Mildew Alert!!!!

I've been regulating temperature by keeping my fermenters in the tub filled with water, and with towels wrapped around them to cool them off via evaporation. I also have a gallon jug full of water that I freeze regularly and put into the tub to lower temps.

Well, I walked into my fermentation chamber today and there was an overpowering, pungent mildew smell.

I immediately drained the tub, tossed the towels in the washer, and sprayed EVERYTHING (including the outsides of my active fermenters) with star-san. Is this going to be enough, or should I use bleach?

I just hope the porter and cider are safe (the airlock is filled with vodka)! I don't want to open them to test though, because I'm worried about accidentally contaminating them just by opening them.

How do I prevent mildew? Should I just not use the towels anymore? Or sanitize and change water and towels more frequently? Or use old T-Shirts instead of towels?

I put a little bleach in the water.

I put a little bleach in the water.

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I will do this from now on. I just need to take care when tipping.

I still want to know if Star-San will kill the mildew, or if I need to make a bleach solution.

You might try a capful or two of bleach in your tub of water to prevent it from getting mildew. Changing the water more often will help too.

If you've given everything a good spritz with StarSan, you've done everything you can to prevent contamination so I think your safe checking your brews.

The smell is still there, but nothing I smell up close has a mildew smell to it.

All my racking/bottling/brewing equipment is now soaking in hot detergent water.

Figures this would happen on a brew day!

A little Starsan or Saniclean in the water prevents that. I cleaned up mold that appeared in my Sanyo fridge, I use as a fermentation chiller, with Starsan.