DIY - What's the Catch

[rogue zombie]

No catch. It's the most liberating experience so far for me since I started the vaping journey. I wasted tons of cash trying to find my ADV. With DIY I got to try a lot of different flavour profiles that I would not have taken a chance on buying commercial juices in the fear of wasting money.

The learning curve really is obsolete nowadays as there are tons of really good recipes available that others have already done the ground work on. DIYORDIE is a good starting point for tried and tested good recipes. Also check out Alltheflavours, very useful tool and many great recipes.

I agree.

If you look at the recipes from the resources @Andre posted, obviously use initiative and read comments where applicable, its difficult to go wrong nowadays. Great recipes were hard to find even just a year ago. Now there's plenty of amazing stuff to be found.

Of coarse you will find you don't like some maybe even popular recipes, but the same applies to buying commercial juice.
So there's plenty "weeding out" recipes you don't like.

The real beauty of DIY for me for example, the profiles I have vaped this week alone you wont find commercially. Because they are unusual, the juice maker would be taking a risk putting stuff out like this. I've been vaping Earl Grey Tea or Coconut Brandy for example - strange but awesome, but probably wouldn't sell well.

 

[Feliks Karp]

To me the best part of DIY is that you are now 100% in control of not only the flavours you vape, but what goes in, I remember your other post you were concerned over ingredients in vape juice, well now you can do some research and decide what you feel comfortable putting in.

Coming in for a close second, is that if you don't buy pre-mixed nic, you can now control your nicotine 100%, initially even the drop from 6 mg to 3 mg was a little rough for me and I felt myself craving cigarettes, I wish I had DIY'd even sooner so that I could have weened myself down by doing 5mg, 4mg etc, my DIY juices are now 3mg,2.8 mg and I have a 2,6 mg busy steeping.

You also don't actually have to waste any, if you take alot of precise notes, any juice that tastes a bit borked you can split up and remix by calculating how much you want to reduce or add to it.

The only real "catch" to me, and would also be an imperative "newbie" tip, make a couple certified shake-'n-vape juices before you try out one that needs to steep, else you'll find yourself sitting without juice, tempted to vape those ones that really need to be steeping for a week or two.

 

[Glytch]

Thanks for all the amazing advice. This community is just a god-send for a geek!

BUY A SCALE. Just do it. Cuts the mixing time and effort so much. I can mix a month's worth of juice in 10mins using a scale.

Luckily I work at a school and the science lab has scales I can use! Will definitely do this by weight.

But to get that initial return on investment just find 3 or 4 reliable recipes and get the ingredients you need for those. Vape these while you build up your flavour stash.

I started DIYing about 4 months ago. My first port of call was to search for good recipes, which suit my tastes. I also researched the individual concentrates of each recipe. Then I bought the flavour concentrates for those recipes. And the other stuff required (PG/VG/Nicotine/bottles, scale). A scale is a godsend. Quite a capital investment to start off, but you can cater it to your purse.

Made 10 ml testers. Tasted and made bigger quantities of those I liked. For those first recipes my hit rate for keepers was in the high 90 percent. The better your research, the better your results. I did not and still do not try to make my own concoctions as a rule, other than tweaking existing recipes to my taste.

This is exactly what I plan to do: go with tried and tested simple recipes with a few concentrates.

I've come across a recipe for Strawberry Cream from the New Amsterdam Vape video for DIY for Beginners which tickles me. Only uses three concentrates (TFA Strawberry Ripe, TFA Bavarian Cream and TFA Graham Cracker Clear). Apparently these are good bases to add other flavours too. I plan to make a few batches of that e-liquid and buy more concentrates at the end of each month.

Since the PG/VG/Nicotine will last far longer than the concentrates by my calculations I will buy a few more concentrates the month following my initial layout. I can get the initial PG/VG/Nicotine/Concentrates for around R500 with delivery which will be August. I'll vape the strawberry cream and I WILL like it End of August I'll up my stock of concentrates of a few more very popular ones that are often combined and then mix a few more reliable flavours.

This strategy while hopefully reduce my monthly costs on e-liquid below R550pm within two months.

 

[Glytch]

It takes time and effort as well as a slight learning curve, this is the main one. Not everyone will be willing to do this.

It does take a while.

But i think it does take a lot of time and effort and many tries to get a juice thats great and then perfect it. So time and effort to get the perfect recipe for you is probably the big catch.

Yes diy requires alot of time

Luckily my lifestyle involves a lot of time. I live in rural KZN so evenings and weekends are super low key and chilled. I love projects as well so this suits my geek personality.

