Vape DIY

An aroma is defined as the sensation produced by a material placed in the mouth, perceived mainly by the chemical senses of TASTE and SMELL; therefore the aroma is the result of the effect of the combination of sensory impressions of taste, smell and somato-sensorial nature in the oral cavity (touch, heat, cold, etc).

In the world of vaping, an aroma is a concentrated substance (naturally extracted or artificially created in the laboratory) dissolved in its carrier (in most cases it is propylene glycol) which must then be diluted in the base to be vaporized.

The creation of an aroma always starts from the analysis of the substance / fruit / drink / food for which the aroma is to be created; this analysis leads to the identification of its components and then to a molecular formulation that will later lead, through various synthesis and test processes, to the actual aromatic creation.

Having said that it all seems very simple but it is not as simple as it may seem; there are many aspects that an aromatiere (flavourist) must take into consideration in creating a precise aromatic profile.

Molecular complexity of the aromatic profile, cost of raw materials, solubility, viscosity, color, heat stability, ratios between the various aromatic profiles are just some of these aspects.

For example, as simple as it may seem, creating the strawberry aroma, one of the most used aromas in vaping, is anything but easy; the strawberry is made up of over 300 known molecules and an unspecified number of indefinite components.

Here below I report one of the many possible formulations of the strawberry aroma as an example:

Another very important aspect to take into consideration when creating an aroma and consequently a liquid for electronic cigarettes, is the relationship between the aromatic profiles of the ingredients to be used.

For this reason, I decided to focus this “aromas” section on aromatic combinations between the different types of aromas. The section will be updated periodically with the inclusion of new aromatic combinations.

AROMATIC COMBINATIONS

Apricot: orange, caramel, almond, honey, hazelnut, black pepper, peach, plum, vanilla, ginger.

Pineapple: caramel, coriander, tropical fruit, coconut.

Anise: citrus, cinnamon, caramel, chocolate, fig, apple, pomegranate, blueberry, coconut, peach.

Blood orange: citrus, cinnamon, chocolate, cloves, figs, almonds, honey, ginger.

Banana: coffee, cinnamon, caramel, cherry, chocolate, lemon, mango, molasses, honey, hazelnut, papaya, ginger.

Persimmon: citrus, cinnamon, apple, black pepper, pear.

Cinnamon: anise, orange, banana, cocoa, coffee, caramel, chocolate, figs, apple, melon, mint, blueberry, chilli, pear, peach, grape, vanilla.

Chestnut: coffee, caramel, chocolate, apple, pear, vanilla.

Cherry: citrus, apricot, chocolate, nectarine, black pepper, peach, plum, vanilla.

Chocolate: anise, orange, cinnamon, cloves, almond, mint, walnut, chilli, vanilla.

Coconut: citrus, pineapple, banana, caramel, chocolate, passion fruit, Brazilian nut, chilli, black pepper, vanilla.

Fig: citrus, cinnamon, almond, hazelnut, pepper, pear,

Prickly pear: citrus, tropical fruit.

Strawberry: citrus, chocolate, coriander, lime, lemon, apple, mint, black pepper, vanilla.

Kiwi: citrus, banana, cherry, berry, tropical fruit, mango, apple, coconut.

Raspberry: citrus, apricot, other berries, cinnamon, lemon, nectarine, peach, plum, vanilla, ginger.

Lime: cherry, strawberry, tropical fruit, berry, apple, papaya, plum.

Lemon: citrus fruit, apricot, cherry, prickly pear, strawberry, tropical fruit, berries, nectarine, black pepper, peach, plum.

Lychee: citrus, tropical fruit, grapes, vanilla.

Mandarin: anise, coffee, cinnamon, cherry, chocolate, figs, tropical fruit, vanilla.

Almond: apricot, orange, banana, coffee, caramel, cherry, fig, apple, honey, pear, peach, plum.

Mango: citrus, banana, cinnamon, caramel, coconut, tropical fruit, berries, apple, melon, vanilla.

Apple: maple (juice), cinnamon, caramel, chestnut, mango, pomegranate, blueberry, walnut, hazelnut, currant.

Pomegranate: citrus, tropical fruit, apple, mint.

Melon: citrus, red fruit, tropical fruit, lemon.

Peppermint: cinnamon, chocolate, tropical fruit, lemon, grapefruit.

Blueberry: citrus fruit, other berries, figs, lemon, mango, hazelnut.

