I have quite a few flavors in my stash and feel that some are losing their potency after 9 months. They are all kept in the basement around 70 degrees and mostly in the dark except when I’m down there. The flavor that I clone the most is Castle Long which I made a 1000 ml last November. As that was getting low I mixed up a small batch two weeks ago and it doesn’t have the same flavorful draw that I remember neither does the remains of the 1000 ml. So do the flavor concentrates degrade over time?
Thanks for any help I receive, Vince
2 Likes
What do you store you e-liquids in?
1 Like
I’ve noticed some do… coffee ones are the worst. If I smell them and they smell kind of funny or they start getting crystals on them… I throw them out.
The ones I use the most would never stay around long enough to rot!
3 Likes
The concentrates are in the original plastic bottles. Once I mix the liquid goes in glass, I have sizes up to 1000 ml bottles (brown and blue). I just hate to throw away the concentrates (some are unopened)I have but if their bad their bad so next time I will buy just what I will be mixing next.
Thanks for the response
2 Likes
Sunlight will destroy your flavours
Heat will destroy your flavours
Plastic bottles with liquid in can leach chemicals like cleaning agents etc
Shelf life is usually 9-12months
Keep your flavours separated from everything, in a dark, room temperature place or do what @Pugs1970 does and store them in a dedicated fridge, on a low setting??
6 Likes
As others have mentioned long term storage of concentrates in plastics isnt ideal. Trick is to buy what you will use within a year. If they are in PE or PET plastic they will last a bit longer than LDPE as PE is a bit less permeable.
I store all of my large volumes in glass and smaller volumes in their original container, these are what i know ill use up quickly. The large volume flavorings go in a mini fridge.
Cold will help prolong their shelf life, such as a mini fridge. But dont keep anything stinky in the same fridge, smells dont just leech out they leech in too.
If you get any crystallization, by storing in a fridge, then hold the concentrate in your hand to warm it up. When the crystals dissolve shake the hell out of it.
4 Likes
yep, lowest 
1 Like
I recently spoke with both Capella and TFA, these are their guidelines. While shelf life is based on a number of factors including environmental and handling, the fact is that flavors (given proper care) don’t really spoil and have no predetermined expiration date. Personally though, I use generally them within a year.
The temperature should not be above 77 deg and or exposure to high humidity. Flavors are best kept in the dark but if temp and humidity is a concern, a fridge or wine cooler is best.
In addition, flavors should only be kept in plastic bottles for 2-3 months, then transferred to glass without plastic droppers.