1.Can I trust old flavorings 2.When mixing by weight how much does .02mg affect the end result?

[Boybloo]

I used to mix regularly but then it became a chore with all the syringes and cleanup but I'm getting back into it. I'm mixing by weight now and it's really less of a chore. The thing is, my flavorings are two years old. I bought a total of 1.26 liters of flavoring when I started and I still have at least half of that left. I know they haven't gone bad but as I am learning these flavorings by trial and error, would I have to relearn everything once the flavorings are replaced?

Here are my options as I see it...

• Mix up a few large batches of a few good recipes to use up what's on hand and buy a new set of flavorings for the learning process.
• Use the flavorings in recipes I've made in the past to see I can tell if the potency has diminished.
• Continue with the trial and error learning process and adjust to the new flavorings as I replace the old ones.

The other thing is, I'm using pipettes for dispensing flavorings and a lot of times I'm .01 or .02mg short, and adding a drop sends me over by the same margin. Is this ok, or do I have to go back to syringes to get exact amounts? How much does a drop affect the final result? I know it's close enough for government work but I want to be able to reproduce my results. I've thought about adding a column on my recipe sheet to input the actual amounts, is this necessary because that would be a bit of a chore

 

[Beamslider]

Replace them with the same brand and flavor. Should be the same.

If those are more than a year old, I would replace them. Flavors fade and change over time.

 

[B2L]

Ain’t mixing by weight great!

I’ve got some flavoring that I’ve had for several years and still use, when I find something I like I tend to buy in bulk. I haven’t noticed any change in potency but I’ve been using them all along. If I were to stop using it for awhile and went back to it I would imagine there might be some difference but it would be minimal I would think, not enough where you would have to “re-learn” everything.

I would mix small batches, 5ml or so of known recipes and see if they still work for you and then go from there. Definitely stay away from large batches at the moment.

As far as a .01-.02 variance, I’m sure there are some folks who could taste the difference but I’m not one of them and don’t worry about it personally.

You would get more responses in the DIY mixing forum, I’ll bet @classwife can help you out there.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Coyote628]

.01 or .02 mg? One hundreth or two hundredths of a mg is so miniscule that it wont be noticed.

 

[classwife]

You would get more responses in the DIY mixing forum, I’ll bet @classwife can help you out there.

Thanks B2L !
Moved this to DIY e-liquid from General E-Liquid Discussion

 

[Vapedog]

@Boybloo
One of the main things to keep an eye on as your concentrates get older is the integrity of the bottle or containers seal. I have had a number in the past, mine are in 30ml plastic type ones with plastic type caps, is that it can lose its ability now and then. I had a bottle of FA Up, a bit left so ordered another. Opened the new one and was immediately struck by the strong aroma. I then got the older one and it didn't smell quite as strong. I then put the lid back on and squeezed the bottle and heard air escape. I now regularly check all my mixes and concentrates for seal integrity and have found here and there fails. The worst are from child proof tops that have the inner lid/seal then the outer that require you to push down to open it. The repeated pushing down can and sometimes does cause the inner to split/crack without noticing as its covered and hidden by the outer one.

 

[JCinFLA]

@Boybloo - I, personally, wouldn't just pitch your older flavorings. I've had quite a few of my smallest bottles/vials of flavorings since early 2016, and they're still fine, to me. I can't detect any difference in their smell, taste, nor potency. I also buy some of my most favorite and often used flavorings in 16oz. bottles...even though I know it'll likely take me 2 years or more to use some of them up. So far, I can't detect any changes in any of them either, and I've had 2 of them for right at 2 years. I keep all of my bottles and vials of flavorings away from sunlight, in fairly large plastic, divided, storage/organizer cases, in my air-conditioned house. They're not refrigerated at all, yet they're fine.

Not long after I started DIY, I had a chat with Kimberly (owner of OneStopDIYShop) about how long flavorings are usually still good. She told me they don't "go bad", as in spoil, because of the bases they're mixed with (which I knew already). Also, that flavorings should be their most potent for about 12-18 months, depending on how/where they're kept. Longer than that...some may lose a very tiny bit of potency, but not enough that most people would even notice. So far, I've found that what she told me then, has held true.

 

[Capt.shay]

I've found that it really depends on the flavors. Some last 6 months before they really start to change profile and I have had others up to I think four or so years and they are still fine. Mostly my nose will tell me. If it has any lemon in it, the lemon will usually start to over load the taste. I had a RY4 that when I got toward the bottom of the bottle, it was real thick and the odor was off after about 12 months (could have been some settling as well).

As far as being of .02, Forgetaboutit! It is less than a drop. That is the smallest we can reasonably distribute. You really can't get much more accurate by our methods (though I can get a short drop sometimes when I'm messing around trying to hit my numbers precisely.

 

[jpasint]

I also have several flavors that are years old.
Don't know if their profile has been lost or weakened but based on a few recipes I made over this past weekend, I think they are fine.

 

[DeloresRose]

I have flavors that are years old. I’ve thrown a couple out that looked off, like they had floaters in them. And a couple smelled a bit off, usually stuff with a cinnamon flavor, or a coffee.

Otherwise, I’ve had very good luck, keeping them cool, dry, and dark.

I mix by volume, and unless I’m making a tiny test 5 mls or so, one drop, or even a few, doesn’t make a difference. The only things that could cause an issue at such a small amount might be marshmallow, EM, sweetener, or nic, and in those cases go with a touch under rather than over.

 

[rosesense]

I have flavorings that are 9 years old and they are fine so I wouldn't worry about it.