# DIY Journey



## Rivera (29/1/22)

Making a space here to keep track of my journey with DIY juice  If any experienced mixers notice bloopers in my posts/recipes here, please feel free to come along and correct me!

I think fruit mixes are more forgiving when you getting into DIY, or just returning back to it like me. Luckily I like fruits the most, so mixing these over something like desserts is my preference.

I have a horrible habit of mostly avoiding current recipes in favour of my own concoctions. I am drawn to the satisfaction in having come up with a successful mix purely of my own creation. However, I do stick to mixing up small batches in case they turn out awful  I may just be a fussy customer. If I see one or more ingredients in a recipe I feel I will probably not like, I abandon it entirely. I do like taking inspiration from recipes out there though.

I've been adding a small amount of meringue to my mixes, because I read that this concentrate helps make fruit flavours pop. Also happy to be mixing fruits as in most cases, they only need 2-3 days to steep  I popped a couple bottles in hot water to speed up the process, as I recall someone else doing this back in the day.

I'm really liking the low sweetener content of my mixes over the insane amount of sweetness in commercial juices! It is actually quite sickening how much is added 

I decided to add raspberry to my strawberry and apricot mix yesterday, so I'm looking forward to trying it! I kicked up the sweetener from 0.5 to 0.8%, just a small boost should be enough.

I also have a banana and apricot vanilla custard steeping, but that is still just short of 2 weeks away from testing. Might have added slightly too much banana  Will see.

What other concentrates aside from meringue and black ice, are nice additives for fruit recipes? Fresh cream kills my chest, and I don't particularly like the heaviness of most creams.


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## Rivera (30/1/22)

Mixed up strawberry, raspberry and lime.

This one is a little more, "technical" for me of sorts. Added concentrates I am hoping may work nicely together and with each other in this mix. Some for contrast, some for smoothness. This is the fun part of DIY, experimenting and learning. Fingers crossed!


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## Rivera (30/1/22)

Side note: Pineapple INW doesn't seem to work well, for me at least. Something muted my other fruits, and the pineapple itself was barely there, so I can only think the pineapple INW was the culprit here as I added nothing else that would do that to flavours in a mix. I have a different pineapple coming anyway, so will get on to that.

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## vicTor (30/1/22)

try this

sweet guava (cap) - 4%
cactus (inw) - 0.3 %

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## ivc_mixer (30/1/22)

Rivera said:


> However, I do stick to mixing up small batches in case they turn out awful


A simple, yet very pertinent thing for DIY'ers and I encourage others to take note. I still do this as well as I have had my times of 'oh my greatness, this is gonna be sooo good' and then mix up 50ml (or even, yikes, 100ml) of it just to throw it away after a few puffs. 10-20ml is more than enough to test a new recipe and from there you can decide if you want to continue on the path with that flavour.



Rivera said:


> I've been adding a small amount of meringue to my mixes, because I read that this concentrate helps make fruit flavours pop.


Meringue does help indeed. If you want a fruit to be a bit 'thicker' as some fruits do tend to taste very thin (weird, but true), add marshmallow. 0.36 - 0.5% is more than enough. Also helps with sweetness a bit, which brings me to the next one...



Rivera said:


> I'm really liking the low sweetener content of my mixes


As mentioned, marshmallow. But if you want to use less sweetener, you can always use some Pear. Again, no more than 0.5% needed as you do not want it to be a prominent flavour. Also adds some depth to some flavours when used right. I find FA Pear works best. 



Rivera said:


> It is actually quite sickening how much is added


Scary thing, I've heard that some international juices have up to 8% Super Sweet! 



Rivera said:


> What other concentrates aside from meringue and black ice, are nice additives for fruit recipes?


Mentioned above, but also do not overlook the following:
Brown Sugar (again, sweetener replacement, but not suited to all fruits)
Cactus (looow percentage as it takes over very quickly! Like 0.16 - 0.36% and yes, it does make a difference at such low %'s)
Champagne, Citrus Punch, Soda Base and Fizzy Sherbet (low percentages it's an enhancer, higher it's supposed to add fizz-type vibe but I've never experienced it)
Powdered Sugar or CLY Honey (same as brown sugar, more versatile in fruits)
ClyroEnhance, Smooth, Vape Wizard (tones down the harshness of some fruits, e.g. orange. Low %'s again (0.36 - 0.5) else it mutes a flavour. There are various ones in this category, e.g. Jammy Candy Wizard, Sour Wizard, etc)
Whipped Cream or Ice Cream (CLY or SSA) (seeing as Fresh doesn't work, this may be the one for you)
Lemon (same as Cactus, but not Lemon Sicily, pure lemon, e.g. CLY Lemon)
Menthol (actually goes well with some fruits, just don't mix too much as it can take over)
Mint (same as menthol, but also note that with both, if you steep it too long, 3 months or over, you will only taste menthol or mint and nothing else)
Lemonade (adds a different dimension, quite nice with fruits)
Note: Things like Sour or Malic Acid brings a sour note, but not so much a hit-you-in-the-side-of-your-cheek sour but also not a sour milk.
CAP Sweet Candy (sweetness and slight candy note)
TFA Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (not CAP, too creamy and not FW, too much dairy)

Stay away:
Cotton Candy (imho it's just terrible)
Any Guava except for CAP Sweet Guava. Rest are horrid
Koolada. Worst ice enhancer there is. Has this zing to the flavour.



Rivera said:


> Side note: Pineapple INW doesn't seem to work well, for me at least. Something muted my other fruits, and the pineapple itself was barely there, so I can only think the pineapple INW was the culprit here as I added nothing else that would do that to flavours in a mix. I have a different pineapple coming anyway, so will get on to that.


I actually quite like INW Pineapple, it's one of my two go-to Pineapples. I typically use it when I want a fresh pineapple flavour more than canned or candy

Reactions: Winner 1 | Informative 3


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## ivc_mixer (30/1/22)

I typed this up a few years ago for a FB post. Most of it you should know, but FYI:

1. My first comment is going to be ridiculed by some, but I prefer using a scale vs. syringes. Personally, it is easier, accurate (before the comments come running in, in my opinion equally accurate vs syringes) and in the long run cheaper than needing to buy new syringes every now and then. And then lastly why I prefer it is because once I am done mixing, I just pack my scale away and I am done, no need to wash syringes, sterilise them, etc. 

2. Put nicotine in first. That way if you mess up, then you do not need to redo everything. If you add a little too much of a certain flavour, you can work around that by upping the general quantity of the mixture you are busy with.
2.1. Adding to the above, if you add a little too much of a concentrate, gauge how much too much you added. If, for example, the juice you are making called for 0.5% FLV Rich Cinnamon and you added 1% by accident, then double the rest of the quantities and make double the juice. But if the recipe called for 6% TFA Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and you added 6.5%, it's not the end of the world, just continue as normal.
2.2 Same goes for PG and VG, but slightly less strict. So you overshot on the PG and now your mix is a 65/35 instead of 70/30, that's not too bad. If it was more like 55/45 or such, then I would say adjust your recipe and add more ingredients to bring you back to 70/30.

3. Before you buy too many concentrates, look up some recipes you like and plan around that. DIY can save you money, but it can also cost a lot more than commercial!
3.1. There are general flavours which you can buy initially, e.g. CAP Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, FA Strawberry Red Touch (I am not a big fan of the TFA ripe version), INW Biscuit, TFA Blueberry Extra, INW Creme Brulee, CAP Vanilla Custard V1, FA Marshmallow, TFA Brown Sugar, FA Meringue, FW Butterscotch, etc. Solid flavours, all of them. But stay away from the likes of FW Blood Orange, TFA Acai Berry, FA Dark Bean Espresso, etc. until you know what you're doing.
3.2. Also try and find recipes with ingredients you can use in a couple of recipes. Just because one recipe you would like to make contains, for example, Cherry Crush @0.5% go out and buy a 10ml Cherry Crush. You will be stuck with the flavour for a while without anything else to use it in.

