Perfecting a mix

[sirvapalot]

Hey I’m pretty new to mixing and I just have a couple of questions on how you go about perfecting your recipes. I’m am finding it strange that you can make a mix and not know if it’s any good for a few weeks and if there are ways that you can alter the mix and know immediately if it has improved it or not.

1 ) For example, you make a mix, leave it to steep for 3 to 4 weeks, you try it and decide the flavour is too weak. Once you add more flavour does the mix then need to steep again for another few weeks?

2) When using additives do they need to be in during the steeping process or can they be added after? Say I make a nice mix and just want to see what it might be like with a few drops of Koolada, can I vape that straight away or does it need to be left again?

3) Can you make a mix deliberately too strong, leave it to steep and then just add an unflavoured mix to it and be ready to vape? Surely if you’re trying to tone down a mix it doesn’t need additional steeping time?

Any wisdom you guys have on how you go about playing with recipes would be much appreciated.

[MarkS]

Jun 21, 2014 23:30:15 GMT sirvapalot said:

Hey I’m pretty new to mixing and I just have a couple of questions on how you go about perfecting your recipes. I’m am finding it strange that you can make a mix and not know if it’s any good for a few weeks and if there are ways that you can alter the mix and know immediately if it has improved it or not.

1 ) For example, you make a mix, leave it to steep for 3 to 4 weeks, you try it and decide the flavour is too weak. Once you add more flavour does the mix then need to steep again for another few weeks?

2) When using additives do they need to be in during the steeping process or can they be added after? Say I make a nice mix and just want to see what it might be like with a few drops of Koolada, can I vape that straight away or does it need to be left again?

3) Can you make a mix deliberately too strong, leave it to steep and then just add an unflavoured mix to it and be ready to vape? Surely if you’re trying to tone down a mix it doesn’t need additional steeping time?

Any wisdom you guys have on how you go about playing with recipes would be much appreciated.

Hi the one thing I have learned whilst mixing is patience. An ideal scenario is to mix well a head so you always have a stream of juices to try out. I currently have about 30 different mixes steeping in my cupboard and I mix a new juice everyday. If I am mixing a new recipe I'll mix 5ml only so if it's horrible it's not exactly a waste.

1) Some people do add more flavour and you can do that. I personally don't because it's rare I mix a juice that is so unpleasant it's unvapeable. I just grin a bare it and then if it has promise I'll add more flavour on the next mix.

2) Again imo you should add any additives at the time of mixing, but it's no problem to add stuff like koolada afterwards to see if it works. If you do this I'd leave it a day or 2 before trying the juice again.

3) I would never advise making a mix too strong and then trying to weaken it. It's easier to just add more flavouring than it is to add nic base, pg & vg. Also remember when you add more flavour you will be weakening the nicotine content. If you add more nic base you'll be strengthening it.

The best thing to do is just get mixing and learn your flavours. It takes time but you eventually get to know what flavours need to steep and what ones don't. For example custard flavours are best after several weeks steeping. Many fruit flavours are good to go from the off. I think the more different flavours you add to a juice the longer it should be steeped so the flavours blend, but that is not a rule, it's just my opinion. When I make a mix I'll try it after one week, then again after two weeks and so on and so forth. If a juice is good after 1 weeks steeping and I'm enjoying it then there is no need to steep it any longer.

Once you have a cupboard full of mixes then it's no problem if a juice can do with longer steeping as you have plenty of others to try before you go back to it.

As with anything else vape related it's really down to personal preference. Some people do not steep their juices at all.

Just to add the measure of mixing a good juice for me is if I'm still vaping it a month or so down the line. I mix loads of juices that are nice, but not many that I still think are great a month or two later. It might just be me but I get bored of juices quickly and in over a years mixing I only have around half a dozen juices I would call excellent and that are constantly steeping in my cupboard.

Hope that makes sense. Good luck and happy mixing.

[Perpetua]

Great post from MarkS, which pretty much says everything I would have done sirvapalot.

Although if you keep a bottle of your regular strength/ratio unflavoured nic base to hand, then you can dilute a too strong flavour down relatively easily, like Mark it's not something I tend to do for the same reasons as him.

The vast majority of any new flavours I buy, I make up as a ' standalone ' first . . . that then gives me an idea when I try it, what if anything I need to add to jazz it up.

It's easy to complain about the price of popular, premium eliquids but when you look at the time/trial/error that goes into perfecting a lovely flavour, then it's not completely a surprise.

[MarkS]

Good point about mixing each flavour on it's own first Perpetua. Exactly what I do.

I can see where sirvapalot is coming from as I was the same when I started mixing. I think I even made a similar post to his one here and you came along and helped me out So much of the info I've passed on is stuff I learned from you and others here.

It really does take time and patience to get mixing right and with the wonderful array of flavours out there to try you're forever learning. It does get easier as you start to understand your concentrates though.

[sirvapalot]

Thanks for the input guys, I guess it's just a case of perfecting each mix one by one until you have a bank of great recipes. With taste being so subjective it's good to hear the method around creating the blends that are perfect for you. I'll keep plugging away with it and I'm sure I'll get there in the end I just want to make sure I'm on the right track to begin with. I did my first mixes 2 weeks ago and I'll try them this week and go from there.

I think I'm still in the mentality of a cook where you can taste it, add something to it, taste it again and keep doing this until it's right. More patience needed for this!

[lairey]

Completely agree with both MarkS and Perpetua. I always mix a 5ml test of all my concentrates at 15%, regardless of the recommended % as taste is so subjective. That way I can make a note of what I personally think of each concentrate. I have a huge spreadsheet with all of my concentrates with notes against each one as to what I think about it and what % would best suit my taste.

As a rule of thumb, I tend to go with the following steeping times...

Mint/menthols - 1 day
Fruit - 1 week
Desserts and Tobaccos - 1 month.

This is only a guide, and I find with the more complex recipes that they mellow and the flavours soften around each other with longer steeping, but it gives me a starting point.

[MarkS]

Jun 22, 2014 16:27:59 GMT sirvapalot said:

I think I'm still in the mentality of a cook where you can taste it, add something to it, taste it again and keep doing this until it's right. More patience needed for this!

If you feel comfortable mixing that way and it works for you then go for it. I'd personally find it difficult to keep track of percentages if I mixed that way.

It really is all about personal preference.