I think Im using too much Star-San

So I have done four batches of beer all 5 gal batches and I have gone through one and a half 16 oz. bottles of Star san. It says to use 1 oz. to five gallons of water. Plus I use quite a bit throughout the brew process on equipment, bottles, kegs, etc. (and I have secondary racked all the batches)

I am using too much? I tend to be very AR when it comes to sanitization so maybe I tend to use too much for each batch? Tips?

Call me cheap but I'd rather not spend $12 every four batches on more sanitizer.

get a 5gallon bucket and add 1oz of star san. you can reuse it for atleast 4-5 batches before you need to dump it. just make sure your items are clean before sanitizing.

16oz should last you 40+ batches of beer.

Store it! A batch using distilled water lasts me a couple of months. Just clean and rinse everything then rinse with your Starsan solution. Pour back into a bucket, cover and save for next time. I have only maybe used about 8 oz. of StarSan in a year and a half!

I would say yes, you are wasting a lot!

It seems like you are diluting properly. Are you dumping all the solution every time it is used? If so you are wasting a lot. It is still usable. Keep it and reuse it. I also put some in a spray bottle and spritz everything thoroughly with it. Get some PH strips and if the reading is 3 or less it is still good. I have been brewing for 2 years and have used 1/2 of a bottle.

To sanitize a fermenter or keg I put maybe a couple of cups in the vessel and swirl it around. That is plenty.

I bought an 8oz bottle of Starsan in like February of 2011. Barely used a fourth of it. I measure 3/4's of the way up to the 1/4oz mark per gallon of water. And that lasts a couple months. A little can go a long way.

Remember it just needs wet contact time, not soaking. So you don't need 5 gallons. 1-2 gallons is more than enough. And get a few jugs of distilled for 99c at Walgreens and reuse it. Put some in a spray bottle for incidental needs (like pulling a sample)

kh54s10 said:

I would say yes, you are wasting a lot!

It seems like you are diluting properly. Are you dumping all the solution every time it is used? If so you are wasting a lot. It is still usable. Keep it and reuse it. I also put some in a spray bottle and spritz everything thoroughly with it. Get some PH strips and if the reading is 3 or less it is still good. I have been brewing for 2 years and have used 1/2 of a bottle.

To sanitize a fermenter or keg I put maybe a couple of cups in the vessel and swirl it around. That is plenty.

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Yes, I have been dumping it down the drain everytime :smack: I dodn't know you could re-use it. Im glad I asked, I will make batches of it and a spray bottle for the next brew day, thanks for the great info.

gavball6 said:

Store it! A batch using distilled water lasts me a couple of months. Just clean and rinse everything then rinse with your Starsan solution. Pour back into a bucket, cover and save for next time. I have only maybe used about 8 oz. of StarSan in a year and a half!

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Same here.

I thought you could only reuse for like a week. When I dump my buckets I sometimes find green slime on the bottom..

What about when it turns cloudy?

I don't really have the space to store it, but I surely don't use that much. Remember, the foam sanitizes.... contact sanitizes... I have a spray bottle full for all small jobs like the fermenter lid, my yard stick, turkey baster, etc. When I san my buckets, I usually fill a couple gallons and swash it around, maybe spray the edges with the bottle... soak some tools in the couple gallons - spray the siphons and stuff where they are too tall to be submerged. Also, pump a bit through the siphon. Why are you using a secondary? If you aren't adding fruit, souring or dry hopping, I'd stop doing that and save yourself the hassle, the star san, the equipment use, and the risk of infection.

theveganbrewer said:

What about when it turns cloudy?

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That's a good time to make a new batch.

To the OP, don't feel bad I used to do the same as you.

Now I mix up a 5 gallon bucket and use it until it gets cloudy. I don't even use distilled water, just tap.

I'd probably get a bit more use if I went distilled, but my 5 gallon batch usually lasts me 4-6 months before it goes cloudy on me so long as I clean stuff before I sanitize.

theveganbrewer said:

What about when it turns cloudy?

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Not necessarily an indication. For some people it turns cloudy almost immediately, but it still is in the proper pH range. You'd have to take a pH reading to be sure. Or just relax and hope for the best (my go-to strategy)

Interesting.. I may be wasting too.

I use 0.5oz in 2.5 gallons water to rinse bottles. Then I fill a spray bottle with it for sanitizing buckets, hydrometers etc.... then it goes down the drain. So I get 2 batches per ounce of starsan.

