Steeping: When opening a sealed bottle matters

[Calivapr123]

I am still relatively new to vaping and am learning much over the last couple of months. Several weeks ago, I was gifted 2 10ml bottles of the very same authentic Dekang RY4 liquid, purchased at the same time from the same vendor. I opened one and immediately vaped it. It was seriously raw and unsteeped, and had a very strong raisin-y taste and odor. I left it alone, and actually forgot about it.

About 3 weeks later, I tried it again. It still had a very strong raisiny taste. I left a few ml of it in one of my tanks. Surprisingly, a few days later, it had totally transformed into a brilliant RY4 vape. I vaped the whole 10ml bottle over the next few days.

A few weeks later, I unsealed and opened the second bottle and vaped it for the first time. I experienced the exact same thing as the first. It was raw and unsteeped despite being over a month now in a drawer. I waited another week, but it was still much the same... Why??

Over the next week, I ocassionally opened, aired out and shook the bottle. Over the last couple of days, I notice its odor had changed and the raisiny smell had largely receded. I poured it into a tank and like magic, it had transformed into a delicious, satisfying RY4 taste.

In this particular instance, and perhaps in many others, (1) *when* the bottle is opened/unsealed is important, and (2) how much it is allowed to air out is important. Would those of you guys who have much experience agree?

 

[iceman68]

Hmm... interesting. I have a bottle of ECB RY4 that's 2 months old and never been opened. After hearing so much about steeping, I decided to just let it sit. The color has darkened considerably from when I first got it.

Maybe the next step is to open it and get some air in there to really bring out the flavor.

 

[dannyv45]

There is a certain amount of time a juice needs to steep. This is expecially true with tobaccos. Tobacco can take any where from 2 - 5 weeks to steep depending on the mixture. The chemical/resin smell can be if the flavor is alcohol based. This usually can be eliminitated by leaving it uncapped for 24 hours.

 

[Calivapr123]

There is a certain amount of time a juice needs to steep. This is expecially true with tobaccos. Tobacco can take any where from 2 - 5 weeks to steep depending on the mixture. The chemical/resin smell can be if the flavor is alcohol based. This usually can be eliminitated by leaving it uncapped for 24 hours.

Thanks Danny -

It seems then, that what we have is not just a necessity for some juices to "steep" (time needed for flavors to evenly blend together) but also time for the juice to "aerate," or to borrow from the vineyard terms, to "decant."

Because of what happened between my 2 Dekang bottles, I learn, for sure, that "steeping" some liquids is not simply the act of allowing time for juices to blend together, but exposing the liquid to new, fresh air (such when I unsealed each of the two bottles) is super important.

In the world of wines, they have decanters as a tool to fully expose all the liquid to fresh air (not just the surface):



I suppose that in e-liquids, this can be done by using a simple funnel and pouring the juice in a circular way into the funnel that empties into another bottle.

This will definitely be a cool experiment to try: Start with 2 unsealed bottles of a juice made on the same batch, that you are familiar how long it takes to steep normally (just letting it sit). Let one sit, and Decant the other a few times. I wonder if there will be a significant difference. I will do this with a few liquids I am familiar with.

 

[Zipslack]

I'm still fairly new to this, but it seems that "steeping" is really more about oxidation of nic and evaporation of alcohols and aromatics. I think the decanter idea is probably more beneficial than sitting in a drawer for a month. But again, I'm not a juice guru.

Wonder what would happen if you used a small air pump to bubble air through juice instead of decanting or steeping?

 

[Calivapr123]

Wonder what would happen if you used a small air pump to bubble air through juice instead of decanting or steeping?

There is a manufacturer that makes that, click here.

It has some bad reviews on the net from patrons complaining that it didn't really do much because the wine in the bottle didn't really get mixed up, and only small portions of it are actually exposed.

 

[dannyv45]

I'm still fairly new to this, but it seems that "steeping" is really more about oxidation of nic and evaporation of alcohols and aromatics. I think the decanter idea is probably more beneficial than sitting in a drawer for a month. But again, I'm not a juice guru.

Wonder what would happen if you used a small air pump to bubble air through juice instead of decanting or steeping?

It's actually 2 different procedures. Steeping is allowing the flavor molucules to meld and bind together and has nothing to do with airation. Airation is nessessary to evaporate the undesirable odor of alcohol or unpleaent chemical smell or taste. Not all mixes need airation.

 

[Zipslack]

It's been 25 years since I took any chemistry classes, but this "melding of flavor molecules" business always strikes me as wrong. I just don't see that we're re-combining molecules, just creating a more homogenous mixture, along with the oxidation. If you want a faster rate of oxidation, you agitate, add energy, or add a catalyst. Maybe a chemist could chime in, but I'm pretty sure we still end up with PG, VG, and the flavorings - no "new" compounds other than the oxidation products.

 

[jefsview]

Many vendors use alcohol or other ingredient to mix. Caps off overnight allows some of that to evaporate. The daily shaking of the bottle is more important, as well as the sitting in a cool dark place. The colors and flavors do change over time, and for the better. Some juices might lose flavor, many more gain flavor or their is a melding of flavor that really improves it.

But as always, taste is subjective. And the juice delivery device is important, too.

Some juices don't need to steep. Some benefit from a long steep. And some degrade with steeping. Take the time and get to know your juice If it's good from the start -- vape it. If not, give it some steep time and try it again. It might surprise you.