

@ivc_mixer may I ask what you’d advise regarding TFA Strawberry concentrate? I’ve read it’s more like a candied strawberry, and so I don’t think I should use my usual amount of sweetener in the mix if I add this strawberry in. Should I maybe even skip adding sweetener? Just trying not to make the overall juice too sweet lol.

I have Strawberry SC RF I am trying on its own, since when I mixed it with alpine strawberry I got, well, not the best result  I learned very quickly to never use alpine at a higher percentage. So I need to test the RF one on its own to see what its like. Getting Strawberry TFA on Monday

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Rivera (30/1/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> I was about to say the same. Solid list, some good flavours there, but it's over a long period of time and does not consider the newer flavour houses which have some awesome flavours like SSA, VT, Wonder Flavors, etc. I still use a number of the ones on the list, but there are also a lot of which I use from the new flavour houses.
> 
> _But_ that being said, even though you may be comparing apples to apples (w.r.t. flavour names) it's not a true apples to apples comparison as each flavour house brings a different aspect to a flavour. The best example of this would be with my Blackcurrant juice which makes use of three different blackcurrant flavours, each bringing a specific aspect to the end flavour. I find that reading up about flavours before buying them helps a lot, but you must know what you are wanting as most reviews will just say it's good or bad, but you want to read up about the nuances people pick up and then focus on what you want the flavour to do in your recipe.
> 
> Or you can, you know, just throw in something and hope for the best



Awesome to read you actually use 3 different blackcurrants to achieve an end result. Inspiring, I’ll get there

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Rivera (30/1/22)

Lastly, please recommend concentrate brands besides TFA, CAP, LA, HS and INW? I don’t know the others as yet (I stay away from FA as they tend to not be that great?)


----------



## ivc_mixer (30/1/22)

Rivera said:


> @ivc_mixer may I ask what you’d advise regarding TFA Strawberry concentrate? I’ve read it’s more like a candied strawberry, and so I don’t think I should use my usual amount of sweetener in the mix if I add this strawberry in. Should I maybe even skip adding sweetener? Just trying not to make the overall juice too sweet lol.


Depends on what your usual amount of sweetener is and also where you mention you do not want to make it too sweet comes into play. When I just started mixing about 6yrs ago, I actually released a juice into the market using TFA Strawberry and it did not contain any sweetener and it sold and I also thought it was a decent juice. I have since learned a lot and personally I would have added sweetener (among other changes), but not much. 



Rivera said:


> I learned very quickly to never use alpine at a higher percentage.


Alpine is good, but it's really strong, as in very. One needs to use it like you would Medicine Flower concentrates, by the drop almost, definitely under 1%.



Rivera said:


> So I need to test the RF one on its own to see what its like.


A number of people do single flavour testing once they get new flavours. I did as well at one stage but I found it very tedious and also how a profile tastes on its own is not necessarily how it will perform in a mix. Now I smell a profile and based on what I read about it I use it at a certain percentage in a mix. Then once I test the mix I determine my own levels. I don't have the most refined palate, at all by far, but I seem to have luck on my side and my mixes usually come out like I want them to.

Reactions: Informative 1


----------



## Rivera (30/1/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> Depends on what your usual amount of sweetener is and also where you mention you do not want to make it too sweet comes into play. When I just started mixing about 6yrs ago, I actually released a juice into the market using TFA Strawberry and it did not contain any sweetener and it sold and I also thought it was a decent juice. I have since learned a lot and personally I would have added sweetener (among other changes), but not much.
> 
> 
> Alpine is good, but it's really strong, as in very. One needs to use it like you would Medicine Flower concentrates, by the drop almost, definitely under 1%.
> ...



Thank you for the help! 

Your reply regarding TFA Strawberry is great, gives me an idea for sweetener percentage!

Thanks for the alpine advise! I will be sure to use only a tiny amount next time!

As for single flavour testing, I always test with other flavours or just a second flavour added, small batch of something I feel I’d like. When I said “on it’s own” I just meant without a second strawberry concentrate lol. I agree with you totally, how a flavour tastes on its own won’t always equate to how it will taste along with others in a mix. I also don’t have a very refined palate, but I do pick up on background flavours most of the time, enough to decide if I enjoy it or not  I like when I can taste each of the flavours in a mix, it’s more appealing to me than say, flavours like SNLV that mix 100 different fruits and I can’t pick them apart from another.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## ivc_mixer (30/1/22)

Rivera said:


> Lastly, please recommend concentrate brands besides TFA, CAP, LA, HS and INW? I don’t know the others as yet (I stay away from FA as they tend to not be that great?)