Also living in a rural area I need to pay shipping on liquids as well (up to R85) which also increases the cost. With my sub-ohm tank my budget allows for max 3 x 30ml bottles per month which might now be enough. I'm going through 60ml of juice per month on my twisp (mostly because it produces almost no vapour ... except if you crank the voltage up, which burns the coils.... and my third battery in a year only holds charge for 4 hours). So I need a more cost-effective way of consuming e-liquid.

The twisp also hasn't spoilt me for flavours (I've only changed my flavour combo twice in two years) so I reckon any decent tasting liquid in a sub-ohm tank will do for now.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Charel van Biljon]

Well it seams your question have been answered, but I also just want to say, that there is no catch.
I started a week ago with DIY after 7 months of vaping to have more control over my vaping experience and also obviously cut costs.
My Monthly juice budget was just getting stupid, so I started seriously looking into DIY.
It might be intimidating at first, but with proper research and good info like on here, you will find it not to be so difficult at all.

Well, good luck and all the best with your DIY venture.

 

[Glytch]

If you tell us what you usually vape we would be able to assist with concentrates to buy etc. Some of my recipes cost me lime R50 for a 100ml at 3mg nic. One of my favorites only uses 2 concentrates. And I have subbed out one of them to a more concentrated concentrate to use less and save more. I made liters of crap juice, but still vaped some of it. Now, I'm happy with my stuff and enjoy most of it more than store bought juices.

@Viper_SA : Please send your two-concentrate recipe!

But list what flavors you like and we can help you pick out what you would need to get started

Thanks for offering guys. I like fruit flavours that aren't overly sweet (I found the sweeter flavours a bit cloying in the twisp after a while. Left a sickly aftertaste). I enjoy flavours based on berries and cirtrus. Hate liquorice or melon though. Also not a big fan of nutty, choclately or coffee. Please send suggestions.

 

[Andre]

@Viper_SA : Please send your two-concentrate recipe!



Thanks for offering guys. I like fruit flavours that aren't overly sweet (I found the sweeter flavours a bit cloying in the twisp after a while. Left a sickly aftertaste). I enjoy flavours based on berries and cirtrus. Hate liquorice or melon though. Also not a big fan of nutty, choclately or coffee. Please send suggestions.

Some fruit recipes here: http://www.ecigssa.co.za/diy-fruit-recipes.t25444/

 

[RichJB]

Glytch, your R700 a month budget should go a long, long way with DIY. If you're looking to save additional costs, consider DIY coiling. A full Geekvape or Coil Master kit with some wire and cotton will cost you around a grand. But thereafter making and wicking your own coils can become ridiculously cheap, probably around twenty bucks a month. Commercial coils can cost you R80-R150 a month depending on what coils you buy and how often you change them.

Going full DIY (juice and coils), I vape for less than R200 a month now. That was the cost of 8 packs of 20 Winston in Jan 2016 when I quit, or just over five cigs per day. Considering I was smoking 15 a day, the monthly savings are quickly amortising the costs of mods, tanks, batteries and DIY gear. Vaping can be very economical. The trick is to avoid the allure of shiny new toys, and absolutely having to own every new mod and tank that hits the market.

I have all the gear I want now: three mods, three tanks, all my DIY stuff. So from now on, it's saving all the way. Of course, I'll still buy the odd new tank or whatever. Vapers are like anglers, we want new toys now and then, no matter how many we already have. But overall, I reckon I'm ahead of where I would be with smoking. And that's just financially, there is the health aspect too. It's a good deal all round.

 

[Glytch]

Glytch, your R700 a month budget should go a long, long way with DIY. If you're looking to save additional costs, consider DIY coiling. A full Geekvape or Coil Master kit with some wire and cotton will cost you around a grand. But thereafter making and wicking your own coils can become ridiculously cheap, probably around twenty bucks a month. Commercial coils can cost you R80-R150 a month depending on what coils you buy and how often you change them.

Going full DIY (juice and coils), I vape for less than R200 a month now. That was the cost of 8 packs of 20 Winston in Jan 2016 when I quit, or just over five cigs per day. Considering I was smoking 15 a day, the monthly savings are quickly amortising the costs of mods, tanks, batteries and DIY gear. Vaping can be very economical. The trick is to avoid the allure of shiny new toys, and absolutely having to own every new mod and tank that hits the market.

I have all the gear I want now: three mods, three tanks, all my DIY stuff. So from now on, it's saving all the way. Of course, I'll still buy the odd new tank or whatever. Vapers are like anglers, we want new toys now and then, no matter how many we already have. But overall, I reckon I'm ahead of where I would be with smoking. And that's just financially, there is the health aspect too. It's a good deal all round.

@RichJB How much liquid do you go through a month?

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[PsiSan]

That is true @RichJB, on Fasttech as we speak looking for a new mod hahaha

 

[RichJB]

Glytch, I vape about 6ml per day for around 180ml a month. My DIY juice costs me just under R1 per ml. So say R180 for juice and R20 (if that) for wire and cotton. A 10m roll of kanthal and a bag of cotton goes a loooooong way.

