DIY Noob mistakes

[DanielSLP]

Good day Everyone!

I'm just starting a discussion thread for new people mixing, where we can all share mistakes we have seen or done, to help new mixers and also share tips for new mixers.

From what I have seen. When mixing by volume, the first mistake I have seen a few people make, is using the same syringe for all the flavourings, sure you can wash it off but unless you are sterilising and boiling the same syringe after every flavour, there will always be left over concentrate on the syringe. This will taint your concentrates.

New people storing nicotine out in the open. Nicotine degrades with light and heat and therefore needs to be stored in a dark cool place. I have heard of people using a freezer and this is fine, but remember that nicotine needs to be back at room temperature before using it for a mix. Also keeping it in the same place as your food, carries the risk of children getting close to it or consuming it. I personally store mine in material bag in a box right on the top shelf of my cupboard. I don't have kids but if somebodies child had to visit and got hold of it, I would prefer to just be safe.

This one isn't so much of a mistake, but if you are getting into mixing, I would make the financial sacrifice now and buy a scale, once you have used a scale, you will kick yourself for ever thinking syringes are fine. It takes me 10 minutes max and 0 organisation to mix a bottle and my only cleanup is a syringe that I use for the nicotine. Always remember that you need to calibrate your scale for the most accurate mix. Blckvapour and Valley Vapour carry some really good scales in their shops.

Another mistake I've seen is over flavouring. There is tonnes of flavour reviews and recommended percentages out there. These were done by people that have already made these mistakes and I'm a strong believer in learning from other peoples mistakes. You shouldn't be using Bilberry FA at 7% or more and think you aren't going to die, trust me that flavour is potent and I have never gone over the 1% mark, all the flavour concentrates out there carry their own potency and that's why they have their own recommended percentage

There are more mistakes I have seen, but I want to give everyone the chance to share.

Thank you!

 

[Quakes]

Thanks man... I will be watching this thread. I'm starting my own mix next month and this thread came on the right time!


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[ET]

Noob mistake # 4. Having several open concentrate bottles right next to your bottle you're mixing in and then squirting some blueberry concentrate into your vanilla bean ice cream concentrate bottle instead of the empty mixing bottle

 

[Quakes]

Hahaha, that's an fail! Lol


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[DanielSLP]

Hahahaha stuck making blueberry ice cream, milkshakes and related recipes

 

[RichJB]

At least Blueberry Ice Cream is usable. Imagine dumping like Peanut Butter into your Absinthe.





Hang on...






... opens eJuice Me Up and goes off to fetch scale and mixing kit.

 

[DanielSLP]

Please call it Absinthe Nutter

 

[DanielSLP]

Wait... Abs in the Nutter works aswell

 

[moonunit]

Some good points from the OP! Something I picked up very quickly was when using recipes off www.eliquidcalculator.com be very weary of the % used in the recipes posted by others, always have a look at the total flavour %. Reason for this is some of the recipes have extremely high % concentrates. As an example seen some with TFA Cocoa at 10% plus other concentrates, all this will do is overpower everything and gunk up your coil with 1/2 a tank.

So when using recipes you find online be weary of the %, you could end up making a nice chemical bath vape. Check for the higher rated recipes or from better known DIY'ers. This will help you develop a feel for certain concentrates and help you develop your own recipes.


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[Glytch]

Good day Everyone!

I'm just starting a discussion thread for new people mixing, where we can all share mistakes we have seen or done, to help new mixers and also share tips for new mixers.

From what I have seen. When mixing by volume, the first mistake I have seen a few people make, is using the same syringe for all the flavourings, sure you can wash it off but unless you are sterilising and boiling the same syringe after every flavour, there will always be left over concentrate on the syringe. This will taint your concentrates.

New people storing nicotine out in the open. Nicotine degrades with light and heat and therefore needs to be stored in a dark cool place. I have heard of people using a freezer and this is fine, but remember that nicotine needs to be back at room temperature before using it for a mix. Also keeping it in the same place as your food, carries the risk of children getting close to it or consuming it. I personally store mine in material bag in a box right on the top shelf of my cupboard. I don't have kids but if somebodies child had to visit and got hold of it, I would prefer to just be safe.

This one isn't so much of a mistake, but if you are getting into mixing, I would make the financial sacrifice now and buy a scale, once you have used a scale, you will kick yourself for ever thinking syringes are fine. It takes me 10 minutes max and 0 organisation to mix a bottle and my only cleanup is a syringe that I use for the nicotine. Always remember that you need to calibrate your scale for the most accurate mix. Blckvapour and Valley Vapour carry some really good scales in their shops.

Another mistake I've seen is over flavouring. There is tonnes of flavour reviews and recommended percentages out there. These were done by people that have already made these mistakes and I'm a strong believer in learning from other peoples mistakes. You shouldn't be using Bilberry FA at 7% or more and think you aren't going to die, trust me that flavour is potent and I have never gone over the 1% mark, all the flavour concentrates out there carry their own potency and that's why they have their own recommended percentage

There are more mistakes I have seen, but I want to give everyone the chance to share.

