Using MicroPore Tape While Steeping E-Liquids?

[supermarket]

I'm new.....and yesterday I saw someone say that it makes them uncomfortable to steep e-liquids in the beginning, you know, when you take off the caps and the dripper tips. They said they didn't like the idea of germs, dust, etc getting into their e-liquids. It caught my attention, because a few days I steeped my first e-liquids, and I was thinking the same thing.

To minimize the risk of contamination, I sprayed Lysol Neutr-Air in the cabinet I kept them in while steeping, and also disinfected the cabinet first.


My question is, has anyone ever covered the holes on the e-liquid bottles while steeping with something that still allows for the alcohol to be released?

I thought micropore tape would be a great example of something you could use. You could also use Tyvek material....the same stuff a lot of USPS envelopes are made of......they have tiny holes in them that allow for air exchange.


Anyway, on my next e-liquids I get, I'm gonna try using some 3M micropore tape over the top of the bottles....

Micropore Medical Tape :3M US

That is link for anyone who doesn't know what it is. I already have tons of it, as I use it for something else.

Any ideas, suggestions, comments? Anyone tried this or anything similar?

 

[Orobas]

actually that makes sense to me, same concept as airlocks for home brewing. Though this advice comes too late in my case, since I DIY and in sufficient quantity that anything that needs steeping has plenty of time while i'm finishing my previous batches.

 

[Unforeseen]

Moved to General E-Liquid Discussion

 

[Kyndcookie]

I would think the chemicals you used to disinfect the cabinet and the Lysol would be worse than anything that would potentially get into your bottles during steeping, 'cept maybe bugs. The moment you open the bottle it's going to have mold spores and dust in it. There's no avoiding it. Extraordinary measures seem like overkill to me., especially after the nasty crap we've been willfully inhaling for years.

 

[Covert24]

I would think the chemicals you used to disinfect the cabinet and the Lysol would be worse than anything that would potentially get into your bottles during steeping, 'cept maybe bugs. The moment you open the bottle it's going to have mold spores and dust in it. There's no avoiding it. Extraordinary measures seem like overkill to me., especially after the nasty crap we've been willfully inhaling for years.

I agree with the Lysol theory. I would let that Lysol air out of that cabinet for a night or two before putting your open bottles of juice in there. I'd hate to have a bunch of juice that I took the time to steep end of tasting like Lysol. Cookie is right though, the minute you open the bottles, or better yet, the minute they are mixed at the vendor and even before that, there are particles of dust, etc in there that can't be avoided. We live in a dusty world .

If you were planning on leaving them with the cap off for a while I suppose you could put that tape on for good measure but a night or two of the cap off is all that is really needed. And only if the juice had a perfumey/flowery taste to it. It all depends on what the concentrates are based on from the vendor really.

Sent from my One X using Tapatalk 2

 

[supermarket]

I would think the chemicals you used to disinfect the cabinet and the Lysol would be worse than anything that would potentially get into your bottles during steeping, 'cept maybe bugs. The moment you open the bottle it's going to have mold spores and dust in it. There's no avoiding it. Extraordinary measures seem like overkill to me., especially after the nasty crap we've been willfully inhaling for years.

None of the chemicals I used to disinfect the area would be present once I put the e-liquids in there.

Anytime you disinfect something, you always make sure you clear the area out afterwards, so that you can use it, and it is chemical free. I know about these procedures so I guarantee you the area was fine.

Also, the chance of mold spores or anything else being present in a cabinet once you disinfect it is low. You can always run a hepa filter in the area if you are extremely paranoid, but if you properly disinfect it, and make sure there isn't much of an air flow, you should be good for something like e-liquids.

 

[Kyndcookie]

None of the chemicals I used to disinfect the area would be present once I put the e-liquids in there.

Anytime you disinfect something, you always make sure you clear the area out afterwards, so that you can use it, and it is chemical free. I know about these procedures so I guarantee you the area was fine.

