# What I have learned about DIY e-liquid making, so far



## Waine (16/12/16)

When you first read about vapers doing DIY, it looks a bit intimidating. You think: "No, I cannot do this, it's too technical and time consuming." The truth is that once you take the time to research it properly, you realize that it is not rocket science. It can be done. The time spent is worth it. In the beginning you are over cautious, afraid of making a mistake. But you learn from your mistakes. 

After making your first few batches, you wonder why you never started earlier. It is so much fun trying out different recipes and tweaking them to your own liking. 

You also awaken to the fact that DIY saves you a toilet full of money. And decide that there is no need to buy commercial juice again. It costs about R30 to R40 to make a 30ml Bottle.

You make a total excess of juice, thinking that this is justified as they must steep for so long. You must keep the cycle going. You just have to keep on making juice with this newfound knowledge.

When you make your first few successful batches, you feel so clever, like a "Mad scientist". You may even be tempted to believe you can become a juice master, and start selling your own juice. This is a different ball game entirely, one which requires serious practice, patience and good marketing skills in an industry that is almost flooded with so many self acclaimed "juiciteers". The competition is tight and it requires an enormous amount of willpower and dedication to sell your own brand of juice. It's tough to penetrate the market. You also appreciate the effort and time that juice sellers put into making marketable e-liquid.

You awaken to a new dimension of vaping which enriches the hobby giving you a sense of empowerment and control. It's awesome to chose your own Nicotine levels, VG/PG ratios and quantities.

Lastly, you vape so much more than before as you have a cupboard full of e-juice that can last you a year. You stock up on bottles of VG, PG and nicotine afraid that it may go out of stock or become banned by "smoking" regulations. It almost becomes confusing asking yourself, "Which do I try next?" Your desk is littered with many bottles of half filled juice — and you tell yourself: "Calm down, re group, and go back to basics".

For those contemplating getting into DIY, dive in, you won't look back! It was one of the best vaping decisions I ever took. 







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Reactions: Like 18 | Agree 1 | Winner 11


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## stevie g (16/12/16)

People like to drink beer but not all beer drinkers brew their own beer.

That's the difference between diy and commercial.

Commercial - someone is controlling and responsible for the output

Diy - you are responsible for the output

Diy is great though.


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## Silver (16/12/16)

Awesome writeup @Waine !
Thanks


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## stevie g (16/12/16)

@Waine great story of your experience!


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## Rude Rudi (16/12/16)

Exactly! Nicely put man. 

The curse of DIY is off-course that as you delve deeper and deeper into this new found 'mad scientist endeavor a.k.a DIY, we are always plagued by by the never ending 'one missing ingredient syndrome' which negates the cost saving rationale for me. 

I now proudly boast 250 odd different concentrates (to my wife's horror) and low and behold, I still find awesome recipes with that one ingredient which I don't have! This is part of the exploration and fun of DIY and long may it continue. 

I regularly cull some of the "half filled juice" bottles as hard as it is... After-all I spent good money creating this stunning double Tiramisu with 5% of Tiramisu! I know deep down that that Jagermeister juice I made sounded fabulous at the time but it actually tastes shite and I'm never gonna finish that 50ml bottle - even when I whip it out at at a braai after many, many beers... 

This is all part of the journey and I am a lot more selective with the recipes I make - I know that 5% Torrone is not a good idea and that any decent custard based recipe is never a shake and vape! I also know that Silly Rabbit concentrate sounds intriguing but has almost no use...ever. 

So, yes, dive in, experiment, play, have fun and learn! 

Now, let's just hope the government have more important matters to occupy themselves with...



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Reactions: Like 7


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## Daniel (16/12/16)

I think the most important thing here is mixing to what YOUR palate caters for. Much like the hardware vaping industry its easy to get caught up in the 'hype'. I can see like most things the juice industry going back to basics one to three concentrate mixes.....


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## RichJB (16/12/16)

Glad it's working for you, @Waine. Are you still just using TFA concentrates? Nothing wrong with that, TFA make some excellent flavours and you can craft tasty juices from them. But once you start leveraging the power of the good concentrates from FA, Cap, FW, Inw and the soon-to-be-released Jungle Flavors line, your DIY will again move up to a new level. It's an exciting venture that keeps on bringing rewards. Making my own coils and mixing my own juices were two excellent decisions. I'm glad I made them early in my vaping journey. Every day delayed is a day wasted.

Reactions: Like 3 | Can relate 1


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## Adi (16/12/16)

What I've learnt is that which looks good on paper does not always equate to being a good mix

Reactions: Like 1


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## PSySpin (16/12/16)

I found that looking into flavour combinations that is used in the baking industry really helps when determining what flavours work in vaping. The only thing then is to get the percentages correct

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Reactions: Agree 2


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## Waine (16/12/16)

RichJB said:


> Glad it's working for you, @Waine. Are you still just using TFA concentrates? Nothing wrong with that, TFA make some excellent flavours and you can craft tasty juices from them. But once you start leveraging the power of the good concentrates from FA, Cap, FW, Inw and the soon-to-be-released Jungle Flavors line, your DIY will again move up to a new level. It's an exciting venture that keeps on bringing rewards. Making my own coils and mixing my own juices were two excellent decisions. I'm glad I made them early in my vaping journey. Every day delayed is a day wasted.



@RichJB Yes I am only using TFA as I am too kak lazy to order online and wait for flavors. I like instant gratification. But I find them somewhat satisfying. I also enjoy simple ingredients. When I use a recipe off the net, I just up the TFA by one or 2 % as they are a bit weak.

I am also not shy to experiment and tweak recipes to my perceived liking. I never make less than 30ml mixtures at a time, even when experimenting.

So far, so good. Only had one or three major cock ups. But it is a great journey. Loving it to bits.

Thanks to you and all those who encouraged me to taking the DIY leap.


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## RichJB (16/12/16)

Haha, convincing you to take the plunge was quite the mission, bru. But we knew you'd enjoy it.


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## Eldeo (17/12/16)

Started out mixing Vap3 (Vanilla) with Mega Vape (Passion Potion) in about 50/50 ratio; in a 50 ml bottle. Was good but not as good as Orion (milky way, I think it's called) or NCV (Trinity). Got a few flavours from VapeOWave. Try not to laugh at what I'm going to say next. Bought some VG in a health shop in George, it is USP grade apparently but wouldn't buy it again. This was R120 for 500ML. Bought some PG (veteniary choice) in Agri also USP grade but also never again. This was R50 for 500ML so that was good. Didn't know much at that time, about BP grade. This time I know where to buy online and they selling here in George but a bit to overpriced for my liking. But hey beggars can't be choosers, so if you factor in shipping costs it will work out about the same. Anyways started to mix my own and holy smokes ain't never going back. Maybe sometimes just too treat myself and get fresh idea's.

Reactions: Like 2 | Informative 1


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## Waine (21/12/16)

@Eldeo Good for you! DIY rocks!


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## kev mac (22/12/16)

Waine said:


> When you first read about vapers doing DIY, it looks a bit intimidating. You think: "No, I cannot do this, it's too technical and time consuming." The truth is that once you take the time to research it properly, you realize that it is not rocket science. It can be done. The time spent is worth it. In the beginning you are over cautious, afraid of making a mistake. But you learn from your mistakes.
> 
> After making your first few batches, you wonder why you never started earlier. It is so much fun trying out different recipes and tweaking them to your own liking.
> 
> ...


