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I quit making juice two/three years ago and now want to get back into it. Any chance I can use my flavorings? What's new?

Boyblue

Member For 3 Years
I presume I'll have to toss all my flavorings but I've read that nicotine can be used once I test it's concentration. Because of degradation the strength is now less than the original formulation.

I've mixed by volume and weight and I think I prefer mixing by weight, is this still a personal preference or has one of the options become the standard?

I got all of my flavorings, PG, VG, nicotine and bottles from Heartland vapes. I notice they now have 3mg nicotine in VG & PG, it would seem easier but is it cost effective or is it for folks that are math challenged? I recall seeing nicotine in two different qualities a couple years ago but now there's just one, have the switched to strictly high quality or have they discontinued the high quality?

Anything else new I should know about?
 

Freyja

Silver Contributor
Member For 3 Years
I presume I'll have to toss all my flavorings
I know ppl who've had flavorings for longer than 3 yrs that are fine. Suggest you test them before tossing them.
I've read that nicotine can be used once I test it's concentration. Because of degradation the strength is now less than the original formulation.
How does the nic look? Some discoloration is fine but if it looks sludgy then it should go (it's good insecticide). Did you keep it in a freezer? If so, it should be ok. If not, yeah, it may be degraded.
I prefer mixing by weight, is this still a personal preference
You do you. :)
I notice they now have 3mg nicotine in VG & PG, it would seem easier but is it cost effective
Do the math on price and how much vapable juice you're going to get from 100 mg/ml vs 3? I'll bet higher concentrations are more cost-effective
Anything else new I should know about?
If you're in the USA, Congress has twice introduced a very steep tax on nic; like more than any individual is likely able to pay. It hasn't passed but will probably be introduced again. If you're going to do this, definitely get your nic sooner rather than later. Then freeze what you're not using, preferably in glass.
.
 

nadalama

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Imo, more accurate to mix by weight. Ymmv.

I've done the math. Higher concentrations of nic are more cost effective. I landed on middle ground that balances cost effectiveness with convenience. Since I want my premixed base at about 25/75 and 6mg, I bought 24mg in PG, 250ml. I pour that into a liter bottle, then fill it the rest of the way up with straight VG. Voila, 25/75, 6 mg nic premixed base. Then averaging my mixes at about 10% flavoring in PG, my completed mixes are about 35/65, which is exactly where I want them. Some might be a little to one side or the other of 35/65, but I don't care about that as long as it's the base that is off and not the nic level. I can't tell the difference in base unless it gets WAY off.

Many of my flavors are going on 3 years old and they're still fine. I guess the question would be, how old were your flavors when you stopped mixing? If they were already several years old, 3 years ago, they might be iffy. Color and scent should tell you whether they're usable or not. Maybe mix in small amounts until you know for sure.

Good advice from @Freyja about stocking up on nic now. Seriously.
 
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Boyblue

Member For 3 Years
I know ppl who've had flavorings for longer than 3 yrs that are fine. Suggest you test them before tossing them.

How does the nic look? Some discoloration is fine but if it looks sludgy then it should go (it's good insecticide). Did you keep it in a freezer? If so, it should be ok. If not, yeah, it may be degraded.

You do you. :)

Do the math on price and how much vapable juice you're going to get from 100 mg/ml vs 3? I'll bet higher concentrations are more cost-effective

If you're in the USA, Congress has twice introduced a very steep tax on nic; like more than any individual is likely able to pay. It hasn't passed but will probably be introduced again. If you're going to do this, definitely get your nic sooner rather than later. Then freeze what you're not using, preferably in glass.
.
Awesome feedback (both responses)

I didn't keep the nic frozen but it has only slight discoloration. I vape 6mg and 3mg and can tell the difference in the level of nicotine, so I'll mix a 6mg batch and see if it feels like a 3mg, a 6mg or somewhere in the middle. I can live with any of the three scenarios. If it seems weaker than 3mg, I might try a second batch with more nic or I'll feed it to the insects.

I started with 100mg/ml, I'm comfortable with it so I'll stick with it. If there were an obvious benefit to using diluted nic I'd consider it but as there is none, I'm good.

Thanks on the head's up on nicotine for a couple reasons, I'll be sure to order sooner rather than later and additionally, i'll have lot's of DIY juice for when the price of juice doubles due to nicotine tax.
 

wildgypsy70

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I have flavors going on 5 years now that are totally fine. Storage is key(no heat or light).

Agreed with all the advice given here. The mic’s gonna get spicier as it ages. And turn color. If you’ve got relatively clear nic, try it. The worst that can happen is that it’s too spicy. You’re not gonna get sick or anything. It just will taste bad.
 

Boyblue

Member For 3 Years
Imo, more accurate to mix by weight. Ymmv.

I've done the math. Higher concentrations of nic are more cost effective. I landed on middle ground that balances cost effectiveness with convenience. Since I want my premixed base at about 25/75 and 6mg, I bought 24mg in PG, 250ml. I pour that into a liter bottle, then fill it the rest of the way up with straight VG. Voila, 25/75, 6 mg nic premixed base. Then averaging my mixes at about 10% flavoring in PG, my completed mixes are about 35/65, which is exactly where I want them. Some might be a little to one side or the other of 35/65, but I don't care about that as long as it's the base that is off and not the nic level. I can't tell the difference in base unless it gets WAY off.

