Does lab go bad?
Top answer
All KNF solutions can go bad this is why its taught ( The nose knows! ) if it smells bad then it has gone bad ...LAB has one of the shortest shelf life's in KNF its only recommended to store it for about 1 year if not refrigerated ...i make LAB a few times a season cause its so simple to make ..i try not to make too much and try to use whatever's left over in the house over the winter to clean or take some LAB baths ( great for your skin and helps healing minor skin wounds ) i probably use LAB just as much for personal use as i do out in the garden
From the KNF library
From the KNF library
Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books
·
Sep 2026
·
5 sources
Drake says LAB goes bad, and the nose tells you. Good LAB smells sweet turning sour, then like yogurt water, then gives a normal acetone smell on opening. Rotten eggs or vomit means it's bad. (Office Hours Ep. 44, 15:58)
The library reads acetone two ways. One block says the gases on top can smell like alcohol or acetone while the liquid below is fine, so super-saturate it again. (Office Hours Ep. 37, 20:33) Another says acetone after off-gassing, a vinegar or strong-alcohol taste, and heavy bubbling all mean it has gone bad. (Office Hours Ep. 29, 6:52)
- Refrigerate LAB not used within a week. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 15)
- If it must sit at room temperature, add an equal amount of brown sugar by weight. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 15)
- Refrigerated LAB keeps about 6 months. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 18)
- If it turns rotten in storage, discard it and make a new batch. (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 15)
The library gives no shelf life for LAB kept at room temperature.
Sources
- 15:58 Office Hours Ep. 44 (Aug 2022) — LAB Troubleshooting, Bacillus Subtilis Probiotics, Fish Amino Acid · “Sweet turning sour, then yogurt water, then a normal acetone smell on opening; rotten eggs or vomit means it's bad.”
- 20:33 Office Hours Ep. 37 (Jul 2022) — New KNF Vocabulary, Seawater Ratios, Sandy Soil Fixes · “The gases on top can smell like alcohol or acetone even when the liquid below is fine; just super-saturate it again.”
- 6:52 Office Hours Ep. 29 (May 2022) — Red Dirt for IMO4, Storing IMO3/IMO4, Spotting Bad KNF Ferments · “Bad smell like acetone after off-gassing, a vinegar or strong-alcohol taste, and heavy bubbling all mean the solution has gone bad.”
- p. 18 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “May store for 6 months in the refrigerator”
- p. 15 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “Any LAB culture not used within a week should be refrigerated, or if it must be kept at room tempera-”