@Waine , right you are on all points.I've been vapeing my simple ry4 menthol for a couple of years and enjoying the taste and loving the savings.But finally my pallet yearned for something new so down to the BandM I go and sixty dollars later I'm hooked on canolli and cinnamon doughnut juices,obviously this can't go on or I 'll have to choose between food or ejuice (and I choose the latter) so I have been stocking up on supplies and gathering the courage to try a canolli recipe which consists of 6 flavors and high v.g. I am definitely ordering a digital scale as suggested on DIY or Die and it makes total sense to me.If I can nail this recipe I'll be in vapeing heaven,so here goes nothing!

Reactions: Like 2


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## Paraddicted (22/12/16)

kev mac said:


> @Waine , right you are on all points.I've been vapeing my simple ry4 menthol for a couple of years and enjoying the taste and loving the savings.But finally my pallet yearned for something new so down to the BandM I go and sixty dollars later I'm hooked on canolli and cinnamon doughnut juices,obviously this can't go on or I 'll have to choose between food or ejuice (and I choose the latter) so I have been stocking up on supplies and gathering the courage to try a canolli recipe which consists of 6 flavors and high v.g. I am definitely ordering a digital scale as suggested on DIY or Die and it makes total sense to me.If I can nail this recipe I'll be in vapeing heaven,so here goes nothing!



That sounds really interesting! Let us know how it goes! Goodluck

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## hands (22/12/16)

The best thing about DIY is you can make a juice that tastes like a old lady fart passing trough a onion and no one will ever know your dirty little secret.
DIY sure is worth the time and effort, even if all you get from it is a bigger appreciation for some of the best juice makers out there.

Reactions: Like 3 | Funny 3


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## Kalashnikov (22/12/16)

Only regret in DIY is not getting a scale sooner. But using syringes makes you appreciate a scale just that much more

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2 | Can relate 1


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## RichJB (22/12/16)

It's weird how resistant we can be initially to the idea of mixing by weight. I remember when I first started DIY, I totally dismissed mixing by weight and wanted to do everything by volume. I guess because cooking generally uses volume with liquids. It was only my passionate hatred for washing up that drove me to mixing by weight. A scale is the best R150 you will ever spend in vaping.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 3


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## Daniel (22/12/16)

I see my e-juice it up does not show the grams? Do I need to enter the individual weights for PG VG somewhere?


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## RichJB (22/12/16)

@Daniel, go to Tools -> Grams Set. You can enter 1.26 for VG, 1.036 for Nic, PG (if you use PG nic) and flavourings. It's not absolutely exact as flavourings have slightly different weights but you'll be pretty close. Otherwise just leave flavourings at 1.

Reactions: Informative 2


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## Daniel (22/12/16)

RichJB said:


> @Daniel, go to Tools -> Grams Set. You can enter 1.26 for VG, 1.036 for Nic, PG (if you use PG nic) and flavourings. It's not absolutely exact as flavourings have slightly different weights but you'll be pretty close. Otherwise just leave flavourings at 1.


Legend! Sweet thx bru

Reactions: Like 1


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## PSySpin (22/12/16)

https://m.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/comments/2iq3km/botboy141_guide_to_mixing_by_weight/
This info here helped me out a lot when starting to use the scale to make my juices, hope it helps you as well.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Useful 2


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## RichJB (22/12/16)

It's debatable whether one should use 1 or 1.036 or the exact specific gravity of each flavour, which is available from ELR. Wayne uses 1 for all flavours so if you use either 1.036 or the exact weight, you'll be fractionally out on his recipes. I don't know if it's a biggie but you won't have the exact same juice he does. I'm usually slightly out anyway because, especially for small additions like 0.12g, one drop either way is going to be out. I don't think it's serious, though. The mere fact that most mixers work in half-percent increments indicates that it's ball-park rather than exact. If I mix a juice and the balance feels slightly out, I just adjust it next time.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Rusty (22/12/16)

The key for me is to know tge concentrates

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## Lord Vetinari (22/12/16)

Waine said:


> When you first read about vapers doing DIY, it looks a bit intimidating. You think: "No, I cannot do this, it's too technical and time consuming." The truth is that once you take the time to research it properly, you realize that it is not rocket science. It can be done. The time spent is worth it. In the beginning you are over cautious, afraid of making a mistake. But you learn from your mistakes.
> 
> After making your first few batches, you wonder why you never started earlier. It is so much fun trying out different recipes and tweaking them to your own liking.
> 
> ...


My experiences were quite different. I was never intimidated to get into DIY it was total logic to me. Never was over cautious just super prepared is how I see that one. 
I never did or will consider only doing DIY and I keep supporting the locals because I just like to. So no money saved for me yet. 
I also vape a fraction of what I used to not more. Yup cheap juice for a while and I over did it now I am easy to satisfy. 

One experience I have in common is opening the cupboard and not knowing what to choose any more lol


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## Kuhlkatz (22/12/16)

@Daniel , the snag with eJuice Me Up is also that it does not save the settings as a default seperate to the saved recipes.
Once you set the grams initially as @RichJB explained, save it as part of the default setting for when next you enter a recipe from scratch - Use File -> Save As Default (Ctrl-D) and overwrite the Default.dft file in the location where it was installed.
You'll unfortunately also have to redo the setting of weights every time for every existing recipe you open and will need to save them again to retain the weights.

Juice Calculator on the other hand has a very nice interface (once you figure it out) for ingredients and manufacturers, and saves the weight with the ingredient. It will also default the weights for you when you add a new one, and has the ability to check and keep track of your stock.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## Silver (22/12/16)

Kuhlkatz said:


> @Daniel , the snag with eJuice Me Up is also that it does not save the settings as a default seperate to the saved recipes.
> Once you set the grams initially as @RichJB explained, save it as part of the default setting for when next you enter a recipe from scratch - Use File -> Save As Default (Ctrl-D) and overwrite the Default.dft file in the location where it was installed.
> You'll unfortunately also have to redo the setting of weights every time for every existing recipe you open and will need to save them again to retain the weights.
> 
> Juice Calculator on the other hand has a very nice interface (once you figure it out) for ingredients and manufacturers, and saves the weight with the ingredient. It will also default the weights for you when you add a new one, and has the ability to check and keep track of your stock.



@shaunnadan was telling me this morning about the merits of using *ELR *as a recipe system.
I.e. cloud based and all the weights programmed in already etc.

Does anyone use it and how do you find it compared to eJuice me up?

I have yet to use either because I am a DIY noob

Reactions: Like 1


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## RichJB (22/12/16)

ELR is a decent recipe app. I only used it very briefly but I think it's probably better than eJuice Me Up. I prefer to have recipes on my PC, though, so the DIY Juice Calc that @Kuhlkatz linked is my app of choice. It's a nightmare to set up but once you have it up and running, it's very powerful.


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## Daniel (22/12/16)

Silver said:


> @shaunnadan was telling me this morning about the merits of using *ELR *as a recipe system.
> I.e. cloud based and all the weights programmed in already etc.
> 
> Does anyone use it and how do you find it compared to eJuice me up?
> ...


ELR it is then work in IT so the last thing I want is another program that's problematic when I get home....


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## Andre (22/12/16)

Silver said:


> @shaunnadan was telling me this morning about the merits of using *ELR *as a recipe system.
> I.e. cloud based and all the weights programmed in already etc.
> 
> Does anyone use it and how do you find it compared to eJuice me up?
> ...


I also use the Juice Calculator on my PC. It has a backup function too. ELR I only use to also list my juice stash for research purposes.

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Waine (22/12/16)

I only used ELR from the beginning. Very happy with the site. I have my first 44 recipes safely saved there under my profile. Very user friendly site.


