Question about steeping juices in confined space, will they cross flavor?

[MadHacker]

I got some new juices and need them to steep.
I read somewhere, or saw on YouTube, that its better to let them steep for a day with the top off.
so I put them in a drawer with the tops off but my wife mentioned that they could get cross flavored.

would that happen? should there be airflow to make sure that cross flavoring doesn't occur?
or can I leave the drawer closed so that they are 100% un disturbed?

and while I'm at it. how long should I leave them with the cap off?

 

[ciggfree]

Sorry I don't have an answer for you, I have heard a bit about "steeping", just never about having the lid off. You might want to "ask a veteran" Ask The Veterans
Personally I have never found a lot of difference in taste after "steeping" juice - maybe that I don't keep it around very long I vape it up.

 

[eBoro]

I speed up the process on the mixes that will let me (i.e. fruity flavors) by using the microwave (5 seconds) to heat it up where is is just warm. I then shake it up well and the place the bottle in a cabinet with the top off for roughly 24 hours. They always come out good and I will mix 4 or 5 different mixes at a time. I have had crossover only once. I had made a very potent batch of LorAnne's banana for a friend and all the rest of the batches seemed to have a banana undertone. LOL

Lesson - watch out for anything that is really potent. I should have known about the banana, because I could smell it before I even opened the package. It must have drove the mail person crazy.

 

[ongkee]

I don't think it will cross flavors. Maybe the Stronger scent will cross to the other bottles, but i doubt if it will change the flavor.

 

[Teh Dude]

Good question. I was wondering same thing.

 

[MadHacker]

Sorry I don't have an answer for you, I have heard a bit about "steeping", just never about having the lid off. You might want to "ask a veteran" Ask The Veterans
Personally I have never found a lot of difference in taste after "steeping" juice - maybe that I don't keep it around very long I vape it up.

Well I'll post a question in the 'Veterans' section if I don't get a good answer here...
also not letting your juice steep because you vape it... I think you just need to buy more juice...
guy I bought from told me that it should steep for 1 week for good flavor but best if it steeped for a month.
I bought enough juice and have enough to vape now that it can sit for possibly that long...
so when this batch is ready... in a month I'll enjoy...
in the mean time I also put an order in for 156ml from another place... that will probably need to steep that long...
then in a month I'll order more so that it has the time to steep. I plan to have at least 2 months supply steeping and 1 month supply ready to vape...

I speed up the process on the mixes that will let me (i.e. fruity flavors) by using the microwave (5 seconds) to heat it up where is is just warm. I then shake it up well and the place the bottle in a cabinet with the top off for roughly 24 hours. They always come out good and I will mix 4 or 5 different mixes at a time. I have had crossover only once. I had made a very potent batch of LorAnne's banana for a friend and all the rest of the batches seemed to have a banana undertone. LOL

Lesson - watch out for anything that is really potent. I should have known about the banana, because I could smell it before I even opened the package. It must have drove the mail person crazy.

Problem is I don't know which one is stronger then the other. they all smell heavenly. 6 or so different flavors in each bottle.
I guess i'll have to figure out a way to steep them without getting the flavors crossed.
My next order that should come in next week are samples of 40 different flavors. so if cross over is an issue.. better to know now

 

[Abbell]

I have started making juices... some to mass produce for local shops.

I speed steep every single bottle. It will not finish the steeping process, but it helps and cleans the bottles really good as a bonus.

I like this one a lot. It heats up the bottles AND vibrates them for 6 mins at a time

 

[ongkee]

My home remedy for fast steeping is to place the bottle in warm water and shake once in awhile till the water turns lukewarm. It is said that this process equivalents to 3 days of normal steeping

 

[Susan W.]

When I first started, I was leaving the lids off my bottles and making a big mess. I didn't notice or even think about cross flavoring at that time and never found it to be an issue. I just put the bottles in a box with a lid. But I didn't like moving a box with a bunch of open bottle to close them and shake them up so now I just leave them in a drawer for a period of time if they need steeping. Or if I'm in a real rush, I'll put a bottle into a baggy and throw it into my glove compartment in my car. It gets jiggled around enough and since my car gets warm sitting in the sun all day, it's just like steeping.

 

[Ryedan]

Steeping does not involve opening the bottles. It is leaving the juices closed and letting time meld the flavors together. Heat can accelerate the process and people have used ultrasonic cleaners for that also. The reason to leave the cap off is if you smell a chemical scent, that will let it evaporate a bit. Very few juices should need that.

Also, test your new juices when you get them. Some will be good right then, so no need to steep at all. These may still change a bit, but change is not always for the better. I make my own juice now and I only steep one tobacco recipe that just does not get good any other way. I test juice with a dripping atomizer which makes that really easy.

 

[GrizzleSizzle]

what is that a picture of? i want it lol

 

[Susan W.]

It's an ultra sonic jewelry cleaner.

 

[Susan W.]

It's from Harbor Freight. Here: http://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-95563.html It's $82.99. If you google, you'll find different model and prices.

 

[MadHacker]

For me I'm in no hurry to steep them. as I mentioned in previous posts I have enough juice to last...
my only issue was cross flavoring...
well I left the lids off overnight... and will put them back on now...
I guess I'll post this in the veterans section and see what they say...

 

[Abbell]

I justified the $80 because I started making batches of juice. This speeds up the process some.

Some juices are said to turn out better by taking the tops off. The reason for this is that some concentrates use alcohol in small amounts to help make it soluble. Taking the tops off may help by evaporating the alcohol.

 

[Hoofhearted62]

I diy as many as 12 batches at a time. so I always have some on hand, and by the time i'm ready for a new flavor its already steeped at least 1-3 weeks minimum. I even have some made end of July that still have some left in bottles that's enough steeping for them, time to vape them up I keep all in a dark room, on the table, never any direct sunlight and they darken up a lot. but taste great

 

[MadHacker]

I keep all in a dark room, on the table, never any direct sunlight and they darken up a lot. but taste great

I have read that direct sunlight is not good... not exactly bad...
what about indoor lights, CF or LED?
do they have the same affect? or is it something in the direct sunlight... UV light perhaps?

 

[Hoofhearted62]

the only light my juices get is from 2 computer monitors. and occasional over head light when im rebuilding coils other than that no lights

 

[Ryedan]

I have read that direct sunlight is not good... not exactly bad...
what about indoor lights, CF or LED?
do they have the same affect? or is it something in the direct sunlight... UV light perhaps?

I believe it's sunlight only. UV acting on the nicotine will degrade it quicker over time. Don't think it has anything to do with VG or PG, but some flavorings might be affected.

ETA: FYI, here is a nicotine study over time in different storage locations done by Madvapes. Nice to have some hard data once in a while

 

[MadHacker]

ETA: FYI, here is a nicotine study over time in different storage locations done by Madvapes. Nice to have some hard data once in a while

interesting... after 8 weeks open bottle only dropped 2mg of nicotine.
wonder how many people here keep juice that long...

just did a second look, hopefully its just a typo, but on week 5 it went down to 3mg of nicotine. but week 6 it went back up.
So there you have it... don't let it steep for 5 weeks with an open bottle on a window sill... but 6 weeks is fine.