Safe Starsan storage

I apologize if this has been discussed, but I didn't find anything on it this evening.

So, I just boiled my 2nd kit ever, a Caribou Slobber , and had a 5 gallon bottling bucket with Starsan as my prep bucket. Now that I'm done with this kit, and have another coming in tomorrow (a NB Red Brick Warmer holiday ale), I realize that the 5g of Starsan is sparkly clean.

So, how long can I leave it (and other items like my auto siphon etc) in contact with Starsan without any worries? Will it damage anything, to include my bucket, after a certain amount of time? I'm not trying to be cheap with my HB hobby, but I really don't want to waste a good product!!

I store it mine in a 5 gallon food grade bucket from lowes, It will last quite some time, and I usually only change mine when it is looking overly cloudy. It will last longer if mixed with distilled water instead of tap water. Really to judge longevity, you would need to measure the pH of the mix to see if it is the the proper range.
I wouldn't store my auto siphon/tubing/other brewing equipment in it, just sanitize as needed, the starsan will turn your siphon hose cloudy if stored in it. Unless you have a need for 5g, you can easily get by with 2.5 gallon batches, or less. Some people just mix up enough to fill a spray bottle and give things a quick spritz as needed.

Not long.

Maybe a day or two is OK, but the more stuff you put in that bucket the less effective it becomes. I've never reused starsan though...

You need to get a vinator and associated bottling tree, and a spray bottle. The vinator is a cool gadget that you can get online or at your LHBS. The spraybottle is something you can pick up at Home Depot. With these things, you can stretch a bottle of Starsan for at least a year or two. You never "reuse" the starsan mix.

TonyG said:

Some people just mix up enough to fill a spray bottle and give things a quick spritz as needed.

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passedpawn said:

You need to get a vinator and associated bottling tree, and a spray bottle. The vinator is a cool gadget that you can get online or at your LHBS. The spraybottle is something you can pick up at Home Depot.

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+1 on the spray bottle. In the past I've been using a bucket with 2.5G of star san. It's a HUGE waste. I think I'll be getting a vinator before I bottle my next batch for sure. I spray the bottom rack in the dishwasher to use as a bottling tree The spray bottle is a GREAT tool on brew day. No need to mix large amounts of star san with one.

Well, I have a 5 gallon Homer bucket that has been stored in the garage for 3 months. I've re-used it on 4 batches. It is cloudy, but it still foams up. I haven't had any infections (yet).

Now you have me worried.

Awesome, thanks. Well, I pulled my auto siphon and items from the bucket but left the starsan in the bottling bucket. I should get my next ingredient kit tomorrow and do the boil in the next few days. It's good to know I'm not wasting some good product.

I can't believe I didn't discover home brewing years ago!

I need a kegging setup now lol!!!

In my opinion using 1/2oz of star san per brew day is way cheaper than a ruined batch of beer. One less thing to worry about. It basically less than $.50 per use for a 32oz container.

Yes.. but you have to figure in the RO or Distilled Water.. I guess if it's a one time use.. tap works fine. But StarSan, as TonyG mentioned.. will last and last and… last as long as the pH is where it should be. Be sure to just use it for sanitizing.. don't put dirty stuff in it.. and it will last and…… Also, as mentioned above, 2.5 gal is way more than enough.. this stuff only has to be in contact for about 20 seconds.. swishing and spraying is all you need.

Interesting. I've been somewhat paranoid about contamination, so I've been using 2oz of Starsan per batch in a 5 gallon bucket to sanitize (and then use that bucket for the fermenter after pouring the water/Starsan mix into a smaller bucket). I do the same thing on bottling day, and drop the bottles into the bucket a few at a time for a few minutes. Based on what I'm reading here, I'd venture to suggest that's a bit of overkill? lol

So if I'm understanding right, all I really need to do is use a spray bottle on everything that needs to be sanitized, and that will take care of sanitizing? Does this include the bucket(s)?

Based on that question, I checked out a vinator at this link: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/vinator-bottle-rinser.html

If the guy using it hadn't sanitized the bottle tree, wouldn't that negate the vinator sanitation?

Cerebus06 said:

Interesting. I've been somewhat paranoid about contamination, so I've been using 2oz of Starsan per batch in a 5 gallon bucket to sanitize (and then use that bucket for the fermenter after pouring the water/Starsan mix into a smaller bucket). I do the same thing on bottling day, and drop the bottles into the bucket a few at a time for a few minutes. Based on what I'm reading here, I'd venture to suggest that's a bit of overkill? lol So if I'm understanding right, all I really need to do is use a spray bottle on everything that needs to be sanitized, and that will take care of sanitizing? Does this include the bucket(s)? Based on that question, I checked out a vinator at this link: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/vinator-bottle-rinser.html If the guy using it hadn't sanitized the bottle tree, wouldn't that negate the vinator sanitation?