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## Lord Vetinari (22/12/16)

Waine said:


> I only used ELR from the beginning. Very happy with the site. I have my first 44 recipes safely saved there under my profile. Very user friendly site.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


He... my first 50 recipes were so bad I am happy they are not online for any person to accidentally make. Ever. One tastes like curry powder still dont know how that happened.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 2


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## Christos (23/12/16)

@Silver can you please branch this post to a new thread. 

What would you guys like to see in a android app for juice making. I currently have a week off and might make an app for you guys if I get some meaningful suggestions. 

Also, I won't make a wishy washy app if no decent suggestions come from this or if over 50% of you guys want an apple app.
#JustSaying

Reactions: Like 2


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## Silver (23/12/16)

Christos said:


> @Silver can you please branch this post to a new thread.
> 
> What would you guys like to see in a android app for juice making. I currently have a week off and might make an app for you guys if I get some meaningful suggestions.
> 
> ...



Feel free to make a new thread @Christos with a suitable title

Reactions: Agree 1


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## spiv (23/12/16)

I use ELR. I prefer cloud-based platforms so I can pull a recipe up on my tab/phone/computer when I'm mixing. It's user-friendly and I've saved all my recipes as private so only I can see them. Granted, I'm not making my own recipes yet, just modifying existing highly rated recipes to my volume and nic level. 
It also has a great flavour stash section where it will tell you what you can mix with your existing concentrates, but I don't use it yet.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Lord Vetinari (23/12/16)

Christos said:


> @Silver can you please branch this post to a new thread.
> 
> What would you guys like to see in a android app for juice making. I currently have a week off and might make an app for you guys if I get some meaningful suggestions.
> 
> ...


Ine feature I would LOVE is to enter my flavor stash including amounts in ml and then have the app help watch my stash for me. Lets say I am heading for my last 3ml of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, I get a notification. Only today I am having to find a work around for my empty bottle of TFA Strawberry.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Soutie (23/12/16)

I have a spreadsheet that I have spent way too much time creating when I mix. It Keeps all my recipes, tracks how much of what I have used and even keeps track of what I still have left in my concentrate bottles. It's a little bit of work to maintain when mixing but at least I don't get into the situation of realizing i only have 3ml of something left when I need 6ml half way through a mix

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## RichJB (23/12/16)

DIY Juice Calculator has a "stock used/left" function afaik but I don't use it. When I decide to mix, I eyeball the levels of all flavours used and make a rough judgement call on whether I'll have enough or not. It hasn't let me down yet, touch wood.

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## Bunnypoison (6/1/17)

Hi Fellow vapers, I do not know if this is the correct thread to ask this but I am struggling to find a more applicable thread. I am looking into DIYing my e-liquid and I'm placing an order on Monday (when they open). I have assembled a cart based on mixing by weight. It would mean the world to me if someone could have a look and give me some criticism or advice.

Background info: 
* I am looking at mixing VG: PG at 70:30 unless otherwise stated by recipes
* All flavours chosen are based on recipes I intend to start on
* I am planning on bottling the nic solution in to 30ml dropper bottles and storing them upright in the freezer.
* I am planning on making 10ml batches to test and practice before going on to larger mixes
* Most of my recipes come from the econimic section of this post- http://forum.e-liquid-recipes.com/t/a-beginners-guide-to-making-the-most-highly-rated-recipes/83612

My Cart
http://blckvapour.co.za/apps/cart-loader?cff_crt=d2380915ef637e8780cd7c9b84ee771a

Thank you to all taking time out of your day to assist.


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## Andre (6/1/17)

Bunnypoison said:


> Hi Fellow vapers, I do not know if this is the correct thread to ask this but I am struggling to find a more applicable thread. I am looking into DIYing my e-liquid and I'm placing an order on Monday (when they open). I have assembled a cart based on mixing by weight. It would mean the world to me if someone could have a look and give me some criticism or advice.
> 
> Background info:
> * I am looking at mixing VG: PG at 70:30 unless otherwise stated by recipes
> ...


Looks perfect. Those recipes are mostly sweet, which is perfect if that is your taste. You do not need all those syringes and needles. Have fun.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Winner 1 | Informative 1


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## Bunnypoison (6/1/17)

Andre said:


> Looks perfect. Those recipes are mostly sweet, which is perfect if that is your taste. You do not need all those syringes and needles. Have fun.


I am very much into the dessert flavours even though I have realized that they have to be steeped for longer (I will have to test my patience with that though). I am unsure of which flavours come in easy squeeze bottles thus the syringes and needles, will lessen up on them, thank you

Reactions: Like 1


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## RichJB (6/1/17)

Looks great, @Bunnypoison, those are excellent flavours to get you started. You won't need syringes, all of Blck's flavours come in 10ml HDPE dropper bottles. Rather than decanting nic into glass dropper bottles, I would rather get 2x50ml PET bottles with nozzles. It will be easier to dispense nic with the squeeze PET bottle than with a glass dropper imo. But that is personal choice, some like their nic stored in glass.

Will you be mixing directly into the 10ml plastic dropper bottles or mixing in glass, steeping, then decanting into the 10ml bottles? If it's the latter, you will need something to aid the decanting process. You can use a larger syringe for that but I prefer to use a funnel. The trick is to find one with a spout thin enough to fit into the neck of a 10ml dropper bottle.

A final note that I think you have too many 10ml dropper bottles and not enough larger ones. You will quickly decide if a juice is to your liking or not. For those you like, you will find that you want to mix 30ml or more of it at a time. I would just have five 10ml bottles or so for test batches, then ten of 30ml and the final five of 50ml.

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 1 | Informative 1


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## Bunnypoison (6/1/17)

RichJB said:


> Looks great, @Bunnypoison, those are excellent flavours to get you started. You won't need syringes, all of Blck's flavours come in 10ml HDPE dropper bottles. Rather than decanting nic into glass dropper bottles, I would rather get 2x50ml PET bottles with nozzles. It will be easier to dispense nic with the squeeze PET bottle than with a glass dropper imo. But that is personal choice, some like their nic stored in glass.
> 
> Will you be mixing directly into the 10ml plastic dropper bottles or mixing in glass, steeping, then decanting into the 10ml bottles? If it's the latter, you will need something to aid the decanting process. You can use a larger syringe for that but I prefer to use a funnel. The trick is to find one with a spout thin enough to fit into the neck of a 10ml dropper bottle.
> 
> A final note that I think you have too many 10ml dropper bottles and not enough larger ones. You will quickly decide if a juice is to your liking or not. For those you like, you will find that you want to mix 30ml or more of it at a time. I would just have five 10ml bottles or so for test batches, then ten of 30ml and the final five of 50ml.



Hi RichJB, thank you very much for your response. Knowing that Blck's flavours come in dropper bottles is super useful info, thank you. I have heard that the nic and plastic do not go well together, this might then only be the case for 100mg nic I guess. I was previously contemplating getting extra pet bottles for that purpose and will do so now. 

I am planning on mixing straight in to the bottles in order to minimize waste and effort ( I am a lazy one ). This is also why I decided to go by the weight instead of the volume, I know everyone has their preference but this seemed to be the quickest easiest and most precise method. 

I will definitely adjust my dropper bottle order, it makes a lot of sense and I guess I hadn't actually thought about the fact that some juices might actually come out as a ADV success. 

All of these tips were super useful and I shall aplly them, thanks again.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Stosta (6/1/17)

Man you DIY guys rock! With help like this available I think I might need to venture into DIY this year.

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 1 | Optimistic 1


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## Bunnypoison (6/1/17)

Stosta said:


> e I think I might need to venture into DIY this year.


