Frustrated with DIY

[Mykreign]

I've been making my own juice for about 3 months now and I've only made 3-4 recipes that stay stocked.

My problem is I'm too picky.

I recently bought 7 of HICs recipes hoping I'd find something that would blow my mind.

I have 130 flavors. I should not have this problem lol.

Anyone else go through this in their DIY infancy?

Discouraging to say the least.

I don't know what I'm trying to get out of this thread but at the very least, I had to vent.


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[Mykreign]

These are a few I've made just think week and they're all more than likely going down the drain.

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[AndriaD]

I've been making my own juice for about 3 months now and I've only made 3-4 recipes that stay stocked.

My problem is I'm too picky.

I recently bought 7 of HICs recipes hoping I'd find something that would blow my mind.

I have 130 flavors. I should not have this problem lol.

Anyone else go through this in their DIY infancy?

Discouraging to say the least.

I don't know what I'm trying to get out of this thread but at the very least, I had to vent.


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I know that HIC uses FA flavors, which are supposed to be very strong, but I find that little flavoring extremely unsatisfying -- I really can't taste it at all. Trying doubling (or even tripling maybe, considering how chintzy his recipes are on flavoring!) the recipes, that might help a lot. Also, sweetener helps many recipes to really shine.

This is one of the reasons why I've had the same ADV since Dec 2014 -- out of all that I've mixed, only 3 were memorable, and only 1 is truly great.

Andria

 

[Mykreign]

Thanks Adria, I'll try doing both of those things.


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[The Cromwell]

Try this place and sort by ratings.
http://e-liquid-recipes.com/

 

[Khassy]

I know that HIC uses FA flavors, which are supposed to be very strong, but I find that little flavoring extremely unsatisfying -- I really can't taste it at all. Trying doubling (or even tripling maybe, considering how chintzy his recipes are on flavoring!) the recipes, that might help a lot. Also, sweetener helps many recipes to really shine.

This is one of the reasons why I've had the same ADV since Dec 2014 -- out of all that I've mixed, only 3 were memorable, and only 1 is truly great.

Andria

I agree with AndriaD here. I need more flavoring than I usually see in recipes. Even with HIC's biscoff recipe, I multiplied each flavor by 4 and it's really very yummy. Can't imagine I'd be as happy with it if I'd used less. I'm finding that 15-20% total flavoring is about right for me with other recipes as well.

 

[Mykreign]

I've done that countless times, plus searched for recipes containing a certain flavor I wanted to try. Only found 2 that I actually vape. One that's pretty good and one that's "eh not great but it'll do the job."

I'm on that site every night trying to find something that sounds good.

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[The Cromwell]

Yes DIY can be a pain. But in my case it save me pain.
Several flavorings have something in them that actually cause inflammation in my mouth and respiratory system.
I wind up throwing out at least 1/2 of the flavorings I buy.
But I was throwing out 90% of the bought pre made juice so it is a win.
After over 2 years of DIY I only have a few ADV's. But save massive amounts of money and CAN vape vs going back to smoking like I was oging to do if I had not started DIY.

 

[Mykreign]

My Merlin mini will be here tomorrow. I'm gonna wrap my first ever clapton to throw in the single coil deck. Should be exciting right?

I know I'm gonna be sitting there wondering what juice I'm supposed to put in it.


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[Khassy]

I use the eJuice Me Up computer app, which has a lot of recipes it comes with, and a lot more on their website.

 

[Mykreign]

Yes DIY can be a pain. But in my case it save me pain.
Several flavorings have something in them that actually cause inflammation in my mouth and respiratory system.
I wind up throwing out at least 1/2 of the flavorings I buy.
But I was throwing out 90% of the bought pre made juice so it is a win.
After over 2 years of DIY I only have a few ADV's. But save massive amounts of money and CAN vape vs going back to smoking like I was oging to do if I had not started DIY.

You're right in that aspect. I'm definitely saving money and so are a few other people I make juice for. I used to throw away or give away so much store bought juice.


