I was the laboratory manager for a small refinery in Kern County, CA for a number of years. Let’s clarify some things first. Each and every sales tank at any refinery in the US has an accompanimg signed data sheet showing that the product has passed the required ASTM tests for that product. Red diesel is just diesel colored red for road tax determination purposes.
The second point I would like to make is that diesel is a “wet” fuel, it’s a fraction that contains water. Being a wet fuel means that measures need to be taken to keep it dry, as it is when it leaves the refinery, microorganisms love wet fuels. This includes algae and bacteria.
My third point is that to your surprise there are two sources of diesel, paraffinic and asphaltenic. Paraffin based crudes produce a yellow sweet smelling high cetane fuel but with a rather high pour point grade #2 And #1 grade which has a much lower pour point. Asphaltene based crudes are cracked to make a product that resembles root beer color and has a bad odor. They are low cetane and have to be chemically boosted.
The third concern is sulfur which is now being reduced in diesel to 15 ppm and it promotes microbial growth and particulate formation.
So what are the issues with diesel fuel, paraffin (wax), asphalt - ugh and sulfur also an ugh and water. I would avoid dark asphaltenic diesel if at all possible. Number 2 diesel is great, when dry, but not in colder climates. Number 1 diesel is more highly refined a has a low pour point.
There is also a third diesel - marine diesel which is thick and waxy.
Depending upon the diesel you use choose the best additives if needed, keep your tanks full to avoid condensation, drain you water separators often, use #2 only in warm climates and use a fine filter screen when filling your tanks. If you do see or feel a scum if it light color and smells like diesel it is most likely wax but if it’s foul smelling it’s probably microbial.