i use an 18g pin, stick it in the vial, but do not let the pin touch the liquid....turn oven on to 300*, place the vented vial onto a cookie sheet and let it bake for 30 min...then remove it and let it cool down.....the heat will sterilize it and the heat will also kill any bacteria that may be inside the deca.....it has always worked for me....i had to do this with stealth packets too....