Just wondering if anyone has tried to freeze their liquids and what effect it could possibly have. I’ve read that it doesn’t really do anything, but wanted to see what others thought. I was hoping for a breakthrough to hasten the steep process, but it makes more sense it would prolong it. I’m sure if it was a way to speed the process atomically somehow then we’d all be doing it. Whatever I guess just a abstract thought I had after shaking a cold bottle lol.
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Be careful with condensation …thats all I could suggest…
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Fridge can slow the steep but dont freeze.
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The ONLY ingredient that you could consider freezing, is nicotine. It’s a big NO for all other ingredients.
There is plenty info about it spread across the forum and web, search if you need more info.
And even with nic, you should take all possible precautions to avoid any condensation. Same goes for keeping any liquids in a fridge.
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I saw this post about people being concerned with the flavor ban that they were freezing their bottles of juice to preserve them. Not really something that I would do. I was just curious if anyone has tried it. Definitely don’t freeze your concentrates. I personally keep my nic in the fridge and it works well. Thanks everyone.
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Condensation of any Water present (on the walls of containers) is quite likely to occur whenever the temperature is below the Dew Point of the atmosphere in the container. Such would seem to be very likely at refrigeration temperatures (which are generally below ~50 *F). That could potentially become a problem in terms of the promotion of microbe growth (bacterial and/or fungal). A rather nice little “incubator” may exist.
Keeping something at colder still temperatures (increasing density towards a solid state) would slow such microbe growth down (but not eradicate microbes/spores), but there may (possibly) exist some concerns (in the extreme case) surrounding the physical impact upon certain molecules if/when constricted by lattice-like structures of solidified components. Since Water content in mixes typically does not dominate, such events would not seem likely. Freezing temperatures of Nicotine and PG are well below likely freezer temperatures - whereas the freezing temp. of Glycerin is rated at ~64 *F. Glycerin does not (easily) form crystalline lattices.
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That’s the reason why I always struggle with people saying they’re keeping their concentrates and everything else in the fridge. If you buy a specific cool place for your stuff, you’re better off getting a wine cooler that keeps stuff at warmer than fridge temperatures but still cool enough (and you’ll save some on electricity too).
Condensation is a pest for e-liquids and so is cross contamination from food if you store it in your regular fridge.
That being said, DIY is giving people choice and they do what they want. The information is here if they care about it.
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Indeed, Water (particularly condensed into droplets) is a real enemy when storing foods - as it is the ideal environment for microbial growth. It is the reason that storing Cannabis in refrigerators (as opposed to freezer temperatures) is problematic, as well. I found this (regarding supermarket refrigeration systems):
If the Relative Humidity (inside the sealed containers) is known (or estimated), and if that Relative Humidity is of a value greater than ~50%, here is a simple approximating math identity for the Dew Point as a function of Temperature (itself expressed in units of Temperature):
The accuracy this simple approximation:
Tdp ~ T - ( ( 100 - RH ) / 5 )
… is within plus/minus 1.0 *C for Relative Humidity (RH) > 50%.
Significant further accuracy can be achieved by using the (also simple) Equation 21 in this paper:
Tdp ~ T - ( ( ( 100 - RH ) / 5 ) x ( ( 273.15 + T ) / 300 )^2 ) - ( 0.00135 x ( RH - 84 )^2 ) + 0.35
NOTES: The above identities are expressed in units of Degrees Celsius (*C), not Fahrenheit (*F).
RH is an initialization for Relative Humidity (in units of %, with a numerical value of less than 100).
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For 50 *F (10 *C, what my own refrigerator temperature servos to, using thermostat adjustment):
Relative Humidity ---------------------- Dew Point Temp (*F)
------- 50% ------------------------------------- 31.78
------- 60% ------------------------------------- 36.40
------- 70% ------------------------------------- 40.53
------- 80% ------------------------------------- 44.18
------- 90% ------------------------------------- 47.34
----- 100% ------------------------------------- 50.00
Dew Point Temp will remain (significantly) below the Temperature, if and when RH is well controlled.
Please note that the formulas above apply specifically to Water - whereas various “juices” (and flavor concentrates) are composed predominantly of other molecular species. While condensation of Water in droplets is something itself to be avoided, it appears to not at all be a simple matter to consider all of the molecular ingredients, and resultant behavior. Empirical observations (at the refrigeration temp) seems best.
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(In my personal case) of NETs, (almost all) being in solutions of PG - what I have learned from the above information sources makes me a lot less concerned about condensation of Water inside glass storage jars kept at ~50 *F (10 *C) in my refrigerator than I had been before looking into this subject. While the Vapor Pressure of Ethanol is around twice that of Water, Vapor Pressures of Glycols (PG, VG) are vastly lower.
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