Mine is cloudy the day after I make it. What's ideal pH for it?

Mine usually turns cloudy within an hour of mixing it up if I use tap water. The cloudiness doesn't matter as long as your PH is still good. As mentioned earlier get some PH test strips (you don't even need to use a full strip, I tear them into 3rds) and make sure that it's still under 3 you are good to go. The spray bottle approach saves not only starsan but a ton of effort too!

theveganbrewer said:

Mine is cloudy the day after I make it. What's ideal pH for it?

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Same here. Mine is immediately cloudy. Definitely not a good indication of it's usefulness. According to the manufacturer, pH must be below 3. http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/StarSanTech5.pdf

"Solution must remain at a pH at 3 or below to maintain proper sanitizing level"

I agree. I have hard water so mine turns cloudy in the first few minutes. I check it with PH strips. I usually change it every 6 batches/bottlings(basically 12 uses)....when I see dirt and stuff at the bottom of the bucket.

Going to get some wide-range pH strips on ebay.

Dylan42 said:

Yes, I have been dumping it down the drain everytime :smack: I dodn't know you could re-use it. Im glad I asked, I will make batches of it and a spray bottle for the next brew day, thanks for the great info.

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To check for viability, you can always get pH test strips and make sure the pH is LOWER than 3.

Will I learned something new today

Dylan42 said:

So I have done four batches of beer all 5 gal batches and I have gone through one and a half 16 oz. bottles of Star san. It says to use 1 oz. to five gallons of water.

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Um. one and a half bottles is 24 oz. 1 oz. to five gallons of water is 120 gallons of water. Between four batches that's 30 gallons of StarSan solution per batch!

*HOW* are you doing this?!?!?!?

I'm on my second bottle of star-san. I've only been using it for about 7 years, though. I used to use one step when I did mostly wine.

I mix up one gallon at a time, with 1/4 ounce of star san to one gallon of water. I use, reuse, etc, and end up spilling it before it loses effectiveness as I pour it back and forth. I use it for my kegs, my fermenters, my siphon, tubing, bottling bucket, etc and I brew ten gallon batches about 2 times per month. I make wine about once per month, and use star-san for the bottles and all of the carboys and things associated with winemaking.

I also only make up one gallon at a time when I brew or keg, and 16 oz of that goes into the spray bottle every time. I don't reuse and the bottle still should last for years.

Swish or spray man!

I over use Star San. But process wise it makes sense to me so that I always have it on hand for whatever I do.

I make up and store 1 gal fresh star San (diluted to label spec.'s) in each freshly cleaned carboy.

On brew day, I sanitize hoses and spoons and other equipment with a spray bottle. The 1 gallon in the carboy gets transferred to a 1 gal water jug for further storage.
I use the 1 gal jug for all re-filling of the spray bottle and for larger volumes needed for bottling day ( rinse/soak bottling bucket, wand, canes, hoses after boiling, etc.).
After bottling, the carboy is cleaned and a fresh gallon is made and the cycle starts again.

Even at this I'm usually dumping a quart or so due to no room in my "storage jug".

BTW - I use glass carboys. As I understand it from my fellow HBT-er's, storing star-San in Better Bottles may not be a good idea.

Here's another lil tip;I stopped using milk jugs/water jugs for storing my mixed Starsan. They have a double seam that crosses on the bottom,& the thinner plastic combines to make them start leaking sooner. I instead use SunnyD jugs,or those from Arizona iced tea in the 1 gallon size. They're heavier plastic,& I get more than a year out of them before they develope a leak. I store Starsan & PBW in them. I also have one marked off in quarts for measuring water For mashing & the like.

Wow thanks for all the input guys I appreciate it.

So I have given this a go and each time I go back to the bucket there is mold in it and/or it is super cloudy, any way to get around this? I have wasted two more 5 gal batches

Dylan42 said:

So I have given this a go and each time I go back to the bucket there is mold in it and/or it is super cloudy, any way to get around this? I have wasted two more 5 gal batches

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Are you using a sealed bucket?

I store mine in a korny keg and I've never had mold grow in it. In theory the starsan will be neutralized after prolonged contact with oxygen in the air. The PH will raise and you no longer have a starsan solution but a neutralized phosphoric acid solution. This will not sanitize and will not prevent growth of spores. A sealed container should prevent this. Just keep the air/starsan ratio as low as possible. If you are sealing the bucket and it's mostly full I have no idea what the problem is.

