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Vapefest
5 page picture special from the recent event
Ideal Ohm Show
We talk to host Ric Modmaker
Whats in Archie’s Fridge? Interview with MD of Decadant Vapours
Editor Notes
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Contents 4-5 Dropout Dan Foss reviews My Jam and Gooby from the Dropout range.
elcome to issue #4 of Subohm Magazine - your monthly top up of vaping know how.
It’s been a great month and the looming tobacco products directive doesn’t seem to be throwing too much of a spanner in the works. Thank you to everybody who picked up a copy of issue #3. Please continue to let our advertisers know that you saw them here. Our sights are now firmly set on the next big event - the UK’s VaperExpo at the Birmingham NEC from October 14th to 16th. But before that, in this issue, we take a look at VapeFest 16 and, of course, offer a regular dose of interviews, reviews and articles to keep your head in the clouds.
Contacts Charlie Kent Kent@sub-ohm.co.uk +44 (0)7900 353 611
Milo Phillips Phillips@sub-ohm.co.uk +44 (0)7557 121733
Address: 4 Una Way, Kings Langley HS, Herts WD4 8BH Subohm magazine is published 12 times per year by Kent Phillips Publishing Ltd. Subohm Magazine is distributed exclusively to professionals in the e cigarette trade and is not intended to be viewed by consumers. We make every effort to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material we publish, and accept no responsibility for claims made by contributors, manufacturers or advertisers. Copyright for all material in this journal rests with Kent Phillips Publishing Ltd and their Agents. © Kent Phillips Publishing Ltd. 2016
7-10 Archie Powell The MD of Decadent Vapours speaks to Subohm.
12 Double Drip Joe Wilkinson tries two tasty flavours from Double Drip.
14-15 Sub Ohm Juices Josh Paine takes a trio of big hitters for a taste test.
18-19 Kooper Primus Matt Lockyer reviews the Smok Kooper Primus box.
22-26 Vapefest Subohm went to Vapevest, take a look at our picture review.
28-31 Ric Grove Subohm caught up with Ric ModMaker.
33 Vapedex Ashleigh Gilbert reviews the Vapedex tasting bar.
34-35 Squonking Squonking is growing, we find out exactly what it is.
37-38 Ohm Brew Jay Pettie mixes some tasty flavours. Follow us on social media: @subohm_magazine
Subscribe for free at www.sub-ohm.co.uk 3
juice review
MY JAM AND GOOBY
DROPOUT Review By Dan Foss
Last week I had the pleasure of sampling the two newest additions to vape importers already impressive repertoire - “My Jam” and “Gooby” from the Dropout range.
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irstly, I would like to point out that this is by far the most impressive bottle design I have ever seen and the many people I showed it to agreed. The grape flavour had the most amazing sweet fruity sent that I could smell as soon as I broke the seal.
However, this juice has completely converted me, so much so that I managed to finish the bottle twice as fast as the grape! It has a crisp, yet very sweet, peanut inhale with a slightly buttery sweeter exhale.
On the inhale the grape tastes exactly like the real thing, with an intense burst of grape jelly (jam for us Brits) finished off with a delicious lingering sweet aftertaste that will make it hard to leave the bottle alone.
Now something amazing happens when you combine the two - they create one of the best sweet desert vapes I have ever tried. I have played around with the ratios to see what I find the best, and about 1/3 grape to 2/3 peanut butter is perfect as the grape flavour is so intense!
The Gooby was strange for me because, traditionally, I have never really gone for peanut flavours. I don’t dislike them but there are many others I enjoy more.
I highly recommend both of these new additions, even if one of them would not be your normal choice. And try them together you won’t be disappointed. 5
interview
Archie Powell Subohm caught up with Archie Powell MD of Decadent Vapours this month. How long have you been involved with the industry and what got you started? I started smoking when I was about 14 and by the time I reached my 40s I was really good at it!
