Okay - I have a really stupid question, lol: a 250 bottle of 24mg nic lasts me about a year. I just keep it in the cupboard, not the fridge. So far so good (for the last 5 or 6 years). So what is it that actually happens to the nic if you DON'T freeze it? Does it get weaker? Moldy? Simply discolor? Due to the wind speed of my location (hurricane central lol) anything I freeze gets defrosted several times a year (so far) due to power outages. So would it really be that bad to just keep it in the back of my closet in a cool, dark place? What happens to it?
Old nicotine is not necessarily bad. Oxidization happens. The taste and potency is affected by these changes. My current nic is stored at room temperature, in the original plastic bottle, because I don't have access to a freezer that I can store it in. Freezing in less permeable glass bottles is the best way to slow the chemical reactions of nicotine with oxygen.
Old nicotine tastes funky, that is the best way I can describe it. It also becomes harsher. The funk can be overcome by using flavors that mask this taste. In my experience, vanillas and caramels work the best with this off-flavor.
You will know your nic is oxidized if looking at it, the color will darken.
Since there is heat in the atomization process combined with oxygen, a catalytic reaction should occur regardless of the age/state of the base material.
The main health concern I would have on old nic is fungus/bacteria/viruses, but since the PG of the carrier fluid is bacteriostatic (meaning bacteria can not reproduce) I am not too worried about it.
I'm not a scientist or healthcare professional, so ymmv, etc. Just how I understand it from my own personal research.
Lots of experimenting ahead. That's all.
