Silca sealant balling…

Can't speak specifically for hte silca but yep, this is a failing of some sealants, it's like Stans' famous stanimals.

Not sure if there's anything to be done except for probably switch sealant- I've been very happy with oko hi fibre (same as Halo Fibre), it doesn't seem to ball up or form little corals or anything like that, though it does dry up just like anything else over time. The main edge it has is that it's water soluble and water based, so you can just add more water to dilute it or to counter drying up. It doesn't fix dry sealant, though, it only keeps it wet, like some paint. It's also cheap!

Didn't Silca own up to their first production run doing this and modified it for the latest version, or something like that? I may be making this up, but it does ring some sort of bell.

I emailed Silca - they say it’s because it dried up. Pretty poor really as it’s only been in 2 months and I topped it up with the Silca replenisher. They sent a long email saying that other sealants do it as well and in some cases it needs topping up after a couple of weeks (porous sidewalls). I’ve not seen this with other sealants mind on the same tyres. I’ll not be buying any more once this runs out. 

Was it the original version or the new version of the Silca sealant? Assume the former if you're using replenisher with it (I don't think that's needed for the new version)?

I really hated the original silca sealant, thought the fibre bits was a good idea for higher pressures on gravel and road tyres, but you could only put it in by unseating the tyre (it would clog up the injector nozzle trying to put it in through the valve outer) and never sealed the porous sidewalls, for the price it was probably one of the worst value bike related purchases I have made. I have had some expensive kit that was really good but hard to justify the extra cost over more basic kit, but this was expensive and worse. I won't be splashing out to try the newer formula.

It was /is the original version. It did seal a recent puncture fairly well but I only noticed it when I looked down and saw all the sealant on my shoes and leggings. Suffice to say it’s impossible to remove from the leggings despite using some of Silca’s own brand sealant remover. I’m beginning to think Silca are a bit like MucOff ie basically all hype with shite products….

Orange Endurance doesn't make alien life forms and doesn't dry out.

I’ve got a bottle of Orange to try when the Silca runs out. What’s it like on road tyres? I don’t use Stan’s any more on the road/gravel bikes as it refuses to seal properly at 50psi+ and continually weeps. 
I’m tempted by the OKO high fibre or whatever it’s called. Incidentally I took the tyres off No 2. Skipperlet’s MTB thinking I’d have to spend a couple of hours cleaning dried sealant out of them (not been touched since last spring) and to my surprise it wasn’t all dried up. Not much in it but not dry. That was Stan’s. I simply topped up with more of the same and claimed a couple of hours back and went for a ride! 😎

Yeah I think the frustrating thing is sealant life is really unpredictable- my own theory (and this might be horseshit) is that there's basically only a small chance of a little stanimal starting to form at any time, but as soon as one starts, they accumulate more bits really fast. You can do both ends of a bike on the same day and have one still be fresh a year later and the other go off in a month. Different tyres seem to make a difference but I couldn't guess why, it can't be a permeability thing if the tyre stays up can it?

I know I already mentioned it but I really rate the Oko. If you could get it in any bike shop it'd be a complete no brainer as far as I'm concerned, it's only the availability/incompatibility that counts against it and advantages Stans. TBF normal Stans is also really pretty good.

Same question re the OKO I supppse - what’s it like at 50psi+?