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Spray the bottling tree with a spray bottle or just allow the Starsan dripping from the bottles to sanitise it . I make mine with RO water, about 4 litres at a time and that will do me for about 8 months or 4~5 brews. The only reason it runs out is spillage etc

masskrug said:

Well, I have a 5 gallon Homer bucket that has been stored in the garage for 3 months. I've re-used it on 4 batches. It is cloudy, but it still foams up. I haven't had any infections (yet). Now you have me worried.

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On the sanitation episode of BrewStrong, Jamil and John interviewed one of the guys (forget his name) from Five Star, makers of StarSan. He said that if mixed with distiller water, it should last for quite a while. But, he did say that at a certain pH (can't remember what) it starts to lose effectiveness... He also said that a good indicator of that is if the solution is still clear or cloudy - clear, you're still good to go; cloudy, losing effectiveness. I'd change out that cloudy bucket for a fresh batch for your next brew!

I have my Starsan stored in a 5 gallon water bottle. I pour some in a spray bottle and use the extra for soaking caps, the Vinator, etc. I have a couple gallons in there and when it gets low I mix another gallon or 2. I have ph strips so I check it often. I always have some mixed up. I have been doing this since I started 2 1/2 years ago and have had only 1 bottle infection.

kh54s10 said:

I have my Starsan stored in a 5 gallon water bottle. I pour some in a spray bottle and use the extra for soaking caps, the Vinator, etc. I have a couple gallons in there and when it gets low I mix another gallon or 2. I have ph strips so I check it often. I always have some mixed up. I have been doing this since I started 2 1/2 years ago and have had only 1 bottle infection.

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I had the impression that the OP already used the starsan in the bucket (i.e., dipped stuff in there during first batch). So, it's "used" starsan. I might be interpreting the first post incorrectly.

From BrewingTv ( http://brewingtv.com/episodes/2011/1/5/brewing-tv-episode-28-back-to-basics.html ) you can reuse starsan as long as the ph remains around 3. I've used the same batch (made with RO water) for 3 months. I brew, bottle, keg, or transfer to secondary something at least once a week, so it gets used quite often.

passedpawn said:

You never "reuse" the starsan mix.

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according to the inventor of starsan, it's all about the pH. i believe it was on the brewing network where he stated that experiments have shown that starsan can retain its sanitizing power for months.

i mix up a 5 gal batch of starsan and use it for several batches, until the distilled water gets murky. no sanitation probs yet.

To me, the peace of mind knowing that I've got exemplary sanitation far outweighs the cost of the Starsan.

I'll make up a fresh 5 gallon batch of it every brewday.

sweetcell said:

according to the inventor of starsan, it's all about the pH. i believe it was on the brewing network where he stated that experiments have shown that starsan can retain its sanitizing power for months.

i mix up a 5 gal batch of starsan and use it for several batches, until the distilled water gets murky. no sanitation probs yet.

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Yea, I heard him say that. But I'm not going to test the pH.

I use less than a quart of solution (from my spraybottle) per batch. In fact, on brewday I think the only thing I use it for is the carboys and airlocks. So, at least for me, reusing it makes no sense.

I've never mixed a large batch of starsan (i.e., a bucket of it). What do you put in there?

I put my IC in my 5 gallon bucket to sanitize so it's ready at the end of the boil. Other than that I use a spray bottle. I keep the solution for several batches.

passedpawn said:

What do you put in there?

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Pretty much anything that needs sanitizing during brewing, racking, or bottling: funnel, thief, graduated cylinder, hydrometer, airlocks and bungs, auto-siphon and tubing, bottles, caps (in a smaller bowl full of some StarSan), etc. It's much easier to reuse the bucket of StarSan than making a fresh batch of Sanitizer each and every time (which is what I was doing with OneStep before making the switch).

It's 1oz of starsan in 5 gallons of water,or 3/4's of the way up to the 1/4oz mark in 1 gallon of water. They say more than one ounce in 5 gallons,& it needs to be rinsed due to the overly strong solution. I make up a gallon at a time to sanitize everything,including fermenters. A spray bottle full for brewday or bottling day is def handy. & the bottle tree & vinator are def great for making bottling day quicker & easier.

unionrdr said:

It's 1oz of starsan in 5 gallons of water,or 3/4's of the way up to the 1/4oz mark in 1 gallon of water. They say more than one ounce in 5 gallons,& it needs to be rinsed due to thwe overly strong solution. I make up a gallon at a time to sanitize everything,including fermenters. A spray bottle full for brewday or bottling day is def handy. & the bottle tree & vinator ar edf great for making bottling day quicker & easier.

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This is what I do ^ one gallon at a time put the lid on the fermenter and shake it up! A small bottle of star San lasts a loooooong time for me!