Also, the chance of mold spores or anything else being present in a cabinet once you disinfect it is low. You can always run a hepa filter in the area if you are extremely paranoid, but if you properly disinfect it, and make sure there isn't much of an air flow, you should be good for something like e-liquids.

If you think spores and dust are gone after you clean you are mistaken. You can wipe visible dirt off of surfaces, but stuff in the air is already sticking to that newly-cleaned cabinet the moment you walk away. The idea of running a HEPA filter to avoid getting extremely pervasive airborne particulate matter into your juice is not only paranoid, it's a waste of time. Micropore tape does not offer enough air exchange to make it useful during steeping. The whole idea of cap-off steeping is to allow flavor-carrying alcohols to evaporate in air allowed to circulate. Tape is just too much of a physical barrier. Better than leaving the cap on, but not much.

I wouldn't want to store raw chicken next to my juice while it's steeping, but I think there's a limit to the extraordinary measures one needs to take. For me, worrying about dust in my juice is 30 seconds I could spend playing with my kids.

 

[ScubaBebe]

How about a box with a mesh lid or laying a piece of the new small mesh screen over the top of the box. That should eliminate some of your worries.

 

[Zedd]

I think you're over thinking it. I mean I know a lot of people are more paranoid about germs but lets get serious.

You can't be afraid that the air you are breathing is going to get into the liquid you are breathing. At least the liquid is being vaporized by a hot coil before it hits your lungs. Unless you live in a sewage drain you could probably lick every thing you own and not even get a case of the sniffles.

I can guarantee that you put more germs in your mouth daily from the food you eat than could ever accumulate though that little hole in the top of that bottle via the air in a cabinet in a year.

Relax!

 

[supermarket]

I agree with the Lysol theory. I would let that Lysol air out of that cabinet for a night or two before putting your open bottles of juice in there. I'd hate to have a bunch of juice that I took the time to steep end of tasting like Lysol. Cookie is right though, the minute you open the bottles, or better yet, the minute they are mixed at the vendor and even before that, there are particles of dust, etc in there that can't be avoided. We live in a dusty world .

If you were planning on leaving them with the cap off for a while I suppose you could put that tape on for good measure but a night or two of the cap off is all that is really needed. And only if the juice had a perfumey/flowery taste to it. It all depends on what the concentrates are based on from the vendor really.

Sent from my One X using Tapatalk 2

Lol. I guess I didn't specify exactly how I disinfected the cabinets....airing them out and all, but yes, for anyone not familiar with these types of chemicals/products like lysol air, etc.

You always want to make sure to air out, and get any remaining chemicals out BEFORE you put anything edible back in. Sorry I didn't specify.



It is the same theory with using shampoo and conditioner. You always rinse them out completely before leaving the shower, lol.

 

[supermarket]

If you think spores and dust are gone after you clean you are mistaken. You can wipe visible dirt off of surfaces, but stuff in the air is already sticking to that newly-cleaned cabinet the moment you walk away. The idea of running a HEPA filter to avoid getting extremely pervasive airborne particulate matter into your juice is not only paranoid, it's a waste of time. Micropore tape does not offer enough air exchange to make it useful during steeping. The whole idea of cap-off steeping is to allow flavor-carrying alcohols to evaporate in air allowed to circulate. Tape is just too much of a physical barrier. Better than leaving the cap on, but not much.

I wouldn't want to store raw chicken next to my juice while it's steeping, but I think there's a limit to the extraordinary measures one needs to take. For me, worrying about dust in my juice is 30 seconds I could spend playing with my kids.

They are mostly gone.


I grow edible mushrooms like Shiitake, Oyster, Button, etc as a hobby, and when you cultivate them, you intitially innoculate jars with their spores in the beginning stages.

The substrate you use (what the mycelium eats) has to be STERILE. If ANYTHING, I mean ANY spore contaminates the jars, it will prevent the mycelium from growing, and instead you will have bacteria, mold, etc.

So yea, this has been a hobby of mine for 11 years now, so believe me when I tell you, I am aware of how to sterilize/disinfect.

I never said all the mold spores were gone, just the majority of them.