Shelf life for ingredients?

[Retired teacher]

My LHBS is closing for good in a couple of weeks. Everything (almost) is 50% off. I’m thinking of stocking up on nutrient, energizer, tannin, campden tablets, and whatever else I come across. I know yeast will go in the refrigerator but what about the other ingredients? I keep them in a ziplock bag which goes in a plastic tote. What kind of shelf life can I expect?
Once this shop closes down I’ll be having to pay shipping charges, so I want to stock up if I can expect it to stay good.

 

[Jim Welch]

Different chemicals have different shelf lives. Its always a good idea to get a bargain IMO, but I'd google each of these ingredients individually to see what the shelf life is, some may be measured in weeks, some in months, and some in years provided they are stored in optimal conditions.
Some of these you may want to buy in grams. some in ounces, some in pounds or kilograms. Carpe Diem.

 

[winemaker81]

Sorbate has a limited shelf life, and when you discover yours has expired, it's too late. Buy no more than you'll use in the next year.

Most things should be good for 2 years, while tannin and bentonite should be good longer.

Don't refrigerate the additives. Keep them sealed in a dark place, as some react to light.

 

[vinny]

My LHBS is closing for good in a couple of weeks. Everything (almost) is 50% off. I’m thinking of stocking up on nutrient, energizer, tannin, campden tablets, and whatever else I come across. I know yeast will go in the refrigerator but what about the other ingredients? I keep them in a ziplock bag which goes in a plastic tote. What kind of shelf life can I expect?
Once this shop closes down I’ll be having to pay shipping charges, so I want to stock up if I can expect it to stay good.

Buy them out, then you will always have fresh stock!

 

[Retired teacher]

I appreciate the quick replies. I think I’ll drive in tomorrow and pick up some supplies and hope for the best. I know I can’t go wrong on the bottles. I bought the last of their clear bottles and now all they have left are green ones. I prefer clear but half price? I don’t care what color they are!

 

[barryjo]

And when I buy any chemicals in something other than the small portions, I always date the container. This does not give the best by date but at least I know when I bought it. This goes for plastic containers as well. 5 gallon plastic jugs will age. And get brittle. And then you have a mess to clean up. Don't ask.

 

[winemaker81]

5 gallon plastic jugs will age. And get brittle. And then you have a mess to clean up. Don't ask.

Voice of unhappy experience?

Last fall one of our grape purchase group members had a 8 gallon primary crack along the bottom. He immediately turned the covered container over and I had a free bucket I let him borrow, so his loss was minimal.

Fall 2019 I lost grip on a primary and dropped it off my truck onto concrete -- it literally exploded. In the following picture, the red line is the original height of the fermenter.



I'm happy about this -- because it was empty at the time, and I had extra primaries with me.

If a container is getting old, drop it 6' / 2m onto concrete. If it survives, great!!! If it doesn't, you just dodged a serious problem, also great!

NOTE: This primary was 30 yo and had spent 20 years in my attic, which in NC in the summer is slightly hotter than the sun-side surface of Mercury. My oldest 6 US gallon / 23 liter primary is currently full of rice hulls, and I'm not trusting it for fermentation.