Weird batch of flavour concentrates? Advice needed!

[Pnos]

Hi guys,

New to vaping and my first post here.

Just wanted to sound off my concern on more experienced members here - I've decided to go into diy mixing so trawled the forum for good nicotine etc and was led to darkstar. They do concentrates too so I got 6 to sample:

FA Pistachio
FA Graham Cracker Clear
FA Hazelnut
FA Espresso
CA Vanilla Custard V2
CA Golden Butter

Now, I'm completely new to this game, so got no experience to rely on, but I heeded the advice online and got my scale, PG/VG, nicotine, flavour concentrates and a recipe calculator to make a first batch.

I tried several percentages (ranged from 7% to 25%), steeped them , warm bath'ed them, you name it. They still give off an offensive glue-like scent and when I tried to vape the least offensive of the bunch it was pretty darn ugly.

I was almost put-off from doing diy and thought I'm just doing something wrong or possibly ordered the wrong flavours. Then I thought of giving another go and ordered a selection of 16 10ml concentrates from a place called rainbowvapes. Every one of them smells great and reminiscent of what's on the label - though I haven't tried to make any recipes yet.

So what could be the culprit here? Has anyone had experience with "bad" concentrates from Darkstar (or anywhere else)? Is there any way to tell if these are actually bad or diluted with something weird?

Appreciate any advice!

 

[Gitchy]

With the FA ones you've probably gone far too high on the percentages. Most Fa are good between 1 and 5% so 7% will be overpowering and chemically.

The CAP ones need a good long steep before they're ready to vape. The custard itself can take up to 6 weeks to be any where near vapable once mixed imo. Usually fruit vapes are good to go once mixed, maybe a day or 2 of steeping till they're ready. Most creams/custards need a few weeks and I'm not sure on the nutty ones.

Edit: Different folks will have different views on steeping times. I'm just giving my own opinions.

You can also check recommended percentages of the different brands on e-liquid recipes https://e-liquid-recipes.com/ Just make an account, go to the resources link and search in the flavour list then look at notes. Again this will be different peoples experiences so you'll have to find your own tastes but it's a good starting point.

 

[ObiWanVaponi]

Most of those flavours wouldn't taste that good on their own either, are you mixing to a recipe?

 

[Pnos]

Many thanks for the responses guys, the percentages I've listed are the total flavours added, no single ingredient went in at more than 1% - 5%.

What really strikes me is that the newly purchased FAs actually smell good right off the bottle, while the ones I got before smell very glue/chemical like.

I realise that long steeping is needed but I'm just not sure how that strong odour will go away. Guess I'll just make a batch with the new stuff and leave the other to steep for a month or so.

 

[Gitchy]

Ah right mate. Thought you were doing single flavours.

A month in a cupboard might sort it out. The glue smell might be chemicals that need to steep out. Maybe open the bottle now and again and expel the air out to try to get rid of it. Might also be that you got dud concentrates. It does happen.

 

[Cliffyboy1962]

Just to offer some balance regarding steeping, I can honestly say, of the hundreds of recipes I have collected, created and mixed, just one recipe type (strawberry anything) needed a short steep to be at it's best. All the others have been perfectly vapable right from the off and barely change in any perceptible way, after steeping. About 75% of my recipes are custards or variations thereof and when I see people saying that custards and creams need weeks of steeping, I genuinely do not understand what they mean.

I know that it's all a matter of personal preference but I wish people would refrain from telling new mixers that steeping is absolutely essential as, IMHO, it rarely ever is.

 

[Cliffyboy1962]

Ah right mate. Thought you were doing single flavours.

A month in a cupboard might sort it out. The glue smell might be chemicals that need to steep out. Maybe open the bottle now and again and expel the air out to try to get rid of it. Might also be that you got dud concentrates. It does happen.

In my humble, but considerably experienced opinion, if a recipe is shit to start with, it will still be shit after a few weeks of steeping. Some mixes are just not meant to be, and the solution will be.....do a different mix. If you are a new mixer, stick to known recipes such as the ones featured here https://alltheflavors.com/

 

[Simon G]

Just to offer some balance regarding steeping, I can honestly say, of the hundreds of recipes I have collected, created and mixed, just one recipe type (strawberry anything) needed a short steep to be at it's best. All the others have been perfectly vapable right from the off and barely change in any perceptible way, after steeping. About 75% of my recipes are custards or variations thereof and when I see people saying that custards and creams need weeks of steeping, I genuinely do not understand what they mean.

I know that it's all a matter of personal preference but I wish people would refrain from telling new mixers that steeping is absolutely essential as, IMHO, it rarely ever is.

In my humble, but considerably experienced opinion, if a recipe is shit to start with, it will still be shit after a few weeks of steeping. Some mixes are just not meant to be, and the solution will be.....do a different mix. If you are a new mixer, stick to known recipes such as the ones featured here https://alltheflavors.com/

I agree with pretty much everything you are saying. The only thing I've really noticed is that some flavours fade over time, case in point being the gingerbread I'm vaping now, it was mixed on the 28th June, so not that old and the ginger has faded to half what it was.

Now if you prefer the flavour with the ginger much more subtle then you could say this mix gets better after a 3 month steep, but that's totally subjective.

I guess if you've used concentrates that you don't like the taste of, then it might taste better after a couple of months too for the same reason.

Personally when I get a new flavour first thing I do is mix up 10ml and if it tastes like shit I don't use it.

 

[Mr Ripple]

Just to offer some balance regarding steeping, I can honestly say, of the hundreds of recipes I have collected, created and mixed, just one recipe type (strawberry anything) needed a short steep to be at it's best. All the others have been perfectly vapable right from the off and barely change in any perceptible way, after steeping. About 75% of my recipes are custards or variations thereof and when I see people saying that custards and creams need weeks of steeping, I genuinely do not understand what they mean.

I know that it's all a matter of personal preference but I wish people would refrain from telling new mixers that steeping is absolutely essential as, IMHO, it rarely ever is.

Wait what?
You've got at least 150 custard recipes?
@MrDJ you hearing this?

 

[Pnos]

Just to offer some balance regarding steeping, I can honestly say, of the hundreds of recipes I have collected, created and mixed, just one recipe type (strawberry anything) needed a short steep to be at it's best. All the others have been perfectly vapable right from the off and barely change in any perceptible way, after steeping. About 75% of my recipes are custards or variations thereof and when I see people saying that custards and creams need weeks of steeping, I genuinely do not understand what they mean.

I know that it's all a matter of personal preference but I wish people would refrain from telling new mixers that steeping is absolutely essential as, IMHO, it rarely ever is.

Thanks Cliffyboy - I'm new but I'm under the same impression - I don't think steeping for any time will move a flavour from absolutely unvapeable territory to something nice - I'd imagine it would be tolerable at best due to muting of flavours.

To be fair I didn't use a ready made recipe but I've just stuck to the principle I see on various recipe sites, i.e. flavours I like, pg/vg i'm after, nicotine, 7 - 25% total flavour. I haven't done anything egregious either to result in a shit recipe (I think!), e.g.:

Graham 1.00%
Pistachio 2.00%
hazelnut 2.00%
Vanilla Custard 2.00%
Butter 1.00%

Surely this shouldn't taste like beef lasagne?!?! Because that's what I'm getting off it lol (in addition to the glue/chemical flavour)

I don't think its a case of vaper's tongue either as 1) I've only been vaping for 3 weeks 2) the ready made liquids taste amazing.

In light of this and the fact that the newly ordered flavours actually smell really nice, I think the conclusion is a terrible batch.