Carboy storage with starsan?

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haplo53

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Reading threads about carboy cleaning/storage, I've read people who store unused carboys with starsan solution soaking inside. But I also read something somewhere that says that after a few days sanitizer solution can deactivate and basically become a haven for bacteria. Is that true?
 
There is heavy debate on the life of mixed Star San, but I certainly would not store a carboy filled with it. I store mine dry.
 
I don't know about it being any haven but after the solution dries it is no longer effective in sanitizing, so there is no need to keep Starsan in a carboy unless just for storage.
 
I also keep it mixed in a spray bottle for quick use. It easily keeps for a month or so. If I remember right the PH is supposed to be somewhere around 3 and stays pretty clear. After that it begins to degrade. I easily get several brew sessions out of each batch made
 
I don't think there's any reason to store anything in your carboy. Clean it well, rinse it well, sanitize it as usual if you feel the need, drain it and store it open. Before you use it again, rinse it and resanitize.

Unless you are leaving gunk in there, nothing is going to grow, so you really only need to worry about stuff settling on the surface.
 
I will probably get "hated" on for this but I store my carboys full of water with a little bleach.

Bleach, chlorine, what's the difference? eventually it evaporates and you'll have to re-sanitize anyway.
 
If you mix the star san with distilled water it can last a long time. No reason to it in a carboy. Use a bucket so you can dip stuff in it to sanitize it.
 
tally350z said:
If you mix the star san with distilled water it can last a long time. No reason to it in a carboy. Use a bucket so you can dip stuff in it to sanitize it.

Keeping it in a closed vessel will let it keep longer.

I make a batch of star San and put it in an empty keg, then I use that for the next month or two. A bottle of star San can easily last you quite a long time, there is no need to make a new batch for every brew session or transfer that you do, that is just throwing money down the drain.
 
Right, a bucket that has a lid. You put the lid on when just storing it. As long as the Ph is @ 3 your good to go.
 
Where did you read this crap?

It's not crap, under some conditions it's true. It happens in my Sani-Clean after a few weeks.

Unless you have some other explanation for the lacto strings in the sanitizer and black gunk that starts growing on the walls of the bucket.
 
It's not crap, under some conditions it's true. It happens in my Sani-Clean after a few weeks.

Unless you have some other explanation for the lacto strings in the sanitizer and black gunk that starts growing on the walls of the bucket.

He's not talking about sani-clean. He's talking about star san. They're not the same.

I keep star san in a bucket for months and it's fine.
 
If what you are asking is "should I store my carboys with sanitizer in it", I'd say it isn't necessary. Clean it, dry it and set it aside. Sanitize when you're ready to use it again.
If you're asking "how long sanitizer can be safely stored in a carboy", the common belief is weeks to a month or so if you use distilled water. I make a new batch every time using tap water, many here have a 5 gallon bucket they keep filled with the same Star San for a long time.
 
He's not talking about sani-clean. He's talking about star san. They're not the same.

I keep star san in a bucket for months and it's fine.

"Sanitizer solution" could be either.

And Star-San and Sani-Clean are not the same, but they're more similar than they are different. Both are phosphoric acid sanitizers, with different surfactants giving them different foaming properties. It's possible that their lifetimes are radically different, but I haven't seen any reason to think that would be the case.

I stand by my statement. Sanitizer solutions may lose their effectiveness after being stored for some time under some conditions. That doesn't mean it's always going to happen, but you do need to assess whether it's still effective after storage.

In my experience, also, a lot more grows in the ex-sanitizer than would grow in a bucket of water, so something in that bucket is encouraging the bacterial growth. I don't know whether it's the sanitizer itself or sugars and whatever that rinsed off of things that were sanitized in the bucket, though.
 
I stand by my statement. Sanitizer solutions may lose their effectiveness after being stored for some time under some conditions. That doesn't mean it's always going to happen, but you do need to assess whether it's still effective after storage.

In my experience, also, a lot more grows in the ex-sanitizer than would grow in a bucket of water, so something in that bucket is encouraging the bacterial growth. I don't know whether it's the sanitizer itself or sugars and whatever that rinsed off of things that were sanitized in the bucket, though.

I throw away star san when it gets cloudy. Lasts for months. Simple as that, and I've never had anything grow in it.
 
