Is star-san still good ?

[Creepersale]

Brewed a batch of beer last Sunday. Used star-San. For first time so I saved it and put what I had left I put in my car boy. So I'm wondering when it comes time to rack it. Can i not worry if the sanitizer is not working anymore what. Brewed Sunday plan on racking about sun-Tuesday. So star-San will have been in my carboy for over a week about 3.5 -4 gallons.

 

[Stauffbier]

Starsan will last for months. It will likely get cloudy and dirty before the pH gets high enough to stop working. I usually use mine for about 4-6 weeks before dumping it and making a fresh batch.

 

[BainbridgeBrewer]

Yeah I keep mine in a bucket with a lid for a few months until it starts to look funky and super cloudy. Mine clouds up almost instantly though probably due to our water chemistry.

 

[unionrdr]

Also,don't rack to secondary after only one week. Damn those instructions & their overly quick time tables. And unless you're oaking or adding fruit & such,secondary really isn't needed.
Racking too soon can cause it to stall too. Just leave it in primary till it settles out clear or slightly misty. Then rack to keg or bottling bucket.
Also again,Craigtube has a video he did on litmus tests (PH) on new & old cloudy starsan. PH was the same. So cloudy doesn't mean gone (up past 3). Iow,to alkaline,& you gotta pitch it.

 

[Creepersale]

Thanks thought I've heard it was good for a while. And I hardly ever rack to carboy. But this was a big porter nice healthy fermentation resorted to my blow off tube. Will prolly rack after I cold crash. Maybe. And by the way I was looking to do something different in 2 nary. Like a few drops of vanilla extract ( all I can think of that might go with this Porter. Any ideas??

 

[dannyhawkins]

Buffalo Trace bourbon!
Or your favourite bourbon is good for big porters.

 

[mike20793]

If you use distilled water, Star-San can last six months or more. The ph is critical to sanitizing but the surfactant property helps clean and remove gunk. I think I saw a video that explained when it becomes cloudy, the surfactant property is negated (due to calcium in the water) and the creators don't recommend using it anymore (I may be wrong). Of course, plenty of people still use it when it's cloudy and have no problems. Personally, I have kept it for about 8 months with distilled water and it wasn't cloudy and I had no infections. I'd say you're fine. :rockin:

 

[zeg]

I have a different opinion from those expressed above.

Star-San is cheap. Is it really worth any risk to make another gallon or two every couple weeks, or for each batch?

I use Sani-Clean (they were out of Star-San when I bought it), and I mix it up with hard tap water. It only keeps a couple weeks before things actually start growing in it (boy was that an unpleasant discovery). So I just mix some up with every batch, and usually keep one spray bottle for about a week so I can sanitize when I swap the blow-off tube for an airlock.

It's possible that Sani-Clean and Star-San are different in this regard, or that my water's pH is screwing with it, but I really don't see it as a big enough expense to take any risk with regards to a batch of beer.

 

[Slainte-brew]

I'm with zeg here, a small bottle of star San will last me for about 50 batches. That is brew day and bottling. I only make a squirt bottle at a time, if it goes cloudy I get rid of it. You only have to sanitize the surface of things not all of the empty space inside them too, filling up everything takes up too much time.

 

[MisterTipsy]

My star san is cloudy after the first day of use, but I still re-use it about five times.

 

[logdrum]

pH is the determinant for star san viability. Buy some of the cheap pH strips, if they turn red you're good. I have a batch I mixed up (using distilled water) over a year ago that is still good. I also make batches using filtered tap water that are cloudy from the get go-they remain viable until they run out for, all practice purposes. Star San may be "cheap" but pH strips are cheaper.

 

[Stauffbier]

I also filter my star san solution before I use it. I filter it through voile. Try it! You'll be shocked at all of the hair and junk that's in your star san solution. I know it's likely harmless, but I don't want that crap in my beer!

 

[Yooper]

I have a big bottle of star-san that I bought about three years ago. Since I use RO water to mix up a gallon at a time, it lasts a long long time. I usually end up spilling it before I worry about it "going bad". I have checked the pH from time to time, and it's always very low (like 2).

I give some star-san in a spray bottle already mixed up and I use it to spray my turkey baster for taking samples and things, so I rarely even mix up fresh star-san. A gallon lasts a long time, and that's all I mix up at a time.

 

[jholen]

Test the pH - only real test. pH in proper range + if it's still clear. Both conditions are met, it's still good.

