I still contend that just because you aren't having infection problems doesn't mean that your sanitizer is doing as good a job as it can. Even some people who have very poor sanitization practices can brew good beer. As homebrewers, we often tend to over-stress about sanitization so it's probably safe if we back off a bit as long as we are moderately careful in general. But IMO, in the event you're not going crazy with sanitization, it pays to use starsan which makes the job easier (no-rinse, foaming, very low contact time, not toxic or otherwise harmful, etc), which is why I also want to make sure my starsan is operating at its best. If Charlie Talley says that starsan doesn't work as well when it gets cloudy, I believe him - and since he specifically talks about the cloudiness being due to mineral content in the water, I think there is little room for confusion - if your starsan solution clouds up due to your tap water, the final solution is not as effective as it should be. He even calls it 'useless.' If you feel it's doing a good enough job for you when cloudy, that's fine, to each his own. I'm sure it still does a better job than an average haphazardly-formulated must-rinse bleach solution like some people use, and it's still likely to not be a serious weak point in your sanitization practices.' I'm no expert on the matter, but so far the only evidence I really trust is the statement from Charlie, everything else seems to be speculation that pH is the only thing that matters, which leads me to ask why we all don't just use a simple acid for a sanitizer as it seems like it should be cheaper. My guess is that there's more to it than just the acidity - but maybe there isn't.
Anyway, I sent an email to five star chemicals asking for further clarification on what exactly happens to starsan's performance when it's cloudy, we'll see if they respond.
