Sweeteners
In this video I speak about two of the most popular sweeteners that mixers use and also talk about another sweetener that's on the up and up. I break down exactly what these ingredients are, how best to use them, and the differences between them. Give this video a quick watch if you want a better understanding of sweeteners. Especially if you want that "commercial juice" flavor that's on the market.
Sucralose:
UPDATED: 5/13/20
Sucralose (aka TFA/FW Sweetener, CAP Super Sweet, Sucralose 5 or 10%) is the most popular "enhancer" used by mixers. It's the reason the juices on the shelves have that extremely sweet, sugary, feeling. That "sugar lips" feeling you get form some commercial juices, where it's so sweet that when you lick your lips you can taste the sugar, that's from a high amount of Sucralose. So if you're after that commercial flavor, then you're going to want to pick up some sucralose. The difference kind of sucraloses out there make things a bit confusing. TFA Sweetener is sucralose at 5% with Maltol at 5%. One ingredient in TFA Sweetener you may find detrimental is the amount of water content. Cap Super Sweet is sucralose at a 10% solution, that also contains preservatives and acids like Citric Acid. It's the industry standard, and used in many, many commercially available e-liquids on the shelves. Flavor West Sweetener, according to their safety sheets, seem to suggest Sucralose at 30-40% of its weight. Much, much higher than the others, but without any other preservatives (and possibly 20% water content). And if you purchase plain sucralose that's already diluted, then it's usually at a 5-10%. In this video I talk about the best way to use sucralose and ways to not use sucralose so make sure to watch it to learn more.
Ethyl Maltol:
UPDATE: I edited this article to reflect my thoughts on this compound, after more insight, and much more time using it.
Ethyl Maltol (aka EM, or Cotton Candy) is another extremely popular enhancer. This is often viewed as a sweetener, but that would not be correct. Ethyl Maltol, or EM, is actually just a cotton candy flavored aroma. Because this is an aroma, it doesn't work on the sweetness receptors of tongue, and therefore not a sweetener. So don't use it like a sweetener! Now, that's not to say the flavoring isn't "sweet". It's just that the sweetness comes from within, meaning it inherently sweetens aromas. If you think of Sucralose as dumping plain white sugar into something, then EM is using sweeter ingredients. It's a great way to make certain flavors within a recipe SEEM to taste a bit sweeter, turning them into a more candy like aroma, as opposed to a fruit like aroma. Best used with non-citrus flavors like Strawberry, Blueberry, Mango. Ethyl Maltol can be purchased in a 10% solution, or as a Cotton Candy flavoring (like TFA/FW Cotton Candy ), or in a powder form where you can dilute them yourself. Just remember if you do, to do so in a 10% solution. One profile it works really well in is vanilla. Custards, creams, and bright vanillas benefit greatly from a bit of EM. Just don't go overboard, and you'll find your custards sweeter, without any distraction or astringency. If you need a sweetener that is very subtle and doesn't actually affect your palate in any way, then this could be for you.
Erythritol:
This is a newer sweetener that just hit the market. It's a sweetener made from sugar-alcohols that works in the same way as Sucralose. But what makes this ingredient so excellent is that it extremely heat stable meaning it can last at much higher temps than Sucralose. This means that it won't completely ruin your coils as fast as Sucralose does because sucralose has mass losses at a much lower temp, temps that we exceed when we vape. So this makes Erythritol a super effective sweetener for those who use tanks, or don't change wicks often. This can be found at nudenicotine.com or ecigexpress.com and will be sold in a 5% solution. Use exactly as you would sucralose.