4. Keep notes! I cannot stress this enough. Once you start working on your own recipes, you will need the notes of previous ones and what worked and what not. 
4.1 If you have the will and patience to do it, make 5-10ml samplers of each individual flavour concentrate and then make notes on them. Note however that flavours interact with each other during steeping and profiles change slightly, but it is good to know the general base of the flavour.
4.2. Sites like e-liquid-recipes.com is also very helpful as almost all flavours out there has a profile on the page with people posting reviews on their perception of the flavour.

5. Watch some DIY flavour review videos on Youtube. DIY or DIE is brilliant and helped me a lot initially. Wayne knows his stuff. Then again, keep notes of all he says about the flavour profiles so that when you start developing you will know that CAP Vanilla Custard V1 is a rich, creamy vanilla whereas FA Custard is a basic custard with a slight lemon zing. Both useful, but worth knowing what to use when. New Amsterdam Vape is also very helpful and gives lots of help to new mixers and the group called 'Noted' (found under DIY or Die's YouTube channel) talks a lot about the various flavours and their nuances.

6. If you are unsure about a recipe, make it in a 10ml initially. Do not waste 30ml worth of ingredients on a hunch. If it is good, then remake in bigger quantity.

7. Do not skip steeping times. A lot of people want a shake and vape recipe and though there is merit to some (note: SOME) of them, best flavours come out over time.
- Fruits, generally 2days to 1 week. I have a fruity that needs 5 weeks though
- Creams/Desserts - 2 weeks minimum, preferably 3-4 weeks
- Tobaccos/Coffees - 4 weeks minimum, preferably 5-6 weeks

8. If it tastes like $%#@, throw it away. BUT, do not throw away a juice you made last night, tried this morning and now it tastes horribly. Let it stand first, but then if after time it tastes bad, toss it and accept it as a learning curve (I have had many, many of them over the time #greatjuicecullingof2017, 2019 and 2020).

9. Calculators... essential! You can use the calculator on e-liquid-recipes.com or download one on your phone or tablet or PC. I use the one found here: diyjuicecalculator.com. You need to download it to your PC but it is a awesome app. Irrispective, use a calculator, and one where you can store recipes you have made so you can reference them again.

10. Lastly, the sky's the limit. Make weird mixes, you never know. You will mess up sometimes, it is part of learning. Above all, enjoy!

Reactions: Winner 5


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## Rivera (30/1/22)

@ivc_mixer you are the best!!!!! Thank you SO much for all of this!

I am actually waiting on Marshmallow to add to one of my mixes 

So interesting about using pear! I’m going to get some for sure.

Thank you for listing so many great additives to try, I’m super excited now! Mint and lemonade sound especially great to me, will think about recipes to add them to. Whipped cream should be a much better option for me, thanks!

Regarding the INW pineapple, I might try again with an adjusted recipe. I trust you when you say it’s good, so I’m sure I messed up somehow 

Great to see you mix like me!!! I also use a scale over syringes! AND I also add nicotine in first  I use e-liquid-recipes.com 

Such great info here, you are awesome

Reactions: Like 1


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## Rivera (30/1/22)

What I’ve also found very helpful if I feel I need to dilute a flavour, is this calculator. 

https://www.physiologyweb.com/calculators/dilution_calculator_mass_per_volume.html

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## Rivera (30/1/22)

vicTor said:


> try this
> 
> sweet guava (cap) - 4%
> cactus (inw) - 0.3 %



Thank you Victor!!!! I was trying to remember this one after seeing it mentioned in the What Did You Mix Today thread! I’ll give it a try

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## ivc_mixer (30/1/22)

Rivera said:


> I use e-liquid-recipes.com


I use a desktop app called Recipe Calculator (http://diyjuicecalculator.com/). I've tried many various ones over the years but this one just works best for me.

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## Rivera (30/1/22)

Marshmallow, Cactus and CAP sweet guava coming soon! Cannot wait to test out the cactus in particular


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## Rivera (31/1/22)

Mixed a second bottle of juice for a relative. They loved the first one I made for them, so that made me feel really proud  Little achievements like this motivate you to keep at it and keep improving.

Going to mix up some cactus and sweet guava soon! This one seems popular so I simply must try it myself!

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## Rivera (1/2/22)

Here's a vanilla custard mix I made that I enjoy. The banana and strawberry are a bit more on the subtle side yet still clearly there, which I like. So steep longer if you want them to pop more, but I like them slightly less strong in here.

Banana (HS) 2.6%
Strawberry Red Touch (FA) 3%
Meringue (FA) 0.4%
Vanilla Custard v1 (CAP) 3%
Sweetness (FLV) 0.6%

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## Paul33 (1/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Marshmallow, Cactus and CAP sweet guava coming soon! Cannot wait to test out the cactus in particular


Cactus is great cause it adds a "juiciness" to your mix but too much is kak.

its a versatile flavour to add to other mixes around 0.1-0.2% to give your mix a juicy mouthfeel without changing things too much.

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## Rivera (1/2/22)

Paul33 said:


> Cactus is great cause it adds a "juiciness" to your mix but too much is kak.
> 
> its a versatile flavour to add to other mixes around 0.1-0.2% to give your mix a juicy mouthfeel without changing things too much.



So I've heard! I added a tiny amount to a relative's mix and also to my own mix recently

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## ivc_mixer (1/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Here's a vanilla custard mix I made that I enjoy. The banana and strawberry are a bit more on the subtle side yet still clearly there, which I like. So steep longer if you want them to pop more, but I like them slightly less strong in here.
> 
> Banana (HS) 2.6%
> Strawberry Red Touch (FA) 3%
> ...


Looks good. Have you thought of maybe changing the FA Strawberry for CAP Sweet Strawberry V1? It's a brilliant strawberry but not as 'fresh' as FA Red Touch, so may work slightly better in the mix. Just an opinion

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## Rivera (1/2/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> Looks good. Have you thought of maybe changing the FA Strawberry for CAP Sweet Strawberry V1? It's a brilliant strawberry but not as 'fresh' as FA Red Touch, so may work slightly better in the mix. Just an opinion



Thanks so much for the advice IVC! I'll gladly give FA Strawberry a try

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## ivc_mixer (1/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Thanks so much for the advice IVC! I'll gladly give FA Strawberry a try


You have FA Strawberry Red Touch in there, I am suggesting CAP Sweet Strawberry V1

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## Rivera (1/2/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> You have FA Strawberry Red Touch in there, I am suggesting CAP Sweet Strawberry V1



LOL I meant to say CAP, FA caught my eye as I was reading and typing  Having a whole bunch of concentrates sometimes scrambles my brain

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## Rivera (1/2/22)

@ivc_mixer Wayne from DIY or DIE said in a vid he uses CAP Vanilla Custard v1 at 8%  Americans like their vape juice strong and sweet  I find his vids helpful, but most of the time I scale back on the percentages he recommends


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## ivc_mixer (1/2/22)

Rivera said:


> @ivc_mixer Wayne from DIY or DIE said in a vid he uses CAP Vanilla Custard v1 at 8%  Americans like their vape juice strong and sweet  I find his vids helpful, but most of the time I scale back on the percentages he recommends


I have it at 10% in one of my mixes 

But in others I have it at 2-4%, it all depends on what you want the custard to do in the mix.

I do not follow the general guidelines w.r.t. concentrate percentages, I mix it in based on how I want it to perform in the juice.

