Natural Flavor Extractions

[Dark Alchemist Vapors]

Hello Fellow Vapers:

Well as some of you may know, I make and sell Naturally Extracted e-juices. Sadly because I'm from Puerto Rico, FDA regulations apply and since August 8, 2016 vendors cannot make new flavors.

I do what I do because I love what I do, so to me vaping is a lot more than business. Also the FDA should burn 

I might not be able to sell new flavors but that doesn't mean that I cannot tell you how to make the Natural Extractions That I make for myself. So as a contribution I will start this Thread on Naturally Extracted Flavors.

Today I will show you How to make Naturally Extracted Cinnamon Flavor

When you extract flavoring from plant matter some oils and debris get into the mixture and can cause "gunk" buildup. That cannot be completely avoided but it can be greatly controlled. Precisely with Cinnamon is very easy to control. One of the things that causes the gunk is that when doing a heat extraction the heat destroys the cellular wall of the plant matter leaking the contents of the cell into the liquid. But since cinnamon is a bark (contrary to leaves used in other extractions) it's cellular walls are stronger.

Materials:

1- 4 Cinnamon Sticks
2- 120 ml of PG or VG (I prefer PG because it carries the flavor better)
3- Kitchen Thermometer
4- Glass jar of at least 150 ml
5- Strainer
6- 5 Coffee Filters

Procedure:

1- Pour your PG or VG into the glass jar then add the cinnamon sticks.
2- Put the glass jar inside a pot and fill the pot with water halfway.
3- Put the Kitchen thermometer inside the jar
4- Take the pot with the jar and the thermometer inside and put it in the stove.
5- Bring the cinnamon sticks mixture to 100 °C.
6- Once reached keep it to that temperature for 20 minutes. (watch the water on the pot and keep it filled)
7- After 20 minutes turn off the stove and let the jar completely cool inside the pot (do not take it out)
8- Repeat steps 4 to 7 one more time.
9- Then strain the mixture and filter it trough coffee filters 4 times (I use specialized filters but those are expensive and not needed with cinnamon).  Discard the sticks.
10- Put the mixture in the freezer for 48 hours (this will allow the debris to crystallize).
11- Filter it again.
12- Use it as flavoring (I never need to go over 30% and I really love strong flavors).

Notes: If you do that I'm sure that you can vape over 15 ml before even starting to see any gunk in your coils.
Never use powdered cinnamon because that will really clog your tank.
Never vape the pure extract.

Have fun and Vape On!!

[CYBORG]

Not often someone with a business gives the secrets away 

[Dark Alchemist Vapors]

LoL it's ok because that method won't work well with tobacco and that's what I sell.

[Kate]

Thank you Jorge!  Certainly worth a go as I love cinnamon!  Kind of you to "pass it forward", and as you so aptly put it "FDA can burn in hell

I wonder would cloves be good?

K


.

[Dark Alchemist Vapors]

Cloves are great, in fact, if you look at my website I sell a clove flavored e-juice (I just love spices). The only thing with clove is that if you use the extraction method listed above (Which is called Heat Extraction by the way) the flavor will be very aromatic but a little woody. If you want to get that sweet flavor of clove you'll have to do a cold extraction. That one is a lot harder to do right, takes a huge amount of time and requires very specialized knowledge to do.

Ok as a general rule with natural extractions always remember this:

Heat extraction will always accent earthy and strong flavors.
Cold extraction will accent sweet, fruity and floral flavors.

For example, in some of my e-juices to get the flavor right I have to make heat and cold extractions of the same material. That's specially true with Tobacco, then I have to be careful when mixing the extracts to get as close to the original as possible. Those two extracts (heat and cold) then become the final flavoring extract to be used in the e-juice in conjunction with other flavor extracts.

If you really want to learn about Natural Extractions let's do something. We'll do together a simple heat extraction that will give you a very complex e-juice. Pick your favorite tea blend (however for now it cannot have any fruit in it) one that can easily be found on the net so I can check it's contents. And I'll walk you trough making your first Naturally Extracted e-juice.

When I posted this one of the members made a really good comment about giving away my secrets in this tread. That made me think about it, and then I realized that it does not. In the same way that even though we can find the recipe to any dish that we like over the net and then make it at home. But still we would always try to go to a restaurant to have it made by a good chef. That's how I see what I do, every day I try to perfect my e-juices and I want people to vape my product because it's really good not because they have no idea on how it's made. In fact maybe iv vapers knew how hard is to make a Natural Extraction they would appreciate more what I do.