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[Mykreign]

I use the eJuice Me Up computer app, which has a lot of recipes it comes with, and a lot more on their website.

Oh boy, another website to spend hours on lol. Thanks khassy, I'll check it out tomorrow.


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[Khassy]

Oh boy, another website to spend hours on lol. Thanks khassy, I'll check it out tomorrow.


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Sorry, my mistake. I thought it was their website I was using but it was a different one. I do use their calculator though, and it does have a ton of recipes.

 

[Mykreign]

No worries, I found my way there


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[iVapeDIY]

recently bought 7 of HICs recipes hoping I'd find something that would blow my mind.

Expecting 'blow my mind' is probably the root problem. If you have an expectation where 'my vape should seem like I am actually eating my favorite desert', while not impossible, it will be a slippery slope.

A common DIY expectation is to clone a favorite commercial recipe (eg, Unicorn Milk) and do it cheaply. Some will methodically try to reverse engineer what they think they are tasting and/or work in groups towards the cloning process. Some simply try every clone recipes on forums (eg, ELR) and tweak them. As one approximates a clone, one discovers that they can improve on it and tailor the recipe to their 'tastes'. Thereafter, they explore other flavors and combinations.

Once you standardize your Merlin Mini build, try setting a goal ... one recipe, whether it be a clone, favorite desert ... whatever. That way you can manage your own expectations and chucking failed recipes will have purpose.

In my case, I associated analogs with coffee; so, I experimented with over 60 recipes and have clustered my coffee recipes into five evolving families. Suffice to say, I now enjoy my coffee vapes more than drinking coffee. I am continually tweaking my coffee recipes, but am also exploring fruit recipes now.

Hope this helps.

 

[wllmc]

I have to agree with @iVapeDIY you need to take the pressure of yourself http://vapingunderground.com/threads/my-best-tips-to-diy-ejuice.2636/ I take every failure as a one more drop of knowlage. think of it this way now you know what you dont like lol. but seriously it just takes time and practice and failures. I find myself nit picking every little thing I do getting frustrated because I dont like what Im mixing but then Ill have someone else try it and they love it. dont be overly critical of yourself and just think I didnt like whatever recipe in its entirety but I did like the orange part a little. well there you go now you know at least you like the orange now whip up 20 more batches of crap until something stands out to your taste.. now you have 2 things mixed you like etc etc. I turn out junk recipes all the time, none of it is so bad its unvapable so no matter what I saved money and won lol

just dong it over and over and over for a year and you will start finding your way. you just have to stick with it, the hard part of learning DIY is no one can tell you what taste good to you only your tongue knows.

 

[pulsevape]

No what is really fustrating is spending 20 to 30 dollars a pop for 30 ml of juice from a vendor and realize of the last 10 juices you bought you hate them all. I don't know how many different brands of cigarettes did you smoke...you found one and stuck with it...people are different...there are people here, lots of them who have like to try every recepie that comes down the pike, they look at mixing as a hobby. and they have 30 different juices bottled up...then there are people who only have a handfull of recepies they mix some just one or two...I don't think there is a wrong or right way, and you evolve...

 

[AndriaD]

And one thing I learned, from all my failures: when mixing something for the very first time... make no more than 5 or 6 ml of it; if you make 10ml testers and keep failing, you're going to start resenting all the waste and give up on it. 5ml is really the largest that I would like to make with a new recipe, but making 6ml makes the ml's come out a little more evenly -- my 1ml syringes will measure hundredths of a ml, but not thousandths!

And while I often round those hundredths of a ml to the nearest tenth when I'm mixing up 55ml of my ADV strawberry & cream, when you're mixing those 5ml or 6ml test batches, you absolutely cannot round anything; you need to be as exact as possible, which also means, don't bother with fucking drops, because every single dropper and different ratio of PG/VG is going to give a different drop size -- if you use 1ml syringes to measure everything, you're far more likely to make something reproducible.