For more information, check out www.thebrewingnetwork.com - or find them on iTunes. Look for the podcast "Brewstrong" - they did an episode with Bob from Five Star Chemicals. Great show. I'd also recommend the show with Bob on cleaning. Highly informative.

 

[Tarks]

At $.75/ounce I make a new 5 gal solution at every brew. It's so cheap. Most of the 5 gal solution gets used in my blow off bucket for the first week ferment.

 

[lorne17]

I have a big bottle of star-san that I bought about three years ago. Since I use RO water to mix up a gallon at a time, it lasts a long long time. I usually end up spilling it before I worry about it "going bad". I have checked the pH from time to time, and it's always very low (like 2).

I give some star-san in a spray bottle already mixed up and I use it to spray my turkey baster for taking samples and things, so I rarely even mix up fresh star-san. A gallon lasts a long time, and that's all I mix up at a time.

Hey Yooper,

I have seen that people use about 1 gallon of star-san for racking and brewing days. But how do you clean 50 bottles with 1 gallon of star-san? Also if the bottles are being recycled from people and they aren't mine, is it best to soak the bottles in star-san solution? What's your method, cuz I'm going to star-san too fast and my tap water makes it cloudy quick.

Thanks,
Lorne

 

[MoPhunk]

I buy a gallon of distilled water amd put the star san in, shake and use when needed.

 

[Stauffbier]

But how do you clean 50 bottles with 1 gallon of star-san? Also if the bottles are being recycled from people and they aren't mine, is it best to soak the bottles in star-san solution? What's your method, cuz I'm going to star-san too fast and my tap water makes it cloudy quick.

You should first soak and clean your used bottles in something like oxiclean or PBW with very hot water, then rinse and dry. Then you just sanitize them real quick before you fill them. There's no need to soak them in star-san for any extended amount of time. As far as how to sanitize bottles with star-san, you can get a Vinator which sprays sanitizer in each bottle. They ony use about 3 cups worth of the solution. It won't get cloudy as quickly if you use distilled water, and make sure everything you sanitize is very clean first.

 

[DaNewf]

Hey Yooper,

I have seen that people use about 1 gallon of star-san for racking and brewing days. But how do you clean 50 bottles with 1 gallon of star-san? Also if the bottles are being recycled from people and they aren't mine, is it best to soak the bottles in star-san solution? What's your method, cuz I'm going to star-san too fast and my tap water makes it cloudy quick.

Thanks,
Lorne

Don't clean bottles with Star San.

In my house a beer bottle gets rinsed with hot water and stuck on my bottling tree to drain within minutes (usually) of being emptied. Once they are drained and pretty much dry they get stuck back in the case they came in. I line the case with a couple layers of paper towel and put the bottles in upside down. That is my whole "cleaning" process for bottles opened in my home. On bottling day they get sanitized with Star San in a bottle sulphiter and that's it.

Any bottle that was opened outside of my house is an object of suspicion and goes through a serious cleaning regime. Hot water and oxiclean is the order of the day. A good long soak does most of the work as well as removing any labels. A bottle gets drained,rinsed and closely examined. If it passes muster it goes on the bottle tree to drip dry. If not it goes back into the tub for a good brushing out. Once again Star San is used for sanitizing on bottling day.

I've only had one bottle that I gave up on. I swear it must have been asphalt down there.

 

[unionrdr]

I also filter my star san solution before I use it. I filter it through voile. Try it! You'll be shocked at all of the hair and junk that's in your star san solution. I know it's likely harmless, but I don't want that crap in my beer!

I spent a couple years saving 1/2 gallon plastic vodka jugs for blow offs,etc. I left the pouring thing in the top off the bottle with a hole routed in it big enough for 3/8" tubing. This also holds a funnel up off the neck. I put coffee filters in the funnel & filter my starsan that way. The little slots in the pouring diffuser thing let trapped air out as the bottle fills. It makes the funnel drain faster.
And yes,I def get all kinds of pet hair,clumped up dead mocrobes,etc in that filter. It tends to gum the filter up after a while. But at least the starsan is clean. Dang pet hair is sticky when wet...

 

[lorne17]

Thanks for the replies guys. So I do soak my bottles in oxi-clean water solution, however I keep the solution in a bucket downstairs and keep reusing it, so in reality the bottles that come from outside my house (not from me) soak for a day or two in cold (not "Very hot") oxi-clean solution. Is this not good? Should I make sure it's VERY HOT for cleaning.