To break down my juice costs:
2 x 100ml 36mg nic @ R150 each = R300
1 x 500ml PG @ R50 = R50
2 x 500ml VG @ R50 = R100
15 bottles of flavour @ R40 ea = R600
Total cost: R1050

That will make 1200ml of 50:50 6mg juice, with 400ml of VG and a little PG left over for the next batch. I find that 10% flavour is about average, less if I use Flavor Art, a bit more with some other brands. It also depends on the recipe but I make quite a lot of single-flavour and dual-flavour juices where total flavour is often a bit less. So I will usually have a bit of flavour left over which, together with the left-over VG and PG, makes the next batch a bit cheaper. It also means that my range of flavours in stock grows over time. But R1050 is what I budget for 1200ml of juice.

PsiSan, tell me about it. I'd no sooner got my Merlin than the Unlimited Plus RDTA came out. Ooh, an Avo with extra juice capacity and side fill. And so pretty too! Must... resist...

 

[Glytch]

Glytch, I vape about 6ml per day for around 180ml a month. My DIY juice costs me just under R1 per ml. So say R180 for juice and R20 (if that) for wire and cotton. A 10m roll of kanthal and a bag of cotton goes a loooooong way.

To break down my juice costs:
2 x 100ml 36mg nic @ R150 each = R300
1 x 500ml PG @ R50 = R50
2 x 500ml VG @ R50 = R100
15 bottles of flavour @ R40 ea = R600
Total cost: R1050

That will make 1200ml of 50:50 6mg juice, with 400ml of VG and a little PG left over for the next batch. I find that 10% flavour is about average, less if I use Flavor Art, a bit more with some other brands. It also depends on the recipe but I make quite a lot of single-flavour and dual-flavour juices where total flavour is often a bit less. So I will usually have a bit of flavour left over which, together with the left-over VG and PG, makes the next batch a bit cheaper. It also means that my range of flavours in stock grows over time. But R1050 is what I budget for 1200ml of juice.

PsiSan, tell me about it. I'd no sooner got my Merlin than the Unlimited Plus RDTA came out. Ooh, an Avo with extra juice capacity and side fill. And so pretty too! Must... resist...

Thanks @RichJB. Those match my rough calculations. Glad to hear it's working for someone! I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[SAVaper]

Hi,

DIY - It's great. Yes, it is cost effective (in the long run). Initially I put a lot of money into my DIY (Between R3k and R4k)

I have a costing sheet that I update every time I buy new product. It includes the cost of bottles and labels and all ingredients. The cost for 30ml range between R30 and R100 depending on the recipe, the % of ingredients and the number of ingredients.

Down side is like anything else, trial-and-error. Some work and some don't
DO NOT BUY cheap flavours.
I tried about 6 recipes and none worked. All had to go into the drain. I then bought from Valley Vapour and the same recipes worked perfectly. I immediately chucked 5 bottles of cheap flavours in the drain.

Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Glytch]

DO NOT BUY cheap flavours.

@SAVaper are TFA concentrates good? Which ones should I avoid?

 

[Jan]

@SAVaper are TFA concentrates good? Which ones should I avoid?

TFA is good (my opinion) well quite frankly all the flavours that are stocked by die big DIY vendors are good (again my opinion)

 

[PsiSan]

Around 60% of my concentrates is TFA and 30% Cappella

 

[Andre]

@SAVaper are TFA concentrates good? Which ones should I avoid?

I am a FA fan, but do have many TFA concentrates as well. You will find a lot of recipes for both brands. If a recipe says FA, use FA and not another brand unless it is a very minor ingredient. As you go along you will learn that there are certain flavours that are best in a certain brand, but do not worry about that now.

Let the recipes you want to start off with guide you as to which brand(s) to get at this stage.

 

[Caveman]

Since the PG/VG/Nicotine will last far longer than the concentrates by my calculations I will buy a few more concentrates the month following my initial layout. I can get the initial PG/VG/Nicotine/Concentrates for around R500 with delivery which will be August. I'll vape the strawberry cream and I WILL like it End of August I'll up my stock of concentrates of a few more very popular ones that are often combined and then mix a few more reliable flavours.

This strategy while hopefully reduce my monthly costs on e-liquid below R550pm within two months.

I think you might have that the other way round, are you talking about consumption or shelf life? PG and VG do not last long at all once you get into it. Be careful though, you can get sucked into this black hole of experimentation quite damned quickly. I make most of my juices at 70/30 VG/PG so VG goes much quicker than PG, some recipes call for total of 8% flavor others call for 20%, so the cost varies based on the recipe also.