Thank you!

Great thread.

I completely agree with double checking flavour % or ELR. I adjust any TFA total flavour % over 15% downwards and same for anything FA over 10%. Start lower and can always work upwards if needed.

Mistake: not shaking concentrates and nicotine thoroughly (especially nic in VG)

Mistake: not letting juice steep. When I started I was dubious about the whole steeping thing but it really is important. Some juices which are unvapeable the day after are heavenly after 3 weeks.

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[Lord Vetinari]

Noob Mistake Number One: "Philip Rocke ain't gonna have NOTHING on this, move over ENYAWREKLAW" lol... about 20000 bad mixes later reality dawns

 

[Rude Rudi]

Don't sub flavours when following a (well know) recipe. Furthermore don't sub within a manufacturer's own versions, ie Cap sugar cookie V1 for V2 or visa versa.

The "top dogs" spend months creating, testing and tinkering a recipe to achieve exact flavour profiles using exact %'s of particular manufacturer. If you don't have one of the EXACT products, rather don't make that recipe - come back to it when you do.

It's like making a basting sauce for your steak and the recipe calls for All Gold tomato sauce and you use Wimpy tomato sauce = the resulting sauce is O.K but it doesn't quite taste so "lekker". The balance is somehow out, the acidity is too high, it's watery, etc, etc, As we know, not all tomato sauces are equal but each have their place. Wimpy tomato sauce is fantastic smothered over your chips and it takes 2 days to get the red dye off your fingers. All Gold is brilliant on a boerie roll or mixed with mayo to create a Marie Rose sauce, etc, Some swear by Wimpy tomato sauce but other's cant stand it and prefer All Gold. If you make the same basting sauce using two different tomato sauces, the end result will be completely different. If you want to make your own basting sauce using Wimpy tomato sauce, go wild but don't follow a recipe which calls for All Gold and use Wimpy.

Same when mixing from a recipe - don't sub. Period.

 

[Lord Vetinari]

Don't sub flavours when following a (well know) recipe. Furthermore don't sub within a manufacturer's own versions, ie Cap sugar cookie V1 for V2 or visa versa.

The "top dogs" spend months creating, testing and tinkering a recipe to achieve exact flavour profiles using exact %'s of particular manufacturer. If you don't have one of the EXACT products, rather don't make that recipe - come back to it when you do.

It's like making a basting sauce for your steak and the recipe calls for All Gold tomato sauce and you use Wimpy tomato sauce = the resulting sauce is O.K but it doesn't quite taste so "lekker". The balance is somehow out, the acidity is too high, it's watery, etc, etc, As we know, not all tomato sauces are equal but each have their place. Wimpy tomato sauce is fantastic smothered over your chips and it takes 2 days to get the red dye off your fingers. All Gold is brilliant on a boerie roll or mixed with mayo to create a Marie Rose sauce, etc, Some swear by Wimpy tomato sauce but other's cant stand it and prefer All Gold. If you make the same basting sauce using two different tomato sauces, the end result will be completely different. If you want to make your own basting sauce using Wimpy tomato sauce, go wild but don't follow a recipe which calls for All Gold and use Wimpy.

Same when mixing from a recipe - don't sub. Period.

OOOOH it depends on the goal. Some of my coolest recipes were and accidents. Subs are a VERY good way to learn how concentrates affect a mix. For example when I replaced CAP Custard V1 with TFA Custard and my mix went from a cookie to a weird ice cream and there was no ice cream in there LMFAO... Then the intense joy of figuring out which exact other flavors it is playing off for the effect... and then nailing it and using it to create a hard-boiled-ice-cream-candy vape.

HOWEVER if you are after creating an EXACT profile as described by another, then I agree, do NOT sub! If it says V1, V2 wont work. So I agree, but I also think subbing is just too much fun!

 

[Cespian]

One of my biggest DIY Noob Mistakes: 5% TFA Koolada. I am lucky to be alive.

Also stabbed myself with needles a couple of times... before the days of using a scale and blunt tip needles being as scarce as a non-corrupt politician.

 

[RichJB]

I think another n00b mistake is buying flavours because they appear to be complex and complete. People see Chocolate Fudge Brownie and they think "Yummy", they see Brown Sugar and they think "Mmmm, maybe later". Look at recipes and see which of the two is used more often.

Even HIC does this. In a forum post, he says that FA Mandarin is his favourite orange flavour, much more so than FA Orange. Maybe standalone, yes. But I went through HIC's recipes and he uses Orange in about ten recipes, Mandarin in only one or two. So which will be the more versatile and useful to buy? Similarly, he says of FA Butterscotch "Stronger, sharper, richer, and sweeter than FA Caramel". That makes it sound more appealing to a new mixer. Look at how often HIC uses Caramel in his recipes, and how seldom he uses Butterscotch, and you get a completely different impression. Standalone flavour is one thing, how useful it is in mixes is completely different.

