14 replies to this topic

[Sparky]

You live and learn.

Tip: Make 100% sure you BP coated rice crispies are REALLY nice and dry before sealing them away for storage. I've just gone to make a shell and they all have a lovely green fur coats. before you ask it's not leached out KNO3, it has the distinctive smell of mouldy bread.

Rather amusingly they still actually still seem to work just as well as before (they weren't that great anyway)

Luckily it was just a small batch....

[megabusa]

Just don't eat them !

Mould is bad for you, but a certain amount of BP keeps you healthy

Edited by megabusa, 07 September 2012 - 02:39 PM.

[Mortartube]

Did you store them in a plastic container? If so it may be condensation rather than the fact they weren't dry in the first place.

[Sparky]

Did you store them in a plastic container? If so it may be condensation rather than the fact they weren't dry in the first place.

I store everything in air tight plastic tubs and I have a nice dry wooden cabin type shed where I do my thing. I assumed that condensation would only occur if there was a reasonable level of moisture in the contained to start with?

[Arthur Brown]

Drying must be "to constant weight" or there is a good chance that there will be residual moisture, which will cyclicly condense and evaporate enabling mould to grow.

[megabusa]

As Arthur says, keep weighing all your comps - stars, BP, BP krispies etc. when drying until the weight stops decreasing. Then you know they are as dry as possible.

[Sparky]

Cheers guys, I'm weighing for a a couple of days now before I seal stuff up

[michaelp]

Cheers guys, I'm weighing for a a couple of days now before I seal stuff up

what about using a warm electric fan oven to dry them out before coating,

BTW i have also got a cabin/shed, my family think i am sad lol

[starseeker]

what about using a warm electric fan oven to dry them out before coating,

BTW i have also got a cabin/shed, my family think i am sad lol

They have to be wet to coat them,the B.P might have a job to adhere to it other wise

[michaelp]

They have to be wet to coat them,the B.P might have a job to adhere to it other wise

Seems pretty clear that i didn't think about that lol,

[Sparky]

My problem was that I didn't dry them well enough after coating the crispies with BP. Then when I sealed them in an airtight tub the moisture allowed them to go mouldy. They still worked though :-)

[megabusa]

I had the same problem a few weeks ago with a batch of slow gold stars I made earlier in the year. They must not have been fully dry when I put them in the tupperware box.

When I came to make some gold willow shells for GFN the stars were green + furry !

They still worked well though.

[Mumbles]

I had this happen with rice crispies too. They were not sealed either. Beyond all comprehensible reason, this occurred with a burst containing 5% potassium dichromate. I figured that would prevent all sorts of life.

Edited by Mumbles, 08 December 2012 - 06:21 PM.

[pyromaniac303]

If it is consistently a problem, the inclusion of a small amount of potassium or sodium benzoate (i.e. <1%, after milling of course!) should inhibit mould growth, as it is widely used in the food industry for this reason.

[digger]

If it is consistently a problem, the inclusion of a small amount of potassium or sodium benzoate (i.e. <1%, after milling of course!) should inhibit mould growth, as it is widely used in the food industry for this reason.

Only works in acid conditions, relies on disociation to benzoic acid.