Once you get into it and make things you really enjoy, its pretty much over. You will never look back again. I go through anything from 10 - 30ml a day depending on how I feel. (I blame you Tornado) and without DIY I would not be able to afford it at all.

 

[SAVaper]

@SAVaper are TFA concentrates good? Which ones should I avoid?

Hi, I use some TFA some CAP some FA and some INW. I only buy from Valley Vapour. I know they are slightly more expensive compared to others but I get top quality product and amazing service. They also have the widest selection and other vendors run out of stock far more frequently - IMHO. (And they now have a loyalty program )

I bought some flavours labelled as TFA but not from a reputable vendor, and after using them I wonder if it actually was TFA. With no dates on any of the labels it could have been very old stock. Ended up putting it down the drain because it was terrible.

Because I am going to inhale the stuff, and vaping is a healthier alternative, I do not want to compromise on quality.
DIY is a saving, but even if it works out more than what I used to spend on sigarettes, my first consideration is the health of my family (all of us)

Like other said above, once you start enjoying this, there is no turning back.

 

[SAVaper]

Wanted to add, avoid anything that is not clearly labelled. Avoid concentrates that are not from a reputable manufacturer. (lots of info on the forum). Stick to the reputable vendors active on this forum and you will do great.
Don't get too upset with the initial failures. That will happen.
Start with the recipes that guys place on the forum and read the comments.

Some I like are:
A simple Strawberry custard that I've made consisted of:

7% Strawberry Ripe
4% Vanilla Custard...

If you looking for a nice creamy mint

Creme de Menthe( TFA) 7%
Koolada (TFA) 1%
Menthol 0.5%...

Hertzoggie


Sweet Coconut (FLV) - 4 %
Coconut Extra (TFA) (optional) - 0.4 %
Cookie (FA) - 2 %...

 

[786country]

My two cents as a new DIYer. Everything said above is what I've experienced so far. LOTS of trial and error, LOTS of notes, and quite a bit of crap liquid mixed. I started by just buying a few concentrates without really having looked at many recipes and ended up with some dissapointing results. One cherry menthol concoction of mine can be sold to clean ovens. Then looked at recipes I thought would be a nice vape and bought concentrates accordingly. The results were mixed, but it did teach me loads. The catch for me is the time factor. Not only the steeping time, but the actual time spent mixing. My calculations are currently sitting between R35 to R45 per 30ml depending on the number of concentrates used and % flavour.

Lol I made a cherry with candy cane also.. Needless to say but the flavour was awful also..

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[Karel]

Guys

Wow!!!! I never considered DIYing, but after reading all of the DIY threads, that is all I want to do now.... Lol. So next month, I am going to start with this DIY project... But all of the Forums about DIY stuff is so overwhelming. So I got a good vendor (valley vapours) to get concentrates from now, checked. Thank you. My problem now is, there are too many recipes and as you guys said now, there are just so many recipes.

So if I may ask, what recipes would you guys suggest If I tell you that my favourite e-juice at this moment is Kryptonite (cosmic fog), Neon Crème (Cosmic Fog), Cinnaps (Teardrip Juice co) Apple cinnamon flavour. I love fruity flavours though. And sometime I enjoy other flavours like Earningston Hemingway (Craft Vape) etc...

 

[SAVaper]

Guys

Wow!!!! I never considered DIYing, but after reading all of the DIY threads, that is all I want to do now.... Lol. So next month, I am going to start with this DIY project... But all of the Forums about DIY stuff is so overwhelming. So I got a good vendor (valley vapours) to get concentrates from now, checked. Thank you. My problem now is, there are too many recipes and as you guys said now, there are just so many recipes.

So if I may ask, what recipes would you guys suggest If I tell you that my favourite e-juice at this moment is Kryptonite (cosmic fog), Neon Crème (Cosmic Fog), Cinnaps (Teardrip Juice co) Apple cinnamon flavour. I love fruity flavours though. And sometime I enjoy other flavours like Earningston Hemingway (Craft Vape) etc...

Awesome @Karel and enjoy.
Sorry I can't help you with the question as I have never tasked any of the ones you mention.

 

[PsiSan]

@Karel sorry bud, have not tried any of those juices so wont even know where to begin

 

[Soutie]

Got my DIY Kit on Wednesday and I'll tell you exactly what the catch is.... Looking at the bottles at the back of my cupboard and knowing I cant touch them for the better part of another week, Especially seeing as it is starting to smell so good in there.

I ended up springing for a scale and I'm glad I did because mixing up was as easy as falling over backwards. I can easily see how painful it would be without one though.

Now if the juices taste half as good as the reviews I have read on the recipes (and the wafts of flavor i get when shaking these bottles) it will really be worth the initial investment and a HUGE money saver in the long run.