ASH levels in flux core wire, check your lot numbers folks

I was going through a new spool of 0.045 flux core last week for a job in Gary and noticed the welds looking grainier than normal. Pulled the spec sheet off the manufacturer site and turns out they adjust the ash content per batch, some runs test at 2.5% others at 4%. That little difference changes your slag removal timing and can give you porosity if you're running hot. I called the supplier and they confirmed the lot code on the side of the box tells you which batch you got, nobody talks about this on the floor. We ran a 4% batch with settings tuned for 2.5% and blew through three coupons before figuring it out. Anyone else ever chase a weld defect that turned out to be a wire chemistry tweak? How do you guys track lot changes between spools?

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