Andria

 

[pulsevape]

And one thing I learned, from all my failures: when mixing something for the very first time... make no more than 5 or 6 ml of it; if you make 10ml testers and keep failing, you're going to start resenting all the waste and give up on it. 5ml is really the largest that I would like to make with a new recipe, but making 6ml makes the ml's come out a little more evenly -- my 1ml syringes will measure hundredths of a ml, but not thousandths!

And while I often round those hundredths of a ml to the nearest tenth when I'm mixing up 55ml of my ADV strawberry & cream, when you're mixing those 5ml or 6ml test batches, you absolutely cannot round anything; you need to be as exact as possible, which also means, don't bother with fucking drops, because every single dropper and different ratio of PG/VG is going to give a different drop size -- if you use 1ml syringes to measure everything, you're far more likely to make something reproducible.

Andria

do you think mixing small amounts like 6ml is done better on a scale or not.

 

[AndriaD]

do you think mixing small amounts like 6ml is done better on a scale or not.

I'm sure quite a lot of argument will follow, but for the life of me, I can't make sense of using dry measure to measure liquids; I don't buy a gallon of bacon or 8 lbs of milk; ejuice is liquid, all the flavors are liquid, so I use milliliters to measure everything -- I'd use ounces or parts of ounces or teaspoons if it wasn't all metric to start with, but I have to admit, the metric system separates liquid and dry measures much more precisely than the sterling system of measurement, so I take advantage of that.

So for small test batches, I use my 1ml syringes; yes, it's rather difficult to see the little markings with old tired eyes, but I wear my reading glasses, mix in an area with good light, and do the best I can; I really did find a VAST improvement when I stopped fiddlefucking with drops and started measuring everything, no matter how small a measure, with the 1ml syringes, just because of the vast disparity in drop sizes -- with a batch as small as 6ml, exactitude matters!

Andria

 

[Mykreign]

Thanks for the tips and encouragement guys. I appreciate it. I'll just have to keep at it.

I make juice for 4 other people and they like a lot of recipes. Even say they're better than our local shop.

So it's not that everything's bad. It's just not my taste.

I started doing what @iVapeDIY mentioned this week. Trying to make a good strawberry recipe that I used to buy. I'm 90% sure they used tfa strawberry so I made about 7 different recipes using it, but no luck so far.


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[wllmc]

do you think mixing small amounts like 6ml is done better on a scale or not.

scale all the way lol....I bet if you draw 1/100 of a ml in a syringe 10 times and weigh each time they will be different.

 

[wllmc]

that minuscule difference though isnt going to matter unless is like a dilution of bread crust or something lol

 

[The Cromwell]

scale all the way lol....I bet if you draw 1/100 of a ml in a syringe 10 times and weigh each time they will be different.

And if you put too much in using a scale how do you get it back out?

I prefer the measure then add to mix method.
for tiny amounts I use drops.
For more normal amounts I use a 1 ml syringe.

 

[Heabob]

I don't know what I'm trying to get out of this thread but at the very least, I had to vent.

More ideas from here maybe?
http://www.lediypourlesnuls.com

 

[AndriaD]

And if you put too much in using a scale how do you get it back out?

I prefer the measure then add to mix method.
for tiny amounts I use drops.
For more normal amounts I use a 1 ml syringe.

I'm just trying to figure out where the "milliliter" scale is, on a weight scale. As far as I know, they use milliGRAMS, not milliliters. Which aren't the same thing.

Andria

 

[wllmc]

And if you put too much in using a scale how do you get it back out?

I prefer the measure then add to mix method.
for tiny amounts I use drops.
For more normal amounts I use a 1 ml syringe.

true , everyone has a way they like, personally I know I have knocked over far more bottles of flavoring and juice fumbling with a syringe than I have overweighed anything its just a more accurate drop method really and Ive spent zero dollars in the past few years on syringes, tape,nail polish all the other crazy things ive tried to keep the numbers on longer than one use, washed zero of them and contaminated zero bottles of flavoring with used syringes.

 

[The Cromwell]

I'm just trying to figure out where the "milliliter" scale is, on a weight scale. As far as I know, they use milliGRAMS, not milliliters. Which aren't the same thing.