I tried everything to give up; hypnotism, pills, patches - you name it - they would work for a while then I’d go to the pub, have a few ales, and so the cycle would start again. Then, 5 years ago, I saw an e-cigarette (such a bad name for vapourisers- it automatically starts us of on the back foot.) I tried it and realised this was the future - I remember when I was about
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interview
20 saying to my friends one day we won’t have to worry about smoking - they’ll invent a safe cigarette - I never thought back then they actually would in my lifetime! So, 3 years ago, as I had my own branding and advertising agency - looking at the vaping market I realised there were no strong brands. I did an internet search, found Decadent Vapours and immediately liked the look of the owner - Peter Cole - such a dapper chap! I got in touch, my company “Create a Brand” rebranded them during which time Pete and I clicked and he ended 8
up asking me if I would run DV - how could I say no? This is the most exciting industry to be in at the moment - I absolutely love it. What’s the best thing about your job? It sounds corny but it’s our customers, listening to their stories of giving up the evil weed, all the lovely things they say about our flavours and us - it really feels like we’re on a mission - it’s fantastic. It’s also the incredible team I have around me, without them it would be impossible.
Who or what are your main influences? Wow that’s really hard! There are so many, as you grow through life your goals change. When I was in my teens it was Prince, Turner (the painter not Tina) and an advertising chap called Bill Burnbach. Now, I get older, I think about my father, who flew Lancasters during the war, who taught me so much but I didn’t realise at the time. It’s actually the people you surround yourself with that have the biggest influence on you - I get inspiration daily from my family, work colleagues and
friends. As my father said choose your friends wisely. What accomplishment in your life are you most proud of? It’s a difficult question to answer without sounding like a bit of a wally. There are the obvious things like my children, the company, the awards I’ve won, the sculptures and paintings I’ve created - all these things are wonderful moments that have made me happy and, at the time, were defining accomplishments, but I don’t think I’ve reached that one defining moment yet maybe when I reach 80 and see my family have done well and are happy.
shot in Yugoslavia, I blew up the chemistry lab at school, I appeared in the intro to Championship Manager and I wrote a comedy script for a film about killer sheep - that was made into Black Sheep but I received no credit. What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?
Well the last time I was in the car I was thinking of answers to these questions. As I do a lot of driving I find it a great time to think through issues and problems, I start my mind rolling and then listen to music and by the time I arrive I usually have a few options.
What’s your morning routine? I hate mornings, they are the worst time of the day for me. I try to get up as late as I can however, that is rarely possible. Sometimes I work out with a trainer, the rest of the time I take the dogs for a walk or take the boys to school; at the weekends I cook breakfast for my family - then go back to bed until a more civilised time. Reveal one thing people would be surprised to know about you? Actually there are quite a few - I used to be a racing driver in Formula Ford, I was 9
interview old son made reluctantly in food tech last year! If you could be a superhero, what superpower would you choose, and why?
Do you have any irrational fears? Yes, but I can’t tell you what they are. If a kid kicked you in the shin, and no one was looking, would you kick it back? Depending on its age, and if it kicked me on purpose to hurt me, I definitely would and I’d do it in front of people as well, there are far too many excuses and conditions used for bad, ignorant behaviour these days. What’s in your refrigerator right now? I seem to have accumulated fridges over the years, currently I have three - in one is out of date food in the other two are a selection of soft and alcoholic drinks and a plastic container filled with some flapjacks my 15 year 10
My friends and I believe we already have superpowers, for example, my friend could always find a seat and table - even in the busiest pubs, another would always win on the fruit machine - mine was becoming invisible at the bar. If a movie was made about your life, who would you want playing you and why? I love films, but I honestly don’t know how to answer
without sounding pompous and supercilious. If I had to choose anyone it would be Matt Berry as I just find him funny. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently? Spending a morning trying to persuade a chicken to behave in a photo shoot. What would be your last meal on death row? I love the food from my youth – so, for starters it would be prawn cocktail, followed by steak (rare) and chunky chips - with a raspberry/strawberry pavlova for dessert.
juice review
Double Drip Coil Sauce
TWISTED ICE CREAM AND STRAWBERRY & BANANA WAFFLE Review by Joe Wilkinson
I’ve had the pleasure of trying these decadent ejuices prior to public release. Both juices are 3mg nic.
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ith bottle in hand, I was trying to work out what flavour this would be. I got a hit of lemon the moment the dropper cap was unscrewed, so I was going on the basis of a strong lemon infused creamy ice cream.
