I have a sticky hose

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
KavDaven

KavDaven

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2012
Messages
110
Reaction score
8
Location
Greensboro
Yes, my hose are sticky. Seriously, I've soaked them in Star San. Racked Star San through them. They have a sticky or gummy feel to them. They look clean but when dry you would expect to glide your fingers over a dry and smooth tube. You can't and then your fingers feel tacky.

Is this normal? Do I need to buy more hose? Is Star San to blame? Am I soaking my hose for too long? What should I do differently?
 
Run of the mill, food-grade vinyl tubing.

My plastic stir paddle, racking cane and auto-siphon are dry, clean and smooth to the touch. Not tacky at all and I soak them with tubing in Star San inside a 52 quart cooler. Trying to figure out how the hose gets tacky but my other equipment doesn't.
 
Aw hell! I've been sanitizing dirty hose?

So, I need to clean with PBW and sanitize with Star San before I use my equipment. Then afterwards, I need to clean with PBW again.
 
Yes you can only sanitize a surface that has already been cleaned. PBW is a great cleaner from the same maker as StarSan.
 
I listened to a segment from the Sunday Session where they talked to one of the creators of Star San a while back. If I remember correctly when vinyl tubing is left in Star San for an extended period of time the bonds break down and it creates soap. I have left tubing in Star San over night and the next morning wondered wtf happened. Then I came across that archived episode and they touched on it. I just looked it up, here you go. It's a long show but it's definitely worth a listen. I too thought about switching to silicone but I'm a broke ass. I'm sure I will some time down the road, but for the moment I just want to brew more beer. Hope this helps.
 
Before putting stuff away when I'm done with it, I soak it in oxyclean or pbw, and rinse with hot water. If the last thing it touched is starsan, it will be gunky the next time I use it.
 
KavDaven said:
So, I need to clean with PBW and sanitize with Star San before I use my equipment. Then afterwards, I need to clean with PBW again.
Click to expand...

If you clean with PBW after use, then a quick rinse + sanitizing is all you need before the next time. No need to use the PBW twice for each time you use your equipment.
 
@passedpawn - Any recommended suppliers for silicon tubing? Can't find any on Norther Brewer.

@mpcluever - Awesome. I bought some b-brite from the lhbs and ordered 8lbs of PBW from Northern Brewer. So, I'm set now.

@mrkrausen - I listened to the radio episode. Lots of good info straight from the chemist who makes Star San. He actually explained why vinyl tubing feels tacky after extended soaking with Star San. 30 seconds is all that is needed and DON'T FEAR THE FOAM.

@JonGrafto - I was actually expecting more off color inuendos from this group. You were the first. My commendations sir.
 
mrkrausen said:
I listened to a segment from the Sunday Session where they talked to one of the creators of Star San a while back. If I remember correctly when vinyl tubing is left in Star San for an extended period of time the bonds break down and it creates soap. I have left tubing in Star San over night and the next morning wondered wtf happened. Then I came across that archived episode and they touched on it. I just looked it up, here you go. It's a long show but it's definitely worth a listen. I too thought about switching to silicone but I'm a broke ass. I'm sure I will some time down the road, but for the moment I just want to brew more beer. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Interesting that you say that. I am bringing this topic back from the dead because I just left my hoses in Starsan for 2 days, and they turned tacky and cloudy. I tried washing them with soap & water, but they're still tacky - I will try to listen to the podcast episode, but it didn't look like the stuff that was on the tubing was soap - it looked like what happens when the plasticizer fails.

I'm going to replace my tubing just in case...
 
autonomy said:
Interesting that you say that. I am bringing this topic back from the dead because I just left my hoses in Starsan for 2 days, and they turned tacky and cloudy. I tried washing them with soap & water, but they're still tacky - I will try to listen to the podcast episode, but it didn't look like the stuff that was on the tubing was soap - it looked like what happens when the plasticizer fails.

I'm going to replace my tubing just in case...
Click to expand...

Sometimes expense is the best economy.

Pay once for the silicone tubing. Don't replace the vinyl stuff every couple of years.

I'd drop a link to BrewHardware now, but their website is in a temporary update.
 
autonomy said:
Interesting that you say that. I am bringing this topic back from the dead because I just left my hoses in Starsan for 2 days, and they turned tacky and cloudy. I tried washing them with soap & water, but they're still tacky - I will try to listen to the podcast episode, but it didn't look like the stuff that was on the tubing was soap - it looked like what happens when the plasticizer fails.



I'm going to replace my tubing just in case...
Click to expand...


I recently had the same experience. Left my racking cane and some vinyl tube in 4 gallons of StarSan overnight and the hose was sticky the next morning. What has me more concerned is the fact that I rinsed 48 bottles in the same StarSan water before bottling. Did I just ruin an entire batch of beer? Will whatever leached out of that hose find its way into my bottles and kill me?
 
That's what star san does to many plastics. Don't leave them soaking in sanitizer too long. No harm, just cloudy
 
From New to Star San - Please give me warnings thread:
Wynne-R said:
Phosphoric acid 50%
Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid 20%

The second ingredient is a detergent that reacts with calcium or magnesium to form a cloudy precipitate. This is the ‘slime’ that sometimes forms when people soak stuff long term. It comes from hard water, the vinyl is not dissolving.

No worries about your cleaning products having bad reactions.
Click to expand...
Charlie Talley of Five Star explains about the slime due to the Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) at ~1:10:30 of this BN Session podcast; this is an updated link referenced earlier in this thread, plus a pointer to this explanation. He says you should be able to break down the DBSA soap formed by soaking in PBW.
 
Rev2010 said:
Why are you bumping old threads related to StarSan just to link to Charlie Talley in a BN Podcast?
Click to expand...
Because I had the same problem recently and had to search quite a while to get an answer. I was just trying to point others to a direct answer w/o having to search through a 2 1/2 hour podcast. Most of the "facts" posted in HBT threads about Star San's impact on vinyl are incorrect.
m00ps said:
LOL wondering the same thing. That podcast is from 2006
Click to expand...
It's still pertinent, even if broadcast 9 1/2 years ago.

Sorry I couldn't answer w/o an additional bump.
 

Similar threads

A
Acids to passivate SS?
Replies
13
Views
2K
bruce_the_loon
bruce_the_loon
B
Iowa Bottoms Up Beer Dispensers - Used, Untested - $100
Replies
3
Views
741
Bryce Brewer
B
MBuckBrewer
Have Apples Make Cider!
Replies
1
Views
488
MaxStout
MaxStout
spiffystump76
How to use sanitizer products?
Replies
10
Views
2K
slayer021175666
S
Z
New to Cider making - sulfur smell I know
Replies
6
Views
989
EugenPrusi
E
Yakima 300

Latest posts

Back
Top