Can StarSan Go Bad Over Time?

[BriarwoodBrewer]

I have 4 year old StarSan? I've noticed my first two batches taste cidery. I was thinking it could be acetic acid bacteria. I am a freak about sanitation, but maybe it's too old? Also, the bottle has a crack in the lid and has been exposed to air. I'm not sure how long the lid has been cracked--my guess is two years.

 

[Ricand]

Check the pH, it should be in the mid 3s and all is good. If you got an acetobactor infection, it should get worse with time.

 

[BriarwoodBrewer]

I know stupid question, but how can I check pH on the StarSan?

 

[EricCSU]

I would email five star and get the straight scoop from them.

Eric

 

[erkwist]

You can get a ph test kit from anywhere that sells pool cleaning supplies. I'd mix it with a tiny bit of water just to make it take onto the litmis(sp) strip.

 

[BriarwoodBrewer]

Great idea! I will post what they tell me. Of course they may tell me to run out and buy more

 

[Ricand]

As long as it's in the 3s you should be good. You can even freshen it up a bit with additional concentrate if it's clean and clear. Testing it's pretty easy with test strips from most homebrew places like this one http://store.homebrewheaven.com/precision-ph-test-strips---pkg-of-50-p614.aspx $6 for 50 strips should give you peace of mind.

 

[Franzi]

or any pet store/aquarium will sell ph tests.

 

[BriarwoodBrewer]

I talked with Five Star today by phone. They give their product a year, but the product can be used for two years if pH tests are done to ensure product quality. They don't suggest using after two years because the product can break down and lose strength. Causing longer soak times etc.

 

[kmk1012]

Good to know, I recently started using starsan and was wondering about the shelf life.

 

[smizak]

It's an acid based sanitizer. Charlie Talley, inventor of Star-san, has said on podcast interviews I've heard that as long as it's clear, still makes foam, and the ph is below 3, it's still doing it's job.

 

[Pick]

Ruh oh, mine always turns cloudy when I mix it with my water. Immediately. I've never had an infection, though. What does the cloudiness mean?

 

[smizak]

My first few batches did that too. I was using very hard tap water. Charlie Talley claims that it's a result of the acid precipitating out the minerals in the water and significantly impacting the effectiveness of the product. How much depends on the mineral content and whether it's enough to raise the ph beyond the effective range. I guess we're both lucky.

He advises mixing with distilled or RO water. I buy mine from Target for 89¢ a gallon. Be careful not to buy the drinking water version, there's a difference, when I used it I smelled sulfur upon first mixing it and it got a little cloudy. They add minerals to drinking water for taste purposes. Make sure it says distilled.

 

[NorCalAngler]

I always mix a new batch of StarSan every time I need to sanitize. Do you fellow home brewers keep the solution after you use it? I typically refresh a spray bottle with the new batch of StarSan, but the rest goes down the drain. Can I use it and then pour it into a storage bucket to use for the next batch?

 

[webnmar]

I save my starsan that is mixed up for 2 or 3 brew sessions. I store it in the left over 1 gal jugs from the apple juice after making EdWort's Apfelwein. That way, it's a sealed top, easy to store/tuck away, no air exposure. It has been working fine. I have found that if I leave it in my pails without a lid, the d$%^& gnats and flies love to drop into it and then I have to discard it, but if I don't leave it exposed too long, I can keep 5 gals mixed and handy for 6 months or more with out any issue.