I have to say that this community is fantastic! here is my updated cart if you would like to use it for reference as a starting point with all of the advise given. This is what I could narrow down to the minimal stuff needed to start  (with an exeption of the needles and syringes, kept them for just in case I want to try volume mixing in the future)
http://blckvapour.co.za/apps/cart-loader?cff_crt=15978c0764b39b834862ff095c9c2a7f
If you do decide to do this, please share your experience, I will do the same and you can learn from my rookie mistakes. Oh, and the recipes to the ingredient in the cart 
http://forum.e-liquid-recipes.com/t/a-beginners-guide-to-making-the-most-highly-rated-recipes/83612
The nice thing about this person's post is that most flavours are used in multiple recipes whit the exception of maybe two. This way you waste minimal amounts while experimenting. Good luck in your future ventures.

Reactions: Winner 1 | Thanks 1


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## Stosta (6/1/17)

Bunnypoison said:


> I have to say that this community is fantastic! here is my updated cart if you would like to use it for reference as a starting point with all of the advise given. This is what I could narrow down to the minimal stuff needed to start  (with an exeption of the needles and syringes, kept them for just in case I want to try volume mixing in the future)
> http://blckvapour.co.za/apps/cart-loader?cff_crt=15978c0764b39b834862ff095c9c2a7f
> If you do decide to do this, please share your experience, I will do the same and you can learn from my rookie mistakes. Oh, and the recipes to the ingredient in the cart
> http://forum.e-liquid-recipes.com/t/a-beginners-guide-to-making-the-most-highly-rated-recipes/83612
> The nice thing about this person's post is that most flavours are used in multiple recipes whit the exception of maybe two. This way you waste minimal amounts while experimenting. Good luck in your future ventures.


Cool! And thank you for sharing this!

I hope you will also keep us updated on how your DIY adventure goes?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bunnypoison (6/1/17)

Stosta said:


> Cool! And thank you for sharing this!
> 
> I hope you will also keep us updated on how your DIY adventure goes?


I will be too exited to keep it to myself  Will keep everyone posted

Reactions: Like 2 | Winner 2


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## Trimerion (6/1/17)

@Bunnypoison ... FYI I think I hate you ... or at least my wallet will ... that looks like a great starter kit and now I wants it

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bunnypoison (6/1/17)

Hahahaha , this cracked me up ! The way I justified it to myself is that in the long run, your wallet will thank you@Trimerion

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Trimerion (6/1/17)

@Bunnypoison I know that, have been looking at getting into DIY for a while however my wallet complains every time I start looking at startup cost 
its just like vaping, the initial cost is high but the long term savings are worth it

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bunnypoison (6/1/17)

Trimerion said:


> @Bunnypoison I know that, have been looking at getting into DIY for a while however my wallet complains every time I start looking at startup cost
> its just like vaping, the initial cost is high but the long term savings are worth it


If you have yet to buy yourself a Christmas gift, here is your chance . 2 minute noodles for a month will remind you of your colleague days so see it as an opportunity to hit some nostalgia and remember better days

Reactions: Optimistic 1


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## Bunnypoison (11/1/17)

I have finally received the awesome starter pack with the guidance of this thread:


And I have made my first batch which will steep between 4 days to 4 weeks depending on the mix. This trial run honestly used up so little of the concentrates and bases that I do believe I could mix enough for 6 months with the entire start up batch. 


Thank you everyone for your input and advice!!!!!!

Reactions: Like 4 | Winner 3


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## Jamacouve (11/1/17)

This gave me the bump to try it. Well as soon as pay arrives

Reactions: Winner 2 | Optimistic 1


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## RichJB (11/1/17)

Nicely done, @Bunnypoison. Yep, concentrates can last a long time depending on your recipes and juice consumption. I still have bottles of concentrate bought in May last year and which have been used in several recipes but don't need replenishing yet. 

Theoretically, at a 15% flavour concentration and 3mg nic 70/30 juice, a DIY purchase of R1056:
1x 100ml 36mg nic (R180)
1l VG (R100)
100ml PG (R20)
180ml flavours (18 x 10ml bottles @ R42 ave ea = R756)
could make you 1200ml of DIY juice with a small amount of PG and VG left over. That is substantially less than R1 per ml. Or, if you vape 10ml a day, roughly four months of vaping @ R264 per month.

I say theoretically because you will never get to a point where you use up all your concentrates exactly in making a 1200ml batch. But even if you double the amount of concentrates purchased, it's still only around R1.50 per ml or R450 per month for a 10ml per day vaping habit. And you don't lose those concentrates, what you don't use is left over for future batches. So, over time, you build up a massive stock of surplus concentrates. As you will no doubt experience soon.

Reactions: Agree 2 | Winner 1 | Thanks 1


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## Silver (11/1/17)

Bunnypoison said:


> I have finally received the awesome starter pack with the guidance of this thread:
> View attachment 81280
> 
> And I have made my first batch which will steep between 4 days to 4 weeks depending on the mix. This trial run honestly used up so little of the concentrates and bases that I do believe I could mix enough for 6 months with the entire start up batch.
> ...



Awesome starter pack @Bunnypoison !
All the best with the mixing. Let us know how your first trial batch goes....

By the way, what's the Lion matches for? 
lol

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bunnypoison (11/1/17)

Jamacouve said:


> This gave me the bump to try it. Well as soon as pay arrives


That's great, we can be beginner buddies  be sure to share if you do


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## Bunnypoison (11/1/17)

RichJB said:


> Nicely done, @Bunnypoison. Yep, concentrates can last a long time depending on your recipes and juice consumption. I still have bottles of concentrate bought in May last year and which have been used in several recipes but don't need replenishing yet.
> 
> Theoretically, at a 15% flavour concentration and 3mg nic 70/30 juice, a DIY purchase of R1056:
> 1x 100ml 36mg nic (R180)
> ...


Thank you, yes indeed I will have to replenish, especially with the popular recipe ingredients like Dragonfruit and Strawberry. I can use about 30ml a week so these steeps will last me a while. I think that the saving will come into play when I have mastered the recipes I really like and start buying larger quantities concentrate in those flavours. All and all I have to say that R450 a month looks pretty nice compared to R1200 cigarette habit. This way I also have left over flavours that I can experiment with later. 

Its good to know that your flavours are lasting so long, I was a bit concerned about the shelf life but also keep them in the fridge for extra care. Thank you for your comment, this was truly informative.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bunnypoison (11/1/17)

Silver said:


> Awesome starter pack @Bunnypoison !
> All the best with the mixing. Let us know how your first trial batch goes....
> 
> By the way, what's the Lion matches for?
> lol


Thank you, I definitely keep everyone posted. The matches just slipped my view when taking the picture, quite a sharp eye you have there. I keep them close in case we have a spider in the house and I have to burn the whole place down.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Silver (11/1/17)

Bunnypoison said:


> Thank you, I definitely keep everyone posted. The matches just slipped my view when taking the picture, quite a sharp eye you have there. I keep them close in case we have a spider in the house and I have to burn the whole place down.



Lol

I ask because I now have a keen have an eye for matches. The other day I was looking for matches or a lighter and I couldn't find it anywhere. They were everywhere when I smoked!

I had to use my little gas blowtorch that I used a while back to torch wire for coils

Reactions: Like 1


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## RichJB (11/1/17)

Yeah, I'm getting to the point now where 20ml concentrates are becoming attractive. There are some flavours like Flv Rich Cinnamon or FA Honey where one 10ml bottle will literally last for years. But Cheesecake GC, Ripe, VBIC, Swirl, Ripple, Vienna, Meringue, Marshmallow, Cap VC and SC, and several others all vanish at alarming rates. 

