My first 3 jars!

[Hourman]

My first steeping experiment. I chose 3 very different tobaccos

Lane Limited "Crown Achievement"
Balkan-English blend
Virginia, Oriental, latakia, and Perique
28g, 150 ml PG, hot bump 120F, 8hrs
4/11/21
6 week test, unfiltered - 15%, 50/50, 18Mg, Holic RDA, SS twisted 1.2 ohm - Nice, strong flavor and I can distinguish some seperation between the oriental/Virginia, the Latakia, and the Perique. I could final filter this now and be happy with it, but I'll continue to steep it so that maybe I can use a lower final percentage.

Mac Baren - HH "Old Dark Fired"
Kentucky Dark fired, Virginia
28g, 150ml PG, hot bump 120F, 8hrs
4/11/21
6 week test, unfiltered - 15%, 50/50, 18Mg, Holic RDA, SS twisted 1.2 ohm - Not bad, but less than I was hoping for. This is one of my favorite tobaccos to smoke, so it's unavoidable to compare it to it's combusted version. This is smooth and rounded, with a nice mellow flavor. I was hoping for a more spicy barbecue flavor from Kentucky dark fired tobacco. I will continue to steep and reevaluate.

CAO "Eileen's Dream"
Black Cavendish, Cigar Leaf, Virginia
Irish Cream and White Chocolate Truffle
28g, 150ml PG, hot bump 120F, 8hrs
4/11/21
6 week test, unfiltered - 15%, 50/50, 18Mg, Holic RDA, SS twisted 1.2 ohm - Not so good. Very little flavor here. I don't taste any tobacco at all. what I get is a weak creamy flavor, mostly on the exhale. It is "Irish" creamy, similar to a commercial coffee creamer. It has a bit of sweetness, but I'm not sensing chocolate at all. I will continue to steep and reevaluate.

[Peter_Ramish]

Hi there @Hourman ! Welcome to the BBS !

Your first three jars sound like a great selection! Especially the HH Dark Fired ! It has always been one of my favorites, I use it 'neat' but also as a mix ingredient for top notes and sometimes a base flavoring. You will hear me and other toss around the acronym "TIS" and it is good to keep that in mind as you read others opinions and descriptions and whether they feel they have a "Hit or a Miss" on any particular extraction. Of course, TIS stands for Taste is Subjective, In other words, if something works for you it is a HIT, no matter how others might feel about it.

I understand you are still puffing on a combustable pipe. Nothing wrong with that! many folks are dual users. As you keep experimenting with vape and also with your own extractions, you will begin to more and more appreciate the subtle but very rewarding taste profiles of vape tobacco extractions. It takes time to adjust your palate. Be patient, don't give up, as there really is light at the end of the tunnel.

[Kinnikinnick]

if something works for you it is a HIT, no matter how others might feel about it.

My thoughts exactly! Everyone comes into their own, with regards to flavor profiles. It took me 4+ years, extracting everything under the sun, before I settled into what really satisfies my tastebuds.

Just for the record:

https://www.smokingpipes.com/tobacco/bulk/

https://www.pipesandcigars.com/shop/bul ... 26/?v=5000

You can experiment quite a bit, at a reasonable cost, by purchasing single ounce choices from somewhere like Smoking Pipes or Pipes and Cigars.

[Hourman]

I edited the original post after doing 6 week sample testing. Mixed results, as expected. The overall experience, so far, has been fun and interesting. I'm happy that my generally preferred smoking profile is also my best extraction so far. DIY NET is a formidable rabbit hole.

[CAAB]

This is smooth and rounded, with a nice mellow flavor. I was hoping for a more spicy barbecue flavor from Kentucky dark fired tobacco.

It's interesting to hear that someone had a similar experience. I was surprised myself to find the HH Old Dark Fired to be more mild and smooth. I actually enjoy it as an all day vape. I was never a cigarette smoker, but it kind of has what I imagine to be a fancy cigarette feel. This was after a year of steeping. As you mentioned, I was anticipating more of a dark fired depth to it.

DIY NET is a formidable rabbit hole.

Yeah. The tricky part is that a lot of the reviews out there are for combusted tobacco. Sometimes the vape can be completely different than combustion. That's why I like this forum. It will be a great place to find out what the vape is like.

To start out, I am extracting an obnoxious amount of tobaccos. Kind of a shotgun strategy. Hopefully there will be some gems in there. I suspect I will be dumping a lot. But once that initial phase is over with, I imagine I will have a comfortable collection of what works for me and be able to expand at a slower, more comfortable rate.

I sometimes wonder though what the DIY NET community is going to look like going forward with all the bans and regulations, at least in the US.