IslandLizard - I wish Northern Brewer told me I should rinse! I will use star san for everything next time. My mix of star san got cloudy immediately..Which I think may be due to the Chicago water. I tested the pH and it was 3 which is good, right?
Satph, Nice catch on the glass! Thank you for the invite but I am no longer local and live in Chicago. I grew up in the same town as Scott. Whenever I'm back home I always grab some Captain Lawrence!
I shined a light into another bottle and there is stuff floating at the top 1/2 to 1 inch of the bottle. Would that be pellicle?
Aren't there usage directions on the jar/bucket of Easy Clean?
From NB's website:
No-rinse oxygen-based cleanser for all beer-brewing and wine-making equipment. Safe for all materials.
Best when used in combination with a dedicated sanitizer like StarSan.
The phrase "Best when used..." is deceiving, since Easy Clean has NO real sanitizing capabilities by brewery or food handling standards. The active ingredient is
sodium percarbonate, not sure of its percentage, or any other agents that have been added. Look at the label or the "manufacturer's" (read "repackager's") spec sheet.
As I said before, buy Oxiclean Free or some odor free generic for far less than half the price (Dollar Store, Walmart, etc.). After the (overrated) oxygen has been released, all that's left is washing soda (NOT baking soda).
I use regular washing soda (aka "laundry booster") for most of my brewery cleaner, and homemade PBW where I need the extra oomph of the metasilicate (Ace hardware).
Mix Starsan with distilled or RO water and it will stay clear for longer. Mine gets cloudy after a day, and we have fairly soft water. It still keeps working so I'm not worried. Yes, the pH should be 3 or lower for it to be effective.
I keep Starsan mix for a few weeks in a bucket, and dump it when it gets too gray or grimey.
One more thing. Cleaning is not the same as sanitizing. They're 2 separate processes using different chemicals and methods. Starsan is by far the easiest to use and is truly no-rinse. So after cleaning your equipment that touches beer or chilled wort, rinse with water to remove the cleaner residue, then use Starsan to sanitize it. As long as the surface stays wet with Starsan it's sanitary. Apply Starsan by dunking, spraying, or mopping with a small clean cloth.