How long can you store nicotine

[Charleskiy]

I was about to start a new thread but I can see people are already talking about it lol

Okay I have a couple of concerns. Wouldn't glass bottles crack or break if left in freezer for too long? Also how long can we store the nic in the freezer?
Does it have to be a full and new bottle when storing it ie. we shouldnt store a half used up bottle?

And if unfreezing it, do we just leave it out in room temperature or in a sink for it to be used it again?

Also my nic bottles are already in a dark green glass bottle, should be alright? Ive ordered some more up today from elsewhere so no idea what colour or type of bottle they will come in.

I know silly questions, just want to do it right and not cock up anything.

Oh and all of my nic is 72mg VG.


thanks

Glass itself is perfectly fine down to a temperatures well below a domestic freezer. A glass bottle full of water will crack simply because water becomes less dense when it turns to ice (i.e. it expands and needs somewhere to go). VG, however, doesn't actually freeze at domestic temperatures, and just becomes very viscous. Never tried freezing PG Nic, but I think the same applies as PG freezes at -59C, which is beyond most domestic freezers.

Keeping it in glass is a good idea simply because it's the most inert form of container - plastics can leech into the fluid over a long period and some will allow oxygen to penetrate, which you don't want. Clear glass is fine though - the whole point of amber/green glass is to stop light hitting the nicotine and triggering any reactions. But the inside of a freezer is usually pretty dark.

It certainly is best to make sure your bottle is full to the brim - the less oxygen available to react with the nicotine the better. If you only need half the juice in a bottle it's best to decant the rest into a smaller bottle for further storage.

Thawing it is simply a matter of letting it warm up until it's thin enough to use. But keep it protected from light during this.

 

[viper]

Glass itself is perfectly fine down to a temperatures well below a domestic freezer. A glass bottle full of water will crack simply because water becomes less dense when it turns to ice (i.e. it expands and needs somewhere to go). VG, however, doesn't actually freeze at domestic temperatures, and just becomes very viscous. Never tried freezing PG Nic, but I think the same applies as PG freezes at -59C, which is beyond most domestic freezers.

Keeping it in glass is a good idea simply because it's the most inert form of container - plastics can leech into the fluid over a long period and some will allow oxygen to penetrate, which you don't want. Clear glass is fine though - the whole point of amber/green glass is to stop light hitting the nicotine and triggering any reactions. But the inside of a freezer is usually pretty dark.

It certainly is best to make sure your bottle is full to the brim - the less oxygen available to react with the nicotine the better. If you only need half the juice in a bottle it's best to decant the rest into a smaller bottle for further storage.

Thawing it is simply a matter of letting it warm up until it's thin enough to use. But keep it protected from light during this.

Thank you so much for getting back to me and clearing that up! Much appreciated.

Okay cool, I got ya. Yeah I didnt know that about VG, I thought it would crack cause like water, fizzy drinks etc they all end up bursting.

Is it saft to lie the bottle on its side, providing the lid is shut tight of course? I will only be storing new/un-opened bottles. Also by freezing how do we work out the date or how long we can use it for or till before it expires? Sorry for the silly questions.

 

[Charleskiy]

Thank you so much for getting back to me and clearing that up! Much appreciated.

Okay cool, I got ya. Yeah I didnt know that about VG, I thought it would crack cause like water, fizzy drinks etc they all end up bursting.

Is it saft to lie the bottle on its side, providing the lid is shut tight of course? I will only be storing new/un-opened bottles. Also by freezing how do we work out the date or how long we can use it for or till before it expires? Sorry for the silly questions.

I store it lying on its side, but you need to be sure it won't leak. I put aluminium foil over the mouth of the bottle and then screw the cap down tight over that, then place another layer of foil over the cap and tape it down tight. Then I put the bottle in a ziplock bag and squeeze all the air out. This is probably overkill though.

No-one really knows how long nicotine will last, because it hasn't really been studied properly. But estimates I've seen that extrapolate from known properties say you should be fine for over a decade. The worst that should happen is a mild (10-20% over the whole term) reduction in the strength of the nicotine due to oxidation. This obviously assumes you use clean glass with as little air as possible.

