Practical guides & quick answers

The unglamorous side of keeping a logbook — handling, storing and getting rid of things properly. Search below if you've got a vial open and one question. No dosing advice, no vendors.

The guides

How to mix a vial with BAC water →

Aim the water at the glass, let it stand, and roll it between your palms until the powder has completely gone. Step by step, plus the things not to do.

Filtering — what it does and doesn't do →

Filtering the water going in costs you nothing; filtering a mixed vial costs you peptide. What 0.22 µm removes, what it can't, and when reaching for a filter is the wrong answer.

Fridge vs freezer — storing vials →

Where sealed powder and mixed vials should actually live, what really degrades a peptide, travelling with vials, and what to do when the power goes off.

Do peptides need to be refrigerated? →

Which vials must stay cold and which tolerate room temperature, how long one can be left out, and what heat, light and freeze–thaw actually do.

How long does a peptide last once mixed? →

The reconstituted clock: roughly how long a mixed vial keeps in the fridge, frozen or warm, why sealed powder lasts far longer, and how to date yours.

Is it actually a peptide? →

Peptides vs steroids, SARMs and GLP-1s. Is tirzepatide a peptide, is ibutamoren a steroid — a plain-English classification with a quick table.

How to read a peptide vial label →

What the mg number, ‘lyophilised’, ‘preservative free’, ‘research use only’, batch numbers and the dates on a vial actually mean.

How to dispose of needles safely →

What actually counts as a sharps container, how to fill and seal it, where to take it, and the mistakes that cause needlestick injuries.

Shelf life reference table →

Every compound's refrigerated and frozen window in one sourced table, with the limitations spelled out. Free to cite.

Quick answers

Storage

Does my peptide need to be refrigerated?

Once mixed, yes — keep it around 2–8°C. Sealed powder tolerates short room-temperature spells but is stored cold, and frozen for the long term. Follow your own vial's instructions.

Storage

How long can a vial be left out of the fridge?

A few hours to warm up or in transit is generally fine, especially for sealed powder. A mixed vial left warm for days degrades much faster — heat is the biggest factor.

Storage

Can you freeze a mixed vial?

Sealed powder freezes well. A reconstituted vial can usually be frozen once to extend it, but avoid repeated freeze–thaw cycles.

Storage

How long does a peptide last once mixed?

Commonly quoted at about 28 days refrigerated, ~60 days frozen once, and only a few days at room temperature. Sealed powder lasts far longer. Exact figures vary by compound.

Basics

Is tirzepatide a peptide?

Yes — tirzepatide is a peptide (a chain of amino acids) acting on the GLP-1 and GIP receptors. Semaglutide and retatrutide are peptides too.

Basics

Is ibutamoren (MK-677) a steroid or a peptide?

Neither. MK-677 is an oral small-molecule growth-hormone secretagogue — not a peptide and not an anabolic steroid, which is why it's stored and taken differently.

Basics

What does the mg number on a vial mean?

It's the total mass of dry peptide in the vial — not a dose and not a concentration. Concentration only exists once you add a known volume of water.

Mixing

Can I shake the vial?

Rolling is the safer default. Aim the water at the glass wall, let it stand, then roll gently between your palms until the powder has gone.

Mixing

Where do I aim the water?

At the glass wall above the powder, so it runs down rather than blasting into the cake. A hard stream straight into the powder foams it.

Mixing

How long should it take to dissolve?

Let it stand a few minutes, then roll. Most vials that look like they need help just need more time — not more force, and not a filter.

Mixing

Which water do I use?

Bacteriostatic water for anything you'll draw from more than once — the preservative is the point. Check what came with your vial.

Filtering

Should I filter before mixing or after?

Before, if at all. Filtering the water on its way in costs you nothing because the peptide never touches the membrane. Filtering a mixed vial loses some of the peptide.

Filtering

Does filtering lose peptide?

Only when the peptide goes through the membrane. Peptides adsorb to filter surfaces, and a dilute vial loses a bigger proportion than a concentrated one.

Filtering

Does a filter remove endotoxin?

No. Endotoxin is far smaller than a 0.22 µm pore and passes straight through. Filtered is not the same as sterile-manufactured.

Filtering

My vial is cloudy — should I filter it clear?

No. Cloudiness is information, and filtering removes the information rather than the cause. Usually it simply hasn't finished dissolving.

Filtering

Why is my volume short after filtering?

Every filter holds liquid back in the housing and membrane. Read the volume that actually reached the vial and calculate your concentration from that number.

Filtering

Do non-peptides need filtering?

The question doesn't split that way — a membrane responds to particle size, not chemical class. NAD+, methylene blue and glutathione simply behave differently on a filter.

Storage

Fridge or freezer?

Sealed powder and reconstituted vials have different needs, and freezing a mixed vial is its own decision. The guide splits the two cases.

Storage

How long does it last once mixed?

It depends on the compound and how it's stored. Write the mix date on the vial the moment you mix it — that's the number people lose, not the vial.

Storage

What if the power goes off, or I'm travelling?

Both are covered — what a few hours out of the fridge actually means, and how to carry vials without cooking or freezing them.

Storage

Does light matter?

For some compounds it does. Keeping vials in a box or a case rather than on an open shelf costs nothing.

Sharps

What can I use as a sharps container?

A proper rigid, puncture-proof container with a lid. The guide covers what qualifies and what doesn't.

Sharps

Where do I take a full sharps bin?

It varies by country and local authority — pharmacies, councils and clinics are the usual routes. Never household waste.

Sharps

How do I avoid a needlestick?

Never recap a used needle, never overfill the container, and don't push anything down. Those three cover most injuries.

Shelf life

How long does my compound last, specifically?

The reference table gives a refrigerated and frozen window per compound, with sources and the limitations stated.

Shelf life

How many days has my vial got left?

Enter the mix date in the shelf-life tool and it works out where you are in the window.

Cost

What is each dose actually costing me?

The cost-per-dose tool divides the vial price by the doses it really holds, so you can compare vial sizes honestly.

Scanner

Can I just photograph the label?

Yes — the free scanner reads the compound and strength off a vial photo. No account, and nothing is stored.

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