Starsan Shelf Life

[JMSetzler]

I bought a 32oz bottle of Starsan several years ago that has been sitting around for the last couple years unused. It has been opened and used occasionally but this particular bottle has been sitting now for at least two years since its last use.

Does this stuff have a shelf life? Can I still use it or should I ditch it and replace it with a new bottle?

 

[pvault98]

Do you have a pH meter? If so, make a solution and check the pH...it needs to be below 3.0.

 

[JMSetzler]

Do you have a pH meter? If so, make a solution and check the pH...it needs to be below 3.0.

I don't. I sent their support address an email to ask so maybe I'll hear back from them. If not I'll buy another bottle. I just hate to toss out 3/4 of a 32oz bottle of that stuff.

 

[kh54s10]

I bought the bottle that I am presently using about 3 years ago. It seem fine to me.

But, I am not a chemist.

I do plan to keep using it until gone. I do have PH test strips.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[JMSetzler]

Customer support responded to me today.... they say the product has a 12 month shelf life.

I guess I'll replace mine.

 

[kh54s10]

Customer support responded to me today.... they say the product has a 12 month shelf life.

I guess I'll replace mine.

Well I am past that by 24 months!.. I have also been checking my PH and it is within range. I have read of many others using quite old Starsan. I will use mine up....

 

[JMSetzler]

I ordered a cheap ph meter from amazon so I'll test what I have and see what happens before i toss it out

 

[GotPushrods]

Customer support responded to me today.... they say the product has a 12 month shelf life.

I guess I'll replace mine.

I recently found a bottle over 8 years old. Mixed in RO water, and the pH was 2.1. No problem.

 

[GHBWNY]

Customer support responded to me today.... they say the product has a 12 month shelf life.

So, who do you believe? People who have actually used it for much, much longer than 12 mos., or someone whose paycheck depends upon you replacing it much sooner than you need to? Sorry. Just the cynicism in me leaching out...

 

[JMSetzler]

So, who do you believe? People who have actually used it for much, much longer than 12 mos., or someone whose paycheck depends upon you replacing it much sooner than you need to? Sorry. Just the cynicism in me leaching out...

I think the response on the 12 month shelf life may indeed be conservative. I'll find out tomorrow when my ph meter arrives. I'll mix up a batch and if it's good then I won't have to replace my stock

 

[rekoob]

Interesting, keep us posted. The last bottle I had was right around two years old. I never checked it but used it up without really worring about it.
I also re-use mine for a few batchs, as long as it's not looking like it has gunk floating around in it. I store it in a keg and figure if it's still foaming up when I pour it that I'm okay. I think I have some PH test strips but never bothered to check the PH, might have to dunk one the next time I use it to see what the PH is.

 

[rmyurick]

Of course they are going to be conservative. If you get an infected batch and blame the sanitizer, it's negative publicity.

 

[dobes]

I have been using the same 32oz bottle of star san for about 3 years now. I usually make a 5 gallon batch with DI water and separate into 1 gallon jugs and always keep some in a spray bottle. I check the ph when I mix the initial 5 gallons and whenever I open a individual gallon. The ph has always been good. Then I will check it periodically as I use the gallon. I sanitize and pour back into my jug until I notice the ph starting to raise. when I notice an increase I just dump as im using it up.
Since I started using star san I have never had an infection. I can usually stretch 5 gallons of star san for about a year.

 

[JMSetzler]

My meter came in today so I mixed up some of this old starsan. After calibrating my meter I got 2.2 readings on the meter so this stuff is good to go

 

[grainbill]

So, who do you believe? People who have actually used it for much, much longer than 12 mos., or someone whose paycheck depends upon you replacing it much sooner than you need to? Sorry. Just the cynicism in me leaching out...

probably an FDA requirement, StarSan is also supposed to have a soak time as mandated by the FDA or so I have read here and other places. I use ph strips also with my ancient StarSan, seems to still be good, no funky brew. Figure if it wasn't sanitizing I would know by now...

 

[Leithoa]

Grainbill is correct. The FDA requires expiration dates on food and drug and while these can be extended if the product has been opened the company won't extend them due to negative feedback and legal impacts.
If it were unopened and you gave them a lot number(and were a company they regularly did business with) someone could look up specifics about that batch and tell you what the new expiration date is or if you should throw it out.

Long story short: expiration date on Star-San is like on a twinkie, it's the date the company is willing to stand behind their product until. After that date; use at your own risk.

 

[IslandLizard]

I'm reaching the end of my 5 year old 32-oz bottle of Starsan and the content works and behaves like the day I bought it. The screw caps (lids) however are a different story. The tops have separated/sheered off from the threaded barrels. I've replaced them with new screw lids.

I'll be buying a gallon next time. I always read expiration dates with a large amount of cynicism. I'd rather see a manufacturing date, and I'll decide how to interpret life span.

 

[rekoob]

My meter came in today so I mixed up some of this old starsan. After calibrating my meter I got 2.2 readings on the meter so this stuff is good to go

Just out of curiosity, what meter did you pick up? I'm thinking about getting one after my strips are used up.

 

[pvault98]

My buddy brought by a small bottle of Starsan this past weekend that he had laying around that I would guess to be about 8 years old based on the fact that I know he bought it when we first started brewing. Just a ballpark guess but it is probably pretty close within a year more or less. I decided to mix it up and test the pH while I was kegging a batch of Hefe that I know will be drank quickly. I tested it and it came in at 2.23 so looks like it is still going strong at that age. I see no difference in appearance or pH with the old Starsan and my much newer ~1 year old bottle.

 

[JMSetzler]

Just out of curiosity, what meter did you pick up? I'm thinking about getting one after my strips are used up.

I picked up this el-cheapo from amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CH3QZSE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I used both of the provided packs of buffer solution to calibrate the meter. Then I rinsed it off and tested some distilled water - 7.0. Then I mixed up some starsan and tested it at 2.2. Can't complain.

 

[TallahasseeBrew]

Remember, expiration dates are written by lawyers, not chemists or engineers

 

[HopinJim]

I'd like to add a hint on usage to this. Star San, as we all know, will go cloudy in muni tap water almost instantly. It will not do this in distilled water. What I do is, I buy a gallon of distilled water at the store ($0.99), and using one of those 3mL pipettes, I draw off 6 mL of the water, and replace it with 6 mL of Star San. Stick the cap back on, give it a shake, and voila - a gallon of crystal clear Star San! I reuse it until the quantity gets down to about a quart (or if it somehow gets "contaminated"), then I make another one and pour that one (if clean) into my spray bottle. I test before every use, and have never had a mixed batch go above 3 pH. My big bottle is over 2 yrs old now, and no problems, nor have I ever had an infection in any of my brews.