I have downloaded about 50 recipes from ATF over the past few days and there are about 3 that _don't_ have FA Meringue in them. Luckily it's almost always at 0.75-1% so you can get at least 30x30ml mixes from a single 10ml bottle.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1


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## Bunnypoison (11/1/17)

I have to ad


Silver said:


> Lol
> 
> I ask because I now have a keen have an eye for matches. The other day I was looking for matches or a lighter and I couldn't find it anywhere. They were everywhere when I smoked!
> 
> I had to use my little gas blowtorch that I used a while back to torch wire for coils


I have to admit though, if you gave me an option between matches, a lighter or a blowtorch, I would pick the blowtorch every time !!!!!

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Andre (11/1/17)

Bunnypoison said:


> I have finally received the awesome starter pack with the guidance of this thread:
> View attachment 81280
> 
> And I have made my first batch which will steep between 4 days to 4 weeks depending on the mix. This trial run honestly used up so little of the concentrates and bases that I do believe I could mix enough for 6 months with the entire start up batch.
> ...


Great stuff! Let us know how you find your creations.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bunnypoison (12/1/17)

RichJB said:


> Yeah, I'm getting to the point now where 20ml concentrates are becoming attractive. There are some flavours like Flv Rich Cinnamon or FA Honey where one 10ml bottle will literally last for years. But Cheesecake GC, Ripe, VBIC, Swirl, Ripple, Vienna, Meringue, Marshmallow, Cap VC and SC, and several others all vanish at alarming rates.
> 
> I have downloaded about 50 recipes from ATF over the past few days and there are about 3 that _don't_ have FA Meringue in them. Luckily it's almost always at 0.75-1% so you can get at least 30x30ml mixes from a single 10ml bottle.


I would love it if you could share some recipes that you enjoyed


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## RichJB (12/1/17)

The two ADVs I've found so far are Wayne's Funfetti and Tranceinate's Simply Cannoli. Most of the recipes at DIYorDIE are good although I'm not fond of Crooks & Creams.

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## spiv (12/1/17)

Of Wayne's premixes, I haven't tried Funfetti, but his Pistachio RY4 and Wayne's Rosky Milk (both from the premix) are both amazing.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bunnypoison (12/1/17)

RichJB said:


> The two ADVs I've found so far are Wayne's Funfetti and Tranceinate's Simply Cannoli. Most of the recipes at DIYorDIE are good although I'm not fond of Crooks & Creams.


Wow, its lucky that I did Funfetti as the first 30ml vape because a lot of reviews mentioned that it could steep for only 4 days.


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## TheCasualVapour (14/1/17)

Bunny are you mixing by Ml or grams?


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## Bunnypoison (16/1/17)

TheCasualVapour said:


> Bunny are you mixing by Ml or grams?


I'm mixing in grams, wanted a quick way of mixing and it is working out well


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## TheCasualVapour (16/1/17)

Thanks bud, where did you get the numbers to input on the calculator ( for nic, vg pg ect) to get the gram equivalent?

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## Andre (16/1/17)

TheCasualVapour said:


> Thanks bud, where did you get the numbers to input on the calculator ( for nic, vg pg ect) to get the gram equivalent?


https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/comments/2iq3km/botboy141_guide_to_mixing_by_weight/

Reactions: Informative 1


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## TheCasualVapour (16/1/17)

Thank you sir!

Reactions: Like 2


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## Bunnypoison (16/1/17)

TheCasualVapour said:


> Thanks bud, where did you get the numbers to input on the calculator ( for nic, vg pg ect) to get the gram equivalent?


I personally downloaded the Ejuice lab app for I think R19,99. When you upload recipes you find on forums you can view the recipes in grams, ml, percentage or even drops if you want to count. The advantage of this app is that it batches your mixes so you can label them and also set steeping reminders. It is easy to use but online calculators will give you the same calculations so that will work just as well. I will send you screenshot of my current batches.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Bunnypoison (16/1/17)

TheCasualVapour said:


> Thanks bud, where did you get the numbers to input on the calculator ( for nic, vg pg ect) to get the gram equivalent?





Here are my current batches and how the recipes appear on the app.


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## Jamacouve (25/1/17)

Took the plunge, got 6 concentrates to start off. Havent got a scale so mixing by ml for now

Reactions: Like 2


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## Waine (25/1/17)

Jamacouve said:


> Took the plunge, got 6 concentrates to start off. Havent got a scale so mixing by ml for now



@Jamacouve Welcome to the world of DIY. Experiment, learn and persevere. You won't look back. It's good fun and you save tons of money.

I have just been browsing a vape retail website now. No names mentioned as I love the shop and don't like running them down. Besides, it's not their fault, but R410 for a 60ml bottle of e-liquid! Wow, that's more than the price of a good clone RDA.

It took me a long time to get into DIY, and now I will not go back. 

Wishing you all the best.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Bunnypoison (25/1/17)

Jamacouve said:


> Took the plunge, got 6 concentrates to start off. Havent got a scale so mixing by ml for now


Hey, I see you are in the East Rand, you are welcome to come and use my scale if you want, I also have some more concentrates you can use for smaller trials like 10ml batches.

Reactions: Winner 2


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## Imtiaaz (25/1/17)

Bunnypoison said:


> View attachment 81802
> View attachment 81803
> Here are my current batches and how the recipes appear on the app.



Kreeds custard YUMMMMMMMMM. I am on my last fill of 250mils of that stuff, since I opened the first bottle I just couldn't put it away, until the whole damn batch was finished. No I'm sad AF cos if I do mix another batch i need to wait one and a half months before I can indulge again. I have tried many of those recipes on your list and you have some really good ones.

All the best with you mixes @Bunnypoison, I'm sure you will find at least one ADV in that bunch.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bunnypoison (26/1/17)

Imtiaaz said:


> Kreeds custard YUMMMMMMMMM. I am on my last fill of 250mils of that stuff, since I opened the first bottle I just couldn't put it away, until the whole damn batch was finished. No I'm sad AF cos if I do mix another batch i need to wait two and a half months before I can indulge again. I have tried many of those recipes on your list and you have some really good ones.
> 
> All the best with you mixes @Bunnypoison, I'm sure you will find at least one ADV in that bunch.


Thank you for your input, Kreeds Kustard is taking too long to steep for me, I have 3 ADV's that I absolutely love. I even made 100ml for myself of Mother's Unicorn milk ( I wanted to do 50ml but I have no control, best decision yet ). The other two I highly recommend are Funfetti and Sucker Punch clone, they all need a steep of only 4 days to a week. I am sure once Kreeds Kustard reached its 4 week mark it would have developed well, cant wait to taste it in its full glory. If you come across a good recipe, please share, I would love to try some of the recommended blends you have.

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## Imtiaaz (26/1/17)

Bunnypoison said:


> Thank you for your input, Kreeds Kustard is taking too long to steep for me, I have 3 ADV's that I absolutely love. I even made 100ml for myself of Mother's Unicorn milk ( I wanted to do 50ml but I have no control, best decision yet ). The other two I highly recommend are Funfetti and Sucker Punch clone, they all need a steep of only 4 days to a week. I am sure once Kreeds Kustard reached its 4 week mark it would have developed well, cant wait to taste it in its full glory. If you come across a good recipe, please share, I would love to try some of the recommended blends you have.



I actually tried the Kreed's custard after 4 weeks and it was good, but I must admit after 6 weeks it really really shines. Those extra two weeks just smooth everything out and gives the custard a very nice creamy taste, so my advise is, if you can, leave it for the full 6 weeks and it will be glorious. I have mixed plenty of funfetti in the past and just taking a break from it at the moment as I usually mix about 250 mils at a time as I do enjoy it.