Once in my tank, an isub at .5 ohms on top of an Innokin Cool Fire 4 firing at 35w, I realised there was a lot more to it, and the name started making sense. It is about as close as you can get tastewise to a Twister ice lolly. I got beautiful lemon and lime,
the green part, with a very smooth creamy undertone all the way through the inhale and exhale. The only thing lacking would be the strawberry centre, although it doesn’t necessarily need it. This is certainly an all-dayer for me. The Strawberry & Banana Waffle, however, was a lot simpler. On opening the top cap, a whiff of banana escaped – real bananas you find in a fruit bowl, not the artificial foam sweet smell. It vaped very smooth. On the inhale, I picked up the banana taste, and the exhale was a lovely, fresh, warm waffle, a good bakery style flavour. In conclusion, both liquids are very rich, smooth and busting with flavour. Both produce bundles of clouds and a long lasting coating in the mouth.
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juice review
THE JUICE IS LOOSE! Sub Ohm Juice Review by Josh Paine
Roaring straight out of Miami, Florida comes Sub Ohm Juices - a trio of big hitters on the market.
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Luscious full-colour bottle art is what first catches the attention with this range; images dripping with style and cool appeal adorn each 30ml bottle. A classic dripper and bottle format holds a thick flavourful juice which produces a huge amount of cloud. This is a range of high VG classics in the making. All were vaped on a Wismec RX200s with a Triton 2 tank at 45 watts. Fizzy Kush
Blue Waffle
Blonut Milk
Starts with a sugary fizz and completes itself with a fruity finish and a stab of cola flavour. Fizzy Kush is a potent mixture of the all those delicious sticky sweets we guzzled as kids. For a trip down memory lane and a real sugar high, this is the liquid for you.
Skip breakfast and vape this instead. A sweet pastry, jam packed with flavourful blueberries. Blue Waffle avoids the chemical aftertaste that normally comes with these fruit flavours and leaves nothing but a rich finish.
The first hit is a truly authentic glazed donut, the next moment strawberry milk floods in and finishes off this flavour leaving you craving more. Blonut Milk is the stand out flavour of the range and effortlessly combines fruits, dairy and pastry.
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box review
Smok Review KOOPER PRIMUS by Matt Lockyer
Dimensions: 100 x 62.4 x 28.4 mm Resistance range: 0.1 3 ohms (vw), 0.06 2 ohms (tc) Accuracy: 0.05 ohms Output power: 1 300W Temperature range: 100c 315c, 100f 600f Batteries: x3 18650 an upgrade port on the base. 18
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got my Primus last week in Watford from a shop called World Vape Co and it really is good. Admittedly it’s the first three battery mod I have used and the run time is great. I tend to vape quite a bit so this really suits my day to day routine. It hits really well, with minimal ramp up time (thumbs up). The primus looks a little like a modern hip flask with a very sleek feel. It looks a lot different from most mods due to the large oled screen and the perforations on the battery cover and base of the device. This allows brilliant airflow to the batteries which reduces overheating so it rarely gets hot in your hand. The battery cover fits well with two large magnets at the bottom ensuring no chance of it coming away from the device. Personally I think the batteries make the device a bit heavy so it’s not really pocket friendly but, nevertheless, it’s a brilliant mod. I’ve been using my limitless RDTA on this with a variety of RDAs, it fires really well and it’s enjoyable to use. The fire and option buttons have a nice click to them as they are tightly fitted to the device. The stainless steel finish is smart and sophisticated - the kind of mod you would pull out of a well tailored suit whilst sitting down for a nice beverage. Overall I’d give the SMOK Kooper Primus a 8/10 for ease of use, style and its 300w capability. 19
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Vapefest 2016 It’s 6am and there’s only one reason the Sub-Ohm gang should be up and about so early - and that is for Vapefest. The two-day event took place over the weekend of August 6 - 7th in Shrewsbury. It presents distributors, shops and company representatives with the opportunity to have direct contact with their consumers and stockists so we headed up to see what it was all about. The event treads the fine line between a B2B and retail and there was definitely something to sink your teeth into, whatever your reason for going. We chatted to everyone we could, swapping war stories of long commutes and a lack of batteries. With entertainment including live music, product displays and cloud contests Vapefest is worth a visit as a consumer and as presenter. The thing we were most impressed with was that it was organised by the community for the community, to the point that free camping was available to those who wanted to stay and enjoy the late-night festivities. Check out some of our pictures below.
