Flavor notes seeping through plastic bottles in storage?

[burley]

I've got two bins of flavorings - those that get used a lot, and the rest of the stuff. The "rest of the stuff" bin sits in my garage until I come across a random recipe idea or note that makes me go "Oh man, I swear I've got a bottle of that, lemme go dig it out."

At some point between the last time I broke the seal to this forgotten tub and now, a bottle of something minty leaked. I don't quite know how it happened to be all over every bottle in the bin, but it did. I wiped and washed the bottles and cleaned out the bin. The bin is now bin + mint, so I'll be ditching it and getting a replacement.

Well I cracked open that bin to find a bottle of TFA Rice Crunchies that was in there. The cap was on tight and it wasn't soaked or anything, but the mint smell was so strong on the outside of the bottle that I couldn't tell, by sniff-test, if it had influenced the flavoring liquid inside the bottle. Mixed up my recipe, and I swear, every fifth or sixth hit I can get just the faintest, just the hint-iest, just the smear of something minty in it. Which sucks, because I don't want anything mint in a cereal mix.

How possible is it that the mintiness of the leaked bottle, I don't know, tainted the Rice Crunchies - which, by itself, is kind of a light flavoring that (I assume) would be easy to sway with something powerful. Like this dreaded mint.

Is it psychological, all in me head? Maybe it permeated into my moustache by air contact alone? I've washed my hands and all that in between handling/cleaning the bin and bottles and mixing, but I'm just wondering if this is something that happens, meaning that I'm looking at slowly replacing... about 30 to 40 bottles of different stuff. Stuff that I don't even use, to be frank.

Thanks for reading!

 

[zaroba]

If the mint flavor soaked into the label on the bottle of the Rice Crunchies, then it wont stop smelling unless all mint that soaked into the label gets replaced with water. Have you tried removing the label from the bottle of Rice Crunchies and then washing it off real good? Perhaps even soaking it for 10 mins or so?

Even then it might still smell if any goo is left on the bottle from the label.

 

[burley]

If the mint flavor soaked into the label on the bottle of the Rice Crunchies, then it wont stop smelling unless all mint that soaked into the label gets replaced with water. Have you tried removing the label from the bottle of Rice Crunchies and then washing it off real good? Perhaps even soaking it for 10 mins or so?

Even then it might still smell if any goo is left on the bottle from the label.

Just swung home for lunch. Wooooo-wee.

Nope, haven't tried soaking it - but I did wash it with dish soap and warm water, which took most of the label off. It still reeks of mint from dang near across the room. Along with everything else, and my room itself now, too. This crap is permeating into everything around it, so it's all probably getting tossed tonight. I hate to do that, I really do, but I can't stand this.

On the up-n-up, I notice the hint of mint less so now than yesterday, so maybe it didn't make it all the way through the plastic after all.

 

[zaroba]

Could try mixing with some of the flavors and seeing if the eliquid itself comes out minty.
If not, then no big deal. As long as you don't mind the bottles smelling like mint.

 

[PatheticMr.]

Maybe it permeated into my moustache

It's in your moustache.... I have first hand experience with this! The only way to rid yourself of mentholiated moustache Syndrome is the clean shave (as close a shave as possible), followed by exactly 4cm of moustache (only moustache, not full beard - it can spread!) growth. Rinse and repeat seven times and after the eighth and final shave, rub thyme, pepper and catnip into the affected area while humming the notes of A, A# and D - 6 seconds each note for a cycle of 7 times.

Good luck man - dark times indeed!

 

[RonJS]

... and after the eighth and final shave, rub thyme, pepper and catnip into the affected area...

I can understand and support the use of the thyme and catnip. If however the pepper to be applied is of the Tabasco variety, I think I would rather just keep the mint.

Ron
----
"Being right half the time beats being half-right all the time."- Malcolm Forbes

 

[burley]

It's in your moustache.... I have first hand experience with this! The only way to rid yourself of mentholiated moustache Syndrome is the clean shave (as close a shave as possible), followed by exactly 4cm of moustache (only moustache, not full beard - it can spread!) growth. Rinse and repeat seven times and after the eighth and final shave, rub thyme, pepper and catnip into the affected area while humming the notes of A, A# and D - 6 seconds each note for a cycle of 7 times.

Good luck man - dark times indeed!

I'm sorry - did you say shave? As in - shave my moustache?

Well everyone, looks like I'm living my life as a mint-mustachioed man from here on out. This is life now, there's no remedy, there's no way to go back.

 

[SailCat]

This thread murdered any fleeting notion I may have had to grow a beard (again).

On a similar topic (which is the method I use to segue off topic), when I received a couple of dozen test flavorings in vials, I picked up glass droppers for them. 'Thing is, the first one I tried is where I learned to squeeze the bulb, then suck up the liquid as the dropper is inserted lest it overflow. The flavoring I learned this on was AP. It;s sure a good thing I've grown to enjoy the aroma cause I can still smell it in my mixing room, the door to which is always closed as it is a clean(ish) room (cat-free zone).

 

[PatheticMr.]

I'm sorry - did you say shave? As in - shave my moustache?

Well everyone, looks like I'm living my life as a mint-mustachioed man from here on out. This is life now, there's no remedy, there's no way to go back.

You sure you want to go down this road? Life with mentholiated moustache syndrome is no joke!

In all seriousness though, I've sometimes found that even the scent of strong smelling concentrates can seep into weaker ones when they are kept together... As you said, it could be psychological but I think it certainly can happen!

 

[zaroba]

I'm sorry - did you say shave? As in - shave my moustache?

Well everyone, looks like I'm living my life as a mint-mustachioed man from here on out. This is life now, there's no remedy, there's no way to go back.

pfft...just rub some different flavor in it once in a while to keep it fresh