I havn't tried the sucker punch though, I opted for the Nana's cream to sample the dragon fruit and was good, I like the dragon fruit concentrate. after trying that I decided to mix up my own recipe using the left over banana cream, adding in some custard, Nonna's cake some sweet cream and a bit of cheesecake. Hopefully it turns out ok. 

Recently I mixed up the kanzi clone recipe and peach berry pop, and for fruit juice mixes they were both very impressive, if you into that sort of thing. I also mixed some mike's melons and really enjoy it despite it only having 3 ingredients it, i.e. Papaya, Cantaloupe and mango. I will share the good ones I find with you if you promise to do the same

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Bunnypoison (26/1/17)

Imtiaaz said:


> I actually tried the Kreed's custard after 4 weeks and it was good, but I must admit after 6 weeks it really really shines. Those extra two weeks just smooth everything out and gives the custard a very nice creamy taste, so my advise is, if you can, leave it for the full 6 weeks and it will be glorious. I have mixed plenty of funfetti in the past and just taking a break from it at the moment as I usually mix about 250 mils at a time as I do enjoy it.
> 
> I havn't tried the sucker punch though, I opted for the Nana's cream to sample the dragon fruit and was good, I like the dragon fruit concentrate. after trying that I decided to mix up my own recipe using the left over banana cream, adding in some custard, Nonna's cake some sweet cream and a bit of cheesecake. Hopefully it turns out ok.
> 
> Recently I mixed up the kanzi clone recipe and peach berry pop, and for fruit juice mixes they were both very impressive, if you into that sort of thing. I also mixed some mike's melons and really enjoy it despite it only having 3 ingredients it, i.e. Papaya, Cantaloupe and mango. I will share the good ones I find with you if you promise to do the same


If you like dragonfruit, sucker punch clone is for you - Bavarian cream, Dragonfruit & vanilla swirl. I will look those up, thanx a million

Reactions: Like 1


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## craigb (26/1/17)

"mix with a scale" they said.
"it's easier and less messy" they said.

My previous method of mixing was to use a syringe or pipette for nic, drop count for concentrate, and will up with VG. I was working with CLY concentrates, and it worked. Only clean up was the syringe or pipette. Sometimes 2 or 3 pipettes because for bigger batches I would use them for flavour too.

Then I got me a scale, cos I wanted to mix up proper recipes and get some of that cast iron precision.

Bronuts. Got everything lined up.
Start with nic, I've decanted my nic into a bottle with a withes hat top to make it easier to pour into those itty bitty little bottles, gram count moving up nicely, getting close to the mark, slow down the pour. oops, slighly over, but not much, well within reasonable tolerances. I'll just be more careful with the other stuff.

I mean, using the drippers to pour concentrates should be a breeze, 1 drop at a time, right?
Concentrate 1, drip, drip, drip, gram count moving up, dammit. I was concentrating real hard (ADHD and Bipolar not withstanding). But it's like 0.05g over, thats nothing.
Concentrate 2, come in at like 0.01 over, I'm getting good at this.

Then concentrate 3. INW Biscuit. Slowly slowly, one drop at a time, gotta be careful cos this seems like a strong concentrate and it only needs a little bit of ... what the #$%^. How the hell did I just add twice as much concentrate as I needed!?!?!?!

On the upside, it's still vapable. If I had followed @RichJB 's method of mixing 10ml in a 20ml bottle, I would have been able to recover. Lessons learnt. Also, overshooting the Biscuit notwithstanding, I can see it's going into my juice circulation, so the next mix will be at least 50ml, which should be a bit more tolerant.

So what I have learned is that measuring with a scale is effing precise. As in you need to "_*konsentreer poephol, konsentreer*"_. One slightly over enthusiastic squeeze, applying 1/10000000th of a newton too much pressure, and you overshoot.

The problem is not the scale, or the bottles - it's the poephol in charge.

So from now on, before every mixing session, I shall repeat my affirmation,

"_*konsentreer poephol, konsentreer*"_

Reactions: Like 1 | Winner 4 | Funny 1


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## Bunnypoison (26/1/17)

craigb said:


> "mix with a scale" they said.
> "it's easier and less messy" they said.
> 
> My previous method of mixing was to use a syringe or pipette for nic, drop count for concentrate, and will up with VG. I was working with CLY concentrates, and it worked. Only clean up was the syringe or pipette. Sometimes 2 or 3 pipettes because for bigger batches I would use them for flavour too.
> ...


I know the feeling, oh I need a lot of this concentrate, might as well glance at the tv for just one secooooooh #$%. I have given myself a bit of room for error as a drop could put you .05 over if you don't focus and don't get me started on that freakin ring falling off while mixing and going in with the care of a surgeon taking it off. I use a syringe for my nic, that way I have great control even though nic in vg is not the easiest to handle with a needle attached. It also took me some time to figure out that the fan of all things will mess up my readings, wtf right. Any way, I am close to done mixing in those pesky 10ml bottles for testers. After a batch comes out nice it is mixed straight into the 30ml, 50ml or 100ml bottles

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Bunnypoison (26/1/17)

Ar


Imtiaaz said:


> I actually tried the Kreed's custard after 4 weeks and it was good, but I must admit after 6 weeks it really really shines. Those extra two weeks just smooth everything out and gives the custard a very nice creamy taste, so my advise is, if you can, leave it for the full 6 weeks and it will be glorious. I have mixed plenty of funfetti in the past and just taking a break from it at the moment as I usually mix about 250 mils at a time as I do enjoy it.
> 
> I havn't tried the sucker punch though, I opted for the Nana's cream to sample the dragon fruit and was good, I like the dragon fruit concentrate. after trying that I decided to mix up my own recipe using the left over banana cream, adding in some custard, Nonna's cake some sweet cream and a bit of cheesecake. Hopefully it turns out ok.
> 
> Recently I mixed up the kanzi clone recipe and peach berry pop, and for fruit juice mixes they were both very impressive, if you into that sort of thing. I also mixed some mike's melons and really enjoy it despite it only having 3 ingredients it, i.e. Papaya, Cantaloupe and mango. I will share the good ones I find with you if you promise to do the same


Is this the recipe you are referring to?
http://e-liquid-recipes.com/recipe/564480/'Nana Cream clone with TPA flavors


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## Imtiaaz (26/1/17)

Bunnypoison said:


> Ar
> 
> Is this the recipe you are referring to?
> http://e-liquid-recipes.com/recipe/564480/'Nana Cream clone with TPA flavors



That is the Nanna cream I was referring to yes.. The other three would be:

Kanzi clone
Peach berry pop
Mike's Melons

But as we all know taste is subjective so if you don't think the recipes look good then don't try them, simple lol...What I love about DIY, its all your own doings.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Bunnypoison (26/1/17)

Imtiaaz said:


> That is the Nanna cream I was referring to yes.. The other three would be:
> 
> Kanzi clone
> Peach berry pop
> ...


I think I will give the fruity mixes a chance with my next order, they look great, thank you


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## RichJB (26/1/17)

I think Sucker Punch Clone is due for a remake. It's a 2014 recipe and it shows: 14% TFA Dragonfruit! There is no recipe released these days which requires 14% of any concentrate. You will very rarely see double digits these days. 