Cranberry: citrus, cinnamon, chocolate, mango, apple, mint, pear.

Blackberry: citrus, apricot, other berries, cinnamon, lemon, hazelnut, black pepper, peaches, plums.

Hazelnut: citrus, apricot, banana, caramel, cherry, chocolate, fig, berries, mandarin, apple, pear, peach, plum.

Walnut: apricot, banana, cinnamon, caramel, chocolate, apple, nectarine, pear, peach, plum, rum.

Papaya: citrus, tropical fruit, lime, mango, black pepper.

Pear: citrus, cinnamon, caramel, chestnut, chocolate, almond, apple, walnut, hazelnut, vanilla, ginger.

Peach: apricot, star anise, orange, cinnamon, cherry, lime, lemon, almond, hazelnut, walnut, pistachio, maple syrup, vanilla.

Grapefruit: citrus, caramel, tropical fruit, mint, black pepper, vanilla.

Plum: citrus, cinnamon, chestnut, almonds, honey, hazelnut, black pepper, vanilla.

Rhubarb: citrus, apricot, strawberry, berries, apple, nectarine, black pepper, peach, plum, ginger.

Currants, black and red: citrus, chocolate, red fruits, lemon, vanilla.

Elderberry: apricot, fig, berries, lemon, mandarin, honey, peach, plum.

Grapes: citrus, chocolate, fig, honey, ginger.

Gooseberries: citrus fruits, white chocolate, berries, honey, hazelnut.

Food additives are defined by law at European level as “any substance not normally consumed as a food as such and not used as a typical ingredient of food, regardless of whether it has a nutritional value, which is intentionally added to food products for a technological purpose in the stages of production, transformation, preparation, treatment, packaging, transport or storage of food, it can reasonably be assumed that it becomes, itself or its derivatives, a component of such foods, directly or indirectly “(cit. Wikipedia).

Additives are classified according to their function. Three major groups of additives can be identified:

• Additives that help preserve the freshness of food;
• Additives that improve the sensory characteristics of food;
• Technological additives, used to facilitate food processing but which do not have a specific function in the final product.

In the vaping sector, additives (both of natural and synthetic origin) are identified as consistency and vapor agents and have the function of giving the liquid being prepared a greater roundness of taste and a better flavor.

It is good to remember that an additive must always be used with caution and that its effectiveness is not guaranteed but that it depends on the composition of the liquid in which it will be added and the doses of use.

The additive does not make the recipe but adds something to the recipe

The following are the characteristics of the main additives used in DIY for electronic cigarettes:

ISOAMYL ACETATE

Isoamyl acetate is an organic compound of acetic acid and 3-methyl-1-butanol. It is a colorless liquid, slightly soluble in water, very soluble in most organic solvents.

Isoamyl acetate has a strong banana smell and is used to flavor foods. It is produced synthetically or naturally from the banana plant. In e-liquids it has the function of accentuating the banana flavor.

ACETHYL PIRAZINE

Acetyl pyrazine is one of the most used additives in the creation of e-liquids.

It is able to significantly change the flavor of a recipe by adding a roasted, roasted, nutty, creamy, yeasty flavor with nuances of popcorn or corn chips.

ACETHYL PYRIDINE

Acetyl Pyridine is a molecule widely used in the food industry as a flavoring substance. It tastes like popcorn and malt. It is often used in beer. Aromatically it is very similar to Trimethyl Pyrazine.

MALIC ACID

Malic acid is an additive extracted from some types of fruit such as apples, grapes and pears. In the preparation of an e-liquid it serves to increase the acidity of the preparation. Malic acid should be used in very low dosages to avoid making the e-liquid highly acidic.

BETA-DAMASCENONE

It is the molecule that is almost alone responsible for the typical rose scent and is therefore used to reproduce its typical scent. In truth, it is a little used additive in the electronic cigarette industry.

CAPSAICIN

Capsaicin is a chemical compound found in plants of the Capsicum genus (for example in hot peppers). It is one of the alkaloids responsible for the “spiciness” of chillies. Adds “hits” to e-liquids.

CIS-3-HEXENOL

Molecule present in nature in apple, potato, lemon and other fruits; it has a fresh, green, grassy and also pungent fruity flavor.

DIACETYL

Diacetyl is a natural by-product of fermentation, especially of beer. It is present in alcoholic beverages and is added to some foods to give it a buttery taste. In fact, diacetyl is a compound that gives butter its characteristic taste.