 

[viper]

I store it lying on its side, but you need to be sure it won't leak. I put aluminium foil over the mouth of the bottle and then screw the cap down tight over that, then place another layer of foil over the cap and tape it down tight. Then I put the bottle in a ziplock bag and squeeze all the air out. This is probably overkill though.

No-one really knows how long nicotine will last, because it hasn't really been studied properly. But estimates I've seen that extrapolate from known properties say you should be fine for over a decade. The worst that should happen is a mild (10-20% over the whole term) reduction in the strength of the nicotine due to oxidation. This obviously assumes you use clean glass with as little air as possible.

Oh right cool.

Bloody hell, that is extreme lol. I dont think I should open the bottles, they might even still have the tamper proof intact if they have it. I will need to check that.

But if it doesn't then I will just do the foil trick you mentioned and perhaps use a zip lock bag, got plenty of those kicking about, not sure if they will take a 500ml bottle though lol

 

[Charleskiy]

Oh right cool.

Bloody hell, that is extreme lol. I dont think I should open the bottles, they might even still have the tamper proof intact if they have it. I will need to check that.

But if it doesn't then I will just do the foil trick you mentioned and perhaps use a zip lock bag, got plenty of those kicking about, not sure if they will take a 500ml bottle though lol

Yeah, if you bought it in smaller bottles then I'd leave the seal intact. Taping down some foil over the cap wouldn't hurt, but this might just be me being anal .

 

[viper]

Yeah, if you bought it in smaller bottles then I'd leave the seal intact. Taping down some foil over the cap wouldn't hurt, but this might just be me being anal .

Cool. I would prob do that, always better to be safe than sorry.

I didn't buy that much nic like others did. I only bought some cause the prices were too good.


Thanks again

Have a great weekend!

 

[flippin eck]

A quick question:

I've had a bottle of 72mg VG based nic for a couple of years. It's been opened, but only a couple of times soon after I bought it. It's still in its plastic bottle, and has been kept in a very cool, dark place the whole time.

It's turned a slight orangey-yellow colour. What are my chances of it still being okay? If it has turned, how should I dispose of it?

 

[Charleskiy]

A quick question:

I've had a bottle of 72mg VG based nic for a couple of years. It's been opened, but only a couple of times soon after I bought it. It's still in its plastic bottle, and has been kept in a very cool, dark place the whole time.

It's turned a slight orangey-yellow colour. What are my chances of it still being okay? If it has turned, how should I dispose of it?

Nicotine changes colour when it's oxidised (i.e. reacts with oxygen in the air). This might reduce the strength of the solution a bit: nicotine oxidises to cotinine which has less potency. Otherwise it should be fine, as long as you haven't let bugs get into the solution. Bacteria can produce all sorts of metabolic products from nicotine, some of which can produce a peppery taste. This is a principal reason for the advice that you freeze it for long-term storage. A good background article on nicotine chemistry can be found here.

Bottom line: don't worry about the colour, this doesn't indicate anything bad has happened to it. The only way to really check if it's OK is to whip up some juice and try it out. Nicotine in general stores very well long-term, problems with ejuice storage generally come from degradation in the flavours, but there isn't too much that can happen to unflavoured liquid.

 

[Rukaguy]

I have quite a bit of nicotine stored in my freezer - opening one recently that must have been frozen for >1 year, it seems to be absolutely fine when thawed out - no discoloration. I have stored my other bottles in the freezer also, particularly because I stocked up prior to TPD regulations! It's important to store it correctly, particularly if you're someone like me who uses such small amounts in each mix (3mg of nicotine per 100ml of liquid). I agree with the OP - glass seems to be the best choice, but I have left mine in the original plastic from DV and it 'seems' to be fine; although this does not account for any leaching that could have occurred on a 'molecular' level!

 

[mattgough]

I bought a 1l bottle of 72mg nic about a year ago and not half way through it. I decanted it into smaller 200ml bottles and put them in the freezer. Just take the next one out and keep in in my "vape box" in the garage as and when I need it. Works fine for me!