Step 1: Don't make 5 gallons, make 1 gallon at a time. The fill cup has mL increments on the back side. 30mL ~= 1oz, so for 1 gallon of solution you want just over the 5 mL mark of StarSan. Typically for each batch I top off my spray bottle with whatever I have leftover in my 1 gal jug and then make a new 1 gal batch. As others have said, you need contact time, not full-on soaking. A few oz of solution is fine for a whole carboy, keg, etc.

Step 2: Use distilled water. Using tap water will cause the sanitizing and surfactant additives to precipitate out over time, which results in cloudy solution and eventually a pH higher than 3.

Step 3: Keep the solution covered/sealed and free of debris.

I'm also in the camp of having to replace my 16oz bottle after years of use, so it's certainly possible.

2bluewagons said:

Step 1: Don't make 5 gallons, make 1 gallon at a time. The fill cup has mL increments on the back side. 30mL ~= 1oz, so for 1 gallon of solution you want just over the 5 mL mark of StarSan. Typically for each batch I top off my spray bottle with whatever I have leftover in my 1 gal jug and then make a new 1 gal batch. As others have said, you need contact time, not full-on soaking. A few oz of solution is fine for a whole carboy, keg, etc.

Step 2: Use distilled water. Using tap water will cause the sanitizing and surfactant additives to precipitate out over time, which results in cloudy solution and eventually a pH higher than 3.

Step 3: Keep the solution covered/sealed and free of debris.

I'm also in the camp of having to replace my 16oz bottle after years of use, so it's certainly possible.

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Thanks Ill do this next time, I cant believe I'm letting something so simple kick my ass and take my money! Haha! The bucket I was using from Lowes probably doesnt have a good seal on it, might need to get a new one.

Dylan42 said:

Thanks Ill do this next time, I cant believe I'm letting something so simple kick my ass and take my money! Haha! The bucket I was using from Lowes probably doesnt have a good seal on it, might need to get a new one.

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I use a glass gallon jug. It's heavy but it was free (Carlo Rossi jug), it also works as a one gallon fermenter when it's empty of star-san, and the star-san lasts and lasts. I make it up, and fill a squirt bottle as well (a cheap 99 cent spray bottle from the dollar store). You can use any jug, but they seem to be better than a bucket as they stay tightly closed.

I use one of these:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_356492-1152...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

And one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007KAY4S2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Forms an airtight seal. I make 5 gallons and use it for about 2 months.

I also keep a spray bottle around at all times.

ok I have to chime in here....I buy 2.5 gallon jug of distilled water at the local grocers (Meijer)...less than 3 bucks....then mix .5 oz in a bucket when I am done I pour into my bottling bucket and refill the jug that the distilled water came in with the bottling spout ,and store my starsan in that and yes also have a spray bottle filled at all times (the only way to go)...been on this batch since march and many brews...Tom

yeah i definitely got the spray bottle going but will try the distiled water route once I get more star san :smack:

I use a 5 gallon water bottle. I mix up varying amounts in it and it is rarely full. It never gets cloudy, never any mold and covered with a piece of foil... some of the time. I have had no issues and the PH stays within specs for months.

The stuff is designed to kill molds so I cannot figure out why you would get mold growing on it. Green slime??

Do you CLEAN & sterilize?

You can't have sterile without cleaning.

Any vessel where you are using starsan or other sterilizer must be perfectly clean and rinsed and/or dry with something like PBW or unscented Oxy clean or something to clean any pockets or clumps.

Brewskii said:

Do you CLEAN & sterilize?

You can't have sterile without cleaning.

Any vessel where you are using starsan or other sterilizer must be perfectly clean and rinsed and/or dry with something like PBW or unscented Oxy clean or something to clean any pockets or clumps.

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I don't think he was complaining about infections, but about using too much Star San.

I use more than many here--Yooper seems to have it down to a science. Yet, I don't go through it like the OP reports. I usually have two batches in the garage. One is used for sanitizing kegs and goes from one keg to another as needed. It is simply stored in the last keg it was used in until the next time I need it. I read that if mixed to proper strength it won't harm SS and I have never seen a problem from this. Then for brewing I make up a five gallon batch and use that through the whole brew process--which are often double batches. I then refill my spray bottle and put a lid on the remaining. I have never found mold growing in it--even the times I forgot to put a lid on it. Often the batch that has been saved gets used up in other projects.

I may try the way others are doing here. But even without that, by this way you should still get at least 16 batches out of a 16 oz. bottle.