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Vanilla flavors and TFA sweetener

Vaping_MD_Student

Member For 2 Years
Vanilla Flavors

I've got quite a few vanilla flavors and was wondering the difference is between each one and what each of them might be used for. Here's what I've got:
  • CAP French Vanilla, Simply Vanilla, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, and Vanilla Cupcake V2
  • TFA Vanilla Swirl and Vanillin

Sweetener

I was working on cloning and recipe (and failing hard) and picked up some TFA sweetener to try and sweeten the vanilla bourbon tobacco recipe I was working on. I use tobacco recipes for my all day flavor and only vape them out of a clearomizer since I can run to the bathroom if I really need the nicotine and hold the vapor in until I don't exhale anything. When I added the sweetener, even in VERY small amounts, it gunked up my coils. I usually only have to change my coils every couple of weeks if I'm using store bought, but the resistance started climbing and there was a noticeably hard draw after only a couple of days. I wound up changing coils once a week or more, depending on how much I was vaping. At that point, I was using a Nautilus X. I've since switched back to an original Nautilus 5mL, but I haven't tried that juice from the OG Nautilus. Beyond that, it had that fake, saccharine taste (think pink and blue packs on the table) and I'm not a huge fan of that flavor. So...
  • What are my options to keep from gunking up my Nautilus coils? I'm not saving money with DIY if my coil starts to gunk up within a couple days.
  • Are there any other sweetener options that don't taste like sweetener packets?


Thanks for all your help, y'all!
 

downInTn

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
What are my options to keep from gunking up my Nautilus coils?
Use less sweetener :p

Most of us ol' timers around here use sweet flavors instead of sweetener to sweeten a recipe. I know what you mean with the 'saccharine' taste, I hate that taste. Cotton Candy flavoring is generally considered a sweetener and doesn't have that artificial taste. Marshmallow, whipped cream are also used to sweeten.

Mixing max VG will also help sweeten without gunking up coils.
 

inspects

Squonkamaniac
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
Diamond Contributor
Member For 5 Years
Cap super sweet is really potent. I only use one drop per 15-20ML most of the time. I've read that it isn't as hard on coils because you dont need to use as much. But I never seem to notice "gunking". All my coils last weeks for me.
Ditto...Capella Super Sweet, and you sure don't need much, if any in most recipes.

Haven't used any lately, but when I first began mixing it was a staple.
 

Hillbilly Pig

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Reddit Exile
The difference in vanillas is how they perform and what you use them with. VBIC is like vaping melted ice cream, tasty, but whatever you use it with will generally be more cream-focused then some things. Cupcake is generally for bakery-style and whatnot. I don't use sweetener, as I prefer to use flavors in low doses to sweeten it. Like FA marshmallow, TFA juicy pineapple, FA pear, etc.
 

Heabob

Gold Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
What are my options to keep from gunking up my Nautilus coils? I'm not saving money with DIY if my coil starts to gunk up within a couple days.
Are there any other sweetener options that don't taste like sweetener packets?

Vanillas are delicate flavors so they won't cover up that artificial sweetener taste very good.
Bolder fruit flavors are less of an issue.
You could try using NOW Better Brand Stevia in Glycol (VG).
It does have an off taste if used too high though.
Best to only use 1 or 2 drops in 15ml, of any sweetener IMO.
Keep in mind that too much flavoring can also cause gunking.
And trying to make a good Vanilla only mix is not so easy.
DIYFS French Vanilla & Holy Vanilla might be worth checking out.
 
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Neunerball

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
ECF Refugee
IMHO, both flavors (Vanilla and Sweetener) gunk up coils. I used to vape a premixed Vanilla juice, and I had to change the replacement coils within 3 - 7 days.
Therefore, I prefer to use either RBAs, RTAs, or RDAs, giving me the option of doing a dry burn, rather than going through a bunch of replacement coils. Thus saving a lot of money as well.
 

Vaping_MD_Student

Member For 2 Years
The difference in vanillas is how they perform and what you use them with. VBIC is like vaping melted ice cream, tasty, but whatever you use it with will generally be more cream-focused then some things. Cupcake is generally for bakery-style and whatnot. I don't use sweetener, as I prefer to use flavors in low doses to sweeten it. Like FA marshmallow, TFA juicy pineapple, FA pear, etc.

Thanks for the general overview on those! Do you have any notes on TFA vanillin or TFA vanilla swirl? I'm hoping to be able to start mixing from scratch eventually, and I'm assuming these ingredients are like kitchen ingredients - if you know how the ingredients work, you can use it without consulting a recipe or a guidebook. From there it's all about learning ratios, and my guess is that's all about personal preference.