Andria

Most of the new mixing apps now list contents in MG or ML Not sure how accurate they are though.

 

[The Cromwell]

true , everyone has a way they like, personally I know I have knocked over far more bottles of flavoring and juice fumbling with a syringe than I have overweighed anything its just a more accurate drop method really and Ive spent zero dollars in the past few years on syringes, tape,nail polish all the other crazy things ive tried to keep the numbers on longer than one use, washed zero of them and contaminated zero bottles of flavoring with used syringes.

I have bought about 30 syringes over the past 2 years and still have 3/4 of them unused.
Except for a couple of strong flavors a few sucks full of water and squirt out and they are good to go again.

And every woman I have ever known has talked about the inaccuracy of scales

 

[AndriaD]

I have bought about 30 syringes over the past 2 years and still have 3/4 of them unused.
Except for a couple of strong flavors a few sucks full of water and squirt out and they are good to go again.

And every woman I have ever known has talked about the inaccuracy of scales

Yeah my syringes all last over a month, sometimes several months -- because I put tape over the numbers and markings! Got a bag full of 'em under the cabinet, and the rubber thingie on the end wears out before the markings wear off, and they cost so very little, when the plunger won't move smoothly anymore because the rubber thingie is wearing out, I toss 'em. They take SECONDS to rinse clean.

Scales cost a lot more, and then have to be put somewhere... and I'm running out of somewheres to put things! My bag of syringes takes very little space under the counter.

Andria

 

[The Cromwell]

Yeah my syringes all last over a month, sometimes several months -- because I put tape over the numbers and markings! Got a bag full of 'em under the cabinet, and the rubber thingie on the end wears out before the markings wear off, and they cost so very little, when the plunger won't move smoothly anymore because the rubber thingie is wearing out, I toss 'em. They take SECONDS to rinse clean.

Scales cost a lot more, and then have to be put somewhere... and I'm running out of somewheres to put things! My bag of syringes takes very little space under the counter.

Andria

I even label my syringes for my main flavorings used in my ADV's.
And yes the tape over the numbers is essential.

I also use disposable pipettes for drops so they are always the same.
Bought a bag of 20 or so about 2 yrs ago and still have most of them.
For best accuracy using a syringe use the smallest syringe size.
ie 1 ml typically.

Andria, I quit using the rubber stopper syringes and now use the ones with the plastic plunger works great and lasts forever.

 

[The Cromwell]

This is the 1 ml syringe I use.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Duda+Energy+Syringepk001+Industrial+Syringes+with+18G+x+1-1/2"+Blunt+Tip+Fill+Needle+and+Plastic+Cover,+1+mL+(Pack+of+10)+

I also use the 3 ml from the same outfit.

 

[Mykreign]

When I said I didn't know what to expect from this thread, a conversation about weight vs volume is one I never would've guessed lol.


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[AndriaD]

This is the 1 ml syringe I use.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Duda+Energy+Syringepk001+Industrial+Syringes+with+18G+x+1-1/2"+Blunt+Tip+Fill+Needle+and+Plastic+Cover,+1+mL+(Pack+of+10)+

I also use the 3 ml from the same outfit.

I always get these:

https://wizardlabs.us/labware/syringes-needles-and-pipettes/1ml-luer-lock-syringe-quantity-discounts

At .75 each, they're already cheaper than the ones on Amazon, and if you buy 10, then it's 6.90 vs. 8.07 -- though admittedly, since I have Prime, I might save money getting the ones on Amazon, via free shipping. But I've already got a bunch of 18ga needles, don't really need more -- just something else to have to put somewhere! But the ones on amazon must be new, because last time I was looking for some, I couldn't find any real luer lock 1ml syringes on Amazon, only luer slip tips, which are kinda useless. I do use the Duda 3ml syringes, best price I've found!

Andria

 

[AndriaD]

When I said I didn't know what to expect from this thread, a conversation about weight vs volume is one I never would've guessed lol.


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It's a running argument, by those who swear by measuring liquids as if they were solids, and those of us who buy gallons of milk and lbs of bacon.

