starting conc % for various, for these sound right?

[boyofford]

Back at work tomorrow which means access to my mixing stuff so thought I'd check starting % should use.
Thinking
Black Gold Concentrate from joosejuice at 25% (Jim jj recommended this)

Gooseberry Intense concentrate, Christmas Cake Intense concentrate, Apple Intense concentrate all from Cupcake World at 20%

Now for mixed flavours Jim@JJ recommended using 30% for flavours if finding them a bit weak and I like a bit of menthol(which he mixes at 15% and I find a bit strong).
So thinking for fruit with menthol mixes maybe 30% fruit(Blackcurrant/Raspberry/Bubblegum) 5% Menthol.

His key lime is strong, again love with menthol so thinking 20% keylime, 5% Menthol mix.

Sound ok for a start or does this sound completely daft/over the top % wise??

Going to do all mixes 10ml only and probably not all in one sitting as will get confused, maybe start with cupcake world stuff.

[Perpetua]

Way too strong for Gooseberry boyofford . . . I use 9% in a Gooseberry Fool mix I think it was and it was still plenty flavoursome.

CCW's Christmas Cake I wouldn't bother mixing period, it tastes nothing like cake, just an almondy flavour.

Can't advise with JJ concentrates as I've never tried any  . . . but with any new flavours, I do my lick test to get a bit of an idea as to how strong they might be, neat on the tongue. It's not scientific or hard and fast, but it does help me anyway to help decide how much to go for initially.

[Pepperty]

that's handy info on some of the joosejuice concentrates boyofford as I've got some of them- 1st few I bought but havn't mixed as I'd not read at what percentages to try mixing at.

I quite like his vanilla and toffee but since I've tried other brands concentrate (compared to jjs ready mix) I find his very dry so until I work out what I can mix them with that's might make them taste more' juicy' I've held back testing them

[Perpetua]

Jan 1, 2014 22:22:53 GMT Pepperty said:

  I find his very dry so until I work out what I can mix them with that's might make them taste more' juicy' I've held back testing them

Some sweetener might well help Pepperty . . . preferably a Sucralose based one, either TPA's or Flavor West, use it at 1%.

Or some French Vanilla Deluxe.

[Pepperty]

ohhh that's great! I've got tpa sweetener. I really like the bland flavor of the vanilla and toffee but that dryness was a shame, here's hoping that fixes it. I'll be really chuffed if it does Thanks for advice ((hug))

[Pepperty]

and I've got a full bottle of vanilla deluxe too! I just need to pop into Boots for more vg and then iI can carry on demon mixing ;p

and the other bonus is that because I recognise the dry taste now I'll know when to use sweetener in future won't I?

[Perpetua]

Jan 1, 2014 22:37:04 GMT Pepperty said:

ohhh that's great! I've got tpa sweetener. I really like the bland flavor of the vanilla and toffee but that dryness was a shame, here's hoping that fixes it. I'll be really chuffed if it does Thanks for advice ((hug))

I'm the same Pep . . . I'd try 1% sweetener and 3-5% of the Vanilla as well, in with your Toffee. Hope it works for you.

[boyofford]

Jan 1, 2014 21:48:55 GMT Perpetua said:

Way too strong for Gooseberry boyofford . . . I use 9% in a Gooseberry Fool mix I think it was and it was still plenty flavoursome.

CCW's Christmas Cake I wouldn't bother mixing period, it tastes nothing like cake, just an almondy flavour.

Can't advise with JJ concentrates as I've never tried any  . . . but with any new flavours, I do my lick test to get a bit of an idea as to how strong they might be, neat on the tongue. It's not scientific or hard and fast, but it does help me anyway to help decide how much to go for initially.

Well glad I asked, thanks!!! That would of made for a disappointing taste for CCW's fruits perhaps
Christmas cake was impulse buy, as it was Xmas, maybe try then put in swaps, we'll see. Have not liked any cake/desert flavours so far anyhow so don't know what I was thinking really!

Can I ask though Perpetua, you say you use 9% in a recipe, is it likely that I need to be a precise as that with mixing in general if not trying to recreate eliquid equivalents of foods/drinks?

