Can Nicotine go bad? What am I doing wrong?

[n19htmare]

things to note: All flavoring is TFA from Wizard Labs, all mixes are 50/50 pg/vg.
I use eJuicemeup calculator.

I have some 60mg nic 100% VG from Wizard Labs that's now about 3 weeks old.

When I got my nic i made some simple stuff and it wasn't bad. 10ml amount, mix of strawberry-Kiwi with 5% flavoring of each and 6mg nic strength. It was good, smooth and had decent flavor. very vapor-able.

Today (3 weeks later) I made a simple peach 10ML amount. (again 6MG nic strength) 10% flavoring. no steep and OMG, It was the worst thing ever. bitter, harsh, burned the nostrils, just the worst thing i've ever tasted/felt. Keep in mind it's not the atty or coil, I know that much.

So I make the same batch again, this time I don't add the nic. just plain and it was smooth, peach taste was there etc. no problem vaping it. SO I add 1ml of 60mg strength to my 9ml mix (total of now 10ml) and again the worst vape in the world!

What is going on .


The nic had been stored at room temp for 3 weeks in the same dark bottle it came in.

 

[purelyscientific]

You need to store your nicotine in the freezer or refrigerator or it will go bad. Optimally you want to keep it as cold as possible to keep it from fermenting and oxidizing.

 

[n19htmare]

I guess the question is..............is it too late?

 

[StormFinch]

Three weeks on a counter in the bottle it came in shouldn't cause a nic base to ruin. I spent a year using the same bottle of nic base which sat out at room temp and the last bottle of juice I made with it was exactly the same as the first. Nic base should be good for at least a year if not two kept in a cool dark place, and even then it just starts gradually losing potency.

Try upping your flavor ratio, peach is rather mild on it's own. I use TFA peach at 20%, as does one of my favorite e-juice makers.

 

[StereoDreamer]

Try upping your flavor ratio, peach is rather mild on it's own. I use TFA peach at 20%, as does one of my favorite e-juice makers.

StormFinch is correct. Peach is a very subtle flavor and can be used at much higher concentrations than other flavors.

Also, I have found that ANY flavor I mix needs to sit for at least 24-36 hours before I even think about "test vaping" it. No matter what the flavor, no matter which supplier for nic I've used, if I vape DIY juice right when I make it, it tastes horrible. Shake the heck out of it, let it sit overnight, shake it in the morning, let it sit all day, then shake the heck out if it when you get home from work, and repeat for two or three days.

Almost ALL flavors benefit from sitting for a few days. You don't need to steep them with heat, or with the lids off--just shake them well and let them sit a few days to let the flavors "marry" and blend...

 

[Renolizzie]

Sounds like a burnt carto to me or something like that to me.

I don't know what to tell you.

I've stored mine for weeks at room temp with no problems at all.

 

[n19htmare]

definitely not burnt carto. I've many cartos, attys, clearomizers... a burnt carto is very easy to spot/taste/smell. This is definitely different.

I'll try steeping a few days.

Made another peach with 20% falvoring, so we shall see in a few days. Have a brand new DID rebuildable, Mini NOva, Vivi Nova.... I'm willing to try the flavor in all lol.

 

[StormFinch]

Personally I don't steep the peach before vaping it. At least to me, the single fruit flavors don't necessarily need steep time. Probably why peach tends to be my go to flavor, I'm just impatient that way.

 

[Topher36]

Answered one of my questions. Thanks

 

[Shilo]

I have never heard of this and I am stupefied. My first bottle of nic I kept out at room temp for 3 months with minimal changes. I agree on the refrigeration method mentioned above. If all else fails contact the vendor as long as you are certain the calculations are accurate and same as you made before.

 

[Kemosabe]

my guess is that the nic is fine. im betting its the subtle flavor of the peach thats allowing the nic to come to the front. check this interesting study regarding storage of nic and its different degradation factors over time:

Nicotine Concentration Over Time / Mad Vapes Blog

 

[purelyscientific]

That only shows the nicotine strength degradation. It does not show changes in flavor, scent, fermentation, or the temperature of the room in which the test was done.

 

[Bosco]

If I understand you correctly, you say you've made recipes with this nic before that were fine. Your're new recipe tastes terrible - burning nostrils, etc, etc. The same recipe without nic tastes fine. . but as soon as you add nic it's horrible again.

I have had that same thing happen to me and I attribute it to shaking . .or lack thereof. Either you didn't shake your juice good enough and there's hotspots in it . .or your nic vendor didn't shake your nic base good enough and there's hotspots in *it*.

I would shake the crap out of your nic base . .mix again and shake the crap out of your juice as well . .and see how that tastes.

 

[LucentShadow]

If I understand you correctly, you say you've made recipes with this nic before that were fine. Your're new recipe tastes terrible - burning nostrils, etc, etc. The same recipe without nic tastes fine. . but as soon as you add nic it's horrible again.

I have had that same thing happen to me and I attribute it to shaking . .or lack thereof. Either you didn't shake your juice good enough and there's hotspots in it . .or your nic vendor didn't shake your nic base good enough and there's hotspots in *it*.

I would shake the crap out of your nic base . .mix again and shake the crap out of your juice as well . .and see how that tastes.

Puzzling problem, but I had the same opinion. VG nic base can be a bear to mix properly, and the OP may be getting high concentrations in their recent mixes.

I'd add warming the base up a bit in a hot water bath, to make the shaking more effective, preferably with decent headroom in the container.

 

[purelyscientific]

I would NEVER warm my nic base. Oxidized nic tastes disgusting. John from WL says that nic stays suspended pretty well in the bases so no shaking is nessecary.

If you're really worried about it you can just stir it a little with the syringe.

 

[n19htmare]

As others successfully suggested................. I let it steep for a bit over a day and the difference is tremendous! I plan on letting it steep a few more days before I start investing in larger batches.

I had NO IDEA that it would be that bad of a vape after mixing, I suppose it's flavor dependent.

Thanks for the help everyone.

Happy Vaping.

 

[StormFinch]

Glad it worked out for you.

The best flavorings sticky has suggested percentages on some of the flavors in it, and you can always ask around if you're unsure. Just remember to start low on small quantities and work your way up until it tastes right to you. There's also an invisible top number that you can cross and actually end up with less taste than at a lower number, strange but true. Mainly, just have fun experimenting with it.