 

[gertvanjoe]

One of my biggest DIY Noob Mistakes: 5% TFA Koolada. I am lucky to be alive.

Also stabbed myself with needles a couple of times... before the days of using a scale and blunt tip needles being as scarce as a non-corrupt politician.

can agree to stabbing. When just starting out I bought the syringes with their needles soon realizing they were to thin. Upon getting new ones and opening the first one I somehow managed to bury half its lenghth down into my finger. Fortunately brand new and sterile. Bled for 2 hours with me trying to make it stop

Sent from Mars

 

[Huffapuff]

Don't sub flavours when following a (well know) recipe. Furthermore don't sub within a manufacturer's own versions, ie Cap sugar cookie V1 for V2 or visa versa.

The "top dogs" spend months creating, testing and tinkering a recipe to achieve exact flavour profiles using exact %'s of particular manufacturer. If you don't have one of the EXACT products, rather don't make that recipe - come back to it when you do.

It's like making a basting sauce for your steak and the recipe calls for All Gold tomato sauce and you use Wimpy tomato sauce = the resulting sauce is O.K but it doesn't quite taste so "lekker". The balance is somehow out, the acidity is too high, it's watery, etc, etc, As we know, not all tomato sauces are equal but each have their place. Wimpy tomato sauce is fantastic smothered over your chips and it takes 2 days to get the red dye off your fingers. All Gold is brilliant on a boerie roll or mixed with mayo to create a Marie Rose sauce, etc, Some swear by Wimpy tomato sauce but other's cant stand it and prefer All Gold. If you make the same basting sauce using two different tomato sauces, the end result will be completely different. If you want to make your own basting sauce using Wimpy tomato sauce, go wild but don't follow a recipe which calls for All Gold and use Wimpy.

Same when mixing from a recipe - don't sub. Period.

While I do agree here, I also feel that unless one has an ultra developed palate there are areas where you can get away with subbing quite successfully. For example:
TFA Bavarian Cream can be subbed with FA Vienna Cream at half the %. CAP Vanilla Custard V1 can be stubbed with V2 but you just need to steep longer.

According to the First Law of Vaping you will always be missing at least one flavour from any recipe so trawling the net to find suitable subs is half the challenge

 

[Huffapuff]

Noob mistake: not taking off the little plastic ring that seals the twist cap of your concentrate so it falls into your mix while dripping. Twice. In a row

 

[Glytch]

can agree to stabbing. When just starting out I bought the syringes with their needles soon realizing they were to thin. Upon getting new ones and opening the first one I somehow managed to bury half its lenghth down into my finger. Fortunately brand new and sterile. Bled for 2 hours with me trying to make it stop

Sent from Mars

n00b advice: Pouring VG will be frustrating at the best of times

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[Rude Rudi]

While I do agree here, I also feel that unless one has an ultra developed palate there are areas where you can get away with subbing quite successfully. For example:
TFA Bavarian Cream can be subbed with FA Vienna Cream at half the %. CAP Vanilla Custard V1 can be stubbed with V2 but you just need to steep longer.

According to the First Law of Vaping you will always be missing at least one flavour from any recipe so trawling the net to find suitable subs is half the challenge

Yes, but a tough ask for a noob...who lacks the experience to do this. I'm referring to an exact ENYAWREKLAW recipe which calls for exact flavours and %'s... As a beginner, the subs can ruin a potential masterpiece.


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[Greyz]

The best advise I can give any noob DIY'er is get a scale.
Don't waste time buying needles, you just need one with a thick, blunt tip for your Nic (and even then you could decant your nic into a 100ml HDPE bottle and be done with needles altogether)

Using a scale means less of that time consuming mix, mix, mix, no clean needles, stop, sterile needles, dry needles and mix, rinse, repeat.
As a piece of parting advise for any noob, head online and grab some clone recipes and start off with those. You will have a lot more success following tried and tested recipes than trying to wing it on your own. Not only will this gain you confidence that DIY is the right path but it will help you get a good understanding for how flavour profiles play together and at what percentages.

 

[Lord Vetinari]

Noob mistake: not taking off the little plastic ring that seals the twist cap of your concentrate so it falls into your mix while dripping. Twice. In a row

Twice? ONLY? LOOOL I know that feeling. I still do it.

 

[Huffapuff]

Twice? ONLY? LOOOL I know that feeling. I still do it.

Twice was enough - promptly went through my whole stash removing the rings. Now when new stock arrives I open the bottle, give it a sniff and remove the ring

 

[Glytch]

Noob mistake: not taking off the little plastic ring that seals the twist cap of your concentrate so it falls into your mix while dripping. Twice. In a row

OMFG. I hate those plastic devils.

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[Lord Vetinari]

Twice was enough - promptly went through my whole stash removing the rings. Now when new stock arrives I open the bottle, give it a sniff and remove the ring

I crack open too many 10ml's WHILE mixing... usually when just running out and opening a new one