Question on storage from a noob

[Jtim]

I have a gallon of each PG and VG coming in, as well as 500 ml of 100mg on nicotine. Should I premix everything at once and just add flavoring as needed to make small batches or is it advisable to keep all ingredients separately ? Also, should I store the liquids in the plastic containers they were shipped in or do you guys think i should get a glass 2 gallon jug ?
Thank you

 

[Hoosier]

I'm not a fan of premixing everything at once, but some are. I am a fan of premixing some plain PG and VG together in smaller (120ml or so) bottles for easy use at the mixing table. There is no reason to put non-nic in glass as they should already be in containers that are non-reactive to the PG or VG.

There is a measure of benefit to putting the nicotine solution in glass, and inside a freezer, to minimize the chance of nicotine reacting. I usually only keep a maximum of 120ml out of the freezer at any time.

 

[Jtim]

Hoosier.
Thanks for the advice. So in your opinion the plastic gallons are ok for long term storage as long as theyre kept in a dry cool place ?
As for the nic solution, it wouldnt freeze in the freezer, would it ? Ideally, Id like to have several premixed 30-50 ml bottles rather than a 120 one. Its a little easier to drip out of a smaller bottle and from what I read so far the less air you have in the juice, the better. Whats your take on it ?

 

[Hoosier]

Yeah, I keep them on a shelf in my basement or the coolest room of my house. Haven't had an issue with my PG or VG.

Yes, your freezer cannot freeze PG or VG, but it gets cold enough that they will get quite thick and hopefully slow down the nicotine & oxygen reactions.

I use an oral dosing syringe from Walgreens that comes with a stopper that fits into these 120ml bottles I have very snugly. (They also come with a brush for cleaning that works great for all my syringes.) So I'm not dripping out of the bottles. They sit there with their stopper and the syringe is in the stopper and I just flip, draw, un-flip, pull syringe off and dispense into my mixing bottle. (All the bottles are recapped, with screw caps, when I pull the stopper out and put things up.)

Once you shake that bottle, you will be inducing more air. If you have a higher VG content you'll be able to see the air bubbles from shaking. I'm not really worried about the air in the bottle for the short time the bottle is in use, just the outside air over a long period of time.

I have one recipe that actually gets better if it is left open for awhile, just one, and I hear plenty of folks who confuse steeping with airing-out that say their stuff gets better with exposure to air. So I'm not a big fan of air, but remain open minded.

 

[Jtim]

Thanks again Hoosier.
In your experience ( and i realize of course that taste is very subjective), how do you fell about the "try at 1 or 2%" flavoring suggestions on the rts and Ecigxpress sites? It seems like too little flavoring.
Looking forward to trying out my first new batch ))

 

[Hoosier]

I've got one ECX flavoring I mix at 0.5%, so for the SC type there, take that seriously. (I have another SC type that is over 5% so just like any flavoring, the strength varies quite a bit.)

I don't do business with RTS, so I have no idea there.

I have recipes that range from 0.35% to 35% total flavoring. After awhile you can get some idea of where to start based on the smell of the flavoring and even then sometimes you're completely wrong.

 

[Jtim]

Thanks a bunch Hoosier.
Can't wait. Fingers crossed ))