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## Rivera (1/2/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> I have it at 10% in one of my mixes
> 
> But in others I have it at 2-4%, it all depends on what you want the custard to do in the mix.
> 
> I do not follow the general guidelines w.r.t. concentrate percentages, I mix it in based on how I want it to perform in the juice.



Wow haha! Yes, it's really all down to what you are personally looking for and that's all that counts

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## ivc_mixer (1/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Wow haha! Yes, it's really all down to what you are personally looking for and that's all that counts


Every recipe is different and has different 'needs'. What I always do before I develop something is I sit back and think what I want the profile to become and what nuances, etc. I want from it. If I want something simple, e.g. iced lemonade, then I will just do lemonade, sweetener and ice. But if I want something more complex, like a Banana Strawberry Custard like yours, then I think about the three different profiles individually and then how they need to interact with each other - which one needs to be more prominent, etc. Once I determined that, then I think about supporting flavours, e.g. a custard on its own is not always that good but if you add a little french vanilla or sugar cookie, then it takes on a different dimension, but that also influences the other flavours. 

Some people think DIY is as simple as take basic ingredients, slap them together and you have a juice. Sure, you'll have something, but is it something you will ADV if it comes to that? A proper juice needs time and patience. I've once spent about 4 weeks planning and making notes, adjusting levels, changing concentrates, etc. on a juice before I mixed a drop. But on the other hand, I have juices where inspiration struck me and within 10 minutes it was developed, mixed and in the steeping corner (like the naughty corner, but just for juices  - and they stay there until they're good! )

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## Rivera (1/2/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> Every recipe is different and has different 'needs'. What I always do before I develop something is I sit back and think what I want the profile to become and what nuances, etc. I want from it. If I want something simple, e.g. iced lemonade, then I will just do lemonade, sweetener and ice. But if I want something more complex, like a Banana Strawberry Custard like yours, then I think about the three different profiles individually and then how they need to interact with each other - which one needs to be more prominent, etc. Once I determined that, then I think about supporting flavours, e.g. a custard on its own is not always that good but if you add a little french vanilla or sugar cookie, then it takes on a different dimension, but that also influences the other flavours.
> 
> Some people think DIY is as simple as take basic ingredients, slap them together and you have a juice. Sure, you'll have something, but is it something you will ADV if it comes to that? A proper juice needs time and patience. I've once spent about 4 weeks planning and making notes, adjusting levels, changing concentrates, etc. on a juice before I mixed a drop. But on the other hand, I have juices where inspiration struck me and within 10 minutes it was developed, mixed and in the steeping corner (like the naughty corner, but just for juices  - and they stay there until they're good! )



I love this! Yes, there is often a lot of thought that goes into a mix and it is definitely not as simple as just chucking a couple flavours together. I think about what I want to stand out the most, and what will support that flavour and compliment it. I feel like I'll have a much easier time, when I am familiar with a lot more concentrates! I think once you know a range of flavours from different brands and how they taste/what kind of flavour they bring to the table, you'll have way more success with recipes in general. It takes time but I'll get there

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## Rivera (1/2/22)

vicTor said:


> try this
> 
> sweet guava (cap) - 4%
> cactus (inw) - 0.3 %



Steep time please?

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## vicTor (1/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Steep time please?



hi, about a week

but I snv it

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## Rivera (1/2/22)

vicTor said:


> hi, about a week
> 
> but I snv it



I’m also going to snv it!!! I have too many steeping and not enough on hand

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## Adephi (1/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Steep time please?



If you used INW Cactus at 1% you need it to steep for 1 week to let it smooth out a bit.

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## Rivera (1/2/22)

Adephi said:


> If you used INW Cactus at 1% you need it to steep for 1 week to let it smooth out a bit.



Thank you Adephi, I only used 0.3 this time round

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## Rivera (2/2/22)

Okay tried the sweet guava cactus mix. It’s not a snv for me  I’m going to leave it to steep for a week and try again.

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## vicTor (2/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Okay tried the sweet guava cactus mix. It’s not a snv for me  I’m going to leave it to steep for a week and try again.



...lol, it's not for everyone, but will get better, I snv out of necessity

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## Rivera (2/2/22)

vicTor said:


> ...lol, it's not for everyone, but will get better, I snv out of necessity



I also need to, so it’s a battle between that need and then wanting it to taste at it’s best and wait

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## Paul33 (2/2/22)

Rivera said:


> I also need to, so it’s a battle between that need and then wanting it to taste at it’s best and wait


You can leave out the cactus and SNV just the guava for now. Just do a small bottle. Should be 100’s.

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## Rivera (2/2/22)

Paul33 said:


> You can leave out the cactus and SNV just the guava for now. Just do a small bottle. Should be 100’s.



Thanks Paul! Awesome!

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## Rivera (2/2/22)

vicTor said:


> ...lol, it's not for everyone, but will get better, I snv out of necessity



Also, I definitely do like it!!!! I just feel like with a steep it’ll be better and the guava will come through more

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## vicTor (2/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Also, I definitely do like it!!!! I just feel like with a steep it’ll be better and the guava will come through more



...hope to see you at the JHB Vape Meet on 19th Feb

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## Rivera (2/2/22)

vicTor said:


> ...hope to see you at the JHB Vape Meet on 19th Feb



Thanks Victor! Gonna try and make it

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## Rivera (3/2/22)

FINALLY a juice that was ready to test! This one is so yummy to me, so sharing the recipe  Steep for 1 week.

https://alltheflavors.com/recipes/258703#angel_kisses_by_silverhound

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## Paul33 (3/2/22)

Rivera said:


> FINALLY a juice that was ready to test! This one is so yummy to me, so sharing the recipe  Steep for 6 days.
> 
> Meringue (FA) 0.4%
> Peach (INW) 2.6
> ...


That sounds good. 

what brand is the sweet mango?

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## Rivera (3/2/22)

Paul33 said:


> That sounds good.
> 
> what brand is the sweet mango?



Oops! Edited the post, it's CAP  Hope you enjoy!

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## Rivera (3/2/22)

Could someone please advise what sort of percentages to use CAP Super Sweet please?

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## Adephi (3/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Could someone please advise what sort of percentages to use CAP Super Sweet please?



It's more personal choice and depends on the flavours you are using.

A lot of diy'ers don't use any. Some only at low 0.25%. Wayne Walker go up to 1.5%, but he has a sweet tooth.

It's also a major coil gunker. So keep that in mind.

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## Rivera (3/2/22)

Adephi said:


> It's more personal choice and depends on the flavours you are using.
> 
> A lot of diy'ers don't use any. Some only at low 0.25%. Wayne Walker go up to 1.5%, but he has a sweet tooth.
> 
> It's also a major coil gunker. So keep that in mind.



Thanks Adephi! Might stay with FLV Sweetness then  I noticed Wayne’s sweet tooth lol.

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## Rivera (3/2/22)

Okay so I decided to try adding some cactus to my Angel Kisses mix for the next batch. I put the bottle (with mix in) on the scale, hit "tare" to zero it and started dropping the cactus in. Low and behold the numbers don't budge  I think "well the scale's just lagging, it'll change" and drop a few more drops in. NADA! I decide "screw it" and add a few more drops then stop at "well this feels about 0.3%" - guys, I'm sure some of you can relate to "feeling" more or less what a certain percentage is in terms of volume as you're adding it in, right? 

May the Mixing Gods be ever on my side and in my favour

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## DougP (4/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Could someone please advise what sort of percentages to use CAP Super Sweet please?


