I'm quite new to this, and am having a lot of fun and learning loads thanks to this sub, but have an issue I hope you can help with.
I mixed a few recipes and put them in a dark place to steep for a couple of weeks. Over time they turned darker and got that peppery note, to the point they were pretty much unvapeable.
I'm thinking that a big reason behind that is I live in Malta and it's the height of summer. So the nic oxidised due to temp and not light. Does that make sense?
I've just mixed a new batch and am steeping it in the fridge, but I was wondering whether I should mix without the nic, let the juice steep, then add the nic just before I vape? Isnt this basically the same as buying a short-fill and putting a nic shot in?
Does anyone else have this problem in hot weather climates, and any advice you can share?
Both temperature and light are the main cause of nic oxidisation but I live in the south of France and don't have any problems steeping in a coolish drawer. The ambient temp in the house is around 26. It is normal for juices to change colour during steeping time depending on what flavours have been added. You could add the nic later but ideally you want the nic in during the steep as it does count towards the final recipe. What is the condition of your nic when you start?....clear, yellowish, dark. It should be completely clear or maybe with a slight hint of yellow. If its not then you nic is bad. It won't do you any harm though. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the reply. Our ambient temp is over 30 (very little aircon in our apartment, unfortunately), which is what led to my speculation.
My nic was clear when it went in - maaaaaaaaybe a very slight tint but nothing dramatic. I was buying a few nic shots at a time from my local vape store and was storing them in the fridge. They were fine for shake & vape, so I don't *think* that was the problem. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
When you say "it counts towards the final recipe", do you mean in terms of the flavour blending across the whole mix (and the nic actually contributing) , or the pg/vg being correct in the end? I'm now in possession of some 100mg/ml nic, so could minimise the "dilution" aspect.
I'm really just hoping to avoid having to bin otherwise tasty juice because it turns so badly after a few weeks.
To be honest i'm not sure what difference 4 degrees would make. Maybe you could post a picture so that we can see the colours. Have you tried doing a flavourless mix and vaping it straight away to see if you're getting any nasties off the bat?
Yes I did mean the nic contributes to the final flavour after a steep. I never fuss over fluctuations in PG/VG %. I work with 100mg/ml nic in 100% PG so when it means I go below my 30PG 70VG ratio i never worry about it. By the way my nic is very slightly tinged also.
I haven't tried the flavourless mix, no. It's definitely a good idea, but now that I have the 100mg/ml I don't particularly feel like getting more nic shots just to try it ;)
I think a good experiment will be to try a pre & post steep comparison and see if it makes a difference. Will do that when I make my next batch. If I find out anything significant, I'll report back.
Thanks for your advice!
I do nic and flavors, then fill with vg (I don't add pg).
I'm a truck driver and pretty much live in my truck only visiting home a few times a year. I mix a few thousand ml to bring on the truck with me once or twice a year.
Bottles are stored in a box behind my drivers seat so protected from the light but not so much the heat. AC running in warmer months, but the floor of the truck can still easily be 27+.
Usually only have minimal nic degradation after 8 months for unused bottles. If bottles had some usage then the time shortans due to more air getting in them.
You need to mix up an unflavored bottle with the nic level you use and taste it.
Stored in a dark place, you should not be having that problem in only 30 to 60 days.
I add nic when I mix, most of the stuff I make doesn't really need any kind of steep and I make a 1 month or so supply at a time, never had any issues with over oxidized nic in that time frame. If you're steeping for prolonged periods you can mix first and add nic later, I just never really have any liquid sitting around long enough for it to be an issue, everything is vaped within 2 months of mixing at the most.
Have you tried some Snv recipes? I also live in a tropical country where ambient temp is 30-ish Celsius. I also do notice that my mixes get darker over time, but i never noticed them getting harsher. In fact, they tend to mellow out (not really nic, but more about some citrus flavors).
Yeah - Snv was fine. I was completely expecting the mixes to get darker, just not harsher :). I think I'll also try a zero nic mix, to see if it's something to do with aroma, PG or VG. I mainly noticed it on a concentrate, but it's my first venture into DIY so I don't have much experience to deduce the root problem.
I've gone from burning trees to building coils and mixing juice in under 4 months, so am still very much in that "don't have a clue" phase. All I actually know is I'm not going back to analogues, and am hugely appreciative of the vaping & mixing community!
Hmm maybe your nic is bad? Idk haha unvapable juices for me point to bad or oxidised nic. Where do you get your nic?