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r/DIY_eJuice•
MasterBeernuts

Boosting a Cola recipe

Recipe Help

I finally have FA Cola (USA Pleasure), and am keen to begin the Half Decent Cola Vape Quest. After trying many other cola concentrates, this will be my first attempt with FA Cola - here is the skeleton:

  • FA Cola 3%
  • WS-23 1%
  • Cap Super Sweet 0.75%

Here are the ingredients I have written down, which I am unsure about (these are basically ideas to try and add to the complexity/layering/body/to flesh out the FA Cola):

  • FA Caramel 0.5%
  • TFA Champagne 1%
  • FA Meringue 0.75% (can't remember why I thought to add Meringue - has anyone ever done this in a Cola?)
  • VT Fizzy Sherbet 1%
  • Add another cola like VT Cola or MB Cola (I was not overly impressed with INW Cola)?
  • FLV Rich Cinnamon 0.1% ?
  • Add 1% of INW Shisha Vanilla for both vanilla and mouthfeel?
  • TFA Cola Syrup (I've read mixed reviews on this)

The profile I'm after is just a simple icy cold glass of freshly poured coca-cola. Any ideas and comments are welcome!

[Edit: Cola Recipe as it develops after feedback (below)]

Collab Cola

  • FA Cola 4%
  • TFA Cola Fizz 0.5%
  • VT Fizzy Sherbet 1%
  • FA Vanilla Bourbon 0.75%
  • FA Caramel 0.5%
  • WS-23 1%
  • CAP Super Sweet 0.75%

​

Posted Sep 10, 2018, 1:23 AM UTC · edited

1731
ID10-TWinner of the 2nd DIYorDIE World Mixing Championship•

Some rambling thoughts.

Push that FA Cola up to 4, maybe even 4.5%. Don't be scared.

Also consider TFA Cola Fizz. Not really fizzy at all but will push up that cola spice and give that flat FA Cola some life - 0.5%ish. I think it might do what you're wanting a tiny bit of Rich Cinnamon to do, only better.

1% INW Shisha Vanilla will turn that into a weird vanilla Coke. One of the darker vanillas that's more extract-y than creamy will give you a better vanilla coke and used much lower, just fill in the vanilla that's part of cola. I like INW Marzipan with cola but then you're getting into cherry coke or Dr. Pepper territory. You might consider FA Oba Oba if you're having mouthfeel issues.

Very interesting idea with the Meringue. Never tried that.

Yes to the FA Caramel. Might consider FLV Caramel as well.

Yes to the VT Fizzy Sherbet 1% but probably not higher or you'll get to citrusy.

Good luck!

7
MasterBeernutsOP•

Grateful for your detailed comment ID10-T, spot on mate. I will push the FA Cola up a bit, I do like a slightly stronger than average recipe - and kind've wanted to hear that. I'll have to buy the TFA Cola Fizz (it's cheaper than the FLV Rich Cinnamon too). Great advice re: choosing one of the darker vanillas - saved me a lot of time there. I will go with the FA Caramel and VT Fizzy Sherbet - and you're right about the 'too citrusy' bit, I tried VT Fizzy Sherbet at 2% in my previous cola's and that's exactly what happened. Thanks again mate much appreciated.

3
SinkMix•

I'd build off LB Cola Freeze and add FA Cola/WS23/SS to that.

  • LB Cola Freeze 8%
  • FA Cola 3%
  • WS-23 1%
  • CAP Super Sweet 1%
4
MasterBeernutsOP•

Unfortunately we don't get LB in Australia so that will have to go on the future international order. There's quite a few we don't get. I like the sound of that OoO Milky Undertones too. I've heard lots of good things about LB Cola Freeze with FA Cola.

1
mjswooper•

My relevant notes:

TFA black cherry @ 2-3% is good, merges well.

Fa Madagascar Vanilla @ 2% goes well

Stevia @ .5% goes well (inspired from the German Frtiz cola)

Fa cola doesn't get better the more you ramp it up, instead needing other colas of any.

3
MasterBeernutsOP•

Cheers Swooper - I'll definitely use your vanilla idea (also fits with ID10-T's vanilla comments).

Edit: after reading u/ConcreteRiver's comments in this thread, it looks like FA Vanilla Bourbon will fit well here.

2
DreadPirateSnuffles•

CAP Cola is not too shabby either. A bit more of a "gumminess" to it but makes the cola taste quite saturated. I find LB Cola Freeze is also somewhat useful, a bit of a sharp, if thin, top note. TPA Cola gets somewhat soapy at higher percentages so I'd suggest keeping it low. I don't know the exact recipe cause I'm about to go to bed but my best rendition was something like 3% FA, 4% CAP, some WS-23 and super sweet, and RF Cola Base, VT fizzy sherbet, VT Creaming Soda. I want to try the VT cola, but as far as all the other colas I've tried (TPA, HS, INW WG) I found I they detracted from that simpler base, or muddled the profile

3
DarkJester89The Clone-y Professor•

I think it was HeadInClouds that did it best but the Cola/Cherry was..2:1 Cola/Cherry Ratio.

I think the skeleton is a good starting point for a cola.

I've seen meringue added, but it was for a "Vanilla Coke/Cola" taste, that would go the same for the fizzy sherbet that I've see too.