I use it from 0.5% to max 1%. 
Found 0.8% to be a good default starting point

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## Lawrence A (4/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Okay so I decided to try adding some cactus to my Angel Kisses mix for the next batch. I put the bottle (with mix in) on the scale, hit "tare" to zero it and started dropping the cactus in. Low and behold the numbers don't budge  I think "well the scale's just lagging, it'll change" and drop a few more drops in. NADA! I decide "screw it" and add a few more drops then stop at "well this feels about 0.3%" - guys, I'm sure some of you can relate to "feeling" more or less what a certain percentage is in terms of volume as you're adding it in, right?
> 
> May the Mixing Gods be ever on my side and in my favour



Instead of pushing tare before adding the cactus, just work out how many more grams of cactus you need to add after the last ingredient... if you are making a 30ml this is usually something like 0,05g and often the scales struggle to reflect such a low weight once tared. However it seems to have no issue recognizing such a low volume once it is already got some numbers on the scale... eg. to go from 1.25 to 1.30 is fine, but to go from 0 to 0.05 is where it struggles.

I tend to do this where there are very low volumes in a mix (cactus, super sweet etc.)

Another option is to make 10% dilution of the flavor in question and use that at 10 x times the required qty. Eg 0,05g of 'neat' cactus is the same as 0,50g of a 10% dilution, making it easier to work with from a scale perspective.

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## Puff the Magic Dragon (4/2/22)

Rivera said:


> FINALLY a juice that was ready to test! This one is so yummy to me, so sharing the recipe  Steep for 1 week.
> 
> https://alltheflavors.com/recipes/258703#angel_kisses_by_silverhound




I see that you have chosen to make a juice published by an unknown mixer. The juice is also unrated. This is pretty brave although perhaps not so much because you mix up small test amounts.

I only mix 100ml batches and therefore don't take a chance on unrated recipes. I do find one issue with using ratings and that is that some of the old recipes are highly rated but have very high total concentrates. As the attys improved the percentages dropped.

I am yet to mix a 100ml juice that I hate and will not vape. Having said that I have been DIYing for so long that there are many juices that I like and seldom have the need to try a new one. I'm definitely not advising anyone to mix large batches. I am inherently lazy and can't be bothered to mix 10 or 30ml.


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## Rivera (4/2/22)

Puff the Magic Dragon said:


> I see that you have chosen to make a juice published by an unknown mixer. The juice is also unrated. This is pretty brave although perhaps not so much because you mix up small test amounts.
> 
> I only mix 100ml batches and therefore don't take a chance on unrated recipes. I do find one issue with using ratings and that is that some of the old recipes are highly rated but have very high total concentrates. As the attys improved the percentages dropped.
> 
> I am yet to mix a 100ml juice that I hate and will not vape. Having said that I have been DIYing for so long that there are many juices that I like and seldom have the need to try a new one. I'm definitely not advising anyone to mix large batches. I am inherently lazy and can't be bothered to mix 10 or 30ml.



This is my recipe.

Reactions: Winner 1


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## Puff the Magic Dragon (4/2/22)

Rivera said:


> This is my recipe.


 
Silverhound !!! Gets me every time.

Nevertheless, it serves to confirm my point about ratings.


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## Rivera (4/2/22)

Puff the Magic Dragon said:


> Silverhound !!! Gets me every time.
> 
> Nevertheless, it serves to confirm my point about ratings.



I only posted the recipe yesterday, if anyone mixed it, still got a week to go before trying and then reviewing it.  If people don't like it I'm not bothered, I'm enjoying the journey.

Reactions: Winner 1


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## Rivera (4/2/22)

Puff the Magic Dragon said:


> Silverhound !!! Gets me every time.
> 
> Nevertheless, it serves to confirm my point about ratings.



Also, I don't see why it's a problem to mix an unknown mixer's recipe. The popular mixers also started out as unknown. Point is, if a recipe looks decent to you, just mix it. And not all popular mixer's recipes are going to be brilliant. We all make a few recipes some won't like, regardless of how good you are. I'm putting it out there for anyone to enjoy, and if people give feedback for improvement purposes I'm happy to take it on board. Otherwise if you just didn't like the recipe, that's totally cool. Try a different one.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Puff the Magic Dragon (4/2/22)

Of course, it is fine to mix any recipe you may find or make up. That's essentially how knowledge is gained. 

As I said I mix large amounts at a time. I wouldn't want to take a greater risk than necessary resulting in me wasting 100ml of a juice. As I said it is not much of an issue when mixing 10 or even 30ml. For me, given my practice of mixing large amounts, I usually try popular juices or recipes published by the particular mixologists that I prefer. The odds are then greater that I wouldn't waste a mix. 

There are also recipes that I can recognise as being similar to or a variation of existing recipes. If I can see, from my experience, that the new variation may well be an improvement, I may try it. This is similar to @ivc_mixer being able to make a recommendation for your recipe without even trying it. I am definitely not in the same league as @ivc_mixer which is why I mainly rely on the experts and make small tweaks mainly when substituting when I am short of an ingredient. 

DIYing your own juices, including making your own original recipes, can be a great hobby. I can see that you are already enjoying the experience. Enjoy the journey.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Rivera (4/2/22)

Puff the Magic Dragon said:


> Of course, it is fine to mix any recipe you may find or make up. That's essentially how knowledge is gained.
> 
> As I said I mix large amounts at a time. I wouldn't want to take a greater risk than necessary resulting in me wasting 100ml of a juice. As I said it is not much of an issue when mixing 10 or even 30ml. For me, given my practice of mixing large amounts, I usually try popular juices or recipes published by the particular mixologists that I prefer. The odds are then greater that I wouldn't waste a mix.
> 
> ...



Yes, if you are mixing in larger amounts then for sure, go with popular mixers. 

I imagine there are TONS of recipes similar to others! This happens for sure. I would like to get constructive feedback on my recipes as I post them, since it's great to be able to learn and improve  Also why I share them. 

@ivc_mixer has been such an amazing help, I appreciate his advice!

Reactions: Like 1


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## ivc_mixer (4/2/22)

So much to catch up on from the past few days. Been too hectic at work to really notice the forum, nevermind read anything.



Rivera said:


> Could someone please advise what sort of percentages to use CAP Super Sweet please?


As said previously, this is a personal preference, but it also depends on the recipe. I have mixes in which it is used at 0.5% and then mixes where it's used at  2.2% (but it works). What I suggest, and also what was said, is start low-ish (0.5%) and work your way up from there. You will find 0.5% offers a decent amount of sweetness and usually works well.



Rivera said:


> Thanks Adephi! Might stay with FLV Sweetness then  I noticed Wayne’s sweet tooth lol.


Not necessarily. IMHO, the following sweeteners are used accordingly:
CAP Super Sweet - Fruits, gums, beverages, etc.
FLV Sweetness and Clyrosweet - Bakeries, Desserts, etc.
But again (though not the norm) I have two recipes where I use a combination of two different sweeteners as they both bring a different aspect to the juice which I needed.



Rivera said:


> I put the bottle (with mix in) on the scale, hit "tare" to zero it and started dropping the cactus in. Low and behold the numbers don't budge


Oh, so so many times. I have learnt through time though how much drops weigh based on the type of flavour and the bottle it's in. On average, your 10ml needle nose bottles dispense about 0.02gr (the 100ml needle nose ones about 0.03gr) and the PET (button nose for want of a better description) about 0.04 - 0.05gr. So if this happens, then I count the drops and figure it from there. This is not always true though as some juices are thinner and thus the drops would be 0.01gr, etc. but a general avg of 0.02 works well enough.



Rivera said:


> If people don't like it I'm not bothered, I'm enjoying the journey.


And that right there ladies and gentleman is the crux of DIY.



Rivera said:


> @ivc_mixer has been such an amazing help, I appreciate his advice!


Always glad to help out wherever I can.

