Brewskii
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cluckk said:
From a few posts back.....
Dylan42 said:
I think Im using too much Star-San
- Thread starter Dylan42
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Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
From a few posts back.....
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Dylan42
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By bucket I meant the bucket i kept my sanitizer in. Im strictly talking about sanitizer here, but yes I use straight A for all my cleaning purposes. Im just trying to figure out what system works for me to help me from going through too much star San, once again thanks for the help guys and gals
divrguy
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Setesh said:
Yooper said:
I bought a bottle about 5 years ago and I have 1/3 of it left. I brew every other weekend. I store it in a 5 gallon bucket with one of the really good gasket ed lids. Turned cloudy in minutes. Check it with a PH test strip every month and top off if necessary. When I pour it into a FERMENTOR, I pour off the bottom that may have a little debris. Top off when necessary.
MyNameIsPaul
Well-Known Member
Ok you math whizzes, what's the proper amount of Starsan for a 32oz spray bottle?
The biggest wastes of Starsan:
1) Using more than necessary, then dumping it. It is still good, save and reuse it. You just need to wet the surface well, a spray bottle works well
2) Dumping it when cloudy without checking the PH.
3) Using and then discarding a gallon or more when using in a blow off container. Get a margarine or cottage cheese container put about 1 inch or Starsan in it. Put this in a bucket or something in case the tub overflows. Keep it low so you won't create a reverse siphon. So you are only using a cup or two of Starsan. There is no need to use a gallon of Starsan here.
4) Mixing the solution too strong. It only has to be at a strength that keeps the PH below 3
When I sanitize my equipment, which is clean, I wet all the surfaces. Then, when done I pour the Starsan back into my storage container for the next time.
I have used just 8 ounces for 30+ five gallon batches. I am sure I used it more freely in the beginning.
1) Using more than necessary, then dumping it. It is still good, save and reuse it. You just need to wet the surface well, a spray bottle works well
2) Dumping it when cloudy without checking the PH.
3) Using and then discarding a gallon or more when using in a blow off container. Get a margarine or cottage cheese container put about 1 inch or Starsan in it. Put this in a bucket or something in case the tub overflows. Keep it low so you won't create a reverse siphon. So you are only using a cup or two of Starsan. There is no need to use a gallon of Starsan here.
4) Mixing the solution too strong. It only has to be at a strength that keeps the PH below 3
When I sanitize my equipment, which is clean, I wet all the surfaces. Then, when done I pour the Starsan back into my storage container for the next time.
I have used just 8 ounces for 30+ five gallon batches. I am sure I used it more freely in the beginning.
I make it easy on myself & mix 1 gallon at a time. Fill the lil measure on the Starsan bottle 3/4's of the way up to the 1/4oz mark. I use 1 gallon SunnyD jugs of water to mix that amount in. Then fill spray bottles,etc. I use 1/2G plastic vodka jugs 1/3 full of water & a good splash of starsan.
128 ounces in a gallon. You need one ounce for 5 gallons so, 1/5 of an ounce for the gallon. 4 x 32 ounces = 1 gallon so you need 1/4 of the 1/5th of the ounce of Starsan. It is much easier to make a larger amount and store it in a larger container then use that to fill the spray bottle.
MyNameIsPaul
Well-Known Member
I did the same math you did and my head started to hurt trying to convert how much 1/4 of 1/5th of an ounce is.
dyqik
Well-Known Member
and (one that I've seen mentioned in a couple of threads)
5) Sanitizing things that don't need to be sterile. e.g. mash tun, boil kettle, HLT, transfer lines used before the boil, immersion chiller, outside of the fermenter, etc. Things that don't contact the wort after 15 minutes before the end of the boil don't need to be sterilized, and boiling the chiller with the wort will sterilize it.
I make up 3 gallons and store it in a glass carboy...my racking canes and aeration wand then get stored in it. I siphon off a spray bottle worth whenever I need to and use that to sanitize my fermenters, bottling buckets, and any beer-collecting vessels I use for taking samples...and the rim of the bucket lid whenever I open up the fermenter. I have never had anything grow in the stored star san - i have to imagine that if something is growing in/on he star san, you are diluting it too much, or otherwise doing something that renders it ineffective.
justkev52
Well-Known Member
I use Idophor- Iodine to sanitize kegs and glass and use Star San for plastic.
The big bottle of Idophor will last about 50 years. I just keep my Starsan in a water cooler bottle with the lid on. 1 OZ TO 5 GALLONS. Don't let your siphon hose (or anything) sit in it for more than a few minutes or it will get slimey.
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Dylan42
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I know I noticed that he hope was super slimy, still usable though. Im thinking of switching to idophor
