Keepers and Tossers

[Mike]

Uma, you can mix without a calculator once you know a few facts about your flavors and if you are always mixing the same amount. If you are making 3ml samples then 20% flavor would be about 1/2 ml or about 12 drops. When you mix a combination of flavors you still don't want to go much more than that. There are some flavors that take much less to deliver a good flavor level.

As far as nicotine level is concerned, if you are using unflavored 18mg and have 20% flavor then the nic level will be 12mg in the end. If you are using a strong flavor and only need 5% then the nic level will be closer 18mg. If you want the nic level at 12mg and your only using a couple of drops of flavor then you can put a few drops of VG or PG without nic to make up the difference.

An easy way of mixing so you always have the same amount of nicotine is to always use the same amount of unflavored base. So, in a 3ml bottle always use 2.5ml of base and you will always get 12ml in the end. That .5ml left over is about 20% and most flavor combos use that amount. If the flavor level is to strong then use less flavor but make up that extra space with vg.

You can do the same thing with 24mg base, just only use half(1.5ml) to get 12mg in the end. Still use somewhere around .5ml of flavor and the rest vg.

You can use more than 20% of flavor in some cases and in some cases less, this is just about knowing your flavors and how strong they are and you're personal preference. Multiple flavors and and single flavors can tweeked to your liking by adding more or less and it's a lot like cooking. Don't forget when you make something special that you can double, tripple, or x10 the recipe and make yourself a BIG bottle! ----and don't forget to share with us

[Uma]

Thank you Mike!! It's making sense to me now, I appreciate your insights. Math makes me more nervous than the act of mixing flavors. It's not fun having math blocks, let me tell ya.

The manager asks for drops per ml, when adding a new flavor to the ingredient list. I've been setting it at 20 (I hope that's right lol). The Concentrates will be more like 0.5, is that correct-ish?

When I calculate a recipe in the manager, it comes up with "0" drops. But when I calculate with the BreakTru, it gives me the drops, but it always gives me a minus error on the pg/vg .... and I remember a post about that minus, but I can't remember what the post said. I'll look for it today.

Haha, so far you don't want my recipes, trust me! But when I do finally conjure up a good one, you can bet your sweet booty that I'll be shouting it from the rooftops in every recipe thread I find. (starting with this one).

Thanks again, and I'm copying/pasting your post to notepad for reference. I'll be needing to read it during every panic session. oy!

[Uma]

I want to let out a huge THANK YOU!!! to Kitsune for sending to me not only a stack of wonderful flavors to have fun with, but she also sent 3 premixed ready to vape incredible concoctions that puts the word WOW back into the dictionary. Thank you Kitsune!!!!

And a huge THANK YOU to everyone for being so helpful and encouraging while I fumble my way through the math and other scarey stuff. The recipes for the flavors on hand were fun to test out, and every single one of them were good!! (except for one I made up on my own ... ewwww). The Liquid Amber is sweet/sour, like a bit of cranberry aftertaste, ... it's a refreshing vape. I hope you all try it too. The caramel cappuccino/cinnamon danish swirl/usa mix is to die for good. The Banana Sweet Desert is wonderful!!! and so on and so on... What a difference DIY makes, just like everyone's always said. It's so true. Thank you for helping me to discover this first hand. Oh! and I now have a new all-time favorite vape... Kitsune's Butterscotch Espresso. Out of this world good!!!

Enough excited rambling. I'm off to the kitchen to make a double batch, with confidence. Thanks guys!!

[Mike]

I think you got it. You don't have to be a mathematician to DIY but you do know how to count or measure in one way or another only to be able to make the same thing again. We all know how much a half or a quarter looks like in any size bottle and the flavor ingredients are usually less than a quarter. Especially with tobacco flavors or other strong flavors like clove, cinnamon, menthol, etc. when you only need a couple of drops per 3ml or less than 5%.

My method of using twice the strength of unflavored base and filling the bottle half way first is sure fire way of making sure that the nic level will be what I want. Then a few drops of this and a few drops of that until it is 3/4 full and then top it of with VG. I don't even measure anything some of the time and I get great results. Good luck with your creations!

[Uma]

You make it sound so easy! When I dig out the 24mg premix bottle, I'll be so familiar with how to do it, that it should be a cinch. Thanks Mike!!!

[TheBeckster]

Mike-what an incredibly easy way to mix! Love it! I've been making the same plain menthol for years, but just received some new flavors today. Definately going to figure out how strong to make my unflavored base so that adding 20% will make the right end strength. How simple is that?!?! (I'm having a total "duh!" moment!)

[TheBeckster]

Using "Mike's method" I made a batch of unflavored. My mix I only add an even 2 ml's of flavor (or flavor + pg) to make 10 ml's total. Today I mixed up:

vanilla cupcake-5% flavor seems to be enough, tastes exactly like a vanilla cupcake, complete with frosting-keeper

root beer- again 5% is enough, also a keeper.. This ones an atty tainter though, that root beer flavor is lingering through several flavor switches.

and cinnamon sugar cookie -also 5% flavor, might add some more but going to let it sit for a few to see if it gets stronger. It's supposed to taste like a snicker doodle...it faintly does, but it sorta has a light coconut taste to me. Sweet, light vanilla taste, I don't taste cinnamon at all. Like I said, going to let it sit, see if it changes. It "is" good, but its not a snicker doodle.

All the flavors are from Perfumers Apprentice. I did make another, not sure if it worked yet, lol. I mixed French vanilla, caramel candy, and clear double chocolate. It sounded like a good idea at the time! It needs bailey's or kalua! The chocolate is really good, though.

[Uma]

Mike-what an incredibly easy way to mix! Love it! I've been making the same plain menthol for years, but just received some new flavors today. Definately going to figure out how strong to make my unflavored base so that adding 20% will make the right end strength. How simple is that?!?! (I'm having a total "duh!" moment!)

haha, me too! ain't life grand!