Never tried another cola after USA Pleasure, but I don't see what another cola flavor would really do to it. It might end up in a situation like pouring pepsi into Dr. Thunder (Generic Dr. Pepper)

The Cinnamon, caramel and vanilla are all very common varities more suited to pursuing a Dr. Pepper/Vanilla Dr. P/ etc..

The common conception is if you add anything spice/cherry to a cola, it's a natural conversion into Dr. Pepper (23 spices and whatnot, and cherry is a dominant flavor in Dr. Pepper.)

As for it being fresh, I've tried a fair amount of the Dr. Pepper/Cola recipes out, and even with me liking frost breath from cooling agents, the ol adage of non-carbonation taste kills it. The cold helps, sure, but its ultimately like vaping refrigerated soda after it went flat from sitting on a counter for a few days.

Kudos! Continue the good fight!

2
MasterBeernutsOP•

Fantastic DarkJester - great comment and very helpful. The below part is very true - maybe one day they'll work out proper carbonation... but until then we make do :)

The cold helps, sure, but its ultimately like vaping refrigerated soda after it went flat from sitting on a counter for a few days.

​

2
DarkJester89The Clone-y Professor•

No worries, it's cool to see folks still pursuing coke. I get drinking sodas a month ago and it helps to have flavoring help curb the cravings

2
imNAchogrlKooky•

Does the shisha give u as good a mouthfeel as marshmallow? Myself I would love a blk cherry cola and yes definitely a vanilla and maybe a vanilla/ cherry. I think that fizzy sherbet is what I would try based on feedback from others for fizz, as for the meringue 🤔...not sure, maybe if what else I had didn’t work but I don’t think it really belongs in my soda but if you can make it work why not....;)

2
MasterBeernutsOP•

I find that INW Shisha Vanilla does improve mouthfeel - by thickening and adding creaminess (as well as vanilla) - not as much as TFA Marshmallow though. 1% TFA Marshmallow could be an option here. It's something we could try after testing, see if we need it. Worried that it might impart unwanted dryness though. Thanks Nachogrl

1
DarkJester89The Clone-y Professor•

I've only used Black Cherry- FA for the cola mixes, really good

1
oOflyeyesOo•

A dash of bergamot!

1
davidthelegendyoung•

I have a vanilla cola recipe that I and a lot of my friends like!

FA cola 3% TFA Cola Syrup 3% TFA French Vanilla Deluxe 2% FA Vanilla Custard 1%

If you want just straight cola flavor, I would suggest doing the cola syrup and cola at 3% each, then maybe like .5% of a tobacco, and some kind of flavor to give it a good carbonation taste.

1
redhotmonkeyluv•

TFA's Black Honey might combat FA Cola's lack of sweetness quite nicely. IMO, it is more akin to corn syrup than to honey. It's slight vanilla and spice should also fit with this profile.

0
MasterBeernutsOP•

What percentage do you normally use TFA Black Honey in a mix? Would you use it in addition to CAP Super Sweet, or to replace? The worry is it could be friend or foe in how it plays with the vanilla and spice already present.

2
redhotmonkeyluv•

I tend to use it in the 1-2% range. With 4% FA Cola I would test it at 1-1.5% (sans Super Sweet) just to see if it's worth pursuing. I can understand your worries about layering, the vanilla aspect shouldn't be an issue but the spice, while light, tastes a bit like anise.

2
OneThousandNopesDiketones, Schmiketones•

Is Black Honey not a tobacco flavour?

2
ReMaxxUTTobacconist•

Not a tobacco flavor?

0
OneThousandNopesDiketones, Schmiketones•

Yeah sure sounds like a tobacco. Was curious how it would blend with cola. Never tasted it though, sounds interesting concentrate.

2
DarkJester89The Clone-y Professor•

It is a tobacco,

"Relatable Flavors:

chocolate vanilla cigar the light chocolate and vanilla notes remind me of Captain Black cigar wrapper flavor

-add depth to an authentic pipe blend or Turkish style tobacco

Type of Tobacco

•Aromatic"

Aromatic tobaccos are lightly topped with a natural flavoring that provides both aroma (room note) and flavor when smoked. This casing may make the tobacco more moist than a non-aromatic blend.

The flavoring goes into the different types of tobacco, its not a strong flavored tobacco, but its most def a tobacco.

It's a tobacco flavor, used in other tobacco flavors, and is constantly described in flavor profiles as tobacco.

This is our original Black Honey Tobacco Flavor, but we have simplified the name. Black Honey captures the sweet, complex flavor of the finest pipe tobacco blends. - TFA

https://alltheflavors.com/flavors/the-flavor-apprentice-black-honey , notes for Black Honey

0
redhotmonkeyluv•

No, although it was formally known as Black Honey Tobacco it doesn't have any tobacco notes. It does contain coumarin which isn't uncommon in tobacco.

0
OneThousandNopesDiketones, Schmiketones•

I've read that it's sweet/not sweet, tobacco/not tobacco... Seems to be one of those Rorschach test flavours :))

3
DarkJester89The Clone-y Professor•

I don't think you used enough black honey, where are folks getting notes saying that Black Honey isn't a tobacco flavor?

2
redhotmonkeyluv•

Here's the GC/MS info. Aside from a flavor review posted here, I've not seen anyone refer to this concentrate as a tobacco.

1