Rohrer & Klingner - Alt Goldgrun Mold infestation - advice is welcome.

[Gumminess]

Hello all, long time lurker here,

 

Your regular kind reminder to always check your inks before filling a pen.

 

I just found this week that one of my Ink bottles (Rohrer & Klingner - Alt Goldgrun) developed mold. It was originally opened in 2019 and I have used it randomly at work.

 

(pictures attached, apologies for the potato quality and not taking the pictures directly from the microscope, I was trying to not bother my coworkers too much)

 

I've done some research and apparently from this source , R&K Alt Goldgrun as a pH 6.73, which is within the limits for mold to grow.

 

I have been in the hobby for ~9 years. First mold infestation (that I am aware of) — and I am kinda frustrated because I though that it my pen hygiene practices were adequate — apparently they are not.

 

Of course I have disposed the bottle entirely — following common advice found in these forums.

 

However, I have so many questions, wondering what are the next steps to mitigate the risk of ruining my other pens.

 

I live in the south-east coast of Spain, it is a warm and dry climate, so I kinda though that mold was very unlikely to happen to me.

 

I own  25 different ink bottles from different brands (Pelikan 4001, Diamine, R&K, Pilot, etc) and 12 pens. I have (what I consider) to be adequate pen hygiene — I never mix inks, always store my ink bottles in a dry and cool place with the cap tightly shut, never under direct sunlight, make sure that the pens are clean before filling directly from the bottle.

 

Always clean my pens  and let them dry completely before switching inks, and flush them after ~2 months of regular usage, even if I do not plan to change ink colors. On top of that, if I do not use a pen regularly, I simply clean it and store it away.

 

Honestly I do not know what I did wrong.

 

The only recent pen that I used with this color is a TWISBI Eco from 2018, which I completely cleaned and stored it about a month ago.

 

After finding the mold in the bottle, I immediately checked the pen and I cannot see any fur or mold strains in the nib, feed or ink reserve. Needless to say, the pen will stay quarantined for at leas a few months more.

 

Any advice is pretty much welcome.

 

As a final thought, please do not let this post discourage you from buying R&K Alt-Goldgrun, it is a fantastic color that I thoroughly enjoyed since 2019 until I recently saw the mold. I also have many other R&K inks (Scabiosa, Salix, Leipziger Schwartz, Sepia, Verdigris) and I plan on keep buying more bottles from this brand. I blame myself for the mold issue and look forward to learn about this topic to avoid further incidents.

 

 

[Gumminess]

Forgot to mention. The ink did not smell bad or had a strong odor.

 

As soon as I realized that the mold was there, I was expecting a foul smell based on similar posts in this forum.

 

However, I took a sniff, as I typically do before inking a pen, and I could not find anything unusual.

 

PD. it was a bad idea in retrospect because inhaling mold is actually unhealthy 😮

 

 

[LizEF]

Great images!   Here's a link to my "Mold Post Library" (with your contribution already added ).  There are various tabs, one of which is "Prevention" - which is mostly just common-sense items.  I'm no expert - I just collect information I find in the community.

 

It's entirely possible you didn't do anything wrong and just got unlucky.  Mold spores tend to waft everywhere, and it's possible your bottle of Alt-goldgrun just couldn't fight off the spores that landed in it...

[InesF]

11 hours ago, Gumminess said:

PD. it was a bad idea in retrospect because inhaling mold is actually unhealthy 😮

As @LizEF already mentioned: molds are everywhere and also their spores. With every breath you take, be it indoors, outdoors or without door, you inhale several hundred mold spores and several thousand bacteria.

Each growing mold has a typical smell. Bacteria contaminations typically smell bad, molds can smell like anything, bad and stinky as well as having fruit aroma or like strawberries or generally aromatic. Some molds can be identified by their smell, others not.

 

PS: very nice macro photos!

[Inkyways]

I have this same ink but I never have any problem with my ink collection or with this ink. Getting a problem of mould  is very occasional to my thinking.It is always depending the situations where the mould starts from or a reason that happens. 

I remember I once got the mould into my  homemade Walnut ink.Then I knew it was due to the un-distilled water I used for that. 

[LizEF]

3 hours ago, InesF said:

Each growing mold has a typical smell. Bacteria contaminations typically smell bad, molds can smell like anything, bad and stinky as well as having fruit aroma or like strawberries or generally aromatic. Some molds can be identified by their smell, others not.

Thank you!  New info for the library!

[Gumminess]

22 hours ago, LizEF said:

Great images!   Here's a link to my "Mold Post Library" (with your contribution already added ).  There are various tabs, one of which is "Prevention" - which is mostly just common-sense items.  I'm no expert - I just collect information I find in the community.

 

It's entirely possible you didn't do anything wrong and just got unlucky.  Mold spores tend to waft everywhere, and it's possible your bottle of Alt-goldgrun just couldn't fight off the spores that landed in it...

Many thanks, I will surely review the prevention information there!

[Gumminess]

7 hours ago, Inkyways said:

I have this same ink but I never have any problem with my ink collection or with this ink. Getting a problem of mould  is very occasional to my thinking.It is always depending the situations where the mould starts from or a reason that happens. 

I remember I once got the mould into my  homemade Walnut ink.Then I knew it was due to the un-distilled water I used for that. 