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interview
RIC GROVE Ric ModMaker
Ric ModMaker - I run a small website -www.modmaker.co.uk - selling mod making components, I’m an admin on the Facebook groups “Mod Making Help & Advice” and “Mod Showcases” and I am a host on You Tube’s The Ideal Ohm Show.
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into it on my own. What changes have you experienced in that time?
How long have you been vaping and what got you started?
Wow, there are so many! I’ve see this industry grow and change so fast over the last 5 years. It’s quite amazing. As a modder, it’s been great to see the mod making industry develop and grow.
I started vaping about 5 years ago, having been a smoker for 30 years, so I’d say I started in order to improve my health. Apart from health, I just sort of stumbled
To have had a hand in helping lots of people build their own mods and building mods to sell to the end users has been and is a real privilege. The number of modding
parts available now is so different compared with what was available just a couple of years ago. It’s moving fast, I still get a buzz when new modding parts are brought to market and somebody posts something they’ve made and are enjoying. It still makes me smile when I see somebody make their first mod and they are proud of themselves. That hasn’t changed for me over the years. When I started there weren’t many atomisers, a handful of mods and not much juice available. Now there are hundreds of atties, mods, stock coils, decent juice - it’s never been easier for a new vaper to get a good setup and a satisfying vape. Back then, we had to work for a good vape trawling through YouTube videos and forums to work out how to setup an atomiser. I always found juice was geared towards the old CE4 type atomizers so was pg heavy which is why I started making my own. Also mods were underpowered which made some of us start building our own. Forums like the Planet Of The Vapes and UKVapers were a lifeline to vapers when there weren’t many of us around. I remember feeling like I was the only vaper in my town. It would be rare that I ever saw anybody even using an Ego so social networking back then was important to me. Fast forward to now and there are millions of people vaping with vape shops in nearly every town and facebook is heaving with groups of vapers who are all enjoying the vape community. A few years ago sub ohm setups on mechanical mods was frowned upon by the community with horror stories of exploding devices etc.
Now there are sub ohm atties and sub ohm stock coils. I think a lot of newer vapers don’t get where sub ohming comes from but back then if you wanted to vape at over 20w on a mechanical mod you had to sub ohm. Now the term is bandied around but back then it was us cloudy mech users pushing batteries to their limits. When did you decide to start making YouTube videos and what inspired you? I don’t think I was inspired as such but I used to watch guys like Igetcha69, Todd, and quite a few Americans when I got new atties but we decided to start The Ideal Ohm Show when the guys from The Plumes of Hazard wanted to help us start a UK show. I honestly didn’t know much about YouTube reviewers and channels until we started doing our own show so it’s been an eye opener meeting all the biggest reviewers in the vape game. Some of them have even been on our little show which still amazes me. Being friends with Dean, The Vaping Biker, we talked a couple of years ago about doing a vape show but nothing came of it until one day he asked me if I wanted to start one with him and two others. I thought it would be fun and am happy to say it is. 29
interview the p*** out of anything we can. We also talk about anything new that’s out, juices and any vape related news that’s stood out for the week. It’s a good laugh; we enjoy covering hot topics, our experiences and generally acting like children. What advice could you offer someone who’s just getting started?