I have a lot of FA in my arsenal of juices. Like any other flavour house, they have hits and misses. Over and above the ones you mentioned, check out Wonder Flavors (WF), Sobucky Super Aromas (SSA), Vape Train (VT), Frandy (only available at Blck) and Cloud Burst (Flavorworld and Vape Hyper). FlavorWest (FW) also has a few nice ones (their Yellow Cake is second to none and Strawberry Shortcake is a very overlooked flavour and their Salted Caramel, though niche, has some nice uses). The rest have more misses than hits in my humble opinion (DIYFS, REKA, YY, LA, LB, RAW, etc.) but they each have one, maybe two flavours that are worth it.

This is the thing with DIY, and hence the rabbit hole. Finding the flavour you want that will fir the profile you want to make between all there is, is what drives initial costs up. DIY in the beginning cost me a helluva lot and I still buy flavours which I think may work, use them and then realise during testing that it's not what it's cut out to be (here's looking at _you_ VT Creme Caramel ) but it's all part of the learning process. And it's also kinda what makes it fun. Experimenting.

Reactions: Winner 1


----------



## Rivera (30/1/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> I have a lot of FA in my arsenal of juices. Like any other flavour house, they have hits and misses. Over and above the ones you mentioned, check out Wonder Flavors (WF), Sobucky Super Aromas (SSA), Vape Train (VT), Frandy (only available at Blck) and Cloud Burst (Flavorworld and Vape Hyper). FlavorWest (FW) also has a few nice ones (their Yellow Cake is second to none and Strawberry Shortcake is a very overlooked flavour and their Salted Caramel, though niche, has some nice uses). The rest have more misses than hits in my humble opinion (DIYFS, REKA, YY, LA, LB, RAW, etc.) but they each have one, maybe two flavours that are worth it.
> 
> This is the thing with DIY, and hence the rabbit hole. Finding the flavour you want that will fir the profile you want to make between all there is, is what drives initial costs up. DIY in the beginning cost me a helluva lot and I still buy flavours which I think may work, use them and then realise during testing that it's not what it's cut out to be (here's looking at _you_ VT Creme Caramel ) but it's all part of the learning process. And it's also kinda what makes it fun. Experimenting.



Thanks IVC!!! I will go exploring (aka deeper into the rabbit hole )

I am enjoying the learning process, it is definitely fun

Reactions: Winner 1


----------



## Timwis (30/1/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> And it can be a very deep, dark hole indeed


Especially as I find other peoples SFT notes not of much help as everyone has different tastes and interpretations so the only real way of knowing for yourself what works with what and mixed with what and how to get exactly what you are looking for means personal SFT tests and recording your own notes on each flavour, one hell of a rabbit hole!

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## Timwis (30/1/22)

Rivera said:


> Awesome to read you actually use 3 different blackcurrants to achieve an end result. Inspiring, I’ll get there


I would say 3 of the main flavour is common for me, usually 2 minimum, I have a couple of recipes where I use 5 of the same flavour at different percentages to get what I am looking for!

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 1


----------



## Timwis (30/1/22)

Rivera said:


> Thanks IVC!!! I will go exploring (aka deeper into the rabbit hole )
> 
> I am enjoying the learning process, it is definitely fun


As @ivc_mixer said all brands have hits and misses but personally Wonder flavors impress me more and more and also many top flavours from Vape train although they also have a few that are kak and give an off note! Other brands have gems amongst the not so good, there are a few OOO flavours that I find really useful such as pie crust but then others are not good at all! As mentioned before MF fruits are awesome and definitely the most authentic flavourings, haven't used a bad one yet but they are about 5 times more expensive than the average priced concentrates! I also have loads of Flavorah flavourings and very few are duds! It's a rabbit hole alright even with sweetener (although I use sparingly) I have about 8 different ones and the one i use in a recipe depends on what the profile is! Although gathering as much info off others is useful nothing substitutes experimenting, some times it's the mixes that you had low expectations of that turn out to be work of arts!

Reactions: Agree 1 | Informative 1


----------