I wish fountain pen ink manufacturers gave a little bit more of information about their composition — I know the formula is proprietary but still.

[inkstainedruth]

Oh that's not NEARLY as bad as trying to get a list of ingredients in FOOD.  A lot of food companies get around listing stuff like MSG (which my husband has bad reactions to, even though it's not technically an allergy) or paprika (which he *is* allergic to) by saying "natural flavorings" or  "spices".

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[InesF]

12 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

[...] by saying "natural flavorings" or  "spices".

According to European law, plant material has to be added to a product if "spices" is named as ingredient. "Natural flavor" can be an extract from a plant or can be produced from yeasts or fungi (in very rare cases also from bacteria). Usually those microbial flavors can be intense and well tasting while free from the typically expected allergens and can add others, unexpected ones. So, there are good and bad sides to them.

Would be interested to know about flavor interpretations in the US food law.

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, InesF said:

Would be interested to know about flavor interpretations in the US food law.

US Food law is that "very, very rich corporations can pay off politicians and bureaucrats to allow them to put whatever addictive and toxic substance they want into the food while putting words like organic on the packaging."  (There's a slight hope that this could change in the next presidential term.)

[PPPR]

15 minutes ago, LizEF said:

US Food law is that "very, very rich corporations can pay off politicians and bureaucrats to allow them to put whatever addictive and toxic substance they want into the food while putting words like organic on the packaging."  (There's a slight hope that this could change in the next presidential term.)

Just curious, what's the source of your quotation?

[LizEF]

33 minutes ago, PPPR said:

Just curious, what's the source of your quotation?

My brain.  I wasn't quoting anyone, I was summarizing what I believe to be the state of packaged food in the US.  (There's no shortage of sources for things like comparing packaged food sold in the US vs the same product in the UK, Europe, or even Canada, and the differences in the ingredients and flavor.  To go further would require mention of political figures, so I expect we have to stop there.)

[PPPR]

59 minutes ago, LizEF said:

My brain.  I wasn't quoting anyone, I was summarizing what I believe to be the state of packaged food in the US.  (There's no shortage of sources for things like comparing packaged food sold in the US vs the same product in the UK, Europe, or even Canada, and the differences in the ingredients and flavor.  To go further would require mention of political figures, so I expect we have to stop there.)

I brought it up because it looked more like an opinion rather than an actual quote and wanted to make sure that's all it was.

[LizEF]

24 minutes ago, PPPR said:

I brought it up because it looked more like an opinion rather than an actual quote and wanted to make sure that's all it was.

Gotcha.  Yes, my opinion, which I consider informed.

[InesF]

22 hours ago, LizEF said:

US Food law is that "very, very rich corporations can pay off politicians and bureaucrats to allow them to put whatever addictive and toxic substance they want into the food while putting words like organic on the packaging."  (There's a slight hope that this could change in the next presidential term.)

Hmm, another aspect of capitalism. Thanks for posting your opinion! +1 👍 

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, InesF said:

Hmm, another aspect of capitalism.

Well, it's turned into corporatism now (meaning, it's more a political result than an economic one).

 

1 hour ago, InesF said:

Thanks for posting your opinion! +1 👍 

Sometimes I can't stop myself...

[PPPR]

22 hours ago, LizEF said:

Gotcha.  Yes, my opinion, which I consider informed.

Of course your opinion is informed, as is every opinion posted. I have yet to meet someone who thinks their opinion is uninformed.  🙂

[Inkyways]

On 1/11/2025 at 2:52 PM, PPPR said:

Just curious, what's the source of your quotation?

 

23 hours ago, PPPR said:

I brought it up because it looked more like an opinion rather than an actual quote and wanted to make sure that's all it was.

 

3 hours ago, InesF said:

Hmm, another aspect of capitalism. Thanks for posting your opinion! +1 👍 

 

 The whole  planet is under FDA's law., directly or indirectly, MSG to  Titanium dioxide to many nano technological back door shadowy stuffs is daily introduced to the plate by the "SCIENCE CULTS." 

Now there's a  latest chaos in UK for months for ARLA ( A SCIENCE CULT CO. BASED ON SWITZERLAND ) having started a" Cow Farting" 😂   champagne to poison all dairy https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bovaer-arla-milk-cows-boycott-b2662487.html

in Uk.This is related to the similar  Idea of  Gates  is doing with Bover cattle food Supplement  in USA. There's no coincidence  but when USA sneeze,  we get the Flu on this end. 🤫 That is how the FDA run it's web. 

I truly  and hopefully  believe MAHA will break  many important dots of the links of FDA and bring back real food safety to the public. 

I know comparatively we used to say ' Uk and Europe  have different recipe  in FDA food safety  than US. It is only partly true. The main body of Food regulations of Uk / Europe  just  trying to show they have a difference but it is just a make up . We have a closer life style to USA and have a similar plate. 😃 Sorry I am wearing my TIN FOIL HAT FOR MY SECURITY. It is completely  different  way to wear a mask to get my self protected. 😀

 

Good health every body.  I am more careful about all unseen moulds in my plate than  a nice strange looking graphic mould in my Ink bottle.

By the way this thread is very nice about the ink mould I had not considered very important.  Thank for the informative  facts on ink moulds .