Many of my flavors are going on 3 years old and they're still fine. I guess the question would be, how old were your flavors when you stopped mixing? If they were already several years old, 3 years ago, they might be iffy. Color and scent should tell you whether they're usable or not. Maybe mix in small amounts until you know for sure.

Good advice from @Freyja about stocking up on nic now. Seriously.
I started mixing by volume and then switched after a while to mixing by weight. Idid find that my results were more spot on measuring by weight but I always felt that it was due to the fact that I was more experienced.

Took a look and the order was made in Feburary 2017. I will give them a close inspection before tossing them, maybe try a single flavor mix with a few.

Great input, thanks.
 

nadalama

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Hey what about VG & PG may they have gone bad and how would I be able to tell?

I got a bad batch of VG once. I could both taste and smell that it was off. I can't describe how it was off, though, but it was not subtle. You'll know.
 

VapeOn1960

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Really good advice so far. The flavors and nic... mostly depends on temps they are stored at (too bad the nic was not in a freezer) Many people have old flavors that are still OK... myself (been doing this for almost 3 years) a few of my first flavors have gone bad (but keep in mind my room gets hot in the summer... hotter than most) I keep my nic in the freezer. Even though we have an AC, we mostly use a "swamp cooler" (evaporative cooler) and not much of the air flow goes to my room. If you use AC then you might be fine. Smell the nic and look for off color... if it doesn't smell bad and only has a very slight yellow color you might be OK. Like mentioned, it will still be usable (and safe) just will have an off flavor. Not sure about VG and PG (I only buy a liter at a time so it doesn't have time to go bad) For those, just taste a few drops.
I love my scale! Actually, I make unflavored base in 100 ml batches (both 6 and 12) and use the scale for the nic, then also for the PG, then just fill the bottle with VG to the 100 ml mark. I always use the scale for flavors. Oxygen is the other enemy of nic... since you haven't been opening/closing it and messing with it, you might get lucky. I would just mix a small batch of unflavored base and vape it (do it 6mg so it will give you a better idea of the nix flavor) 100 mg/ml nic is the best bet (and in PG) Doesn't have to be in PG but VG is so thick it's hard to pour (especially when cold) I pour what I need to use into a smaller container to mix my two batches of unflavored base. Best of luck!
 

Just Frank

Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
I presume I'll have to toss all my flavorings but I've read that nicotine can be used once I test it's concentration. Because of degradation the strength is now less than the original formulation.

I've mixed by volume and weight and I think I prefer mixing by weight, is this still a personal preference or has one of the options become the standard?

I got all of my flavorings, PG, VG, nicotine and bottles from Heartland vapes. I notice they now have 3mg nicotine in VG & PG, it would seem easier but is it cost effective or is it for folks that are math challenged? I recall seeing nicotine in two different qualities a couple years ago but now there's just one, have the switched to strictly high quality or have they discontinued the high quality?

Anything else new I should know about?
I'm kind of in the same boat except I stocked up on nicotine the last few years. I want to get more active in mixing, trying new flavors etc. I got into spinning my own wires a couple of years ago. That coincided with my lack of mixing. It's like I traded one hobby for the other but hope to find a balance.

I used to get really excited for new flavor releases. Now there's entire lines that I have zero experience with 😆. Should be fun.

Almost all of my 10ml tester bottles are dirty (full of old liquid). I've always dreaded cleaning them so I might just get rid of them (recycle em). I ordered a couple hundred new ones but from a company I've never heard of. They have a good trust pilot score, so hopefully they come soon.

Ive kept all my flavors in a cool/dark place. I don't plan on throwing them all away, but maybe some. I'll have to go through it.
 

jambi

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
I presume I'll have to toss all my flavorings but I've read that nicotine can be used once I test it's concentration. Because of degradation the strength is now less than the original formulation.

I've mixed by volume and weight and I think I prefer mixing by weight, is this still a personal preference or has one of the options become the standard?

I got all of my flavorings, PG, VG, nicotine and bottles from Heartland vapes. I notice they now have 3mg nicotine in VG & PG, it would seem easier but is it cost effective or is it for folks that are math challenged? I recall seeing nicotine in two different qualities a couple years ago but now there's just one, have the switched to strictly high quality or have they discontinued the high quality?

Anything else new I should know about?
I've got flavorings that were bought in 2016 that still seem fine. I think it depends how they're stored. Mine are in a cool dark closet. If they've darkened, they've probably been exposed to light and/or air, which will degrade them. I'm waiting for my oldest stuff to start reacting with the plastic bottles, but so far no signs of that.

With the nic I think it again depends on how it was stored. I'm working my way through nic that was bought in 2017, immediately transferred to amber boston rounds with conical caps and stored in the freezer. No noticeable degradation at all.

I mix by weight, it's just way too quick and easy compared to volume. You do you though.

My nic is 100mg in VG. Higher concentration = less storage space (I'm a nic hoarder). Don't need to do any math, my eliquid calculator does all that, but I've already got the ratios memorized.

I'd say the best advice is decide on a system and get really practiced at doing things that one way. You'll soon be able to mix like it's second nature.
 

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