Dean and I joined a hangout and got chatting to John Martin from Safer Vapers and Craig Harrison from Derby Vapers and we decided to give it a go. The next thing I know - we have the most popular live vape show in the UK and we haven’t looked back since. Dean has moved on and is too busy with his review channel so now we have Richard (Vaping V1ck) as our fourth co-host. The result of doing this show is we have helped to make a really decent community. We would be nothing without all the good people on our group and they make every day and any vape convention really fun to go to. For our readers who haven’t come across your channel before, what topics do you cover? And how regularly do you publish videos? We do a live show every Thursday at 9.00pm GMT on our YouTube channel The Ideal Ohm Show and on www.theohmpage. com. We mainly sit around, drink and take 30
In a word - community. Join groups and don’t be afraid to make an arse of yourself. We all started somewhere, learning as we go. I make an arse of myself every week on the show but it is unintentional. I’d also say buy a setup that works for you. It’s really easy to get a good cheap setup that will keep you off of the cigs. Go into your local vape shop and ask questions. That’s what they are there for. Sit around, try juices and find what works for you. Once you’ve got a setup that works, get another one. Mostly, enjoy yourself and be proud you aren’t smoking. Which other vape reviewers do you rate? There are so many I can’t mention them all but here goes: I love Todd from Todd’s Reviews. He is my hero and a damned fine specimen of a Scotsman; The Plumes Of Hazard, The Vaping Biker, Vaping V1ck, Gary from IGetcha69, InkyVaper, Ruby Roo, Suck My Mod. There are so many good reviewers out there now you are spoilt for choice. I’m sure I’ve missed loads but don’t hold it against me. I’m old and have a bad memory. In your opinion what’s the hottest thing to hit the market this year? With so many great things coming on the market this year I’d have to say the Kayfun 5 and the Cleito. Yes the Cleito. Why? Because I think the Cleito is great for new vapers with stock coils and even better for advanced vapers with the RTA and Bulb glass.
Apart from that, I don’t really follow trend. I try things and I vape what works for me.
wooden mod and a series Mechanical squonker. On top of those I have two Cleitos, a Kayfun 5, A Velocity v1 and a OBS Crius. I pretty much have all of the entry level atties and rotate between them when I feel like a change but these are my go to ones right now. Juice I’m enjoying right now is my Voodoo Brew that I make, along with some juice ranges from SteamWorks. I’ve got some LemonBerry from OFE that is very nice and some Cypriot juice from CodeVapors called Roasted. There are honestly too many juices on the shelf for me to mention them all but those are my favourites today. Where do you see the vape market in 5 years from now?
What recent trends have you noticed in the industry? Squonking. The vape world has gone squonk mad. I’ve only recently started using a squonker but for those that like drippers, it does make it easier to moisten your wicks which we all like doing. What device did you start vaping on? Ego & CE4 clearos. What’s your ADV now? Right this second on my desk I have two PWM mods, an SXMini Q-Class, an SX350
That’s really hard to predict. I honestly don’t have a clue. Hopefully, but I won’t hold my breath, the establishment will put health before money and stop trying to hinder progress of our industry. It’s come so far and I think it’s near on as good as it can get right now. I certainly don’t need anything else but, that said, improvements and changes will be made. What I would like to see is improved battery life, improved filling mechanisms for atties and an end to these manufacturers who think cyclonic airflow makes a difference to the taste of vapour. Let’s sit back and enjoy the ride as I’m sure there will be lots of good and bad things to be released in the future. One thing I do know is The Ideal Ohm Show will enjoy taking the p*** out of bad products and Mod Makers will carry on making exceptional mods even if the laws change. We may all be criminals in the future but vaping is here to stay. 31
Vapedex First Thoughts by Ashleigh Gilbert
I work in a vape store and love to show off all the new flavours to our customers. As you know, at certain times the store can get rather hectic, especially when having to change over tanks and batteries.
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n the shop we recently received a Vapedex ‘Juke Vapes’ tasting bar which is really speeding things up. It’s very simple - on top of a rectangular unit sits ten button-operated atomisers and, with the press of a button, a plume of vapour rises from the corresponding chamber allowing its user to sample their chosen flavour. A simple and innovative device with the bonus of no oral contact from the user. The plume is so focused that
the flavour can be vaped straight from the air just above the atomiser; a great edition for the germaphobes and health conscious among us. The sky’s the limit with the Juke Vapes; flavours can be
organised by brand, taste profile and even price. It allows time in the shop to be spent interacting with customers rather than being bogged down with menial tasks of filling and maintaining the shop owned tester vapes. 33
SQUONKING A continual issue for the vaper on the go is pockets full of stuff - bottles, rags, batteries and anything else you can think of.
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ue the Squonk Box with a simple premise: inside the box mod is a squeeze bottle next to the battery - that acts a juice reservoir - that feeds directly into your RDA - that negates the need for dripping – phew! Simply pick your juice, fill and you’re good to go. Rather than the traditional method of RDA filling, that necessitates dripping directly onto the deck and
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wicking material, a Squonk Box, coupled with a bottom feeding RDA, allows dripping without dismantling your build - a far quicker and cleaner alternative. A hole in the bottom of the deck allows juice to reach the wick via manipulation of the aforementioned plastic bottle through a ‘squonk hole’ in the box. The applied pressure allows for any excess liquid to return to the juice bottle when released to combat leaking.
