Sanitizer shelf life?

I'm a new brewer. I used one-step as a sanitizer, and every time I need to take a gravity ready, I'm making a gallon of the stuff. I've already gone through the small 8oz packet in this, my first brewing journey, and I'm wondering if there's a cheaper sanitizer option, or if made sanitizer has any kind of shelf life? I believe one-step won't keep given how it works, but I don't know much about idophor and some of the other sanitizers people are using. Any recommendations?

I'm using Star San which is a no wrinse sanitizer. You mix at a rate of 1oz for 5 gallon (I actuall use a dosing syringe to just mix up a spraybottle ammont). Its supposed to have a good shelf life if you mix it with distilled or RO water.

Starsan is reusable, cheap, and no rinse. You can also go buy a new spray bottle and keep it full of sanitizer and just give it a shake and spray what you need to sanitize. Most sanitizers only require contact with what your sanitizing, not immersion.

It is my understanding that iodophor has a very good shelf life as well.

I use one step, and always have. I make up a gallon and keep it in a milk jug so I have it when needed. The first LHBS I went to told me it was oxygen based and as long as you hear the bubbling when you listen to it, it's still good. I'm on my second container in a year- but I have about 3/4 package left and I brew/rack/ make wine about once a week.

I also keep some mixed up in a spray bottle, and then just spray my hydrometer test jar and hydrometer and let that sit while I take off the lid, etc. I use one step for everything, including bottles.

I've been making about 2 or 3 gallons of StarSan and using it through an entire batch. It goes cloudy at this point so I dump it. From what I've heard, I can cut down to about a gallon and still do a good job.

I have a bucket from Lowes that has 1/2 gallon graduations, so I use 1 Tbs. to make a 2.5 gallon batch. It keeps over a week in the bucket and is good even when cloudy. I fill my spray bottle from this batch.

StarSan Rocks!

Just brewed for the first time last week... Mixed one ounce and filled a 5 gal bucket and soaked everthing while brewing. When I wasn't using the utensils I just rinsed and threw them in the bucket..

I left this about 1 day... When I came back there was a rough film I thought on the outside.. Maybe even taken off the smooth coating of the plastic? Is this possible?

i usually use one step...although it may be a bad idea, i've used and reused the same four to five gallon mix of it for two months or so...i have brewclub friends who do the same thing with starsan...in fact, they will just rack the starsan off of the crud on the bottom that collects and keep using it...

I am a new brewer and was told by my local brew store that I should not reuse or store One Step that it is no good after a few hours. I just was there today about to buy some more and was told that they use BTF Iodophor Sanitizer liquid. It is used in restarants, bars, hotels, schools, and other institutions as a sanitizer. It seems to be a lot cheaper (or more economical). It is use with cold water and only needs a few minutes and no rinsing like One Step. I was told not to use it to it's full amount as they suggest but even half stength 1/2 oz to gal. of water.
It is also use to check to see if you have any starch left in grains your using. If you do still have some starch (one drop in a little early wort) it will turn color purple, if no starch left no color change.

It's all new to me but I am going to start using it as it seem very cheap.

Idophor is great- I don't use it though others do. I don't like the staining, I guess. People should use whatever they are most comfortable with. I don't want to correct you, however, one step is no-rinse and you're not supposed to rinse it!

I've been using the same batch of Star San for a month. I store it in a spare keg. I check the pH with strips every time before I use it, and thus far it seems to still be around a pH of 2.

Sanitation Tools has some good sanitizers with good shelf life. Starsan is also a good deal.

So. What I was wondering was a concrete answer as to how long BTF Iodophor, once mixed with water, is good for? It's a shame to make a 5 gallon jug full, use it that night, and then have to dump it and make another one the next day to rack. I was told that it is "probably only good for a couple hours", but does anyone actually know? I've read on the bottle, and tried looking online but have found no concrete answers to how long the mixed water is still good for sanitation for. I've always kind of just assumed that as long as it's still coloured water, it may still be sanitizing. . .but once it goes clear, that maybe the cleaning agents have gone? Any help would be great! I could save water, and money!

what PH strips do you use? I bought some strips for wine and they only go down to a PH of 2.5. Beer strips had an even higher minimum ph reading. Are there just regular ph strips out there that go from 0 to whatever? Maybe I should have bought those.