Reactions: Winner 4


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## Rivera (4/2/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> So much to catch up on from the past few days. Been too hectic at work to really notice the forum, nevermind read anything.
> 
> 
> As said previously, this is a personal preference, but it also depends on the recipe. I have mixes in which it is used at 0.5% and then mixes where it's used at  2.2% (but it works). What I suggest, and also what was said, is start low-ish (0.5%) and work your way up from there. You will find 0.5% offers a decent amount of sweetness and usually works well.
> ...



Coming along to save the day once again! Your advice on CAP Super Sweet is so helpful, thank you! I love the tips for where to use what sweetener, so awesome! Making notes 

IVC rocks!

Reactions: Agree 1 | Thanks 1


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## ivc_mixer (4/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Coming along to save the day once again! Your advice on CAP Super Sweet is so helpful, thank you! I love the tips for where to use what sweetener, so awesome! Making notes
> 
> IVC rocks!


Another thing I forgot about the scale and it not picking up. It also helps (sometimes, not always) if you pick the bottle up and put it back on the scale again after like 2-3secs. It then re-reads the weight and will give you the difference between when you tarred and the current weight.

Reactions: Winner 2


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## Rivera (5/2/22)

Currently in the process of getting to know as many concentrates from brands as I can, to decide on which I like the most and help me determine which ones will work best in what recipes. I have an itch to make an apple pie mix, so I've got some concentrates for that coming soon. Also ordered other base concentrates to build on with a few more top notes as well. 

I've been sticking to simpler mixes mostly, but I'm starting to feel a bit more comfortable about branching out and experimenting a bit more. Nothing crazy, but as I get to know what can work for certain recipes it gets easier to work out what I could mix up. I just love the endless potential for recipes! DIY is literally my excuse to be creative and I love it.

Reactions: Winner 3


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## Rivera (6/2/22)

NEW MIX (WORK IN PROGRESS) 

Alpine Strawb 0.2%
Strawberry RT (FA) 0.67%
Berry Mix (TFA) 1.08%
Watermelon (HS) 2.7%
Raspberry Malina (INW) 2%
Lemon Lime (CAP) 0.6%
Lime (INW) 0.8%
Sweetness (FLV) 0.6%
Cactus (INW) 0.16%

So I mixed this up as an overhaul to a recipe I made that I wasn't happy with. I'm now a little concerned the Raspberry INW may be too strong, but I'm unsure as this is the first time I'm trying this concentrate. I guess we'll find out when it's ready for testing!

My thinking with the watermelon higher here, is that it may soften up the berries and go in there nicely (fingers crossed).

I love lemon/lime so those had to stay from the previous recipe.

If any of the more experienced mixers can spot something wrong, please do let me know!


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## ivc_mixer (6/2/22)

What do you want from this recipe? I.e. what must it taste like?

Reactions: Like 2


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## Rivera (6/2/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> What do you want from this recipe? I.e. what must it taste like?



Hoping for a raspberry as the leading fruit, but with fairly punchy lime flavours, and also with some berry mix/strawberry background notes coming through  Watermelon as the main experiment, hoping it ties in smoothly with the berries. I’m just worried that INW raspberry might take over everything at 2%? As in it might kick out any berry/strawb notes. I'm thinking of how potent the Alpine strawb was lol. Straight raspberry should be okay at this percentage, but when I see "Raspberry Malina" I think of "Alpine Strawberry" and how that additional word meant potency!

This is one recipe where I am dipping a toe into being a bit more critical and trying to add dimension to my recipes/fine tuning with other complimentary flavours at different percentages. I wanted to see what the watermelon will do for this recipe, and how it will perform, since it is generally a softer flavour I believe (unless maybe if you use Double Watermelon) so I added it in at a higher percentage. And I wanted milder but still there notes of strawb/berry mix so lower percentages, and all this WITHOUT the dreaded muting of flavours  But of course, the art is in finding the correct balance, and that always takes time to learn.

I tried to find some info on what sort of percentages to use INW Raspberry Malina, but nothing came up. Wayne didn't seem to have a vid on just general berry flavour usage. I did smell it and it smelled quite strong, so I'm hoping that wasn't my first warning lol.

I love juices where you have the first vape and you pick up one or two main flavours, then another vape and you're like "oh wow I can taste so and so in there" and another vape, "oh there's hints of that too". Maybe this is more difficult to achieve when you are using stronger flavours like raspberry and lime. But at the same time, I wanted to learn what Watermelon would be like in here, and I don't have the most refined palate lol, so higher percentage since I won't pick it up if it's too subtle. Or at least, I won't recognise what it's doing in the recipe if it's too subtle due to my limited experience in DIY mixing.

Reactions: Like 1


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## ivc_mixer (6/2/22)

Rivera said:


> I tried to find some info on what sort of percentages to use INW Raspberry Malina



- Here the Noted team discuss Raspberries in general. I have not watched this episode yet, but their comments re ingredients is usually very insightful, especially since it's not just the comments of one person but 3 or more.



Rivera said:


> Hoping for a raspberry as the leading fruit, but with fairly punchy lime flavours


The following are just my comments, but you can adjust to how you feel it needs to be done if at all.
-Your Watermelon may be a bit high then as it will come through in the mix adding its own dimension to it. I would drop it down to between 1-1.5%.
-As Strawberry is not your main note but just used to compliment the Raspberry, the 0.2% Alpine is more than enough and will make it shine.
-I would suggest an additional Raspberry, like FA Raspberry Beryl (1.5%) or FRA Raspberry (2%) or (recommended pairing with Malina) TFA Raspberry Sweet (2%) or if you want a slight more jammy/syrupy flavour then VT Raspberry Jam (1.5%) or SSA Raspberry Syrup (1.8%)

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 3


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## Rivera (6/2/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> - Here the Noted team discuss Raspberries in general. I have not watched this episode yet, but their comments re ingredients is usually very insightful, especially since it's not just the comments of one person but 3 or more.
> 
> 
> The following are just my comments, but you can adjust to how you feel it needs to be done if at all.
> ...




Thank you as always IVC! I have some concentrates coming soon, will get one or two Raspberries with it

Reactions: Like 2


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## Rivera (8/2/22)

Venturing out into deserts now! I need to create bases and different textures to my recipes. Ordered biscuits, ice cream, creams, cheesecakes. I think this is where the real fun will begin 

CAP vanilla custard seems to kill my chest at 3% sadly  I'm going to try it at maybe 2% and hopefully that makes it better. Very frustrating!

Creams, I also need to be careful with. Yet there's a milktart juice that I can vape with no problem! So I don't know if it's maybe higher nic content combined with cream (the milktart juice was 3mg) or what, but I have to experiment to pinpoint the problem.

Reactions: Like 1


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## DarthBranMuffin (8/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Venturing out into deserts now! I need to create bases and different textures to my recipes. Ordered biscuits, ice cream, creams, cheesecakes. I think this is where the real fun will begin
> 
> CAP vanilla custard seems to kill my chest at 3% sadly  I'm going to try it at maybe 2% and hopefully that makes it better. Very frustrating!



Custards is a bugger when it comes to mixing... Mix your juice in equal parts whereby you add all the other ingredients in one part and the custard in another part, let it steep for a couple of days, then mix it all together and let it steep for at least a week in order for it to blend properly. With certain blends it can make your juice "sour" very quickly if not mixed correctly. Also, if you add Nic to a custard recipe, first make your juice without it, let it stand for a day or two, then only add your Nic in. Custard gets better over time, you need a boat load of patience when it comes to using it in a juice.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## Rivera (8/2/22)

DarthBranMuffin said:


> Custards is a bugger when it comes to mixing... Mix your juice in equal parts whereby you add all the other ingredients in one part and the custard in another part, let it steep for a couple of days, then mix it all together and let it steep for at least a week in order for it to blend properly. With certain blends it can make your juice "sour" very quickly if not mixed correctly. Also, if you add Nic to a custard recipe, first make your juice without it, let it stand for a day or two, then only add your Nic in. Custard gets better over time, you need a boat load of patience when it comes to using it in a juice.



