Just read something, that the more air trapped in the bottle, is likely to cause nicotine degradation. Is this true? Because I planned on using big bottles (120mls) to mix 30-60ml of juice, I thought it would be a good idea, because there is more surface area allowing me to give it a better shake. So, the bottles im using are gonna be less than half full. will this ruin the nicotine?
Yes, this will increase the oxidation of your nicotine. This results in a more pronounced 'peppery' taste & darkening color. If you would prefer to avoid this, reduce the exposure to air of both your nicotine and final e-liquid.
Ok. This is kinda confusing. So I have a 250ml bottle of nicotine, Once I use half and get down to 125ml it will be half full, So what am I supposed to do then? Transfer it to another 125ml bottle? And keep transferring it until It runs out? So even thought the bottle is sealed, the extra space in the bottle can cause it to oxidize just as if the cap were off? I vape 120ml bottles alot, and sometimes I will go thru half and 60ml might sit in there for a few weeks, should I transfer those to small bottles as well? Kinda confused, Thanks for the help.
Have one bottle for daily carry, the other for storage. The storage bottle stays in a dark room, or better yet, the freezer.
When I get a fresh bottle of nicotine, I pop on my nitrile gloves, and decant it into 10ml bottles.
I keep them in the freezer, and have one 'active' mixing bottle out at any time.
10ml lasts a long time, so if you are good at mixing in batches (I normally mix when I feel like it) then you can stick it back in the freezer.
I keep one small 50ml bottle in my fridge to use, and the rest is in the freezer with tape around the cap. Is it ok to keep taking the smaller bottle in and out of the fridge, letting it come to room temp every time I mix? Also, should I still transfer the nic in the freezer to a smaller bottle since it is half empty? Or is it ok since it's in the freezer? Sorry, I'm new to this still.
I've been getting Nude Nic's armor v2. Their 500ml last me and the wife about 6 months. Stored in the freezer they keep well the entire time.
Previously I was buying 100ml bottles from ecigexpress, breaking them up into 15ml clear bottles (I had a bunch extra) and storing them in the fridge. This worked pretty well, but I could see the used bottles oxidizing when we only used half and put it back. The unopened ones kept well until we started using them.
If you decide not to use Nude Armor I'd recommend breaking them up into smaller bottles and then use the entire bottle when you make a batch. For me mixing 6mg with 100mg/ml base meant making 250ml of juice each batch.
Meh. It's up to you. I don't worry about it with my personal stuff, I just keep my nicotine in the fridge or freezer when I'm not using it, and any finished liquids stay out of sunlight & away from excess heat.
The higher quality of the nicotine to start with, the less of an immediate concern, in my experience. I'm spoiled, and get to use the same nicotine for my diy that we use for our brands.
Do you notice any difference in your liquids that you let sit in a half full bottle for a while? If not, then don't worry about it. If you notice that they don't taste as good as it did, then try minimizing air & light exposure whilst it sits around. Personally, I like a little bite, but I'm also one of the few heretics around here that still vapes 12mg.
Can't really tell if I notice a difference. But im confused about the empty space, Like if I have 250ml bottle of nicotine, but its only half full, should I be worried about the extra space in the bottle?
I'd say no, in your case. Some people are really...sensitive to oxidized nicotine. It sounds like you don't really have any issues with it. I'm guessing you've been doing it this way for a while, with no issues? If so, just keep doing what you're doing. If you're going to be leaving the 250mL bottle half filled for a long period of time [like over a month of 2], or if you notice a change in the quality of the older nicotine, then I would recommend transferring to a smaller container & storing in the freezer. If you're using it regularly, just keep it out of sunlight and away from heat.
Thanks for the help. This is my first time with DIY ejuice, so never done this before. Just wanna make sure I don't ruin anything. I once tried to heat steep an ejuice, and it was too hot, and completely ruined the nicotine, tasted disgusting, thats why im worried about oxidation. So should I keep it in the freezer?
For large containers of mixed juice, as long as you store it long term in a cool and dark place, the only real concern is losing flavor due to air escaping every time you open the bottle.
Your nic supply is worth protecting though, especially if it's high quality. Use a smaller working bottle and toss the bulk of it in the freezer.
To be clear, all of this is true BUT people tend to over emphasize nic oxidization. I make a few 120 mL batches of different flavors and vape through them over the course of a month. By week 3, they are all about 3/4 empty leaving tons of air in the bottles. The flavors do not get peppery. I've left mostly empty 120mL bottles lying around for over a month and they still didn't get peppery.
I've also bought 120mL of 100mg nic and not bothered to put it in the freezer ever and used it up over the course of a few months. Again, lots of air in the bottle in the last month or two of using that nic. The last batch I made was as great as the first, no pepperyness.
Now I'm not saying you should do that with your nic. I do recommend storing the bulk of your nic in the freezer and transferring 30mL at a time into a 30mL bottle to daily use. But I wouldn't bother with argon unless you plan to keep it around for 6+ months.
And for mixing 30mL batches in a 120mL bottle, my biggest concern would be losing lighter flavor volatiles in the air trapped in the bottle. That happens with fruits even if you mix in small bottles so bigger bottles will likely make it happen quicker.
My 2 cents.