Andria

 

[The Cromwell]

But Milk is sold to the dairy for processing by the pound...
go figure....

 

[AndriaD]

But Milk is sold to the dairy for processing by the pound...
go figure....

Probably because it's such a vast amount. For stores and ejuice mfrs, it might make sense. But not for those of us mixing 10's of ml's; I'm not sure it's even sensible for those mixing a hundred or two ml's, but maybe in that quantity, it makes more sense than for 10's of ml's. If you're talking thousands of ml's, why not just talk about liters and be done with it? I'm sure it's possible to get very-precisely calibrated beakers and such, if you want to mix in very large quantity. I just can't grok any good reason for mixing liquids as if they're solids -- that's WHY we have different measures for each!

Andria

 

[Khassy]

It's a running argument, by those who swear by measuring liquids as if they were solids, and those of us who buy gallons of milk and lbs of bacon.

Andria

What about milk in bags vs. milk in cartons?

 

[wllmc]

Probably because it's such a vast amount. For stores and ejuice mfrs, it might make sense. But not for those of us mixing 10's of ml's; I'm not sure it's even sensible for those mixing a hundred or two ml's, but maybe in that quantity, it makes more sense than for 10's of ml's. If you're talking thousands of ml's, why not just talk about liters and be done with it? I'm sure it's possible to get very-precisely calibrated beakers and such, if you want to mix in very large quantity. I just can't grok any good reason for mixing liquids as if they're solids -- that's WHY we have different measures for each!

Andria

so 10ml of fluid doesnt weigh anything ? I

 

[AndriaD]

so 10ml of fluid doesnt weigh anything ? I

It weighs SOMETHING. But it would depend on what the 10ml is, as to what it weighs -- I doubt it weighs exactly 10mg. A gallon of milk and a gallon of water don't weigh the same.

Andria

 

[wllmc]

its actually easier to mix small batches my weight. I can easily read my large digital back lit numbers far easier . lets say im making 10 mls and my recipe calls for 0.25% of one flavoring. I can wiegh 0.01 grams more precise and faster than anyone trying to draw 0.01 ml into a syringe

 

[wllmc]

milk weighs 8.6 per pound and water 8.3 ................... VG has a weight as well as PG, not really hard to do the math

 

[AndriaD]

its actually easier to mix small batches my weight. I can easily read my large digital back lit numbers far easier . lets say im making 10 mls and my recipe calls for 0.25% of one flavoring. I can wiegh 0.01 grams more precise and faster than anyone trying to draw 0.01 ml into a syringe

And how much did the scale cost, and approx how much counter space does it occupy? There are a lot of considerations -- I can justify the miniscule price of syringes and buy them 10 at a time, and I have many gallon ziplock bags in which to store them under the counter. I would find it very difficult to justify the price of a fancy scale that gets used for NOTHING else, and must have some space on my countertop, the latter of which is running out FAST.

Andria

 

[The Cromwell]

I would use drops in that case. I often mix drops and volume measurements for trial batches. I tend to make 20 ml trial batches in a 30 ml bottle.

 

[AndriaD]

milk weighs 8.6 per pound and water 8.3 ................... VG has a weight as well as PG, not really hard to do the math

I don't do math. Ever, if I can help it. If I use syringes, I don't have to do math at all.

Andria

 

[wllmc]

its all preference Im no mor right than you except when I say my way of measuring is faster, cheaper and cleaner. thats not really debatable I guess accuracy would depend on the scale

 

[The Cromwell]

If I mixed large batches of juice I would use weight.

 

[AndriaD]

I wouldn't, because I'd have to "do the math." That simply ain't happening.

Andria

 

[RonJS]

What about milk in bags vs. milk in cartons?

I'm still wondering why I just bought 20 pounds of Liquid Propane for my grill.
(I mainly use charcoal)
Ron
---
"I don’t know, I don’t care, and it doesn’t make any difference."-Jack Kerouac

 

[wllmc]

lol ok you guys are right Ive been doing it all wrong