Thanks so much Darth! I'll definitely give this a try

Reactions: Like 2


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## Rivera (8/2/22)

DarthBranMuffin said:


> Custards is a bugger when it comes to mixing... Mix your juice in equal parts whereby you add all the other ingredients in one part and the custard in another part, let it steep for a couple of days, then mix it all together and let it steep for at least a week in order for it to blend properly. With certain blends it can make your juice "sour" very quickly if not mixed correctly. Also, if you add Nic to a custard recipe, first make your juice without it, let it stand for a day or two, then only add your Nic in. Custard gets better over time, you need a boat load of patience when it comes to using it in a juice.



Just curious now, are creams similar to custards when mixing? Maybe that's why I have issues sometimes.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Paul33 (8/2/22)

Try this as a stand-alone recipe but also pairs really nicely with fruits plus the INW custard only needs a few days and not a month to be lekker.

Reactions: Winner 2 | Informative 1


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## Rivera (8/2/22)

Paul33 said:


> Try this as a stand-alone recipe but also pairs really nicely with fruits plus the INW custard only needs a few days and not a month to be lekker.
> 
> View attachment 249919



OMG this is awesome! Thanks Paul! I have CAP NY cheesecake coming if I recall correctly, just need to get INW custard  What a win it only needs a few days!

Reactions: Like 1


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## DarthBranMuffin (8/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Just curious now, are creams similar to custards when mixing? Maybe that's why I have issues sometimes.



Not to sure about the creams, not something I delved in to. Tobacco Custard for Mrs Chuck Norris Lungs and Fruits & Tobacco for me. We are both simple creatures and my DIY exploration was short to the point where we found what we liked and stuck to it.

Reactions: Winner 4


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## Paul33 (8/2/22)

Rivera said:


> OMG this is awesome! Thanks Paul! I have CAP NY cheesecake coming if I recall correctly, just need to get INW custard  What a win it only needs a few days!


INW custard is also a good standalone at about 4% but then you can add strawberry or raspberry or cookie or biscuit or whatever the bloody hell you want cause its DIY and you can!

Reactions: Agree 1 | Winner 2


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## Adephi (8/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Venturing out into deserts now! I need to create bases and different textures to my recipes. Ordered biscuits, ice cream, creams, cheesecakes. I think this is where the real fun will begin
> 
> CAP vanilla custard seems to kill my chest at 3% sadly  I'm going to try it at maybe 2% and hopefully that makes it better. Very frustrating!
> 
> Creams, I also need to be careful with. Yet there's a milktart juice that I can vape with no problem! So I don't know if it's maybe higher nic content combined with cream (the milktart juice was 3mg) or what, but I have to experiment to pinpoint the problem.



@Rude Rudi has a good custard base.

3% INW Custard
2% INW Creme Brulee
1% INW Shisha Vanilla

Steep only 5 days.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Winner 2


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## Rivera (8/2/22)

Adephi said:


> @Rude Rudi has a good custard base.
> 
> 3% INW Custard
> 2% INW Creme Brulee
> ...



This base sounds superb!!!! Thank you Adephi

Reactions: Like 1


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## Rivera (10/2/22)

Just a super simple, SNV fruit recipe I am enjoying a lot. The ice is just meant to brighten the recipe 

Sweet Guava (CAP) 4%
Apricot (INW) 2%
CAP Super Sweet 0.8%
Black Ice 0.5%
Meringue (FA) 0.3%

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 1


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## Rivera (12/2/22)

So I realised after dropping down my nic from 6 to 4mg, how harsh Scrawny Gecko is  Vaping one of my juices at 6mg after my mix with 4mg, there's a big difference. Is Gold nic better in this regard?

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Puff the Magic Dragon (12/2/22)

When it comes to nic (and many other vaping issues) there are tons of different opinions. Some nics give some people a peppery taste and others detect nothing. I have found one that works for me but it may not work for you. I have tried all of the nics sold in SA and I am lucky that the one I use is the cheapest and is sold by a very reliable and friendly vendor.

My advice is to find one that works for you and stick to it.

I'm pretty certain that some of the "brands" contain the same nic from the same manufacturer.


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## Rivera (12/2/22)

Puff the Magic Dragon said:


> When it comes to nic (and many other vaping issues) there are tons of different opinions. Some nics give some people a peppery taste and others detect nothing. I have found one that works for me but it may not work for you. I have tried all of the nics sold in SA and I am lucky that the one I use is the cheapest and is sold by a very reliable and friendly vendor.
> 
> My advice is to find one that works for you and stick to it.
> 
> I'm pretty certain that some of the "brands" contain the same nic from the same manufacturer.



I know which one you mean, thanks Puff! Think I'm going to try them


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## ivc_mixer (12/2/22)

Personally, Clyrolinx's nic is the best

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Winner 1


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## Rivera (12/2/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> Personally, Clyrolinx's nic is the best



This is the one I'm going to try! Thanks IVC

Reactions: Can relate 1


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## Puff the Magic Dragon (12/2/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> Personally, Clyrolinx's nic is the best




Agree, that's the one. I also use the Clyrolinx amber glass 100ml bottles to make my juice in, thereby saving the planet. Made 800ml yesterday.

Reactions: Winner 3


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## Rivera (12/2/22)

Puff the Magic Dragon said:


> Agree, that's the one. I also use the Clyrolinx amber glass 100ml bottles to make my juice in, thereby saving the planet. Made 800ml yesterday.



Glass is mainly better for the planet, but also because it's way easier to get rid of previous mixes when plastic bottles retain the smell of concentrates. I'm going to change to glass

Reactions: Winner 2


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## Rivera (13/2/22)

Can anyone advise as to how long caramel concentrates and cheesecake concentrates need to steep for?


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## ivc_mixer (13/2/22)

Generally 2 weeks, preferably 3

Reactions: Like 1 | Thanks 1 | Informative 1


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## Rivera (13/2/22)

Just posting this here so I can easily find it when I'm ready to mix  Recipe by AlfredPudding. It got a lot of positive reviews, in case anyone else is interested in trying it out.


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## Rivera (13/2/22)

Another variation of strawberry cheesecake, think it was mixed by Wayne. Keeping it here for easy reference.


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## Rivera (14/2/22)

RECIPE TESTING:

This one is inspired by Developed's recipe, Lemon & Blueberry Cookies.
It smells awesome, but that can always be deceiving 

Biscuit (INW) 1.5%
Vanilla Custard (CAP) 1%
Blueberry (FW) 2.5%
Lemon Lime (CAP) 1%
Sweet Cream (TFA) 0.6%
Sweetness (FLV) 0.8%

Reactions: Like 1


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## Rivera (15/2/22)

Ordered some Clyrolinx nicotine! Cannot be worse than scrawny gecko, lol.

Also got a few more concentrates from BLCK Vapour. It's a bummer to order from two separate places for my concentrates and nicotine, but it is what it is. 

Waiting a few days for Wayne's strawberry cheesecake recipe, and my altered version of the blueberry & lemon cookies recipe. Fingers crossed those are good!


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## ivc_mixer (15/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Ordered some Clyrolinx nicotine! Cannot be worse than scrawny gecko, lol.
> 
> Also got a few more concentrates from BLCK Vapour. It's a bummer to order from two separate places for my concentrates and nicotine, but it is what it is.
> 
> Waiting a few days for Wayne's strawberry cheesecake recipe, and my altered version of the blueberry & lemon cookies recipe. Fingers crossed those are good!


