Flavour strengths for the uninitiated

[Fleabag]

OK - makes sense. How do you test before adding the nicotine? do you go by smell-test, or do you vape it without the nicotine - and if so, how? (bear in mind I currently just have an eGo CE4 and a couple of Njoy batteries and various disposable cartridges, some of which are spent - could I drop the solution without nicotine into the spent cartridges to test?)

 

[KulrMeStoopid]

I have VG and PG, I just mix it into that and test that way 5ml samples. I know when its done because I vape the entire 5mls

Once you have the ratios/percentages to the levels you like, use that in your nic base when you mix next. Make 5 mls and work from there to make sure it tastes ok with the nic added too

I am at the point I dont have to measure for mixes that I make regularly, RY4 and Vanilla Custard are eyeballed direct into the nic base

 

[Fleabag]

Right - that's opposite to what I had thought I would do. I figured once I found a nic/PG/VG balance I liked, I would make up batches of flavourless base ready to have a 20% flavour added. I also thought that might be an easier way of trialling very small quantities of flavour designs (e.g. making up 1.5ml of final solution for testing in the CE4 without having to get into very small fractions of a ml, which would invite measurement errors to creep in). Flavours could then be added by the drop to 20%. This would leave me with a test solution including nicotine.

 

[KulrMeStoopid]

You can do it that way, but then you run the risk of ruining the most expensive part of DIY, the nicotine base.


If you have a PG Nic base, use plain PG in place of that when testing so not to ruin the nicotine.

I mix 50/50 PGNicBase/VG for my final aim.


However when testing new, I use plain PG and plain VG, add the flavours as I go along. Noting measurements...when I reach what I like. I try it in 5ml with the Nicbase...sometimes nicotine can be peppery so once my final no nic mix is decided, I only have to tweak the final in the nic base by a couple drops here or there.

 

[Fleabag]

I suppose there's nothing to stop me using the method you suggest, but still having a nic/PG/VG base to use when I'm happy with the flavour balance. I agree with your logic of perfecting without nic, because of the higher cost of that vs the VG/PG.

The first thing I need to do is settle on a PG/VG balance I like - then I could make up larger quantities of base of nic & non-nic on those ratios. Use the non-nic to perfect flavour blends then switch to the nic.

My first blend is 70/30 PG/VG, but I feel it has perhaps slightly more throat hit & less vapour than I'd like, so this still needs to be adjusted & tested further. The flip side of going higher VG is the impact it apparently has on the strength of flavours, as my initial flavour blend is subtle (though very pleasant) at 20%.