PG/VG durability

[Winblows]

How long and how can I keep my liquids?

 

[Katdarling]

Til there's nothing left in the bot'l?

Seriously, you'll hear differing recommendations from both vendors and vapers. In my own experience, I've vaped VERY old liquid that was "fine" other than a reduction in the flavor.

Other than my everyday liquids, everything is stashed, fully full to the top with very little air space, sealed in bags, in the freezer. When I take one out and thaw it, it's like the day it was born.

 

[IDJoel]

e-liquids don't normally "spoil" in the traditional sense; PG is naturally antimicrobial. With a little common-sense storage (cool, dark, kid-safe, pet-safe, place in your home) it will last indefinitely.

What won't last forever is the flavor. Depending on the flavor profile, and the specific concentrates used to make that flavor profile, as well as the container the e-liquid is being stored in; will all have an affect on the actual shelf life. That, and your own tolerance for the change in flavor.

Highly aromatic flavors (like many fruits, and florals) are flavored with volatile flavor compounds (which is just fancy talk meaning they evaporate quickly/easily at room temperatures). Volatile flavors mean they will loose flavor (become weak), and/or fall out of balance, when they are used in combination with other flavor concentrates, that are NOT volatile (like vanillas, and custards). You might start out with a really nice lemon custard, but in two months, all you are left with is a rather uninspiring custard.

The other thing to be aware of (not really a "problem;" but more of a "maintenance" issue) is that e-liquids can have some separation over time. This may, or may not, be combined with certain flavor components crystallizing, and falling out of solution. All this means is be sure to shake your juice, before you use it, if it has been sitting for a while. If you can't get the crystals to go back into solution; gently warm it in a sink of hot tap water for an hour or so, and then shake it some more.

The other thing I would personally be concerned about, before I started laying in a year's supply is: How confident am I that I will not grow tired of that specific flavor before I have used it up? I have a hard time knowing what I might want to vape tomorrow, let alone 3 months, six months, or a year down the road.

 

[Alter]

IMO its the sweeteners in juice that turns juice into YUK. I did have some commercial juices that got darker and darker then turn into sludge. Heat steeping may accelerate steep time but in the long run it destroys juices that have sat for prolong periods of time. I have some DIY tobacs that are over a year old and haven't darkened nor taste off, they have no sweeteners in them at all nor do I heat steep.

 

[Winblows]

Thanks @Katdarling and @IDJoel.
What concerns me most, are the escalating restrictions inside the EU countrys and my storage of 1/2L bottles of 100mg 100%PG.
I'll soon have enough of it to support myself with liquid for the rest of my present and most of my next life.
I understand that the PG with nicotine will last forever and I don't expect prohibition of pure VG and flavours in the near future, so thank you, I feel safe
@IDJoel: cool Avatar

 

[Winblows]

IMO its the sweeteners in juice that turns juice into YUK. I did have some commercial juices that got darker and darker then turn into sludge. Heat steeping may accelerate steep time but in the long run it destroys juices that have sat for prolong periods of time. I have some DIY tobacs that are over a year old and haven't darkened nor taste off, they have no sweeteners in them at all nor do I heat steep.

Thanks. I plan to keep on my investigations with flavours, so I'll not have a big storage yet

 

[IDJoel]

What concerns me most, are the escalating restrictions inside the EU countrys and my storage of 1/2L bottles of 100mg 100%PG.
I'll soon have enough of it to support myself with liquid for the rest of my present and most of my next life.

Nicotine Concentrate storage is a whole different "kettle of fish." And this is probably the wrong forum; this would be better placed in the DIY E-liquid forum where nicotine store has been discussed at length. You might want to click on the little "Report" triangle (right next to the post date) found in the bottom left corner of your original post; and when you get the pop-up dialog box, ask a Mod/Admin to move this thread to the DIY section.

@IDJoel: cool Avatar

Thanks; yours too!