Maybe I'll be able to judge by just a lick when I've been mixing as long as you, I'll have a taste and see if can learn this technique sounds a good idea.


Edit.. knew I'd forgotten something! need some sweetener etc! will just have to see if need!

[boyofford]

Jan 1, 2014 22:22:53 GMT Pepperty said:

that's handy info on some of the joosejuice concentrates boyofford as I've got some of them- 1st few I bought but havn't mixed as I'd not read at what percentages to try mixing at.

I quite like his vanilla and toffee but since I've tried other brands concentrate (compared to jjs ready mix) I find his very dry so until I work out what I can mix them with that's might make them taste more' juicy' I've held back testing them

Take them % with pinch of salt Pepperty, thought I read on here that he had said 20% for black gold for instance but as couldn't find thread/post again I emailed him before xmas, and have read others say they like it weaker. 

[chykensa]

I have found that if I mix at anything over 25% flavouring it is so intense that the clarity is lost (I know, that sounds pretentious, but it's true!). I would err on the side of caution - you can always add more, but you can't take it away once you've added it!
Personally I would go for about 15-20% total flavouring, and then add more if needed after some steeping time. Once you've got a recipe sussed, then you can mix in advance so that you always have some juice maturing while you vape the last batch - simples!

[chykensa]

For instance - I am vaping my own CaraLemThol - no prizes for guessing what's in that!! Yep. Capella Caramel, Inawera Lemon and homemade Menthol, mixed at 8mg for evening vaping. When I first tried it fresh after mixing, the Lemon was very overpowering, but now the Caramel has decided to make an appearance and the Menthol has toned down to the extent that I am considering adding some more! It's only 2 weeks old so there is more time to go before I feel that it's 'finished' in terms of steeping.

[boyofford]

Jan 2, 2014 0:19:51 GMT chykensa said:

I have found that if I mix at anything over 25% flavouring it is so intense that the clarity is lost (I know, that sounds pretentious, but it's true!). I would err on the side of caution - you can always add more, but you can't take it away once you've added it!
Personally I would go for about 15-20% total flavouring, and then add more if needed after some steeping time. Once you've got a recipe sussed, then you can mix in advance so that you always have some juice maturing while you vape the last batch - simples!

I actually gave similar advice to someone mixing red astaire on facebook lol, I should rein it back a bit then, weak is probably vapable anyhow but too strong probably not I suppose.

[chykensa]

Yeah, too much conc doesn't necessarily work. My vaping mate James and I went a bit too wild on some Vanilla Custard a few months ago, layering (or so we thought) Caramel on top of the VC and French Vanilla, plus sweetener, and TBH it was too sickly - I still have some going dark brown in a bottle and really don't want to vape it! I think the finished %age was about 30%!!
Go easy on flavourings especially if they are new ones - less is sometimes more

[boyofford]

Jan 2, 2014 0:27:35 GMT chykensa said:

Yeah, too much conc doesn't necessarily work. My vaping mate James and I went a bit too wild on some Vanilla Custard a few months ago, layering (or so we thought) Caramel on top of the VC and French Vanilla, plus sweetener, and TBH it was too sickly - I still have some going dark brown in a bottle and really don't want to vape it! I think the finished %age was about 30%!!
Go easy on flavourings especially if they are new ones - less is sometimes more

I was eventually convinced to give mixing a go when I realised I was mixing my premix anyhow, mainly with menthol.
Doesn't take much menthol to drown out a mix it seems.
This just got me thinking if JJ menthol is mixed at 15% from conc and I think menthol won't drawn out flavour too much when only use 5th of a tank with other stuff then I should start at 2-3% otherwise I'll just have bottles of mild menthol with not much other flavour

Glad I started this thread, has got me thinking straight!

How do you go about creating your recipes out of interest? I'm planning on printing out sheet for each with space to write notes then when think got it alter version stored online @ eliquid-recipes.co.uk/ so I don't forget stuff.

[Greg]

25% for black gold as advised by Jim