Bottle sizes for DIY

[Engora]

I am wondering - Is bottle size VS amount mixed a factor on the flavor of the juice? I am mixing 200 ml in a 500 ml bottle. Yes, I was crazy to buy bunch of good quality 500 ml glass bottles from an estate sale. Its a bit easier to shake well and offers me the opportunity to mix larger quantity with seed steep from this. However, the huge (more than half) open space in the bottle made me think - will it impact the quality/flavor of my juice? I mixed a tobacco (3% Dunhill + 2% Sweet Tobacco) and planning for 6 weeks steeping.
Please share your experiences....

 

[NatashaTMT]

Good question! Obviously they’ll be more air in the bottle. Though if you’re not opening the bottle, perhaps it wouldn’t have any flavor degradation and be perfectly fine. Opening the bottle would release flavor molecules in the contained air, allowing fresh air in to absorb more flavor molecules. If not opened, I would think it’d be minimum at worse but I can’t say I know this for a fact. I’m curious as to your responses here.

 

[IDJoel]

More air equals more potential for flavor loss and nicotine oxidation. How much can depend on specific flavor concentrates used, as well as amount of nicotine. Temperature, adgitation, and how often the bottle is opened and reopened will also have an impact.

To get a better idea of how much/little it is impacting your specific recipes; I would suggest drawing off a small amount, and filling a small 15-30mL bottle, and use it as a comparison to the large bottle as both age. If, you detect little/no difference, then you are good. If, it is significantly different/less enjoyable, then I would look at investing in some smaller bottles.

Let us know what you learn.

 

[Engora]

Thanks for your responses!

I have set aside 30 ml for testing during the steeping period. I will use it for comparison. since both of them are clear glass, I will get a good sense of oxidation from the darkness of the juice.

Curious to hear if others experienced degradation of flavor. In that case.. I will put them in multiple 60 ml (don't have any larger) bottles to avoid disappointment after 6 weeks.

 

[DaveP]

30ml, 60ml, and 120ml Boston Rounds glass bottle sizes make sense for different applications. If you are testing a flavor 30ml is good. Once I know that I like a flavor I go to 60ml for my later mixes. I use 120ml bottles to mix unflavored juice. On the 60ml and 120ml I fill to 50ml and 100ml to leave shake and stir room as well as allowing for thermal expansion.

I use 250ml glass bottles to transfer my 100mg/ml nic from the plastic bottle to something that will store in the freezer. LDPE thin tip bottles are good for filling atomizers.

 

[Zaryk]

I mix in 30, 45, 100, & 250 ml bottles. I tend to fill them to maximum capacity (for example, I will mix up 85 ml of juice in my 100 ml bottle, place it on my paint shaker to mix, then add the last 15 ml in and hand shake that in). This leaves just enough air in the my bottle to hand shake the mix before the first use, and this method has worked very well for me so far.

 

[NatashaTMT]

I use 5ml vials & bottles for single flavor test and 10 ml vials & bottles for new mix testing. If I like but further testing is needed, I’ll then go to 30ml. If I like as is without any concerns and the mix doesn’t require a long steep, I’ll go to 50ml. If it needs a longer steep, I go to 100 or 120ml. I mix directly in the bottle, using a couple different electric mixers, when possible. So I hold my liquid volume back 1 ml from the size of the container. Example: 10ml vial - mix 9ml total volume. This enables me to avoid overflow when electric mixing. IMO, theres no need to shake or mix again when using electric mixers initially. To each their own as long as you find what works for you Happy mixing!

 

[DeloresRose]

I have 15 ml bottles for 10 ml tests. I use 30 mls for juice to vape. 120 mls for mixing. Although, if I were going to use 200 mls of any one flavor in a reasonable time, I’d use bigger bottles.

I don’t leave a lot of head space in any of them, except a few that need the air. Some flavors have a bit of alcohol in them that I try to evaporate off, leaving them without a lid for a day or two.

I tried one of those tiny mixers, which I found muted the flavors a lot - ymmv, but at least the 4-5 mixes I made that day, ones I make frequently, were quite diminished. I think it would be perfect to use on those alcohol flavors, and ones that need to steep, like, forever. Better than muting them with adds (EM, smooth etc), I’d say.

 

[stols001]

Well you will have more air in the bottle how much that will impact nic and flavoring is hard to say. I have pretty much mixed with as little as maybe 5% mixing "room" and as much as 2/3 of (whatever size) bottle. My flavors and nic both held up fine with more mixing room, it's possible they oxidized a little faster, I guess, but not enough for me to note a huge difference. I usually don't air my mixes unless I'm getting a taste that I'm feeling is harsh or not smooth enough, so IDK, is kind of my answer. I can only say with some of my "more roomy" mixes that I didn't notice enough of a difference-- on my mixing, vaping, steeping schedule, however. Yours may be quite different and etc.

Best of luck and by all means report back.

Anna

 

[smacuser]

Dunhill and Sweet Tobacco sounds like a good mix .

 

[Myk]

I have 10ml (from empty flavors and health food store ginseng), 15ml, 30ml, 60ml and 120ml. The 120's and most of the 60's are used for nicotine storage.

The 60's for recipes are the ones I vape all the time. 30's are my usuals. 15's are for ones I want to vape here and there, either not enough for 30ml or just a change.

The 10's get my testers at 5-10ml so they have plenty of headspace.
I have not noticed any degradation in the amount of time those hang out that I'm willing to taste them (enough to steep) (I may forget about some until I need bottles years later but I dump them). They haven't even gone dark like I've had some recipes do in plastic squeeze bottles.

If I had 500ml bottles I'd buy more nicotine. I'd never have a use for them for liquid making otherwise.

 

[FranC]

I use 15ml,30ml,and to a lesser extent 60ml and 120ml.....all glass.

 

[Engora]

Dunhill and Sweet Tobacco sounds like a good mix .

I mixed this couple of months ago as an experiment. After steeping it turned out great, similar to Halo Freedom juice with little more tobacco kick. I finished that 20 ml in few days. Now .. I have to wait another month or so..that sucks.

 

[smacuser]

I mixed this couple of months ago as an experiment. After steeping it turned out great, similar to Halo Freedom juice with little more tobacco kick. I finished that 20 ml in few days. Now .. I have to wait another month or so..that sucks.

I saw Dunhill was similar to Freedom juice on the Tobacco thread and had some arrive on Thursday. I even happen to have some ST sitting around, as well.

 

[Frenchfry1942]

I grew fairly quickly in bottle sizes. I always have 5ml bottles for testing, and retreating, recipes. I buy in bulk.

For finalized recipes, I use 250 and 125ml Brown bottles. I don't fill them when I mix a batch. I'll make 200ml so I'll have room to shake.