Save up a bit then buy 500ml nicotine once-off. Once you got it, decant it into 100ml bottles and pop it into either your fridge or freezer (won't freeze over) and it will last a long time, well depending on how much you mix.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Winner 2 | Informative 1


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## Rivera (15/2/22)

ivc_mixer said:


> Save up a bit then buy 500ml nicotine once-off. Once you got it, decant it into 100ml bottles and pop it into either your fridge or freezer (won't freeze over) and it will last a long time, well depending on how much you mix.



Great advice!!!! Thanks IVC

Reactions: Like 1


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## Rivera (16/2/22)

Rivera said:


> RECIPE TESTING:
> 
> This one is inspired by Developed's recipe, Lemon & Blueberry Cookies.
> It smells awesome, but that can always be deceiving
> ...



This is a win!!!! Very tasty vape  Might push the blueberry up to 3% next time.

Reactions: Winner 2


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## Rivera (16/2/22)

DarthBranMuffin said:


> Custards is a bugger when it comes to mixing... Mix your juice in equal parts whereby you add all the other ingredients in one part and the custard in another part, let it steep for a couple of days, then mix it all together and let it steep for at least a week in order for it to blend properly. With certain blends it can make your juice "sour" very quickly if not mixed correctly. Also, if you add Nic to a custard recipe, first make your juice without it, let it stand for a day or two, then only add your Nic in. Custard gets better over time, you need a boat load of patience when it comes to using it in a juice.



Took your advice and have left out the nicotine for the new, bigger batch of blueberry lemon cookie  Will add nic in, in a couple days. 

Quite interesting, this recipe reminds me of lemon cream biscuits!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Rivera (16/2/22)

Rivera said:


> RECIPE TESTING:
> 
> This one is inspired by Developed's recipe, Lemon & Blueberry Cookies.
> It smells awesome, but that can always be deceiving
> ...



This is the new bigger, adjusted batch I mixed:

Biscuit (INW) 1.7%
Cookie (FA) 3%
Vanilla Custard (CAP) 1%
Blueberry (FW) 2.5%
Lemon Lime (CAP) 1.2%
Sweet Cream (TFA) 0.6%
Sweetness (FLV) 0.8%

I was going to increase the Blueberry, but I will leave it for now, and I added Cookie FA since I recently received it. Needed more cookie/biscuit. But yeah, if anyone is looking for a lemon cream type vape, the previous version I mixed is a good place to start.


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## Rivera (17/2/22)

This is a fruity recipe by Spilly, just tried it, chicken dinner!!


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## Rivera (17/2/22)

Also just want to say Clyrolinx nic is fantastic! SO much better, and totally smooth!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2 | Informative 1


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## Rivera (18/2/22)

I tried this recipe, Forbidden Fruit by Ckemist. Subbed a couple concentrates, like the INW Two Apples which I didn't have and I see it isn't on BLK Vapour's website. Also INW seems to only have Raspberry Malina (which I used) or Shisha Raspberry. I'm enjoying this one non the less!




This is my adjusted version:

Cherry (INW) 3.25%
Raspberry (Malina) (INW) 1.5%
Fuji Apple (FA) 0.6%
Green Apple (Natural) (FW) 0.4%
Super Sweet (CAP) 0.3%
Sweetness (FLV) 0.7%

I was unsure about the high percentage of cherry, but 5 years on it still does work well. Really good recipe!


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## Rivera (18/2/22)

RECIPE TESTING:

Mixed this up today -


Cookie (FA)3%Sweet Cream1.2%Almond1%Milk & Honey2.5%Vanilla Custard (CAP)0.8%Super Sweet (CAP)0.4%

Reactions: Like 1


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## Rivera (20/2/22)

Mixed this SNV juice up today! YUM 


Fuji Apple (FA)1%Alphonso Mango2.5%Super Sweet (CAP)0.3%Sweetness (FLV)0.7%Black Ice0.5%


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## Mzr (21/2/22)

I have also experienced that the gecko nic gave me a pepper taste not sure if it was just my batch but have since moved to gold and works the best for me I know of another mixer that uses clyro nic because he feels it's a nice throat hit and not harsh so I will give that a try next

Reactions: Winner 1


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## Rivera (21/2/22)

Mzr said:


> I have also experienced that the gecko nic gave me a pepper taste not sure if it was just my batch but have since moved to gold and works the best for me I know of another mixer that uses clyro nic because he feels it's a nice throat hit and not harsh so I will give that a try next



You won't be disappointed, Clyro is WAY better

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Mzr (21/2/22)

Rivera said:


> RECIPE TESTING:
> 
> Mixed this up today -
> 
> ...


Would to like hear the outcome of this one as I see you used only a small amount of custard

Reactions: Like 1


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## Viper_SA (21/2/22)

When I still did DIY I only used Prime. Back then the choices were more limited though.


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## Rivera (21/2/22)

Mzr said:


> Would to like hear the outcome of this one as I see you used only a small amount of custard



No problems with the custard 

I need to play around more with the cream percentages though.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Rivera (21/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Mixed this SNV juice up today! YUM
> 
> 
> Fuji Apple (FA)1%Alphonso Mango2.5%Super Sweet (CAP)0.3%Sweetness (FLV)0.7%Black Ice0.5%



I noticed today the mango flavour dropped  Anyone have any ideas as to why? Not vapour's tongue, I can still taste other juices. Not sure if it’s my coil or the mango concentrate


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## Rivera (22/2/22)

Realised it's my coils acting up. So I went back to simple round wire. Much better! Over being disappointed by prebuilt coils.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Paul33 (22/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Realised it's my coils acting up. So I went back to simple round wire. Much better! Over being disappointed by prebuilt coils.


While I haven’t used plain ol round wire in a long time I hear you about being disappointed with some of the fancy schmancy coils. 

Sometimes they just suck! And pop. And spit. And won’t settle hotspots!!!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Rivera (22/2/22)

Paul33 said:


> While I haven’t used plain ol round wire in a long time I hear you about being disappointed with some of the fancy schmancy coils.
> 
> Sometimes they just suck! And pop. And spit. And won’t settle hotspots!!!



What do you use Paul? Feeling defeated


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## Viper_SA (22/2/22)

I only use 20 gauge and 22 gauge Ni80 from Vapecartel for my RDL Nd DL setups lately. Spaced coils and around 0.15 to 0.22 ohm on all of them. Just using the last of my prebuilt mtl coils then that will probably also go back to round wire builds.

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 1


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## Rivera (22/2/22)

Viper_SA said:


> I only use 20 gauge and 22 gauge Ni80 from Vapecartel for my RDL Nd DL setups lately. Spaced coils and around 0.15 to 0.22 ohm on all of them. Just using the last of my prebuilt mtl coils then that will probably also go back to round wire builds.



Yeah, going to stick to my own wrapped builds as well! Best way to go!

Reactions: Like 2


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## Paul33 (23/2/22)

Rivera said:


> What do you use Paul? Feeling defeated


Normally an alien of some sort. At the moment it’s the white collar nano aliens. They’re good but can be a pain. I space them and they tend to behave themselves a lot better.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## Stranger (23/2/22)

Paul33 said:


> While I haven’t used plain ol round wire in a long time I hear you about being disappointed with some of the fancy schmancy coils.
> 
> Sometimes they just suck! And pop. And spit. And won’t settle hotspots!!!


I got a really nice looking fused clapton coil in the Requiem kit that I won. First install had this thing popping, spitting and crackling like mad. It is a 2.5 mm ID and I used a 2.5 mm cotton lace. I switched out the 2.5 lace for a 3 mm one and all the issues went away. Tight fit but did not deform the coil. Flavour is good but I would not say better than what I can build.

