Home brew walnut stain question...mold

[Cliff Fendley]

On the subject of home brew walnut stain. Can someone tell me why some batches will mold and other can sit right in the same place in separate container and not mold?

If I knew why maybe I could prevent any of it from molding.

Example there is a five gallon bucket that started out over half full when I poured it off last spring sitting in my shop, most is evaporated now but it has no mold whatsoever and some other I put in the pot I was using to dye projects is molding now, can sit it out in the sun and kill the mold. Clean and screen it but bring it back inside and after a week gets mold growing on it again.

I'm going to use this that is not molding for the next staining and see if it starts molding, I wonder if it is a combination of additional tannic acids from the vegetable tanned leather after the batch has been used or coincidence, not sure.

I believe Mr Chuck Burrows mentioned one time either on a forum or to me personally during a discussion that he would put some alcohol in his when not in use to prevent mold. I tried that on this particular batch and it still molded.

[Johnny McCrae]

When I made my first batch of home brewed Walnut dye Mold did form on top of the solution. I would scoop out the mold, dye my work in it and the mold would eventually come back. As I remember, I put the solution in a large plastic container with a lid. The mold seemed to diminish quite a bit. I'm guessing that each situation is going to be different due to so many variables.
I'm not an expert by any means, just my observations.

[Tascosa Joe]

Johnny: Since you posted I am making the assumption that you still have electricity.   

[Johnny McCrae]

Yes. Mr. Dorian bypassed our area. The weather here has been beautiful. Thank you for your concern Joe.

[Cliff Fendley]

When I made my first batch of home brewed Walnut dye Mold did form on top of the solution. I would scoop out the mold, dye my work in it and the mold would eventually come back. As I remember, I put the solution in a large plastic container with a lid. The mold seemed to diminish quite a bit. I'm guessing that each situation is going to be different due to so many variables.
I'm not an expert by any means, just my observations.

Thank you Johnny for that info. It doesn't seem to effect it at all it's just some extra aggravation for me this time of year when I'm not using it regularly because it has time to mold before I use it again. I used to have a refrigerator out at the shop and would store my unused solution in plastic jugs so it did not mold or anything.

More than anything my biggest curiosity is why some of it molds and some does not made the same way and stored in the same places.

[Johnny McCrae]

Just a wild guess on my part but maybe it might have something to do with the length of time between when the walnuts fell and when the solution was brewed. As you mentioned, the mold is just an aggravation and doesn't affect the use of the dye.

[Coffinmaker]

UM .......     BECAUSE   

[Mogorilla]

Hi Cliff. 
For both my walnut and chestnut dyes, I did not have this problem, but after brewing, I purposefully concentrated it somewhat and then did a 3:1 dye:isopropyl ratio.  I have found that sitting for a year no mold and the alcohol does allow for better penetration

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I have two jugs of dye that have been in the garage for a couple years, covered. One has a thin layer of mold on it and the other doesn't. The mold never gets going beyond that thin layer.

[Cliff Fendley]

Yeah when it does it's just the top layer. I don't know just thought I'd ask why some does and some doesn't for those smarter than me.