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Mrakis

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Jan 15, 2012
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Location
Collegeville
Question to my star san users -
What do you store your solution in? I know that it is reusuable, as long as the PH is 3 or under (please correct me if i am wrong). I just don't know how to store it. I just brewed my first batch and used gallons of spring water for the wort. Afterwards, i decided to just place the starsan in the empty gallon cartons. I just tested the ph and it was borderline 3 - 4. Since it is so close, i was just going to dump it out and create a new batch when i need it, instead of trying to reuse this.

Also, my tap water is very hard. Will this play a factor in the solution's life shelf? I think i read somewhere that using distilled water will make it last longer.

any advice is greatly appreciated
 
If you want it to last as long as possible then distilled water is the way to go. Any hardness in the water will cause the solution to become cloudy which is usually considered an indication that the effectiveness has been reduced. I use distilled water and store it in a decommissioned Ale Pail. It seems to last damn near forever with the pH never getting higher than 2.8. Even so, I do still make up a fresh batch every few weeks since a certain amount of solids do end up making their way in. Better safe then sorry especially since you're only typically using an ounce at a time (less if you make a half batch).
 
I don't reuse the SS. I mix up a quart at a time and that lasts me through a month or more of use. In 2 years I've barely made a dent in the original bottle I bought, so why reuse the stuff? All you need to do is get the surfaces wet, not soak everything in it.
 
I mix up a gallon at a time. From that gallon I'll fill up a spray bottle and then I'll put just enough in to fill a large shallow container to sanitize my hoses and what not.
 
I have a 5 gallon water cooler bottle. It is not always full and I will add smaller amounts at times but that is where I store it. I have gone more than a month and still got a good PH reading.
 
Cloudiness due to hard water has nothing to do with Star-San's effectiveness. If the cloudiness bothers you, then by all means use distilled water to make up the solution. The effectiveness has everything to do with the pH remaining below 3 and keeping organic material out of the solution. That means making sure your equipment is thoroughly cleaned and rinsed before sanitizing it in the solution.

I store my Star-San solution for months at a time in a white (un-dyed), 5 gallon HDPE bucket from Home Depot. Even if the solution's pH drops below 3, as long as there is no organic material in it, I simply "sweeten" it back up with some more concentrate to drive the pH back down below 3, or just dump it and make a new batch.
 
Yeah, i'm not concerned with cloudiness. If it is a sign of ineffectiveness, or not. I will rely on ph readings. I only brought up the hard water aspect because i wanted to know if that will play a part in the longevity for reusing purposes.

Question to those that do not make the full 5 gallon batch. How much star san do you put in a quart or a gallon to make up your solution? What do you use to measure. I just made up the 5 gallons, based on what the instructions. I don't see a need to make that much, as i agree with what most have you had said. I basically just followed the instructions for piece of mind that i was using an effective solution
 
Just half the amount you used in the 5 gallon batch for a 2.5 gallon batch. Half it again for a 1.25 gallon batch.

I make the 5 gallon batch of solution so I can have enough to put some in my fermenters and swirl it around, with enough left over to soak other stuff in the bucket. I also keep a spray bottle of it handy for other tasks.
 
Yeah, i'm not concerned with cloudiness. If it is a sign of ineffectiveness, or not. I will rely on ph readings. I only brought up the hard water aspect because i wanted to know if that will play a part in the longevity for reusing purposes.

Question to those that do not make the full 5 gallon batch. How much star san do you put in a quart or a gallon to make up your solution? What do you use to measure. I just made up the 5 gallons, based on what the instructions. I don't see a need to make that much, as i agree with what most have you had said. I basically just followed the instructions for piece of mind that i was using an effective solution

Just do a little math. but to help a little 2 TBSP = 6 TSP = 1oz for 5 gal solution
approx 1.25 TSP per gal (a little strong but so what)
1.25/4qt = .31 TSP so approx 1/3 TSP per qt (still a little strong but....)
 
I mix up 1 gallon at a time with 6ml of concentrate. 1oz = 30ml / 5gal. Devide by 5 for a 1 gal batch = 6ml. I measure with measuring spoons and store in a 1 gallon growler. I fill a spray bottle. It's hard to say how long a gallon lasts, but if I were just using it for brew sessions and bottling, it would probably last through several brews.
 
I mix mine in the bottling bucket and run the leftovers to growlers and a spray bottle. It seems to last for a few brews, not that I've checked the ph, but it's still real foamy and I haven't had any infections.
 
I keep five gallons of Star San/distilled water mix for months at a time (the current batch was made in October), most of it in a glass carboy and some in a spray bottle. I check the pH with a meter on brew days before using. When it drops below three gallons I top it off with fresh mix. It remains clear throughout.

As for the whole cloudiness thing, there's no doubt that in many cases cloudiness is associated with a rise in pH and loss of effectivity, usually indicative of using hard water. But that's hardly absolute. Only a pH check can determine if the solution is still in the effective range...

Cheers!
 
I use RO water and only make about 1 gallon at a time. I also keep a spray bottle full. Saves time and effort mixing large batches.
 
I also make 1 gallon at a time. I keep it in a 1 gallon glass carboy (aka the Carlo Rossi). I use my hop scale (a digital gram scale) and weigh out .2 ozs into a little glass bowl, add hot water, pour that into Carlo and top off. The solution lasts seemingly forever. I DO reuse it - if I sanitize a keg with it, I will pour that back into the jug. Same with sanitizing a carboy. Pour, swish, swish, pour back into jug. A gallon lasts roughly 2 brews since I sanitize EVERYthing with a spray bottle full of it constantly.
 
Cloudiness due to hard water has nothing to do with Star-San's effectiveness. If the cloudiness bothers you, then by all means use distilled water to make up the solution. The effectiveness has everything to do with the pH remaining below 3 and keeping organic material out of the solution. That means making sure your equipment is thoroughly cleaned and rinsed before sanitizing it in the solution.

I store my Star-San solution for months at a time in a white (un-dyed), 5 gallon HDPE bucket from Home Depot. Even if the solution's pH drops below 3, as long as there is no organic material in it, I simply "sweeten" it back up with some more concentrate to drive the pH back down below 3, or just dump it and make a new batch.

I do this. Except my bucket is from Lowe's. I make a 2 1/2 gallon batch, which is easy, just one capful and you're done. I fill up a spray bottle straight out of this, which is handy for pretty much everything because I'm always spraying stuff down in the process.

I use regular water, so it clouds a little. I dump and make a new batch on the next brew day so I'm not worried about the ph rising before that.
 
My friend tipped me off to the spray bottle approach and i have to admit, it made everything pretty easy (1st batch so i can't say it made things easier). Anyway, thanks for all of your advice/opinions.
 
I typically brew with RO water, so I have several 1 gal plastic jugs around. I keep my starsan in those. I will dump a gallon in a clean keg before I fill it and use that keg to run starsan through my serveline and faucet. I also use the spray bottle. It is fairly inexpensive to use, I toss it when it starts looking cloudy. I guess every couple of months.
 
I make 1 gallon at a time using distilled water. It never lasts long enough to worry about going bad.

I emailed Five Star a while back about mixing it. They said to use 1 capful to 1 gallon.
 
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