DIY NET Tobacco (Cold Maceration) Experiment

[manonabus]

Well I love Gorgonzola cheese but if I was to go by smell I would be looking around the room for an old pair of dirty socks. Give it a chance.

[Deleted]

It's funny but as I've got older most things have started deteriorating like eyes, hearing, muscles, but my sense of smell just seems to get better and better. That probably has a lot to do with not smoking for 15 months mind you.

The Bestcigliquids Old Captain and Holburg DIY mixes smell great, but my own NET smells like a pubs beer garden ashtray after a heavy rain shower!

Alright you lot you've convinced me, but fair warning, if I pop off after trying this I'm leaving a note on my desk for the coroner pointing to this thread!

[Deleted]

Jan 14, 2017 9:52:55 GMT @hondo said:

It's funny but as I've got older most things have started deteriorating like eyes, hearing, muscles, but my sense of smell just seems to get better and better. That probably has a lot to do with not smoking for 15 months mind you.

The Bestcigliquids Old Captain and Holburg DIY mixes smell great, but my own NET smells like a pubs beer garden ashtray after a heavy rain shower!

Alright you lot you've convinced me, but fair warning, if I pop off after trying this I'm leaving a note on my desk for the coroner pointing to this thread!

Haha ... It's your thread mate so don't blame us 

[yourgurnard]

@hondo
Any chance of bequeathing Me Your NETs in Your will?.........

[DaveJ]

Jan 14, 2017 21:55:47 GMT yourgurnard said:

@hondo
Any chance of bequeathing Me Your NETs in Your will?.........

In some circles I've mixed in, the custom was to call "dibs". That was the official proclamation of your incontestable claim to something.

Such as "Dibs on shotgun" (first claim to the front passenger's seat), or "iffn ya ever decide to sell that wood squonk box ... dibs" or "if ya kick the bucket, dibs on ya car.... "

Or, yourgurnard , translated into Oz: "iffn ya cark it @hondo , dibs on ya NETS...."

[yourgurnard]

Sorry DaveJ I did n't realise that @hondo was Australian too!!!

[domejunky]

Nov 21, 2016 18:13:53 GMT domejunky said:

Couldn't resist. Only ten days - but i just made up 5ml of my Auld Kendel steep experiment. Mixed it at 30% - really nice vape! Totally surprised me.

Flavour doesn't punch you in the face, and it's an interesting study in just how sweet VG is. It will be good if it ends up stronger.

Just cracked this. 8 Weeks. Mixed at 65/35, 15% for starters. Fantastic! Absolutely the best tobacco juice I've ever had! 15% might be a touch strong. Also added 0.25% Saline.

[DaveJ]

Jan 15, 2017 16:56:36 GMT yourgurnard said:

Sorry DaveJ I did n't realise that @hondo was Australian too!!!

He isn't? Oh. My sympathies then!

[yourgurnard]

Jan 16, 2017 1:49:07 GMT domejunky said:

Nov 21, 2016 18:13:53 GMT domejunky said:

Couldn't resist. Only ten days - but i just made up 5ml of my Auld Kendel steep experiment. Mixed it at 30% - really nice vape! Totally surprised me.

Flavour doesn't punch you in the face, and it's an interesting study in just how sweet VG is. It will be good if it ends up stronger.

Just cracked this. 8 Weeks. Mixed at 65/35, 15% for starters. Fantastic! Absolutely the best tobacco juice I've ever had! 15% might be a touch strong. Also added 0.25% Saline.

Good to hear! Amazing that 15% was a bit strong, that's 1/2 wot I use! Assuming that this Auld Kendel is pretty pokey 'baccy!
Still have n't bought Me any saline! 

[manonabus]

Waiting for Hondo to return from the outback I thought I would have a go. This is Excite pipe tobacco, a Spaniard gave it me 5 years ago and rather trying to explain the difference between pipe and rolling tobacco I just said gracias.
Needless to say it's as dry as a dead dingo's nut sack and by sniff test void of aroma but in for a penny bla bla.

[yourgurnard]

'Exite Nut Sack' NET.........Sounds delicious!

[Deleted]

Well, today was the big day, and I am still breathing, so whilst I still am, here is an update

Just before that though, a small thought about steeping. As I made up so much DIY juice last year I have recently started vaping batches that were bottled in June/July last year. The improvement in taste is significant. Rhodonite fresh (1 week) is delicious, at 6+ months it is luxurious. Welsh Custard after 4-6 weeks is lovely, at 6+ months it is hands down the best custard I have ever vaped. Bestcigliquids Old Holborn and Old Captain at 3 months has improved so much over fresh, that it's going back in the cupboard for another 3 months steep. From now on I intend to only vape juices steeped for a minimum of 3+ months and where I can for 6+ months, and have started organising my mixing schedule accordingly.

With that said, my own NET was steeped for just 8 days before I vaped it today. Even so, I am seriously impressed with the result. I have tried dozens of tobacco juices, NET's and concentrates over the past 15 months and it comes as quite a surprise for me to report that home made NET is without doubt the closest to analogue cigarette smoking I have ever experienced. It is hard to put my finger on why, but I think it is down to the perfect balance of smokiness and ashiness along with the natural tobacco flavour that does it. And it really is smokey tasting. The fruitiness of the old Holborn is there, along with a small amount of natural sweetness, but smoke is the more dominant flavour to me. I wasn't expecting the smoke taste, I really wasn't.

Truth is, my tastebuds are no longer used to smoke at this level and these days they expect a sweeter and I guess far more pleasing and palatable flavour from vaping. I have almost forgotten why I ever enjoyed smoke in the first place and it feels odd experiencing it again now, even though it's in vapor form.

I very much enjoy Bestcigliquid's NET's, in particular their Old Holborn (now called Holborg) and now that I am able to directly compare it to my own Holborn NET (which has no additional flavours) I am now convinced that they do add extra flavours to enhance their own NET concentrates and make them more palatable to vape. My guess is at least some vanilla and I also think maybe liquorice or similar (probably many flavours in small amounts). I am not knocking them for this, I love their juices, and I would consider experimenting and adding the same if I continue making DIY NET's.

I think I would call this experiment a success so far and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys DIY and is still seeking an authentic tobacco vape. It really is very easy to do, and if nothing else the result will likely open your eyes to what is actually authentic or not. For me at this point I think I might actually prefer Bestcigliquids juices to my own NET as they are a kind of a half-way house between pure tobacco and desert style vapes. The jury is still out on this though and I always have the option to try adding some extra flavours to my own.

Thanks to everyone who has helped and contributed to this thread so far!

[yourgurnard]

Ace post @hondo

[manonabus]

Jan 20, 2017 21:13:48 GMT yourgurnard said:

'Exite Nut Sack' NET.........Sounds delicious!

Just filter the hairs out with your teeth 

Actually after 1 week it's looking pretty golden but smells of polyurethane varnish if I'm being honest, so if I have the process right I leave steeping for 8 weeks, filter the NET the best I can then mix at 15-30%  is that correct?

[yourgurnard]

Yep.
I'd recommend coffee filters over teeth tho'......