Garages, mould and storage...

[masterosouffle]

Hi guys,
Have recently moved to a new house with an external garage dedicated to brewing (with the notable exception of a condensing tumble dryer next to he door)

In the few weeks I have been storing stuff in there, I am getting noticeable mould growth. I haven't set up the brew system yet, but want tips and advice on protecting my gear...

So, general advice on: reducing mould in garage? Protecting equipment / electrics? Bottle storage?

As for tubing and camlocks etc, can these be stored in buckets of star San?

And anything else you can help with or things I need to watch out for will be much appreciate!

Cheers

[boingy]

Mould needs food and moisture. A garage is always going to be damp unless you are up for some serious modifications (insulation etc) so focus on the food. What is getting mouldy and what sort of mould is it? Your brewing kit should be clean enough to prevent mould growth. Your ingredients need storing in airtight containers. The biggest problem in my garage is dust so any brewing kit that will not be used for a while gets to wear a clingfilm hat. Stuff that is regularly used sometimes needs a quick rinse with a hose in the garden before use.

[Blackaddler]

You'll need to get rid of the mould, first. Then try to tackle the moisture problem.

I'm in the middle of a similar situation with my brewshed, at the moment. Thanks to the relentless rain, the shed hasn't had a chance to dry out when it's got a bit damp inside. I found that a few pieces of the wooden overlap were beginning to go a bit green as well. I sorted that with some diluted bleach in a spray bottle. Then I found one spot where water was seeping in [around the window], and sealed it. I've now painted most of the inside of the shed with wood preserver, and I'm hoping that that will help too. I'm just waiting for a couple of small damp spots on the floor to dry out completely, so I can finish painting.

All my grain and hops that are stored in there are in coolboxes. Electrical stuff, where practical, [controllers etc] I now keep indoors.

[masterosouffle]

Cheers guys, looks like a big clean down is in order!

Any ideas on the storing stuff in starsan long term?
Cheers

[Pinto]

If you're planning to brew in there long term, then I'd reccomend a thorough clean down with disinfectant, followed by sealing the walls and floors - use a couple of coats of decent floor paint and if you can stretch to it, two coats of Glixtone Fungi-shield emulsion paint on all the walls and ceiling surfaces.

http://www.glixtone.com/

(Available from Brewers Paints, but not cheap - £40 - £60 for 5 litres....)

After that, its just a matter of cleanliness and housekeeping - dont leave the buggies anything to eat in terms of wort, grain, etc and try to keep condensation to a minimum - ensure that the place has good all round ventilation as moulds and mildews adore damp, dead air pockets.

[BeerEagle]

+1 on ventilation. If you can, install an extractor fan in the wall/ceiling.
Reducing the moisture will go a long way to reducing your mould problem.

[Dr. Dextrin]

Yes, just knocking a few points off the humidity can make a huge difference to mould growth and a bit of ventilation helps a lot. A cheap hygrometer (e.g. from a garden centre) might be a good way of keeping an eye on it.

[crafty john]

Sticking a de- humidifier in there for a few hours every couple of days will help a lot, as long as you have power in there to run it.

[masterosouffle]

Cheers guys, think with a mixture of the above, should ave a chance o keeping it under control if nothing else.
I was thinking it would be pointless to use a dehumidifier as the garage doesn't seal very well, would I not be trying to dehumidify the atmosphere? I have one and can use it if it will help...
There doesn't appear to be an vents with the exception of the gaps around the door. Are making vents as simple of knocking a brick out and putting a grill over it?
I have a 1500mm extraction canopy over the brew system, so hopefully this will help.

Painting wise, if budget doesn't stretch to the special paint above, could painting it with masonry paint do more harm than good?

[Pinto]

Any paint is better than none at all. You can buy cheaper anti-fungal paints (b&q sell a version as "bathroom paint" for about half the cost) -just that the fungi-shield will stop mould guaranteed. If you just choose to just use paint, do the first coat in vinyl matt (to cover) and the second coat in vinyl silk or eggshell to seal and make it washable.

[masterosouffle]

Cheers guys. Have decided to concentrate on cleaning ant ventilation for now.
With a plan to empty out and paint it all in the spring when things warm up a bit.

Does anyone know anything about storing hoses and camlocks in buckets of starsan between brews?
Cheers

[greenxpaddy]

I would agree. Its the damp that is the issue here. Extractor (tick) and make sure there is no water getting into the garage under the door or through the roof

[Belter]

Starsan will ruin your hoses. Making them go slimy. I'm pretty sure over time it will eat your cam locks as you aren't supposed to store it in a cornie (although I know some people do). Some people use an old cornie for cleaning beer lines but they get pitted from the acid.

[masterosouffle]

Starsan will ruin your hoses. Making them go slimy. I'm pretty sure over time it will eat your cam locks as you aren't supposed to store it in a cornie (although I know some people do). Some people use an old cornie for cleaning beer lines but they get pitted from the acid.

Cheers for the info.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a liquid / chemical that I can us for long term storage of hoses and camlocks?
I guess paracetic would have the same issues, though I have seen it used in this way in a micro...

[Kev888]

Brupaks do a product called stayclean IIRC, thats designed for that sort of thing, but I haven't used it myself.

With my garage setup I've partly resigned myself to mould existing out there - even after you get rid as well as possible it returns - I don't have a commercial-standard hygienic environment to allow easy removal; the surfaces are too porous and ill-fitting. But I try to keep ahead of it and its not 'generally' turned out to be a problem because I try to account for it's potential existence where its important. Making sure the pre-boil stuff is flushed out and draining it properly seems sufficient, BUT fermenters and kegs etc also get a 'very' good chemical cleaning after use and then 'just' before use receive a thorough rinsing and 'obsessive' sanitising.

However two areas have caused me aggro: I have a copper HLT which gets verdigris and needs lots of attention with a scrubby pad, and I had mould growing in hoses which were too long to drain easily/properly. The latter was annoying as I'd done what I could to thoroughly clean them and then completely fill with clean water, cap, and keep in the dark - but probably I failed to do so well enough. I improved that a lot by using boiling water instead, and the next idea was filling with starsan which was easier - but as mentioned that did seem to attack my brass disconnects. So since investing in camlocks I'm back to boiling water for the ones that are too long to drain and dry on radiators. So far so good, but I do now pump boiling wort through the long post-boil (boiler-to-FV) hose before use, so I'm rather more relaxed about it in any case.

EDIT: I sometimes think there should be a way to make a hot air blower with sufficient umph to blow out water from hoses and dry them afterwards, but its a project way down the list sadly.

Cheers
Kev