New DIY'er Looking for any Tips and advice

[James Crabb]

Hey all,

Just made my first order of 100ml nic, 500ml vg, 250ml pg, 10ml flavour concentrates and a mix kit with 1ml 2ml and 10ml syringes and bottles various sizes 5ml to 60ml .... can't wait to get started now


Just wanted to say hi really not posted in the mixology threads before!

I ordered about 9 or 10 10ml concentrates to get me started mostly Capella not too sure if that was the best choice but you gotta start somewhere lol
I chose most of the flavours to try and recreate two of mine and the missis's favourite flavours grapple and slapcurrant and ruthless rise (mango rubicon)

Any recommendations or tips would be great?

 

[rob71]

Start by using 1\2% with your flavors that way you can adjust the flavor of your mixes if it is to weak or to strong .when I try a new mix I only mix 10ml testers .

 

[greeny1210]

Use recipe's to get a feel for it rather than randomly mixing flavours

 

[Mr Ripple]

Hurdles?...........

Don't write off a mix just because you don't get the flavour you would expect.
Everyone is different and taste is subjective so just because one person likes the recipie it doesn't mean you will.

To get good at mixing you'll need to be able to learn to adjust a mix thats not quite right. This is easier in larger quantities.
If you've made a mix and it's not turned out quite right then sit on it for a while till your brain tells you how it needs tweeking for your tastes.

I sometimes make a juice and think it is is not right. It could mean mixing a further batch of something completely different and combining the two or simply a few extra mil or drops of something to lift it.

Some flavours will also taste different from one person to another and sometimes this is because they will vapourise different at higher tempratures or simply one person's tastes is not the next person's cuppo tea.

Custard can get lost at higher wattages leaving only a caramel taste and some bananas won't pop till you blast some power through them.
It sometimes takes different combinations of the same flavour brands or even say two different strawberries to make a great juice so remember not all brands are the same.

There are a couple of fruits that are most definitely not shake and vape.
Strawberry and cherry will need loooooong steeps so don't get caught out and if in doubt after first taste test let them steep.

As a starter I would recommend you stick to simple recipies with as few different flavours as possible and simple and tried and tested combinations that are proven to work such as strawberries and cream, Apple pie, banana custard etc.....
This way you can hone your taste buds with your mixing mind before moving into multi complex mixes.

Be interested to follow your journey so don't forget to report back here!

 

[Cliffyboy1962]

DIY mixing can be a long and fruitful (see what I did there) journey, full of setbacks and victories. Expect failures. There are sure to be plenty but savour the successes and feel justifiably proud when you vape your first tasty creation and realise how little that vape is costing you. Read, read and read some more. I find the more I read about mixing as indeed can be said about many subjects, the more I begin to get it.

Soon you will become hooked and your half a dozen concentrates will become thirty then fifty then a hundred and more. You will have many fine mixes in your repetoire and feel like a pro.

Finally it's hugely important to keep notes of your journey and obviously your recipes. These notes will help you progress and learn how to avoid your earlier mistakes.

Have fun with it and save a fortune in the process. I wish you a pleasant journey.

Some useful resources.

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/


https://alltheflavors.com/

https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/

 

[James Crabb]

Start by using 1\2% with your flavors that way you can adjust the flavor of your mixes if it is to weak or to strong .when I try a new mix I only mix 10ml testers .

Cheers @rob71, I have bought some 5ml bottles for exactly the purpose of mixing testers

 

[James Crabb]

Hurdles?...........

Don't write off a mix just because you don't get the flavour you would expect.
Everyone is different and taste is subjective so just because one person likes the recipie it doesn't mean you will.

To get good at mixing you'll need to be able to learn to adjust a mix thats not quite right. This is easier in larger quantities.
If you've made a mix and it's not turned out quite right then sit on it for a while till your brain tells you how it needs tweeking for your tastes.

I sometimes make a juice and think it is is not right. It could mean mixing a further batch of something completely different and combining the two or simply a few extra mil or drops of something to lift it.

Some flavours will also taste different from one person to another and sometimes this is because they will vapourise different at higher tempratures or simply one person's tastes is not the next person's cuppo tea.

Custard can get lost at higher wattages leaving only a caramel taste and some bananas won't pop till you blast some power through them.
It sometimes takes different combinations of the same flavour brands or even say two different strawberries to make a great juice so remember not all brands are the same.

There are a couple of fruits that are most definitely not shake and vape.
Strawberry and cherry will need loooooong steeps so don't get caught out and if in doubt after first taste test let them steep.

As a starter I would recommend you stick to simple recipies with as few different flavours as possible and simple and tried and tested combinations that are proven to work such as strawberries and cream, Apple pie, banana custard etc.....
This way you can hone your taste buds with your mixing mind before moving into multi complex mixes.

Be interested to follow your journey so don't forget to report back here!

Thanks a lot @StrawberryRipple
Loads of brilliant tips in there,
I'll probably start of with a simple one or two flavour mix, to test my taste buds I'm sure I ordered blueberry jam and sweet cream! So I might see how that goes together!
But the first mix I do will be a recipe I have seen online that mimics the eliquid Ruthless Rise. I have seen one here http://e-liquid-recipes.com/recipe/740509/Rise Clone (Ruthless) v2 all Cap

Should get some of my order today! And the rest on Tuesday! May have to wait a little longer for the nic to arrive as they said 3-5 working days

 

[James Crabb]

DIY mixing can be a long and fruitful (see what I did there) journey, full of setbacks and victories. Expect failures. There are sure to be plenty but savour the successes and feel justifiably proud when you vape your first tasty creation and realise how little that vape is costing you. Read, read and read some more. I find the more I read about mixing as indeed can be said about many subjects, the more I begin to get it.

Soon you will become hooked and your half a dozen concentrates will become thirty then fifty then a hundred and more. You will have many fine mixes in your repetoire and feel like a pro.

Finally it's hugely important to keep notes of your journey and obviously your recipes. These notes will help you progress and learn how to avoid your earlier mistakes.

Have fun with it and save a fortune in the process. I wish you a pleasant journey.

Some useful resources.

http://e-liquid-recipes.com/

https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/comments/350kul/solid_list_of_diy_clones/

https://alltheflavors.com/

https://www.reddit.com/r/DIY_eJuice/

Sound advice @Cliffyboy1962
I'll make sure all my recipes and the journey of each recipe is well documented! I'll probably invest in a nice little note pad for my finished recipes to go in and I'll keep everything else documented in digital format.
I'm gonna check out the links you posted now, I have already signed up to and browsed through the e-liquid-recipe.com/

 

[Gitchy]

Welcome to the obsession lol.

I would suggest you read, read then read some more while you're starting off. There are a lot of different concentrates on the market and people's opinions on forums and the like can really help you find the manufacturers that will suit you best for certain recipes.

Don't be afraid to muck around as well as follow recipes at first. I'm not saying to waste concentrates, time and money but some wee testers of things you think you might like will help you find your own way a little. You'll get some stinkers but might find something you really like.

 

[James Crabb]

Welcome to the obsession lol.

I would suggest you read, read then read some more while you're starting off. There are a lot of different concentrates on the market and people's opinions on forums and the like can really help you find the manufacturers that will suit you best for certain recipes.

Don't be afraid to muck around as well as follow recipes at first. I'm not saying to waste concentrates, time and money but some wee testers of things you think you might like will help you find your own way a little. You'll get some stinkers but might find something you really like.

I will heed your advice and read up whilst I wait for the goodies to arrive!
Got my syringes and bottles today!

Any suggested threads to start me off on here? Already looked through the links posted here so any others would be gratefully received