Shelf Life of Smoke Juice Differs?

[BrewSki]

The two American made e-liquid/smoke juices I have tried are Johnson Creek and Halo. I enjoy both and each have their positives.

What confuses me though is JC on their FAQ sheet states their smoke juice has a shelf life of 6 months, 8 if refrigerated.
Halo states it's e-juice has a 2 year shelf life (no mention of refrigeration).
It doesn't seem to me that base ingredients for liquid differ that much or even flavorings for that matter.

Why such a difference in shelf life. Is one overstating or one understating. Could base ingredients used be that different?
Anyone have any thoughts or knowledge on this?

 

[BrewSki]

No ideas?
No input?

 

[SantanzChild]

No real info. There is alot of speculation as to the shelf life and storage of ejuice. No one really knows for sure how long exactly it keeps.

 

[GeekChick]

I havent been vaping long enough to give a solid opinion.. but I have had juice go bad on me in as little as 2 weeks.. There may be circumstances that Im not aware of, but I have juice that I received from the same company in a prior order that's still good. The juice in question took on an extremely skunky odor and flavor within 2-3 weeks of it getting here. At first it was fine. So the lesson I learned is to smell each liquid I vape beforehand.. lol

 

[Tuesday]

I havent been vaping long enough to give a solid opinion.. but I have had juice go bad on me in as little as 2 weeks.. There may be circumstances that Im not aware of, but I have juice that I received from the same company in a prior order that's still good. The juice in question took on an extremely skunky odor and flavor within 2-3 weeks of it getting here. At first it was fine. So the lesson I learned is to smell each liquid I vape beforehand.. lol

Thanks!! This is good information, so guess I will be smelling each bottle before I drip any into the atomizer from now on.

 

[JohnnyVapor]

I would guess that the usable shelf life depends largely on the flavor, composition, and storage of the juice.

All flavors will degrade no matter how you store it, the only difference being the length of time it takes. I'd believe that menthol would be a hardier flavor that really shouldn't break down for a long time. Some other flavorings would be more volatile, and indeed may only be viable for 6 to 12 months.

As for composition, each mfr of juice will have their own recipe, which makes a difference. Some may use preservatives(such as citric acid). Others may not, or may not add as much. It also depends on the quality of the PG/VG and nicotine used. I would guess that the purer the PG/VG and nicotine, the longer it would take to break down(given less impurities, but that's a complete guess).

Storage is the one thing that you can control. I've heard both good and bad things about refrigeration, but I'd personally stick with 45-55F(7-13C) and dark conditions.

In the end, I don't believe there's enough data to give a hard and fast number as to how long juice will remain viable. I'd feel safe sticking with the mfr's numbers.

 

[katsmeeoww]

Yes, I think the manufacturers directions do apply, however, most nicotine is only good for about a year. The really strong mg/mL nicotine degrades faster...the dilution slows down the degradation process. (The method of storage also slows the degradation process, but unless you have equipment to fill the tops of the bottles with nitrogen, you're SOL.) I'd be interested for someone to test a one year old juice to see if the nicotine content was still as high as when purchased. From what I've researched, a 2-year shelf life on juice is preposterous. Might be vapeable, but not the same stuff you originally purchased. Also, many flavors (for use in mixing) come with with expiration dates, though some do not. I do not recommend the use of preservatives...even natural ones. Some very natural things do not do well when inhaled into the bloodstream, though I really can't expound on that thought in a scientific manner. (Granted, we just don't have the research on any of these products as applicable to inhalation, but I'd draw the line at preservatives, if at all possible.)

Good rule of thumb, keep juices out of direct sunlight and away from heat. A summer day exposed in the car will probably ruin a juice. Some types of flavors, like vanilla extract, should actually not be refrigerated. Unsure on the normal vape flavors. I keep straight nicotine juices (diluted) in a little refrigerator, but I'm really not sure if that keeps them longer or not. The freezing point of nicotine is really low, so who knows if 45 degrees really changes anything from a regular room temperature. Maybe someday, there'll be more conclusive evidence on the best way to store them.

 

[jxr182]

I was actually wondering the same thing... I have some stuff I ordered from JC probably... 6-9 months ago.. and i had been wondering if it would still be good... i took a couple of hits of it that I dripped and it seemed fine... but i'd been too nervous to really use it.