Unfortunately, diacetyl is toxic by inhalation. Prolonged exposure to diacetyl vapors causes obliterating bronchiolitis.

ETHYL BUTIRRATO

It is a molecule present in numerous fruits such as apple, banana, orange, strawberry and mango.

It has a fruity and slightly buttery flavor with notes of pineapple; it is used in fruity e-liquids to strengthen the fruity base making it softer.

ETHYL MALTOLO

It is a synthetic molecule with a sweet taste and typically of “cotton candy”. In the preparation of e-liquids it is also used as a sweetener.

ETHYL VANILLIN and / or VANILLIN

Vanillin is the molecule that gives vanilla its typical scent. It is obtained from the vanilla bean (very expensive natural vanillin) or synthetically in the laboratory (inexpensive ethyl vanillin). The desired effect of vanillin in the preparation of an e-liquid is that of binder of the various aromas present in the recipe. If the dosage is exceeded, the vanilla flavor becomes more and more present and invasive until it is strongly bitter.

EUGENOL

Eugenol is a hydroxylated aromatic compound, a guaiacol with a modified chain. This is an oily liquid, almost colorless or light yellow, which is extracted from some essential oils, especially from clove oil and cinnamon. It is slightly soluble in water and soluble in organic solvents. It has a pleasant, spicy, clove-like smell and is mainly used in tobacco e-liquids.

FURANEOL

In nature it is found in cane sugar, pineapple and other tropical fruits. It has a slightly caramelized, sweet and fruity flavor. It is used to give fruity and sweet notes to e-liquids.

GUAIACOLO

It is an organic compound of phenolic nature (pyrocatechin methyl ether), isolated from the distillation products of guaiac resin and present in high concentration in beech creosote.

It is used in an e-liquid to give a slight smoky aftertaste by increasing the density and the “tobacco” sensation in tobacco-based recipes.

LINALOL

Linanol is a monoterpene abundantly present in the essence of rosewood. It is also found free or combined in the natural essential oils of coriander, basil, lavender or bergamot. It adds a floral connotation to e-liquids.

MASSOIA LACTONE

Extracted from the bark of the Massoia tree in Indonesia, Massoia is an additive that is also widely used in the food industry to add “creaminess”. In the same way, also in e-liquids it returns a greater consistency and a creamy sensation to the recipe.

MENTHYL LACTATE (KOOLADA)

Menthyl Lactate or “Koolada” is produced from two natural ingredients, menthol and lactic acid.

It is an additive that essentially replaces menthol in the preparation of e-liquids to give freshness to the mix. It is less invasive than menthol and tends to fade over time.

METHYL CYCLOPENTENOLONE

This compound is obtained from the distillation of dry wood.

It is used in tobacco e-liquids to improve the taste, making it softer but at the same time more woody. It vaguely recalls the flavor of maple syrup.

SUCRALOSE (SWEETNER)

Sucralose or “Sweetener” is an artificial sweetener made from sucrose. It has a strong sweetening power and unlike aspartame it does not alter with heat.

TRIMETHYL PIRAZINE

Trimethyl pyrazine is a compound similar to Acetyl pyrazine but with fewer shades. It gives a typical note of dried fruit and in particular of hazelnut.

The maturation or steeping to use a term dear to the Anglo-Saxons, is the last phase of DIY, the phase of patience or rather impatience for the vaper who obviously can’t wait to be able to savor the fruit of his “work” of mixing and dosing.

But what is the maturation of an e-liquid and what is it for? To mature a preparation made of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavorings, additives and possibly nicotine serves to ensure that all the molecules of the various components combine together, creating bonds that will restore the right flavor to the eliquid. In practice, a synthesis process is carried out the faster the simpler and similar the molecular structures of the components will be (for example, vegetable glycerin has a molecular structure that slows down the maturation process of e-liquids).

So how to proceed and for how long?

Personally, I always recommend that the prepared e-liquids mature in the dark, with the bottle closed, and vigorously shaking especially in the first days of steeping.

The steeping time changes according to the percentage of glycerin used and the type of flavorings used, even if it must be said that by now most of the producers declare that their products do not need maturation or in any case minimum maturation (max 1-2 days). Development of production techniques or simply a strategic choice?

Below is a table with general guidelines on maturation times expressed in days (minimum and maximum) in the presence of a PG / VG 50/50 base: