Advise: Handling 100 mg and effective mixing in 250 ml bottles?

[yzer]

I have 250 ml of fresh 100 mg in Glycerin USP in a sealed container. Tomorrow I plan on reducing this to 25 mg and storing it in the refrigerator for up to 18 months in four 250 ml amber boston round lab bottles (one liter, total). The caps are phenolic with a polycone liner. Each bottle will contain 25 mg nicotine in Glycerin USP and nothing else (62.5 ml of the 100 mg plus 187.5 ml of Glycerin USP).

These bottles will not contain anything else. I will use these bottles for longer term storage until I use them to mix the unflavored juice I like by adding more Glycerin USP and 5% water. I have reduced juices from 25 mg several times before but in smaller batches.

I will be using 100 ml graduated cylinders for this job with (meh) 1 ml accuracy or so. I work with chemicals on my boat so I already have an organic vapor respirator, glasses and latex gloves ready for use when handling the 100 mg. I plan on warming all liquids in a water bath prior to mixing.

So, here is where I'd like some advice. 250 ml fills these boston round bottles right to the bottom of the neck. There is very little airspace to allow mixing of the contents by shaking. I want an even mix of the nicotine without hot spots in the bottle. I'd rather add the 100 mg to the bottle last before capping to reduce nicotine vapor where I'm working. I'm thinking maybe I could put the 100 mg in each bottle first, then the Glycerin and cap and agitate the bottle a couple of times as I fill it. Any ideas? Maybe I'm being overcautious. I just want the nicotine evenly distributed in the bottle before it goes into the refrigerator.

 

[Bosco]

I also make nic base in advance - I make 60mls at a time in a 120ml bottle because I feel like it's really important to shake well . .several times over the course of a day or 2 . .to get a really well mixed base.

If I were undertaking your project I would most likely get a bigger bottle or container for mixing and then fill my 250's from there. If no other containers were available to me - I would use one of the 250's to make 100ml at a time and fill the other 3 from that. Then I would make a 100ml batch in the 4th 250 . .use it for a while and when it's empty make another 150mls from my remaining 100mg nic.

Maybe I'm being undercautious . .but all I do when handling 100mg is be carefull not to spill and if I do spill some on my hands (which I have done) I wipe it off immediately with paper towels and go wash my hands.


edit - I just re-read your post and see your planning to warm your nic base before mixing . . if I were going to do that I would be more concerned about nic vapor. As it is - I just mix everything cold and shake shake shake.

 

[the_vape_nerd]

I also make nic base in advance - I make 60mls at a time in a 120ml bottle because I feel like it's really important to shake well . .several times over the course of a day or 2 . .to get a really well mixed base.

If I were undertaking your project I would most likely get a bigger bottle or container for mixing and then fill my 250's from there. If no other containers were available to me - I would use one of the 250's to make 100ml at a time and fill the other 3 from that. Then I would make a 100ml batch in the 4th 250 . .use it for a while and when it's empty make another 150mls from my remaining 100mg nic.

Maybe I'm being undercautious . .but all I do when handling 100mg is be carefull not to spill and if I do spill some on my hands (which I have done) I wipe it off immediately with paper towels and go wash my hands.


edit - I just re-read your post and see your planning to warm your nic base before mixing . . if I were going to do that I would be more concerned about nic vapor. As it is - I just mix everything cold and shake shake shake.

im just gonna put in here that get some damn gloves lol....they are inexpensive and while a pain in the .... to put on they could save you a trip to the ER....I use 100mg nic all the time but i never do it without gloves or eye protection....i see hat bosco here has gotten some on himself and nothing too bad happened but if i were you OP and taking on a project of this size, i'd get the safety down pat first

 

[spaceballsrules]

Use the bottle that is currently holding the 100mg as the 5th bottle, which would give you 50ml of space for air in each bottle, which would be plenty of wiggle room for shaking.

 

[yzer]

Thanks for the suggestions. Using the original 100 mg bottle as a fifth bottle or using additional bottles makes sense to me. I have two additional 250 ml bottles ready to use for a total of six glass bottles. I'll use five bottles, 200 ml in each, cap and agitate well. Then I'll pour off to fill 3 bottles to the max for storage. The fourth bottle will have less than 250 ml but I'll be using it first anyway.

the_vape_nerd: I get cheap disposable ChemGrade latex gloves from Ace Hardware. I've used them for years for mixing paint, varnish and solvents of many kinds. They will work fine.

I should get started in a few hours. I'm setting up a warm water bath in one of the kitchen sinks. I'm thinking between 100-120 degrees F will be fine. I just want to make the Glycerin run and mix faster.

 

[john333]

have you considered using a ultrasonic to aggitate the mix. would eliminate the need for air space. i know for my long term storage i want as little air space as possible.

 

[yzer]

have you considered using a ultrasonic to aggitate the mix. would eliminate the need for air space. i know for my long term storage i want as little air space as possible.

Maybe later on. I don't have an ultrasonic mixer available right now. Also, I want a few finished 30 ml bottles at 20 mg done by the end of the day. I ran out of unflavored a few days ago and I'm eager to start vaping it again. I'm going to over fill three of the 250 ml bottles right up into the neck to trap as little air as possible.

 

[Aras]

You are not being over cautious at all. 10% nicotine solution is pretty dangerous stuff. Gloves and eye protection are necessary. Your plan of adding a bit at a time and agitating is great. It will help to achieve a uniform solution. Keep the air out of your bottles and triple check all measurement. Good Luck!

 

[Kurt]

Consider freezer storage rather than fridge. They will last a LOT longer. Realize introducing ANYTHING will bring more O2 into the mix, especially water. In the fridge you will probably get a fair amount of oxidation within a few months. In the freezer, the reactions pretty much stop with VG-nic.

And yes, gloves and eye protection are a must when working with open 100 mg.

 

[yzer]

Everything worked just fine. I used the five bottle method to mix down to four 250 ml bottles. 50 ml of 100 mg went in first followed by 100 ml of VG and agitation. Then 50 ml of VG followed with more mixing. Finally, the contents of bottle five were used to top off bottles 1-4. The next job was to mix up 126 ml of unflavored 95/5 VG/H20 which is my favorite vape. That went into 30 ml drip bottles. I'm enjoying unflavored again, as I type.

The 250 ml bottles are staying in a dark and cool cupboard until Sunday, when I get back to town. I want to let the air bubbles clear from that base before I top off three of the bottles for storage. I'm considering putting them in the freezer since the VG won't freeze and expand.

Very happy with the Xtreme Vaping product, as usual. Seen through the 100 ml graduated cylinders the product is clear. A faint yellow tint is visible on the 100 mg when I look down inside a full 250 ml bottle. Looking down into a bottle the same size but at 25 mg, the XTR product is clear.