I then do everything else you guys do, rinse, let drip dry in a container lined with a towel upside down (don't have a bottle tree), then use star-san solution disperse them in solution for a couple minutes take them out and fill them up while still wet from star-san.

So is it critical to use oxi-clean in VERY HOT water?

Thanks,
Lorne

 

[unionrdr]

Any cleaner works better with hot water. But even PBW works just fine at room temp. I do it all the time with bottles & fermenters soaking in it.

 

[Stauffbier]

Thanks for the replies guys. So I do soak my bottles in oxi-clean water solution, however I keep the solution in a bucket downstairs and keep reusing it, so in reality the bottles that come from outside my house (not from me) soak for a day or two in cold (not "Very hot") oxi-clean solution. Is this not good? Should I make sure it's VERY HOT for cleaning.

I then do everything else you guys do, rinse, let drip dry in a container lined with a towel upside down (don't have a bottle tree), then use star-san solution disperse them in solution for a couple minutes take them out and fill them up while still wet from star-san.

So is it critical to use oxi-clean in VERY HOT water?

Thanks,
Lorne

I re-use my cold oxi solution, as well. I only use it for my bottles, that I know are already pretty clean, though. If it's a dirty bottle from some other source, then it gets the very hot, new solution. Also when I de-label I like to use it very hot. I'm very specific about bottle cleaning practices, since I had gusher problems early in my experiences. I always soak empties in oxi solution after I pour. I used to just rinse them really well and sanitize, but I was having problems over carbing. After close inspection it occured to me that most bottles still had yeast residue after pouring beer and just rinsing. I also soak bottles in oxi solution a second time after de-labeling just in case the glue laden water left any glue residue inside the bottle. Overkill? Maybe, but I feel confident knowing that my bottles are as clean as they can be. When I started doing it like this I never had a gusher or overcarbed bottle ever again. I try to process 12-15 bottles every 3-4 days, so it doesn't become a major chore all at once.

 

[zeg]

I've found hot OxiClean / PBW to be far, far, far more effective than at room temperature. A half-hour soak in 130°F removes labels better than overnight at room temp.

Also, the OxiClean package instructions for cleaning non-porous surfaces (they seem to mean floors and counters, but it's the closest of their instructions to glass) suggest that using the solution within 6 hours is best. I don't know the chemistry, but it seems plausible that some of the magic could use itself up and reduce its effectiveness as an oxidizing cleanser.

 

[lorne17]

Well ok. Thanks. Glad I asked. I think I may go back and reclean those bottles I have emptied right now just to be safe. Unfortunately I don't remember which ones were the donated bottles and which were my reused bottles. So I may have to go through them one box at a time.

Thanks,
Lorne

 

[DaNewf]

Speaking of cleaning bottles. I picked up 32 750ml wine bottles from the recycling center this weekend. Yesterday evening I started cleaning them up using Oxiclean and the hotest water I could get out of my tap. None of them appeared to be really dirty to begin with so the cleaning part went smoothly.

What I did have trouble with was getting the labels off some of them. Usually, with beer bottles, the labels start to float off within 15 minutes. Not so much with the wine bottles and I ended up having to do a fair bit of scraping to do the job. There were 4 or 5 different brands in the group and some were easier than others but they were all much harder to de-label than beer bottles.

Anyone got any hints to make getting the labels off of wine bottles any easier?

 

[zeg]

You may not need to re-clean them, the room-temp stuff still does some good it seems. I just find it easier and more convenient to use hot stuff.

I usually fill a bucket with hot tap water and oxiclean, then soak a dozen bottles at a time, being careful that every bottle is full and fully submerged. If they aren't submerged, you can get a ring of dried junk around the depth to which it was submerged. That will wash off with some starsan, but I prefer not to have it in the first place. I soak for about an hour, then drain and immediately do a rinse inside and out as I pull them out of the solution. I put the next dozen bottles in the bucket, then do a thorough wash inside and out using a bottle-washer and the sprayer on my kitchen sink, and finally leave them inverted to drain on a dishrack.

This seems to work. It's somewhat labor-intensive, and takes a while since I have to repeat five times. I do it this way because it means I don't have to reach deeper than a standard latex glove to retrieve bottles, which is convenient. I usually do this the afternoon before bottling. It's just a few minutes' effort every hour or so, so it's not a dedicated time commitment.