Post by dannusmaximus on Dec 8, 2016 17:15:13 GMT
This topic may or may not warrant it's own thread, but I didn't see one where this post would readily slide in. I won't be offended if it gets merged into another thread.
Here's a little real world storage information courtesy of the Logistical Coordinator at Ft. Maximus.
I have a number of blue plastic food grade 55 gallon storage drums I keep filled with water, for those 'just in cases' moments. They were originally used to store tomato paste, but I never had any issues with staining or smell/flavor once I washed them out good and bleached them. Anyway, I've had them for about 10 years now, and annually I dump the water, give them a good scrub with a brush and regular dish soap, then refill them with plain old tap water, no additives. They are stored in my basement, which is unfinished but has HVAC run to it.
I noticed it had been over a year since I dumped the water and cleaned the barrels, so I did that today. I popped the tops, and noted no funky growth or smell. Took a drink out of each barrel, and with the exception of it tasting a little stale (like stored water typically does) it tasted just fine. Scrubbed them all out, rinsed, and refilled with tap water. Relabeled with my fill date, then promptly pushed them all into the corner to forget about for another year...hopefully!
I can verify due to about a decade of following this formula that I have had no issues with safety and palatability. YMMV, but in my case it seems that no additives are needed to keep the water fresh for around a year assuming you start with a well-cleaned barrel and clean tap water. Things might get funky if your storage area is subject to wide swings of temperature, but mine isn't (basement only has one HVAC supply and return to it, so it stays around the 65 degree range).
Here's a little real world storage information courtesy of the Logistical Coordinator at Ft. Maximus.
I have a number of blue plastic food grade 55 gallon storage drums I keep filled with water, for those 'just in cases' moments. They were originally used to store tomato paste, but I never had any issues with staining or smell/flavor once I washed them out good and bleached them. Anyway, I've had them for about 10 years now, and annually I dump the water, give them a good scrub with a brush and regular dish soap, then refill them with plain old tap water, no additives. They are stored in my basement, which is unfinished but has HVAC run to it.
I noticed it had been over a year since I dumped the water and cleaned the barrels, so I did that today. I popped the tops, and noted no funky growth or smell. Took a drink out of each barrel, and with the exception of it tasting a little stale (like stored water typically does) it tasted just fine. Scrubbed them all out, rinsed, and refilled with tap water. Relabeled with my fill date, then promptly pushed them all into the corner to forget about for another year...hopefully!
I can verify due to about a decade of following this formula that I have had no issues with safety and palatability. YMMV, but in my case it seems that no additives are needed to keep the water fresh for around a year assuming you start with a well-cleaned barrel and clean tap water. Things might get funky if your storage area is subject to wide swings of temperature, but mine isn't (basement only has one HVAC supply and return to it, so it stays around the 65 degree range).