I had been mixing up a 5 gallon batch on brew day, use it through bottling of said brew then toss. Unless it is cloudy somewhere in between that, I use it. It dawned on me that I could get away with using 2.5 gallons. I toss everything in the bucket. I dunk a measuring cup to scoop out beer when I need a sample or use my thief I am sampling a carboy. Basically, I would rather "waste" 1/2 - 1 oz of starsan than to risk losing a beer.

I keep it in a homer bucket inside my pantry.

FatsSchindee said:

Pretty much anything that needs sanitizing during brewing, racking, or bottling: funnel, thief, graduated cylinder, hydrometer, airlocks and bungs, auto-siphon and tubing, bottles, caps (in a smaller bowl full of some StarSan), etc. It's much easier to reuse the bucket of StarSan than making a fresh batch of Sanitizer each and every time (which is what I was doing with OneStep before making the switch).

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yup, this. i'm not a fan of the spray bottle: you get a thin & not necessarily complete covering that drips off immediately. dunking the item ensures that everything gets fully covered. the inventor of starsan recommends at least 30 seconds of contact time. i'm not sure that a spray bottle misting achieves that.

i also sanitize my bottles, just before filling them, by dunking the whole bottle in the bucket o' starsan. i have a vinator and i'm not happy with it. YMMV

raysmithtx said:

I put my IC in my 5 gallon bucket to sanitize so it's ready at the end of the boil. Other than that I use a spray bottle. I keep the solution for several batches.

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Curious why you sanitize the IC.. It gets sterilized in the hot wort. Won't hurt anything.. but seems quite unnecessary. JMHO

sweetcell said:

yup, this. i'm not a fan of the spray bottle: you get a thin & not necessarily complete covering that drips off immediately. dunking the item ensures that everything gets fully covered. the inventor of starsan recommends at least 30 seconds of contact time. i'm not sure that a spray bottle misting achieves that.

i also sanitize my bottles, just before filling them, by dunking the whole bottle in the bucket o' starsan. i have a vinator and i'm not happy with it. YMMV

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Wow I'm surprised to hear that, the vinator was one of my favorite upgrades! What don't you like about it?

I love my sprayer. And I saturate whatever I'm spraying and let it stay in contact for at least a minute. Sometimes I'll spray it again... why? Starsan is cheap.

When I spray something with Starsan,it's usually dripping,so more than a spritz. And my vinator works great & is def a time saver. What's the problem with yours?

hungry4hops said:

Wow I'm surprised to hear that, the vinator was one of my favorite upgrades! What don't you like about it?

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i totally understand why folks love the vinator. it is indeed a great piece of equipment.

i don't like mine for 3 reasons:
1) it is hard to put together - goddamn spring.
2) doesn't work very well. it sprays a streak of foam instead of liquid no matter how much starsan is in my bowl. i suspect mine is either defective or i damaged it. either way, i'm not spending the money on another one.
3) even if it worked perfectly, at best it coats (most of) the inside of the bottle with a thin layer that starts dripping out immediately. it's probably enough contact time but dunking in a bucket and holding there for 10 seconds ensure that 100% of the surface gets covered. that's just me being paranoid about sanitizing my bottles but it works for me.

i realize i'm in the minority. as i said, YMMV.

Seems to me the Starsan guy said it really only takes 15 seconds contact time. And you have to make sure the inner base plate is securely snapped down in the 3 places where the tabs go. Otherwise,it won't work,or not very well. I did that once & the guy at the lhbs showed me what I was doing wrong.

I do the dunk for most things (as posted above), but also use a spray bottle for some things, too. If I'm just taking a sample from a bucket or carboy for a gravity reading, or popping off an airlock to add some late nutrients to a mead, etc., the spray works great to sanitize around the area I'll be working with/touching/opening, and then when I'm done I'll give it another squirt just in case. Also when I'm using the bucket for the sanitizing of some of the equipment, I'll tear off a big piece of aluminum foil, lay it on the counter, and spray it a few times (so I can see its coated)... Then I'll lay my already sanitized equipment on that before it need to use it, to make sure I don't undo the original dunk sanitization by re-contaminating it somehow afterward.

hungry4hops said:

This is what I do ^ one gallon at a time put the lid on the fermenter and shake it up! A small bottle of star San lasts a loooooong time for me!

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Yup. I bought the 8oz bottle of Starsan back in Jan'11,& still have half of it! Goobe stoff!

hungry4hops said:

This is what I do ^ one gallon at a time put the lid on the fermenter and shake it up! A small bottle of star San lasts a loooooong time for me!

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I'm curious, I usually do that too (although I use more than just one gallon). With such a small amount of sanitizer/water in the bucket, how do you deal with the large amount of foam that's created?

Cerebus06 said:

I'm curious, I usually do that too (although I use more than just one gallon). With such a small amount of sanitizer/water in the bucket, how do you deal with the large amount of foam that's created?

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I just dump out as much as I can, and don't worry about the rest as the yeast will eat it!

don't fear the foam.