- We asked Lee Johnson to conduct the necessary research to find the best solutions because the issue of how to securely store e-liquid during a zombie apocalypse has been keeping us up at night.A decadent banana nut bread blend was one of the first e-liquids that I really liked.
- I immediately transitioned from using it as my "all day vape" to my "all day, every day vape," and I swiftly finished the bottle. Then I understood that, as a reviewer, I should actually put pen to paper before finishing the entire bottle and forgetting how fantastic it is.Then I did.
- However, there was still a small amount, so I chose to preserve it for a rainy day.
- I therefore put it in "storage." I put that in quotation marks since, as a relatively novice vaper, I hadn't even considered good storage procedures. I simply put the item on the shelf with my other juices and continued with my day.
- I can't even begin to describe how disappointed I was when, several months later, the "rainy day" finally arrived and I eagerly filled my tank with the juice and inhaled. The taste has vanished. All that was left of the flavour I'd loved so much was a peppery, tasteless jumble.
- E-adversaries liquid's include heat, light, and air.
- Understanding what you should keep your juice away from helps you establish the fundamental guidelines for e-liquid storage.
- Dr. Jacques Le Houezec, a specialist in nicotine, points out that light and air will cause nicotine to oxidise, changing its colour but not its characteristics. He does add, though: I would be more worried about the flavours. They undoubtedly break down quicker than nicotine.
- Before continuing, it should be made clear that while the effects shouldn't alter, the flavour might. Some flavours, especially those associated with tobacco, chocolate, or coffee, can darken over time, most likely as a result of light and air oxidation. This shouldn't be a problem, but I would advise keeping them cool and out of the sun.
How Does E-Liquid React to Heat?
The issue with heat stems from how chemical reactions function in general: if something is hotter, its molecules have more energy, which may be sufficient to enable interactions with other ingredients or the breakdown of larger molecules into smaller ones.
This wouldn't be a problem, but since your e-flavor liquid's notes are created by certain compounds, the flavour of your juice will change if any of them change.
How Does E-Liquid React to Light and Air?
- The advice to stay away from light and air is based on how oxygen and UV radiation affect nicotine.Cotinine is created when oxygen combines with nicotine (this "oxidation" process involves the loss of two hydrogen atoms and the gain of one oxygen atom), and UV light promotes this reaction by supplying energy in a manner that is comparable to (but not precisely the same as) that of heat. In most circumstances, the effect won't be obvious - unless you're particularly reckless in your storage - but the more the reaction occurs, the less nicotine will be left in your juice.
- Even with a full bottle and no "headspace" above it, some oxygen will dissolve in your juice, so the problem cannot entirely be prevented. However, as long as you keep the juice away from light, the impact will be small. Keep your e-liquid away from heat, light, and, if at all possible, air, is the core advice. (And the undead!)
E-liquid long-term storage: plastic versus glass, freezing
- What has changed about long-term storage? Can e-liquid be stored in the freezer or refrigerator?
- The same fundamental guidelines still apply, however long-term e-liquid storage does have certain potential drawbacks. First off, while plastic bottles are perfectly acceptable for short-term storage (less than a couple of months), they aren't the best option overall. Use glass bottles instead, at least until the outlaws them the next year.
- This is because the plastic and e-liquid might interact, and any chemical changes will modify the flavour of your juice, as was just said in relation to heat. Additionally, although most things can't travel through plastics, some air can (or, to use more technical terms, they're "permeable" to some gases), which is bad because air degrades e-liquid.
- Glass is a far better option for reducing the air permeability and minimising any interactions with the container. The amount of air that can pass through varies on the type of plastic; generally speaking, higher-quality polymers are less permeable to air.
- Additionally, using the refrigerator is the best option for long-term storage. This is because germs don't like cold temperatures, and "chemical stuff" is less likely to happen because the molecules have less energy. This is similar to why we refrigerate or freeze most foods (although PG is anti-bacterial anyway).
- Additionally, Dr. Jacques Le Houezec reaffirmed that freezing or chilling e-liquid is completely safe. Although it's unlikely that your e-liquid will truly freeze, we did notice some flavour loss when testing one e-liquid.
- The only thing to remember is that storing your e-liquid in a refrigerator or freezer may cause it to thicken; as a result, you should let it reheat to room temperature before trying to fill a device with it and vape. Since both PG and VG have low freezing points, the e-liquid won't freeze. (Although pure VG would freeze at standard freezer temperatures, this wouldn't occur unless your juice was over 80% VG.)
Safeguarding Children and Pets
- The other set of factors to take into account when storing e-liquid is keeping it out of the reach of curious children and animals. To put it plainly: nicotine is poisonous, just like many other home items, and if you're not careful with your e-liquid, disasters could occur.
- Your e-liquid may have child-proof lids, leading you to believe that your children are still secure, but in reality, "child-proof" actually means "child-resistant," and this is far from a foolproof solution. A cap is deemed child-resistant if, given enough time, the majority of kids are unable to open it.
- To put it another way, if you give your child something in a child-resistant bottle longer than five minutes, whether it's a medicine or an e-liquid, there's a strong possibility they'll be able to open it, and some kids will do so much faster. Never depend on a child-resistant cap to keep your children secure.
- The answer is straightforward: store your e-liquid out of reach of kids and animals. It's fine to store items out of reach in a high cabinet, a lockable box, a high shelf, or anywhere else.
- Bringing Everything Together: The Best Way to Store Your E-Liquid
- E-liquid is so harmed by light, heat, and air, and it's best to keep it out of the reach of any small animals you may have roaming the premises. This knowledge is more than sufficient to ensure that you store e-liquid effectively and safely.
Short-Term Storage of E-Liquid
- A tall cupboard is the best place to keep things temporarily stored. Why?It's safe to say that this keeps it out of reach and keeps it nice and dark and likely away from any heat sources. An good storage location is a cabinet that isn't directly in the sun (and isn't over a radiator or right next to your oven). A storage container is another option, and if it is lockable, you won't have to worry as much about keeping it at a high place (but you can do that anyway, to be as safe as possible).
- Make sure the cap is tightly screwed on, and you can even squeeze plastic bottles to expel most of the air before screwing on the cap, to reduce the amount of air it is exposed to. You can also fill up multiple smaller bottles with a large bottle of juice that is just partially empty to ensure that the majority of the e-liquid is in full bottles (with little room for air above it)
Long-Term Storage of E-Liquid
- There are a few more factors to take into account for long-term storage, but the overall message is the same. You should convert to glass bottles to reduce the amount of air in the bottle. Whenever feasible, use glass that is dark or tinted.
- Finally, storing the juice in the refrigerator or, better yet, the freezer will extend its shelf life. The main issue is that it's more difficult to keep children away from a refrigerator or freezer, so you'll either need a lockable box, a high shelf, or attentive parenting.
Conclusion: The cause of my e-liquid bottle's demise
You won't have to lose the juice you love as I did if you heed the preceding instructions. I can now clearly see all the errors I made because the juice in the bottle spent more than six months being exposed to direct sunshine (at least for a few hours each day).
If I'd followed the advice I now feel confident enough to offer, I could have continued to enjoy my "rainy day" juice anywhere between six and 18 months later (or possibly even after that). Although doing it didn't hurt me, the great disappointment I felt from failing was enough to prevent me from making the same mistake again.Thankfully, you can learn from my inexperience as a novice vaper and prevent losing one of your favourite flavours. Nobody would get that from me.