In 2014, people were doing single flavour tests at 20%. These days, 4-5% is usual for the weaker brands, and around 2-3% for the FA/Inw/JF brands. Even 2% is too high for some flavours like Inw Raspberry or FA Blackberry. Dragonfruit is not the strongest flavour but I think it will work at substantially less than 14%. Although it might require a fourth ingredient to help the Dragonfruit stand out at lower percentages.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Bunnypoison (26/1/17)

I also tho


RichJB said:


> I think Sucker Punch Clone is due for a remake. It's a 2014 recipe and it shows: 14% TFA Dragonfruit! There is no recipe released these days which requires 14% of any concentrate. You will very rarely see double digits these days.
> 
> In 2014, people were doing single flavour tests at 20%. These days, 4-5% is usual for the weaker brands, and around 2-3% for the FA/Inw/JF brands. Even 2% is too high for some flavours like Inw Raspberry or FA Blackberry. Dragonfruit is not the strongest flavour but I think it will work at substantially less than 14%. Although it might require a fourth ingredient to help the Dragonfruit stand out at lower percentages.


I also though the 14% was a bit odd, it does come out rather to my liking with the 14% but I am sure this could be tweaked according to taste.


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## CloudsOfEbola (26/1/17)

Waine said:


> When you first read about vapers doing DIY, it looks a bit intimidating. You think: "No, I cannot do this, it's too technical and time consuming." The truth is that once you take the time to research it properly, you realize that it is not rocket science. It can be done. The time spent is worth it. In the beginning you are over cautious, afraid of making a mistake. But you learn from your mistakes.
> 
> After making your first few batches, you wonder why you never started earlier. It is so much fun trying out different recipes and tweaking them to your own liking.
> 
> ...



You`ve just perfectly summed up my last 2 months of existence in the sphere of DIY, and right now this is important : 
"Calm down, re group, and go back to basics."

I`m sitting with 57 10ml bottles of DIY juice, and sadly most of them will be tossed into the bin, those words reminded me to take it back a notch, so thanks for that


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## Stosta (26/1/17)

CloudsOfEbola said:


> You`ve just perfectly summed up my last 2 months of existence in the sphere of DIY, and right now this is important :
> "Calm down, re group, and go back to basics."
> 
> I`m sitting with 57 10ml bottles of DIY juice, and sadly most of them will be tossed into the bin, those words reminded me to take it back a notch, so thanks for that


Dump them all into one big bottle and label it something cool like, "The Blackest Incarnation". It might turn out to be vapeable in emergencies. I'm still waiting on @Feliks Karp to tell me about my mix

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Bunnypoison (26/1/17)

CloudsOfEbola said:


> You`ve just perfectly summed up my last 2 months of existence in the sphere of DIY, and right now this is important :
> "Calm down, re group, and go back to basics."
> 
> I`m sitting with 57 10ml bottles of DIY juice, and sadly most of them will be tossed into the bin, those words reminded me to take it back a notch, so thanks for that


Don't throw them away, there might be something there that is to someones taste, you never know.


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## RichJB (26/1/17)

CloudsOfEbola said:


> I`m sitting with 57 10ml bottles of DIY juice, and sadly most of them will be tossed into the bin



What the...? Are those 10ml single flavour testers or 10ml of your own concoctions? That's an awful lot of juice to be tossing out.

I often don't mix testers anymore. A whipped cream test uses no VG/PG/nic, requires only two drops of concentrate and no steeping, and gives you a decent representation of how the flavour will vape. The cream is an expense but you can test at least twenty flavours with one can of whipped cream. It won't give you a standalone percentage but seeing as I don't mix single-ingredient juices, a standalone percentage is of limited value anyway. I can get a better idea of how much to use in a recipe by looking at how top mixers use the flavour.

In DIY mixing, I also follow at least a 5:1 ratio. In other words, I mix up five highly-rated hit recipes (or at least interesting ones) for every one concoction that I do myself. That way, even if every one of my own recipes is a bomb that goes down the drain, more than 80% of my nic/VG/PG/concentrates are going into good and vapable juices.

Reactions: Like 1


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## CloudsOfEbola (26/1/17)

Stosta said:


> Dump them all into one big bottle and label it something cool like, "The Blackest Incarnation". It might turn out to be vapeable in emergencies. I'm still waiting on @Feliks Karp to tell me about my mix



It may turn out to be my best juice I`ve made so far lol

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Stosta (26/1/17)

CloudsOfEbola said:


> It may turn out to be my best juice I`ve made so far lol


It was mine! But I also dumped a bunch of commercial juices in there I wasnt fond of, so not all my handywork!


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## Feliks Karp (27/1/17)

Stosta said:


> Dump them all into one big bottle and label it something cool like, "The Blackest Incarnation". It might turn out to be vapeable in emergencies. I'm still waiting on @Feliks Karp to tell me about my mix




It isn't bad at all, but I get a hint of koolada which does not agree with me at all in any %.

*edit Kind of like a stale jaffa cake soaked in a summer fruit juice, which is cool cause I can never eat/drink those things again.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Wash (29/1/17)

At the risk of stealing someone else's catchphrase, (@craigb - sorry...)

Yesterday I learnt to konsentreer, poepol, konsentreer!

Brother came over for a visit to chat about vaping and diy. I proceeded (as planned before the unannounced visit) to mix a 100ml batch of the monster melons clone from a recipe I had written down on a notepad (using masses based on percentages calculated by ejuicemeup).

My brother picked the concentrates from my - literally - mixed bag of concentrates and lined them up in the order I had written down on the piece of paper.

I then went on, in my best @KZOR impersonation, to casually pour all the ingredients into the bottle, zeroing after each one before adding the next. Muttering "eh, close enough" each time the scale showed that I had added one or two drops too much of a concentrate.

The second-to-last ingredient (before adding my much-loved and fresh, carefully prepared 66% menthol-in-pg solution) was 0.52g of Ethyl Maltol.

Today, while strolling through Plasticland in Centurion, looking for some more 10ml bottles, I finally figured out the answer to the issue that had been bugging me since yesterday afternoon. Came to me in a flash of impotent rage and deep disappointment.

The reason that the EM crystals were not dissolving in the 100ml batch like they did in the 50ml batch, was that I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO USE THE CRYSTALS! I SHOULD have used the made-up concentrate (1/4 teaspoon EM crystals in a 10ml bottle topped up with PG) like you're supposed to!

My brother didn't know this and I never picked up the stuff-up. Even while I was busy pulling a mcguyver with a piece of paper to weigh and add the crystals to the tiny-necked bottle, never once did my anti-idiot firmware kick in and shout "wait a minute, asshole!"

So yeah. I guess the moral is, don't try and show off; don't be a hero; put your crystals (EM, menthol, sweetener, what have you) somewhere OTHER than your flavours and additives and, finally, but not least, KONSEN-EFFING-TREER!

While I'm here, I might as well ask the question: Anyone know how I can salvage this batch without having to make a litre of juice?

Reactions: Like 3


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## RichJB (29/1/17)

I've never worked with EM crystals but I'd be interested to know how it reacts when added directly to a juice. Has it dissolved into the juice? If not, has it formed a sediment at the bottom of the bottle or is it just hanging in suspension?


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## Wash (29/1/17)

RichJB said:


> I've never worked with EM crystals but I'd be interested to know how it reacts when added directly to a juice. Has it dissolved into the juice? If not, has it formed a sediment at the bottom of the bottle or is it just hanging in suspension?



@RichJB The crystals have reacted a lot like sugar. Some have dissolved into the juice, but there are a few that are stubbornly refusing to dissolve - I'm guessing I've managed to go past the saturation point. They tend to settle out at the bottom of the bottle - that's of course when I manage to refrain from shaking the bastard out of pure frustration at my own idiocy...


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## RichJB (29/1/17)

If the juice is vapable with the amount of EM in it, and the undissolved crystals have settled as a sediment, maybe decant into another bottle being careful not to let any sediment through, and then ditch the dregs with the sediment? You can't do anything about the EM that has dissolved so far, but you can certainly prevent any more from dissolving by decanting?