IMHO, both flavors (Vanilla and Sweetener) gunk up coils. I used to vape a premixed Vanilla juice, and I had to change the replacement coils within 3 - 7 days.
Therefore, I prefer to use either RBAs, RTAs, or RDAs, giving me the option of doing a dry burn, rather than going through a bunch of replacement coils. Thus saving a lot of money as well.

I definitely prefer my RDAs/RTAs for flavor production and cost saving on coils, even though they do drink juice (just the nature of the beast... and the reason I'm wanting to get into DIY juice). I strongly prefer my RDAs, but I wind up using the rebuildable option for the TFV8 most of the time since I don't have to drip all the time.. yay giving all of my focus to studying! That said, I use the Nautilus when I'm out of the house because, even though I love the smell and the clouds don't bother me, I do my best to be mindful of other people.. novel concept these days, I know.. but some people don't like the clouds, so I stick with the Nautilus in public.
 

Hillbilly Pig

Silver Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Reddit Exile
Thanks for the general overview on those! Do you have any notes on TFA vanillin or TFA vanilla swirl? I'm hoping to be able to start mixing from scratch eventually, and I'm assuming these ingredients are like kitchen ingredients - if you know how the ingredients work, you can use it without consulting a recipe or a guidebook. From there it's all about learning ratios, and my guess is that's all about personal preference.





I definitely prefer my RDAs/RTAs for flavor production and cost saving on coils, even though they do drink juice (just the nature of the beast... and the reason I'm wanting to get into DIY juice). I strongly prefer my RDAs, but I wind up using the rebuildable option for the TFV8 most of the time since I don't have to drip all the time.. yay giving all of my focus to studying! That said, I use the Nautilus when I'm out of the house because, even though I love the smell and the clouds don't bother me, I do my best to be mindful of other people.. novel concept these days, I know.. but some people don't like the clouds, so I stick with the Nautilus in public.

I don't have any on vanillin, but I got some on vanilla swirl. Kinda like meringue, it fluffs up a flavor while also adding it's own little deal. It's not really a standup vanilla, it's best used with others to back it up. It won't work with fruits as nice as it does creams and other vanillas. Best used in the 1 to 3% range.
 

Neunerball

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
ECF Refugee
...I definitely prefer my RDAs/RTAs for flavor production and cost saving on coils, even though they do drink juice (just the nature of the beast... and the reason I'm wanting to get into DIY juice). I strongly prefer my RDAs, but I wind up using the rebuildable option for the TFV8 most of the time since I don't have to drip all the time.. yay giving all of my focus to studying! That said, I use the Nautilus when I'm out of the house because, even though I love the smell and the clouds don't bother me, I do my best to be mindful of other people.. novel concept these days, I know.. but some people don't like the clouds, so I stick with the Nautilus in public.
I like the Serpent Mini 25 mm RTA. It's a single coil RTA. However, even with an Alien coil (0.5 Ohm), the juice last fairly long, in it's small tank. It has a restricted DL, with excellent flavor. I also have a Zeus RTA (also single coil 0.5 Ohm), which I have to refill twice as much as the Serpent.
Another option for when you're on the road would be a Squonker with a good BF RDA. No dripping, due to the bottom feed (BF). Meanwhile, there are more BF mods on the market. I have various Squonker mods, some mechanical, and some regulated. My favorite is the Therion BF, due to having a DNA75 chip.
 
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Vaping_MD_Student

Member For 2 Years
...It has a restricted DL...

Thanks for the suggestions! Please excuse my ignorance here, though, but I'm not familiar with the DL acronym.. What's that mean? I'm guessing draw something-or-other?

I just picked up the Aspire Quad Flex Power Pack on MyFreedomSmokes since they had it on sale and I want to take a chance that my old Nautilus X doesn't just gather dust like my other old tanks. I'm planning to build super simple coils (basic claptons?) for it in hopes I can keep it as a MTL tank, just with something I can rebuild. We shall see how that works..
 

Neunerball

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
ECF Refugee
Thanks for the suggestions! Please excuse my ignorance here, though, but I'm not familiar with the DL acronym.. What's that mean? I'm guessing draw something-or-other?

I just picked up the Aspire Quad Flex Power Pack on MyFreedomSmokes since they had it on sale and I want to take a chance that my old Nautilus X doesn't just gather dust like my other old tanks. I'm planning to build super simple coils (basic claptons?) for it in hopes I can keep it as a MTL tank, just with something I can rebuild. We shall see how that works..
DL = Direct 2 Lungs
MTL = Mouth 2 Lungs (like smoking cigarettes)
 

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