Does thymol mix go off?

[Skyhook]

Last year I made up thymol mixture according to HM's recipe, and was very pleased with it. I had half a jar left which I have kept in the shed, and have started adding to syrup again this year. I noticed however that my current batch of syrup has no smell (unless my sense of smell has got worse), and there are some mould spots appearing in one feeder.

Should I throw it away and make more?

 

[DorsetB]

Seems odd, my mix is about 3 years old, but I do keep it in a dark bottle in a cupboard.

I also had a bottle of thymolised syrup roll under a shelf unit in my shed which I recovered several months later - smelt of Thymol when I opened it, and the bees took it down as well as the fresh stuff.

Maybe get someone else to have a sniff who is not used to the smell? But do warn them first, I am banned from using it in the house, for good reason.

 

[drstitson]

"But do warn them first, I am banned from using it in the house, for good reason."

The OH and I must have been exposed to too many phenolics over the years in hospitals and labs as neither of us give thymol a second thought - all solutions made up indoors without recourse to cooker hood.

I currently have a bag in my bedroom and a bag in my office at work. The subtle strange culinary-creosote aroma is actually quite pleasant.

 

[For want of a better word]

Make some more up... not exactly expensive compared to a dead colony of bees!

 

[DorsetB]

I think it depends on your tolerance to such things.
My wife gets a headache which lasts nearly a whole day afterwards, and I occasionally get itchy either side of my nose if I mix it indoors.

 

[Hombre]

Unless the jar wasn't anywhere near air tight, in which case the thymol may have evaporated.

 

[Skyhook]

Unless the jar wasn't anywhere near air tight, in which case the thymol may have evaporated.

I've made up a new batch. On emptying out the jar, it looked as though some may have crystallized out, which would explain it.

 

[oliver90owner]

it looked as though some may have crystallized out, which would explain it.

It would be more likely that the solvent has evaporated. Might depend on which alcohol was used Ethanol (surgical spirit) boils around 82 whereas, IPA (from memory) boils around 110.

Perhaps a line on the jar at the end of this year's usage may indicate whether this is occurring (or somone is drinking it!!)

Regards, RAB

 

[Beezy]

Going slightly off the thread: is it ok to mix thymol in saucepans used for cooking? I've been mixing my syrup in with the thymol in a large saucepan and then thoroughly cleaning it after, but just had a thought about whether this was sensible?

 

[Skyhook]

Going slightly off the thread: is it ok to mix thymol in saucepans used for cooking? I've been mixing my syrup in with the thymol in a large saucepan and then thoroughly cleaning it after, but just had a thought about whether this was sensible?

It's not poisonous- if it is, I'd better throw my throat lozenges away. the only danger is tainting other food that's cooked in there if you cant get it completely clean.

 

[Beezy]

It's not poisonous- if it is, I'd better throw my throat lozenges away. the only danger is tainting other food that's cooked in there if you cant get it completely clean.

Great, thanks for putting my mind at ease

 

[oliver90owner]

if you cant get it completely clean.

If that was the case I would be wondering what else was encrusted in the pans.

Fairly obvious that thymol is reasonably volatile, that it readily dissolves in ethanol or propanol. There is, or should be, an easily worked out answer to this one.

 

[DrNick]

I always keep mine in the fridge in an airtight container, that lasts without any problem, I leave it out for a few hours to warm up before use though.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

I've been using last years batch, just stored in a jar in a cupboard, and it mixes and smells as it should, and, more importantly is apparently still tasty