Vape On!

[caz]

Plus a lot of people just dont have the time to mix/extract flavours or if you are like me,  hate mixing and just prefer to buy juice ready to vape,   same as when people cant be bothered to cook or cant cook and go out to eat   

[CYBORG]

In fact maybe iv vapers knew how hard is to make a Natural Extraction they would appreciate more what I do.
Vape On!

Fair comment
But stuff tea I am a coffee man 

[vapingfool]

Hm. Since coffee and tea are both hot water extracts, I suspect that you could use the tea extract directions to make a coffee extract.

[Dark Alchemist Vapors]

Waiiit!!! No, you can't do that with coffee.
In fact, coffee it's simpler but you have to be very very careful.
You will brew your extract but you need a thermometer. Don't do it without a thermometer. That's why so many commercial flavors taste like burnt coffee.

Here are your facts for your extract(not the final mixed product):

Ground Coffee use 4 tbsp. for each 30 ml of PG. If VG add 1 more.
You will be constantly watching the thermometer this is why:

The brewing temperature of the medium used is very important (PG or VF).
It should be between 195 F (91 C) and 205 F (96 C).
The closer to 205 F (96 C) the better. Medium (PG or VG) temp over (212 F - 100 C) should never be used, as it will burn the coffee.

If you don't use enough heat you won't get enough flavor but if you use too much you will burn your flavor.
The good thing is that once you achieve the desired temp you just have to keep it for 5 min and your extract will be done.

Remember to use the thermometer because:
PG boils at 371 F (188 C)
VG boils at 554 F (290 C)
So before you even see your medium simmer your extract will be burnt.

NOTE: You cannot put any kind of sugar or sugary substance in the extract. Sugar will crystallize in the coils thus destroying them. I use Black Cavendish tobacco as a natural sweetener. You can use cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, anise or ginger. Also remember that VG is naturally sweet.

Vape On!!

[vapingfool]

But isn't that the same process as for making a tea extract? A proper cup of tea is made with near boiling, but never boiling water - just like coffee.

[CYBORG]

It would be a good skill to learn in case of the vaping apocalypses.
For me using a gas cooker liquid is ether boiling or not so I have to learn that first.
If I ever do have a go at this should I put the grounds in a cloth bag or dump them in the VG & filter when finished ?

 
Thank you for the information, it could be a handy thing to learn if regulations go to extremes making supply’s hard  / impossible to get.
 
Decided I must give this a go if only to see if I can get something useable because we never know what the future will bring.

[Dark Alchemist Vapors]

In fact, it is the same, the only thing is that you have to be very careful with the  temperature when extracting coffee. When extracting tea even if you have your temp too high it will certainly change the flavor but it will be vapeable.

But when it comes to coffee, if you burn it you are screwed, it tastes so bad that you wont like it at all (just like a very cheap Chinese made e-juice).

Cyborg just try it, you got nothing to loose. If you get it wrong, then do it again until you get it right. It's like first learning coil building all over again.   

[CYBORG]

I intend to but got to buy a thermometer & learn how to use the cooker’s hotplate first 
Thanks again for the info.

[vapingfool]

For best temperature control, use a double boiler. That way there is no way the juice can get over 100 deg C (212 deg F). Temperature changes are also slower and more even, thus easier to manage.

[CYBORG]

I did it, made myself some coffee concentrate
OK its not the best I ever had but its not the worst, thought it was going to be to dark for my liking but once it was mixed it was not bad, I don’t like dark liquids as they tend to gunk up coils fast.
Was impressed with myself for a first go ( pat self on back ) & at least know I have another string in my bow for the vapeing apocalypses should it ever arrive.
With practice I could hone the art but I will leave it to the experts for now.
Thanks again for sharing Jorge

[caz]

Nice one Cy   

[Kate]

Coffee is your fav flavour Cy, think you should experiment more to perfection!  Seriously good effort, surprising what we can accomplish, good pat on the back Cy!  . K

[CYBORG]

I think it will be a last resort Kate.
I wanted to try just to see if I could, I worked OK but I wouldn’t want to faf on like that all the time.
Flavoring is now something they can’t take away from me