Mask Caffeine taste?

[Hayes88]

Know it's not really AAS homebrew, but thought it was close enough.
I love energydrinks, like love em! So I wanna try make my own sugarfree version and maybe spice
it up a little at home.
Don't wanna make a smoothie, wanna make a redbull alternative.

I bought all sorts of herbs, vitamins, minerals and whatnot to mix with sugarfree syrup or
other mixes, but holy hell does it all taste like sh*t!!

Herbs was a no-go immediately for the bitter and earthy taste (even smell) that it all brings.
Caffeine seems to have no smell, but it all taste like chemicals as soon as I add it.
The chemical taste lingers long after as well, unbearable.
The higher dose, the worse taste...

How do labs manage to mask this so well in drinks in stores?
Anyone know what I can try at home?

 

[ShaneHH]

Know it's not really AAS homebrew, but thought it was close enough.
I love energydrinks, like love em! So I wanna try make my own sugarfree version and maybe spice
it up a little at home.
Don't wanna make a smoothie, wanna make a redbull alternative.

I bought all sorts of herbs, vitamins, minerals and whatnot to mix with sugarfree syrup or
other mixes, but holy hell does it all taste like sh*t!!

Herbs was a no-go immediately for the bitter and earthy taste (even smell) that it all brings.
Caffeine seems to have no smell, but it all taste like chemicals as soon as I add it.
The chemical taste lingers long after as well, unbearable.
The higher dose, the worse taste...

How do labs manage to mask this so well in drinks in stores?
Anyone know what I can try at home?

Dry scoop it

 

[laclark89]

Mabe add lemon

 

[grey]

Dry scoop it

^That

If anything poisons the flavor of a multi-component drink just dry scoop that bit.

 

[jJjburton]

Know it's not really AAS homebrew, but thought it was close enough.
I love energydrinks, like love em! So I wanna try make my own sugarfree version and maybe spice
it up a little at home.
Don't wanna make a smoothie, wanna make a redbull alternative.

I bought all sorts of herbs, vitamins, minerals and whatnot to mix with sugarfree syrup or
other mixes, but holy hell does it all taste like sh*t!!

Herbs was a no-go immediately for the bitter and earthy taste (even smell) that it all brings.
Caffeine seems to have no smell, but it all taste like chemicals as soon as I add it.
The chemical taste lingers long after as well, unbearable.
The higher dose, the worse taste...

How do labs manage to mask this so well in drinks in stores?
Anyone know what I can try at home?

Cittruline malate from Bulk Supplements taste like sour candy, might be a glod addition as a sugar free additive, and youll get a pump

 

[Hayes88]

Damn, thank you guys! Thought this thread would die... So I bought everything between the earth and moon to mask it. Don't wanna dry scoop it because the point is to learn to make what I love (want it carbonated as well and soda-styled). However, non seem to work. The more fun component, the more chemical, earthy or bitter the taste.

I have tried limit ingrediences and dosages to no avail. Tried every sugar free additive, mixer, berries, or juice/ soda there is, and sure it taste great at first, but immediately the chemical stuff takes over as a potent aftertaste.

Contacted several labs here with no reply, and I even contacted energy drink suppliers and of course they don't wanna tell their "secret". Even offered to pay for the information but no.

It feels like they don't just mask it, but maybe boil the stuff or change structure to remove some of the bad taste? I am totally lost..

 

[BigTomJ]

I mean, sounds like you're trying to reinvent the wheel.

Energy drinks are probably a multi billion dollar industry with gigantic budgets to develope and prepare new flavors and twerk their existing recipes.


I get it as a fun little project, but I think it's going to be an uphill battle, if it's about current energy drinks just not having the products you want, I'd just have a real energy drink and add that other product somewhere else.

I think you'll be very hard pressed to make something that tastes better than what's already out there.