 

[Alien Traveler]

Thanks @Katdarling and @IDJoel.
What concerns me most, are the escalating restrictions inside the EU countrys and my storage of 1/2L bottles of 100mg 100%PG.
I'll soon have enough of it to support myself with liquid for the rest of my present and most of my next life.
I understand that the PG with nicotine will last forever and I don't expect prohibition of pure VG and flavours in the near future, so thank you, I feel safe
@IDJoel: cool Avatar

A bit wrong assumption.
Nicotine is a weak link. It can deteriorate rather fast in wrong conditions. You should keep your nicotine solution in a freezer in glass bottles with air-tight lids, then you can expect long shelf life.

 

[Winblows]

@IDJoel - done

 

[Winblows]

A bit wrong assumption.
Nicotine is a weak link. It can deteriorate rather fast in wrong conditions. You should keep your nicotine solution in a freezer in glass bottles with air-tight lids, then you can expect long shelf life.

Not only a wrong assumption, but also a bit scary. I do store my nicotine base in a freezer, but in the original (from the vendor) plastic bottles. I need to re-bottle to 100 ml glass bottles, I think.

 

[Alien Traveler]

Not only a wrong assumption, but also a bit scary. I do store my nicotine base in a freezer, but in the original (from the vendor) plastic bottles. I need to re-bottle to 100 ml glass bottles, I think.

Yes, it is a common wisdom of ECF.
But I have to mention, that there were not long-term tests of plastic bottles. They may work OK. But I still use glass... It should be better, at least theoretically.

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

I'm still using 38mg nic I bought two years ago. It's been stored in a Cool Dark Place™ and aside from a slight amber discoloration, it's the same as it was when it was opened.

 

[Winblows]

I'm still using 38mg nic I bought two years ago. It's been stored in a Cool Dark Place™ and aside from a slight amber discoloration, it's the same as it was when it was opened.

Fantastic! Is it a plastic or a glass bottle?

 

[sofarsogood]

I've smoked 10+ year old cigars and the taste and nic seemed to still be there. I've also read reports on line of others doing the same with pipe tobacco. My nic is in the freezer and there it will stay but nic can't be so fragile.

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

Plastic. I also have a sealed glass bottle that's never been opened. Can't tell the color of that because of the glass color.

 

[dannyv45]

How long and how can I keep my liquids?

PG/VG are anti-microbial so the mix should never spoil. May go flat or change in taste as it ages.

 

[Alien Traveler]

I've smoked 10+ year old cigars and the taste and nic seemed to still be there. I've also read reports on line of others doing the same with pipe tobacco. My nic is in the freezer and there it will stay but nic can't be so fragile.

It looks like nicotine in tobacco leaves behaves very differently compared to nicotine in solution. In solution it is fragile. I had a white plastic bottle (1/4 full) with 48 mg nicotine. I forgot about it, did not use it for about a year, then found it. Tasted. Too peppery and harsh, so I discarded it.

 

[Winblows]

That's very interesting, @Alien Traveler

 

[Capt.shay]

Yea, before I figured out what I was doing a little bit, I left a fairly large bottle of Nic. out in an un-airconditioned area for a few months in the summer and it turned dark, peppery and gross. Liquid Nic. is indeed a bit fragile,

 

[G and C]

I have similar concerns to your Winblows, and have a very strong desire to keep up a decent sized stash in case of looming regulations to things like liquid Nicotine being sold online, or just being sold in general. After reading up on this DIY forum, I did what seems to be the consensus with my Nicotine. I bought a lot of 4oz. amber bottles with dropper tops on Amazon, and then transferred a gallon plastic jug full of 100mg PG base into them and popped them in a box, and then in the freezer. Now I can simply have one out for my mixing needs, and when I need more, I just take the next bottle out of the freezer and let it "thaw."

I'm probably gonna do this again in the near future to have it on hand, but with the gallon I have currently, I'm set for the foreseeable future.