old wet powder

[farmbif]

a friend gave me a couple old white and red cans of ffg black powder. one is rusted though in spots and its kind of turned into a brick. im guessing moisture got in.
I dont have a lot of black powder experience. if I open the can on a dry sunny day and spread it out in the sun to dry it should it still be good?

[Grayone]

I would tentatively say yes as I can't look at the powder. Our ancestors when on an extended hunt would sometimes get their powder wet and have to do as you suggested, "let the sun dry it out". Black powder is pretty hard to contaminate or degrade. Perhaps someone else has more info???

[45-110]

Drying wet powder was frequently laid out on blankets in the sun, as noted in several historical references I have read.
kw

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I am not a BP expert, but I do know that kernel size is reflective of burn rate. So if your wet powder gets dried but remains in clusters, it's not going to burn as desired.

[super6]

You also have to take into consideration, How much of the potassium nitrate was leeched out, The formulation is stoichiometric.

[45DUDE]

I can use it.

[super6]

If in dought stuff it a cannon, LOL

[stubshaft]

Should be good enough for plinking. Try drying it and see if the granule size is consistent.

[JimB..]

If it’s a brick won’t it need to be broken up and screened? Sounds like it’s already dry.

We do a lot of things to save a few bucks.

[farmbif]

its too wet here to try it now, 100% humidity this morning and rain forecast for tomorrow at least. ill shoot pictures when I give it a go, should be interesting.

[Nazgul]

I got a full pound of 2F Goex that had a rust hole in the bottom. It had been stored outside and had clumped slightly. I gently, with my fingers, broke up the lumps. Dried it on a paper towel in the basement where there is dehumidifier running. Then into a new can with a couple of moisture absorbing packets. Think I changed them once because they turned blue. Been shooting it without issue the last year.

Don