The history of the Squonk box, and related devices, is debated. However, it’s widely agreed that, one of the first boxes available on the commercial market was the Juice Box. This box was plagued with design issues as it featured an integrated atomizer rather than the, now standard, external option. The problem being, if the atomizer experiences an issue, the entire device has to be sent for repair. How far we’ve moved on!
Back in Issue Three we reviewed the KangerDripbox, an entry-level RDA and squonk box mod. For the more advanced: mods and RDAs such as the REO series are widely available. There is also a portion of the community who build their own mods, both regulated and mechanical. Squonking represents some of the newest innovation inside the vaping community, and has become as much of a market for manufacturers and consumers as conventional mods and tanks. 35
ohm brew
A REAL
MIX UP! by Jay Pettie
It all started two and a half years ago when I started managing a vape store in Watford. I had never vaped but I smoked a lot. After a month I had developed a keen interest in vaping and had said goodbye to cigarettes!
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y store stocks a vast array of flavours and being able to tailor liquids exactly to my personal taste was something that really appealed to me.
had purchased a Red Bull flavoured liquid. I accidentally topped up the wrong tank mixing the two flavours. When I vaped it I found the combination worked really well.
It was by a pure fluke that I found my first mix - which is now a firm favourite. I had filled up my tank with the custard flavour I had made at home and, whilst out,
I started to look at websites selling concentrates that could guarantee being diacetyl free and I settled on ‘Just Vape 24-7’ now known as ‘Just Flavours 24-7’ as it
stocks the largest range of concentrates that I have found. My first purchases were PG based custard flavour, Red Bull and elderflower. I bought my nicotine base from America as I could get a 100mg base which made it easy to work out the percentages for mixing purposes.
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ohm brew At first I was mixing 7% Custard and 4% Red Bull, so my e-liquid would be 11% concentrate in total. I used pg based nicotine and was making it 0.6%. I had my pg/ vg ratio at 83% to 17% and I was to create 200ml, so my ingredient list was as follows: • 12ml Nicotine base • 166ml of Vegetable Glycerine • 14ml of Custard concentrate • 8ml of Red Bull concentrate I gave the mixture a really good shake and set it aside in a dark cupboard. After a week I opened the bottle and it smelled amazing. I got out my Mutation X dripper and put a few drops on - although it was not bad it was not great! I had heard that custards take a lot longer to steep so popped it back in the cupboard for another week. This time I found the flavour much more palatable however, the flavour was now muted. I added another 14ml of custard and another 8ml of Red Bull, making the new ratios 72%vg and 28%pg. Two weeks later I tested again and this time it was good, really good in fact, so 38
the lesson learnt - don’t be mean with your concentrate! I would suggest using at least 20%. In my opinion the 10% recommended on a few sites just doesn’t cut it. What happened to the elderflower concentrate I hear you ask? Well, I tried adding that to my now named Energised Bull at 4%, bringing the total of the concentrate to 26%. I called this one the Elder Energised Bull and it was like nothing I’d ever tasted before. I would say the result was equally good, but no better. My four favourite homemade mixes now are: • Manga Jack – A mango and jack fruit mix • Dragon Jack – A dragon fruit and jack fruit mix • Skitzo Blitzo – A Skittles rainbow crystals and jack fruit mix • Grey Monkey - A banana- custard and graham cracker mix with just a very small amount of peanut Here is the recipe flor Grey Monkey which has 0% nicotine as you can always add to desired ratios later but don’t forget this will raise your pg level if using pg based nicotine. Due to new TPD legislation I
can no longer import 100mg nicotine so now use 52mg from Liberty Flights which makes the e-cig calculators very useful! Grey Monkey- to make 200ml • Vegetable Glycerine 150ml • Custard concentrate pg based 30ml • Graham cracker concentrate 10ml • Banana concentrate 6ml • Peanut concentrate 4ml As the concentrates are pg based there is no need to add separately. My preferred ratios are 75%Vg/25%pg. Approximately 25% is the concentrate ratio I use for all my mixes now and my flavours are a big hit with family and friends.