Distillers black mold

[Tōtōchtin]

I was surprised to read that a town in New York was having a bad problem from Whistlepig distillery aging barrels in warehouses located there. I can understand a town that has a large operating distillery like JD. A storage facility of barrels screwing over a town surprises me. Is this something going on in your storage area or shed?
Tōtō

[subbrew]

I have read several stories about it in Kentucky. The mold thrives on the fumes (angle's share) coming from the barrels. I have not heard of it being a problem out west (where I am) so I assume a humid environment is also required. There was a previous thread where a few people had small issues.

[NZChris]

There is a bit in my shed.

viewtopic.php?t=89604

[Saltbush Bill]

Is this something going on in your storage area or shed?

Yes it's a thing in my shed inside and out, worst effected is at the storage "barrel" end of shed.

[Tōtōchtin]

I'll need to move my gear for my friend, as she hates black mold. I thought it was an industrial problem. If I rent another place can this be controlled with periodic spraying. I would hate to have to buy a 7kw gen for the ranch.
Tōtō

[Salt Must Flow]

There are mold test kits you can buy at Lowes. I'm sure there's many other places you can get them too. Some black mold is deadly while others are not. I've used a Quaternary Disinfectant which is really good at killing mold, spores, bacteria and just about everything. Even Lysol makes one though it's lemon scented. There are many manufacturers of Quaternary Disinfectants. That type of disinfectant is neutral in ph (non corrosive), non hazardous, non toxic and won't burn your skin. If you spray it, it can irritate your lungs though.

There is a product that can be sprayed or fogged that is supposedly 100% safe and natural, it's called Concrobium.

[shadylane]

I can see distillers black mold being a problem near a professional distiller's operation.
My thought is, admit and mitigate the problem.
And the size of the operation should be taken into account.

[Wildcats]

My mother in laws house is about 3 blocks from Buffalo Trace. She had a Green metal roof. It's s always black. Her house and every house in the neighborhood is covered in black mold from the distillery. It's just part of it living in close proximity to a distillery.
There was just a big uproar over Buffalo Trace building new Ric house... People that live close by don't want their house covered in black mold. I pressure wash here house once a year.. but it still gets covered .. no way to stop it around here.
On a small scale like home distilling.... It can do the same thing, only on a smaller level... Pressure wash will help... I dread having to pressure wash her house... I have to do the roof... And a metal roof is no fun when wet. I have to use an old couch cushion and rope... To stand on and hang on.... Ymmv. Good luck.

[Yummyrum]

This is a shot of my old shed when I was packing up to move from my old place in NSW .Click on the pic and Zoom in , it’s actually quite disgusting .
I still don’t know if it was due to my distilling or simply because we were in a very humid valley . Like everything here grew mould .

When we’d moved stuff , I spent hours with a pressure washer cleaning off the mould .

Touchwood , in my new shed , I’m not seeing the mould however there is evidence of it in the 10 year old colourbond . So maybe its just a thing that happens in steamy Queensland ….. or maybe the people that owned the place beforw me were home distillers . Having said that , it’s only just hit the humid zone so time will tell .

[shadylane]

Black mold happens, and lots of it ain't healthy.
There're ways to mitigate the problem if the big professionals want or are forced to.
Us hobby sized folk, might see a little out in the shed or barn.
Black mold is icky and sticky, therefore wood smoke makes it even worst.

[NormandieStill]

Bouillie Bordelaise (copper sulphate solution from memory) should help prevent it if sprayed onto internal surfaces. It's certified for organic use but don't kid yourselves, it's toxic... just traditionally toxic!

It won't work on external surfaces unless you respray after every rain, and be prepared to have dead soil all around your buildings.

[acfixer69]

Bouillie Bordelaise (copper sulphate solution from memory) should help prevent it if sprayed onto internal surfaces. It's certified for organic use but don't kid yourselves, it's toxic... just traditionally toxic!

It won't work on external surfaces unless you respray after every rain, and be prepared to have dead soil all around your buildings.

Jeesss that sounds fun.

[Yummyrum]

It might work , but I’d be nervous spraying it on a Colourbond steel shed incase some galvanic thing happened .Probably fine on non-metalic buildings.

Copper sulfate is added ad many water treatment plants n Aussie to kill algae .
LOL , this is a bath I drew a couple of days ago

[harold01]

yummy
you are very good at drawing, the bath looks real

[Archee72]

yummy
you are very good at drawing, the bath looks real

[still_stirrin]

yummy
you are very good at drawing, the bath looks real

Damn … I snorted my drink out of my nose on that one!
ss

[Saltbush Bill]

Here are a couple of other examples of black mold.

Note that the gutter at this end of the shed is blue. The gutter is about 3 years old.

At this end of the shed its much darker....almost black.

Around the corner. At this end to the left you can see colourbond flashing on my verandah that is the same age and the same blue, it has no mold as yet. The flashing on the shed and below it is the same age and colour but is now almost completely black.
I'll leave it to you to work out which end and which corner of the shed my barrels live in.
The photos really dont tell the story that well, its worse than it looks there.

[hellbilly007]

On a related side note, when you drive by a petrol tank farm look at their tanks covered in black mold from the ethanol added to gasoline nowadays.

After a quick Google-Fu, the only countries adding ethanol to gasoline is the US and Brazil. That may not be accurate either

[Saltbush Bill]

Google needs to update its facts.....it happens here in Au as well......and I'm sure other countries too.

[Yummyrum]

Aussie has had E10 for decades too .
Interesting observation hellbelly

Posted with SBB

[Dancing4dan]

On a related side note, when you drive by a petrol tank farm look at their tanks covered in black mold from the ethanol added to gasoline nowadays.

After a quick Google-Fu, the only countries adding ethanol to gasoline is the US and Brazil. That may not be accurate either

Ethanol is standard in gasoline here. Husky Oil has several ethanol plants. https://huskygrain.com/

Some local craft “distillers” buy it as well. It gets watered down quick colored and sold as expensive craft whisky.