Mold in muslin bags

Sorry for the 405th Mold thread, it's just that i have not seen a thread relating to mold in fabric equipment. I just dumped the moldy musselin bags (don't ask) in a heavy water / bleach concentration. I figured that this way, i'd be killing two birds with one stone (ie, whitening of the bags).

Is this sufficient? i have read that when acting on fabric it can be difficult for the bleach to get to the roots of the mold.

If you're dead set on re-using them, run them through the washing machine a few times with bleach and no soap.

Home Depot sells paint strainers that work very well as cheap, single use grain/hop bags.

If you're soaking them in a very strong bleach solution, don't be surprised if the fabric becomes very fragile.

+1 on the paint strainers. I use the large ones in my hop strainer rig, and they last several batches. They are about a buck a pop.

Save the hassle and pitch 'em! I've forgotten and put damp hops bags away, only to have mold on the original ones and the smell on every bag in container. Small price to replace and have the peace of mind knowing you won't get an infection from THAT source!

thay really are easy to clean just a standered bleach soak will fix it right up or a 45 min boil .
i mean after all you would not toss a moldy carboy or keg.

I've gotten moldy sacks before. I bleach and throw em in the clothes washer, then I figure a boil does the rest.

EvilTOJ said:

I've gotten moldy sacks before.

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I have before, but after a good hot shower and some Irish Spring, all is well...



Seriously though, wouldn't paint straining bags be ok for a second use if cleaned / sanitized thoroughly? (Just being a cheap SOB for the moment)

Duckfoot said:

I have before, but after a good hot shower and some Irish Spring, all is well...



Seriously though, wouldn't paint straining bags be ok for a second use if cleaned / sanitized thoroughly? (Just being a cheap SOB for the moment)

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I have been using mine for about a year. The only reason I will toss my PS bag is if I get a tear and a hole in it.

Coolio... Thanks for the input...

GilaMinumBeer said:

The only reason I will toss my PS bag is if I get a tear and a hole in it.

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Ditto that, I usually get 4-6 batches out of a bag. I just dump the ball of spent hops into the compost heap, give the bag a quick rinse with the hose, and hang it up to dry. Once dry, any residual hop flakes just fall out and it looks almost new.

First of all, thanks for all the replies and thank you all for your time.


Second:

Duckfoot said:

Seriously though, wouldn't paint straining bags be ok for a second use if cleaned / sanitized thoroughly? (Just being a cheap SOB for the moment)

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Maybe i'm reading into this the wrong way, but are you saying musselin bags aren't ok for second use?

Third:
This will sound dumb* but what exactly is a paint strainer? what are they used for ? What is the main advantage over simple musseling bags? What are they made of?

I did a google search but could only find images of the packages / boxes containing the PS, so that's not helpful. I also found what appears to be paper/cardboard like cones. I don't think it's those either.


*English is not my first language and i don't think theres an item named with the literal translation of "paint strainer".

Sorry, I didn't mean that muslin bags weren't good for multiple uses... I just use the paint straining bags instead...

Paint straining bags are used to 'filter' household paint of impurities / clumps / etc... They resemble a small wastebasket liner (trash bag), but are made of nylon mesh... Think non-stretchy pantyhose material...

Sorry for any confusion...

Duckfoot said:

Sorry, I didn't mean that muslin bags weren't good for multiple uses... I just use the paint straining bags instead...

Paint straining bags are used to 'filter' household paint of impurities / clumps / etc... They resemble a small wastebasket liner (trash bag), but are made of nylon mesh... Think non-stretchy pantyhose material...

Sorry for any confusion...

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No problem, and thank you for clearing all that up for me.

Endovelico said:

This will sound dumb* but what exactly is a paint strainer? what are they used for ? What is the main advantage over simple musseling bags? What are they made of?

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Check out the third post on this link for a picture..

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/hop-strainer-34303/

Or you can search for hop strainer.

I'd sterilize them in a pressure cooker (20mins@15psi).