I use a 22awg Coil master comp wire for a lot of my RTA's. Super dependable as far as flavour goes and easiest wire I have to clean. I have rewicked some tanks more than a dozen times on the same coil. I find exotic pre built coils to be very flavorsome on a new install but degrade much quicker than DIY and are much harder to clean and keep in good shape.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Informative 1


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## Stranger (23/2/22)

I also use this in 24 and 26. The 26 I twist using mole grips and a screwdriver until it snaps, good and tight. Makes a good twisted coil for single coil atties and great for complex juices as it traps the juice in the coils. Again a dense wick in the centre and I get no spitting. For the price I can recommend.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Paul33 (23/2/22)

Stranger said:


> I got a really nice looking fused clapton coil in the Requiem kit that I won. First install had this thing popping, spitting and crackling like mad. It is a 2.5 mm ID and I used a 2.5 mm cotton lace. I switched out the 2.5 lace for a 3 mm one and all the issues went away. Tight fit but did not deform the coil. Flavour is good but I would not say better than what I can build.
> 
> I use a 22awg Coil master comp wire for a lot of my RTA's. Super dependable as far as flavour goes and easiest wire I have to clean. I have rewicked some tanks more than a dozen times on the same coil. I find exotic pre built coils to be very flavorsome on a new install but degrade much quicker than DIY and are much harder to clean and keep in good shape.


i used to only use 22g kanthal YEARS ago in my RDA's (i never used to use rta's) but then moved onto fancy coils and kinda stayed on them for my tanks. i do have a spool of 22g Ni80 at home, maybe i will give that a go and see how i go. 

i agree from the holding it shape and ease of cleaning points, they really are a breeze compared to exotic!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Stranger (23/2/22)

My Dvarw clones, I have a choice of simple round wire, usually the Coilmaster 22AWG comp wire, or a single Ni80 clapton wire. Both give really good flavour. The difference between to two is that the clapton wire gets gunked up quicker, is more difficult to clean and rewick and if you are not careful even a tooth brush can snap a wrapped wire. Same with my intake's. So while it is great that we try the DIY flavours, if the set up is wrong we are going to be disappointed. 

More so if we look for consistency for our all day vapes. My diy VTR and Red pill one shots taste the same day after day, this is what I am looking for. I even spend a little time pulsing and bedding in new cotton before I put the tank together so I don't get that new cotton taste.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Paul33 (23/2/22)

Stranger said:


> My Dvarw clones, I have a choice of simple round wire, usually the Coilmaster 22AWG comp wire, or a single Ni80 clapton wire. Both give really good flavour. The difference between to two is that the clapton wire gets gunked up quicker, is more difficult to clean and rewick and if you are not careful even a tooth brush can snap a wrapped wire. Same with my intake's. So while it is great that we try the DIY flavours, if the set up is wrong we are going to be disappointed.
> 
> More so if we look for consistency for our all day vapes. My diy VTR and Red pill one shots taste the same day after day, this is what I am looking for. I even spend a little time pulsing and bedding in new cotton before I put the tank together so I don't get that new cotton taste.


new cotton taste can really ruin a day cant it!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Rivera (23/2/22)

Not really DIY but, I'm excited! Waiting for a Hadaly, Goon 1.5, Wasp Nano and a Limelight Squonker

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 3


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## Rivera (24/2/22)

GUAVA:

So I got Pink Guava FLV to try, I love it!!!! For me it has almost a grapefruit taste on the exhale which is great, since I do love grapefruit. I paired it with CAP sweet lychee and pear. Thankfully I did see it's a very strong flavour, so I only added 0.4% to my mix and it's enough.


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## Rivera (24/2/22)

Rivera said:


> GUAVA:
> 
> So I got Pink Guava FLV to try, I love it!!!! For me it has almost a grapefruit taste on the exhale which is great, since I do love grapefruit. I paired it with CAP sweet lychee and pear. Thankfully I did see it's a very strong flavour, so I only added 0.4% to my mix and it's enough.



Just watched a Noted vid on Guava, so it IS pretty much grapefruit lol. Love this flavour though, one of my favs now!


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## BUSDRIVER (24/2/22)

Paul33 said:


> That sounds good.
> 
> what brand is the sweet mango?sub that mango for fe mango at 4%


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## Rivera (25/2/22)

Stranger said:


> My Dvarw clones, I have a choice of simple round wire, usually the Coilmaster 22AWG comp wire, or a single Ni80 clapton wire. Both give really good flavour. The difference between to two is that the clapton wire gets gunked up quicker, is more difficult to clean and rewick and if you are not careful even a tooth brush can snap a wrapped wire. Same with my intake's. So while it is great that we try the DIY flavours, if the set up is wrong we are going to be disappointed.
> 
> More so if we look for consistency for our all day vapes. My diy VTR and Red pill one shots taste the same day after day, this is what I am looking for. I even spend a little time pulsing and bedding in new cotton before I put the tank together so I don't get that new cotton taste.



This is so true. I’ve now realised DIY juice highlights what setups DON’T work. I’ve been getting so frustrated, so I’m keen to receive some RDAs today and see what happens!

Commercial juice will almost always work in any setup. I think the real test as to whether a setup is good or not is a DIY juice in it.


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## Stranger (25/2/22)

I disagree, I have tried many commercial juices that are just fails. Some work well in RTA's low wattage and fail horribly in RDA's with high wattage. TFM kindly sent me a six pack of Milkshakes
https://www.theflavourmill.co.za/collections/milky-avenue

I struggled with each one of them in a low wattage RTA. However, they all shined in RDA's with the Vanilla and Chocolate being 10/10. They really are that good. A long slow draw from an RTA with a 0.5 @ 30W build is very different to a short sharp inhale on a 0.2 @ 60W.

I am terrible, there are times when I fancy some Banana or orange or ... and just mix up something from my stash, usually around 20 ml or so, just enough for an evening. Most of the time I don't even note the recipe but 95% of the time I will use an RDA squonk or dripper. I keep the mixes simple and rarely get a fail.


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## Rivera (26/2/22)

Simple mix I am really enjoying:

Pink Guava FLV - 3%
Lemon Lime CAP - 2%
Super Sweet CAP - 0.3%

Reactions: Like 1


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## Paul33 (26/2/22)

Rivera said:


> Simple mix I am really enjoying:





Rivera said:


> Pink Guava FLV - 3%
> Lemon Lime CAP - 2%
> Super Sweet CAP - 0.3%


This sounds lekker.

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Rivera (28/2/22)

Busy trying to perfect a recipe I really like. It has fig in it. Letting the latest tweaked version steep and will see how it turns out. Once I am happy with it, I'll share the recipe here 

Still loving the Wasp Nano rda! I've tried the other 4 rdas I recently got, but I don't enjoy them nearly as much. The Wasp, to me, gives a balanced vape taste for juices and just super flavour overall. Will collect my Hadaly tomorrow from Postnet!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Rivera (1/3/22)

Another fruit recipe I made that I am thoroughly enjoying:


Yellow Peach CAP3%Indian Mango FA1.5%Apricot INW2%Super Sweet CAP0.5%


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## Rivera (3/3/22)

Just to talk about the Hadaly RDA, this little flavour banger beautifies everything you put in it. I adore the neutral, balanced result it gives for every juice, by far my fav RDA to date with the Wasp Nano close behind. I'm enjoying all my DIY mixes, everything is just going so well! 

I'm a real fan of old school dripping though, lol. I did give squonking another try but it's not quite the same for me. Maybe at another time in the future


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## Rivera (4/3/22)

Proud of this recipe! Highly recommend you try it 


Fig FLV1.5%Pear FW2.1%Sweet Lychee CAP1.2%White Peach FA1.4%Super Sweet0.2%

Reactions: Like 2


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## Rivera (7/3/22)

Another simple mix I love:

CAP Black Currant - 3%
CAP Sweet Lychee - 2%
Super Sweet - 0.3%


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