Mixing with Multiple Concentrates

I've begun experimenting with concentrates. For example, FlavourArt Espresso. I've tried 5 drop (which is ~100µL) per 5mL

5 drops/5mL = 100µL/5mL = 100µL/5000µL = 1/50 = 2/100 = 2%

I've let it steep for a few days now, and the smell from the bottle suggests that even 2% is very strong, but I'm going to give it a full 2 weeks of steeping.

If for example, I decide that I want to add some caramel to the mix, should I keep the espresso at 2% and add caramel (making the total flavouring percent higher than 2%), or should the espresso percent be lowered for the addition of other flavours?

 

I find that with Flavourart flavours, directly from the dripper bottle, a drop is equivalent to about 25µL (40 drops per mL).
Then again, a drop isn't really a measurable unit, so it doesn't really matter.

Knocking down flavour concentrates with the addition of another is just one of things that comes down to the flavours being combined and more importantly, your own personal taste.
My suggestion. add what you think will work, without diluting, take note of the amount added, test it and if you find one of the flavours overpowering another, dilute, take note of the volume of diluent added and add extra flavour as neccessary. Your better off slowly adjusting the flavour and adding more as neccessary, as if you go too far with multiple flavours in the mix, it's often hard to rebalance the flavour.
Once you find the right ratio of concentrates, let steep and try it every few days. After a week or so, give it a good vape, you may find it needs adjusting again, so, do so. This will generally be the final adjustment that needs to be made. Make sure you keep note of what you put in and what you take out so next time you make a batch, you can simply add them altogether at once, let steep and you're good to vape.

Getting away from the tangent, I generally find that when a flavour works at a percentage and you add more, the flavour need only be knocked back a few percentage points. Think about it like adding bourbon to coke, diluting the coke with bourbon generally doesn't detract the cola flavour.
There's exceptions to this though, you may want a particular flavour to be the highlight or you may want it to be an undernote. Also, some flavours mask others so you may want to cut one back and/or increase the other.

Experiment, have some fun, it all comes down to trial and error. The most important part, take note of everything you add. Otherwise, you may come across an amazing combo and not be able to replicate it.

 

You're doing it all wrong!
Throw some flavor in, test vape if it isn't right add more flavor or a different flavor, don't worry about %, do it by taste!

 

Heh, I agree, recording things is a must. I tried to make a cuppacino with vanilla, cream, caramel and espresso, then a few days later forgot how many drops I used for 2 of them. I'm going to start recording everything on the software from ejuice.breaktru.com , which unfortunately has come with a bunch of recipes that only involve perfumes apprentice flavouring! I have some PA concentrates... I prefer flavourArt concentrates though. They just smell so much better.

I'd like a standard protocol to test the flavours.

The only problem with the continuous trial and error testing is that flavours take time to steep properly. Adding even a single drop of concentrate could change the flavour and require 4 or 5 days of steeping. Particularly vanilla. I've noticed that any juice doubler I have which has vanilla in it, tastes completely different depending on the steeping period.

Basically I'm thinking about setting up parallel juices. My stardust clearos don’t take any more than 2mL, so they only have to be small testing pots. 2 flavours x 2 ratios at a time (4 mixes per test). I have to think about the procedure.

I like to have fun with mixing, but I kind of prefer structured fun. Keeps my anxiety and OCD levels down lol.

EDIT: forgot to add; when I've combined two flavours after one parallel test and decided on my favourite ratio combination, that particular ratio becomes a single flavour, and that mixture itself will subsequently be tested with another single flavour in a 2 x 2 parallel test. And so on in an cumulative fashion.

 

dear god Noe.......

 

Dear god what?
That's how I do it & I don't ever mix up bad juice