Additives storage and shelf life?

[reeflections]

I have a lot of additives that are a year or so old. Nutes, energizers, acid, tannin, sorbate, k-meta. I have heard that sorbate has a a short shelf life. What else? Is there a way to tell?

When I 1st started, I was putting these additives in canning jars and vacuum sealing after each use. Then I got lazy and quit vacuum sealing. What's the best way to store these?

 

[hounddawg]

except for sorbate, the rest of my chemicals , I put in gallon freezer baggies original package and all then,, i put them and my yeasts into a tall 50 caliber ammo box and set on a shelf in my wine room, i keep my sorbate the same way, but throw any of it out past a year old, since where i live i order everything but my fruits and berries, i buy a couple pounds at a time, i find it helpful to never chance running outta K-Meta,, I keep my 2.5 x 10 polypropylene filters in 20 mm ammo boxes, they hold 26 filters at a time i keep 4#- of the 20 mm because filters bought by the case is about 1/3 to 1/4 the price from buying less at a time, i keep 2# of 1 micron and 2#- of 5 micron,,
Dawg

 

[winemaker81]

Sorbate supposedly has a short shelf life. I buy small bags, as I don't sweeten much, and replace it after a year, although I have used the packets from kits that were 2+ years old. That's one where if it loses effectiveness, things will suck when the corks start popping.

Nutrients and energizer may have a shorter shelf life, I've read conflicting reports. I'd replace them if not used within a couple of years.

Sulfite? Make a batch of K-meta water. Take a DEEP sniff. If you're still alive, it's gone bad. *

The other additives? I've kept them for years with no obvious problems.



* DO NOT sniff deeply of K-meta water. It will rip your lungs out through your toes and hand them to you. Sniff very gently, and if it reeks, it's good.

 

[hounddawg]

Sorbate supposedly has a short shelf life. I buy small bags, as I don't sweeten much, and replace it after a year, although I have used the packets from kits that were 2+ years old. That's one where if it loses effectiveness, things will suck when the corks start popping.

Nutrients and energizer may have a shorter shelf life, I've read conflicting reports. I'd replace them if not used within a couple of years.

Sulfite? Make a batch of K-meta water. Take a DEEP sniff. If you're still alive, it's gone bad. *

The other additives? I've kept them for years with no obvious problems.



* DO NOT sniff deeply of K-meta water. It will rip your lungs out through your toes and hand them to you. Sniff very gently, and if it reeks, it's good.

yep i got a whiff up my tracheostomy tube one time, that was ruff,,,,
Dawg

 

[winemaker81]

yep i got a whiff up my tracheostomy tube one time, that was ruff,,,,

I can't even imagine. ☹

 

[Raptor99]

This is a great question, and something that I have wondered about too.

My untested guess is that the inorganic chemicals might have a longer shelf life, but that the organics could break down more quickly. I use Fermaid O in my mead, and I am following a suggestion I saw on the mead forum about storing it in the fridge in an air-tight container. I also store my yeast in the fridge, and have kept yeast in the freezer for 1 year and had no problem with it working after it thawed out.

So my current practice is:
Freezer: Long term storage for yeast (you could probably also freeze nutrients and pectic enzyme)
Fridge: Yeast, Fermaid O, Pectic Enzyme (yeast engergizer should probably be in the fridge as well)
Shelf: Yeast Nutrient (DAP), Kmeta, Potassium Bicarbonate, Glycerin, etc. (all in air-tight containers, away from light sources)

I'm not sure whether Tannin or Sorbate should be in the fridge. Most chemical reactions are slower when it is cold, so it probably wouldn't hurt.