Bleach, chlorine, what's the difference? eventually it evaporates and you'll have to re-sanitize anyway.


I rinse with hot water, clean with brew cleaner, and use star san to sanitize. I'm not looking for the bleach to completely sanitize.
 
I usually make up a 5g batch of Star San when I brew a batch and then keep it until I bottle that batch and brew the next (1-2mo). In between, I store it in an extra Better Bottle. What I want to know is, will the Star San degrade the plastic on the Better Bottle?
 
Also, if I switch to storing Star San in a bucket, can I use a Homer bucket or do I need food grade?
 
"Sanitizer solution" could be either.

And Star-San and Sani-Clean are not the same, but they're more similar than they are different. Both are phosphoric acid sanitizers, with different surfactants giving them different foaming properties. It's possible that their lifetimes are radically different, but I haven't seen any reason to think that would be the case.

I stand by my statement. Sanitizer solutions may lose their effectiveness after being stored for some time under some conditions. That doesn't mean it's always going to happen, but you do need to assess whether it's still effective after storage.

In my experience, also, a lot more grows in the ex-sanitizer than would grow in a bucket of water, so something in that bucket is encouraging the bacterial growth. I don't know whether it's the sanitizer itself or sugars and whatever that rinsed off of things that were sanitized in the bucket, though.

this very general statement is true in the sense that anything is possible under some condition at some time, but i think what others are trying to say is that star san will last for months when mixed with distilled (or RO) water in a carboy or bucket (or whatever container). i keep a 5 gallon carboy of star san in my brewhouse and have never observed anything growing in it or any loss in potency.
 
this very general statement is true in the sense that anything is possible under some condition at some time, but i think what others are trying to say is that star san will last for months when mixed with distilled (or RO) water in a carboy or bucket (or whatever container). i keep a 5 gallon carboy of star san in my brewhouse and have never observed anything growing in it or any loss in potency.

Oh come on, the conditions are hardly that unlikely. If you don't use distilled or RO water, it can go bad. All it takes is using tap water instead, which someone following the directions on the container would have no reason to think might create a problem. It's simply false to make a blanket claim that sanitizer keeps indefinitely.

(And, anyway, I don't see any reason to encourage people to keep sanitizer sitting around. Cost-wise it's a wash between mixing and dumping a batch with tap water and trying to use distilled water to extend its life. It's just a question of whether I pay for the sanitizer or for the distilled water.)
 
Oh come on, the conditions are hardly that unlikely. If you don't use distilled or RO water, it can go bad. All it takes is using tap water instead, which someone following the directions on the container would have no reason to think might create a problem. It's simply false to make a blanket claim that sanitizer keeps indefinitely.

(And, anyway, I don't see any reason to encourage people to keep sanitizer sitting around. Cost-wise it's a wash between mixing and dumping a batch with tap water and trying to use distilled water to extend its life. It's just a question of whether I pay for the sanitizer or for the distilled water.)

ok.
 
Back to the OP. There is no need to keep Starsan or any other sanitizer in a carboy for storage. Unless you fill it all the way to the top and then seal it the dry area would not stay sanitary anyway.

Clean it and re sanitize before use.

With Starsan keep as much as you feel you need. Some people mix a lot and immerse their equipment, others mix only a spray bottle and spritz their equipment.

Either way you can keep it as long as it stays in the right Ph range. Buy some test strips and test it. If it goes bad mix some more.
 
Ive only been doing this for a year, but to the op, dont think starsan will "eat" the better bottfles, hasnt mine yet, i have not noticed growth in my starsan... I keep my bbs stored with paper towel rubber bandes over the top and about a pint to a quart of starsan left over from brewday/ bottling... Ill give it a good shake every few days or so... I have not tested any of this solution... I listened to the president of 5star on brewstrong, sanitation episode discuss starsan, he said he has heard of people keeping it for a year, just check the ph, i tghought he said 4, but need to re-research anyway, clouding is not a good indicator...
 
dont think starsan will "eat" the better bottfles, hasnt mine yet

My brain read your typo as "better botflies." No, starsan will not protect your beer from a botfly infection, especially not the better botflies. :)

(Personally, I always choose the lesser of two weevils.)
 
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