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## Scouse45 (29/1/17)

Was wondering if any of u have tried the simply cannoli that's so highly rated by DIY or die. The mix by tranceinate has a very low flavour percentage at 8.15% and best at 92vg... That's a ridiculously high vg with very low flavor percentage and this was rated 3rd in DIY or die's best mixes of 2016... Any thoughts mates? Can I just drop down the vg to 70/30 and keep the flavour profile the same or will it alter the outcome? @RichJB maybe u know


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## RichJB (29/1/17)

I made it at 60/40 and it easily made my ADV list. That is one terrific recipe, one of the very best juices I've ever tasted. As a bonus, it uses up FA Joy and Nonna's Cake, two FA offerings that aren't favoured or used in too much else.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Scouse45 (29/1/17)

Shot bud exactly Wat I waned to hear


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## CloudsOfEbola (30/1/17)

Wash said:


> At the risk of stealing someone else's catchphrase, (@craigb - sorry...)
> 
> The reason that the EM crystals were not dissolving in the 100ml batch like they did in the 50ml batch, was that I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO USE THE CRYSTALS! I SHOULD have used the made-up concentrate (1/4 teaspoon EM crystals in a 10ml bottle topped up with PG) like you're supposed to!



Wait a minute, you`re not supposed to mix the crystals directly into the mix? 

I measured out the correct grams of EM according to the recipe and just dumped it straight into the bottle with the mix and let it sit. I noticed that the crystals accumulated on the bottom and after two days of mild shaking here and there they were still there. I then dumped the bottle into a cup of warm water for about 20 minutes and they dissolved into the mix.

Funnily enough that juice I made came out very nicely.


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## RichJB (30/1/17)

CloudsOfEbola said:


> I measured out the correct grams of EM according to the recipe and just dumped it straight into the bottle with the mix and let it sit.



So 10% of what the recipe stated, i.e. if the recipe said 0.8g of EM, you put in 0.08g of crystals?


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## Wash (30/1/17)

CloudsOfEbola said:


> Wait a minute, you`re not supposed to mix the crystals directly into the mix?
> 
> I measured out the correct grams of EM according to the recipe and just dumped it straight into the bottle with the mix and let it sit. I noticed that the crystals accumulated on the bottom and after two days of mild shaking here and there they were still there. I then dumped the bottle into a cup of warm water for about 20 minutes and they dissolved into the mix.
> 
> Funnily enough that juice I made came out very nicely.



I'm hoping that this is what happens in my case. If my math is correct, I have 10 times as much EM in the juice as I'm supposed to have. (I used half a gram of PURE EM instead of half a gram of a 10% solution)


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## CloudsOfEbola (30/1/17)

RichJB said:


> So 10% of what the recipe stated, i.e. if the recipe said 0.8g of EM, you put in 0.08g of crystals?



I would have to check my recipe later, but am almost sure if the recipe called for 0.8gm of EM I would have put in 0.8gm of EM.
Am I going to die

Reactions: Funny 1


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## CloudsOfEbola (30/1/17)

Wash said:


> I'm hoping that this is what happens in my case. If my math is correct, I have 10 times as much EM in the juice as I'm supposed to have. (I used half a gram of PURE EM instead of half a gram of a 10% solution)



Apparently I also overdosed on the EM in my mix. Thankfully I have made only one recipe using EM, so there is hope for my future mixes.
Assuming this delicious Boston Cream Pie with 10x more EM than it should have doesn`t kill me first

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## RichJB (30/1/17)

CloudsOfEbola said:


> Am I going to die



Not if you have a sweet tooth.  Adding 10x the amount of EM required may also tend to mute the flavours a bit.

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## Wash (30/1/17)

If a factor 10 "overdose" of EM has no worse consequence than muted flavours, then I count myself one lucky SOB.

Thanks, @RichJB !


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## RichJB (30/1/17)

Well, I can't talk about what vaping undissolved EM crystals may do to your coils, or to your lungs should you inhale some. Although I think it would be too heavy to be carried in vapour and would probably settle as a black crust on your coils, or deposits in the bottom of your atty.


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## CloudsOfEbola (30/1/17)

RichJB said:


> Not if you have a sweet tooth.  Adding 10x the amount of EM required may also tend to mute the flavours a bit.


Surprisingly it is not so sweet at all, it is there but it works well with the cinnamon bun (which is also quite a strong flavour imo). There is a fair amount of gentle popping sometimes which adds some sweet drops on the lips.


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## Waine (31/1/17)

Regarding DIY, I am in a bit of a weird twilight zone at the moment. I have made about 45 different juice recipes. I find that initIally, I love the juice and then a few days later I get sick of the flavor. This happens to all my juice. I only have about 3 juices that are really my favorite, but even these become boring.

So, I have mixed up some flavorless 80/20 VG/PG, 3mg and 6mg juice. When I get tired of a juice, I just vape the flavorless juice on a dripper until the original juice is completely muted.

It's almost like I have to reset my taste buds as all the juice taste boring or overbearing.

I have read that some people vape flavorless juice for a season. Has anyone experienced a similar thing?


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## RichJB (31/1/17)

I tire of juices quickly. So I keep 20+ juices on my desk and just rotate. I rarely take more than ten puffs of a juice without switching to another. I have found that this not only averts vaper's tongue (your palate is constantly being hit from another angle and doesn't fall into a single-profile 'rut') but also extends the time I can vape on a juice before tiring of it.

I also feel like different juices at different times of the day. Coffee is really only a 'first thing in the morning' juice which I vape for half-an-hour and then switch. The constant changing also clears the palate of after-taste. I'm vaping a pineapple menthol atm which, as nice as it is, leaves a very strong taste on the palate. Even when I'm not vaping, I'm getting that strong tart pineapple taste. A couple of toots of a heavy sweet bakery, for eg, cuts that acidity and brings my mouth/palate back to the sort of neutral position I prefer.

Regarding strength of flavour, I feel that most juices (commercial and DIY) are over-flavoured. Whoever is making the juice, the goal is the same: to wow the first-time vaper with the first puff. We all want people to be blown away the moment they taste our juice or recipe. That is well and good but if it's a sickly sweet, very rich juice, it will pall quickly. I believe that as my DIY skills grow, I will gravitate towards juices that are under-flavoured, where the first-time vaper will just go "Huh?" when vaping it. But I think the juice will have greater longevity. You can eat plain bread all day long. Rich sweet desserts, fancy fizzy fruity drinks, meats with exotic creamy sauces... not so much.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Waine (2/2/17)

@RichJB You got it spot on. I agree totally with everything you said.


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## johan (2/2/17)

Amen to that @RichJB - when 1'st started vaping, over flavoring was no problem due to stuffed taste buds. 6 Months down the line I had to dilute all my store bought juices with PG and VG - still practicing diluting same to this day.

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## Waine (5/2/17)

I hope my battered palate from all my overbearing TFA DIY juices recovers. I think I erred by using high percentages of TFA flavour after reading that TFA is generally weak. I have really developed a problem guys. Most juice is making me feel quite ill. In future I will stick to exact recipes. 

Tonight I mixed some 100 ml batches of 80/20 VG/PG, 3mg and 6mg Nic, with a very mild peppermint and some "Smooth" TFA. I am lying in bed catching up on some unread posts here, vaping almost flavourless juice with a tiny hint of peppermint, and for the first time in days, I am actually enjoying vaping again.

I hope my palate re sets soon.


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## Silver (5/2/17)

Hope your palate recovers @Waine 
Great idea you have to vape a mild peppermint juice. Sounds nice


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