Eubanks
Active Member
How long does a bucket of sanitized water last? i have kept a bucket of sanitized water for over a week, is it still good to use?
Effective life of sanitized water
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Are you asking how long mixed sanitizing solution (like starsan) will last? Or is this boiled water that you transferred to a bucket?
If it's the first, it depends on the sanitizer. Starsan is an acid based sanitizer, so as long as it's still in the correct range, it's fine. I've kept mixed starsan for over a week without any noticeable decline in ph.
If it's the second, you'll need to be more specific.
If it's the first, it depends on the sanitizer. Starsan is an acid based sanitizer, so as long as it's still in the correct range, it's fine. I've kept mixed starsan for over a week without any noticeable decline in ph.
If it's the second, you'll need to be more specific.
Eubanks
Active Member
Yes, I am referring to a mixture of Starsan and water.
I've read, and experienced, that star san left open will keep for a couple weeks. When it starts to get cloudy it's done. In a spray bottle it keeps much longer, weeks to months.
I've also noticed it can get a sulfury smell, does anyone know if that's a sign of it losing its effectiveness?
I've also noticed it can get a sulfury smell, does anyone know if that's a sign of it losing its effectiveness?
I've also noticed a sulfury smell, although it's still crystal clear (not cloudy).
BrewNow
Well-Known Member
Really interested in this one! My mixture of starsan and water gets cloudy pretty quickly...within a couple of hours after mixing. I do have well water so perhaps the mineral make-up of the water impacts the effectiveness? This is of course assuming the visual cloudiness really does indicate a shift of ph and the end to the sanitizing abilities! I do not check the ph of the solution, just mix up a batch each time I need to use it.
BreezyBrew
IPA is my spirit animal
The cloudiness can come from having hard water. When I mix it with tap, it instantly turns cloudy.
I have also noticed the sulfur smell. I dumped it immediately.
For reference - http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/StarSanTech5.pdf
TLDR - "When solution begins to cloud, sweeten with Star San or Phosphoric Acid."
I generally mix up a batch and will use it for quite a while. I keep it in a 5 gallon bucket with the lid on and use as needed...I think my current batch is about 2 months old. FWIW I haven't had any infections (yet)...
TLDR - "When solution begins to cloud, sweeten with Star San or Phosphoric Acid."
I generally mix up a batch and will use it for quite a while. I keep it in a 5 gallon bucket with the lid on and use as needed...I think my current batch is about 2 months old. FWIW I haven't had any infections (yet)...
BreezyBrew
IPA is my spirit animal
I took a pH reading after having the Star San and tap water (which was cloudy) in a bucket for a few weeks. It was still at the pH it should be.
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Ditto on 5g for weeks/months, but I also have pH strips that will show me whether I'm in the 3-3.5 range. Once I see bits of stuff or floaties, out it goes.
Everyone should watch this:
http://youtu.be/_niSffyAXO0
Time has no effect. Cloudiness has no effect. If your water is somehow hard enough to raise the pH above the usable range, then it's not going to sanitize. But that happens when you mix it, not over time.
The only thing that causes a time effect, is if you're dunking things in a bucket of sanitizer, or if you have done other source of stuff bring added to the solution over time. Then, yes the solution will become less acidic as it reacts with what is put in it, but sanitizer just sitting there does not go bad.
http://youtu.be/_niSffyAXO0
Time has no effect. Cloudiness has no effect. If your water is somehow hard enough to raise the pH above the usable range, then it's not going to sanitize. But that happens when you mix it, not over time.
The only thing that causes a time effect, is if you're dunking things in a bucket of sanitizer, or if you have done other source of stuff bring added to the solution over time. Then, yes the solution will become less acidic as it reacts with what is put in it, but sanitizer just sitting there does not go bad.
TheHappyHopper
Well-Known Member
I make up a 5 gallon bucket, store it with the lid on, and use it through 2 full batches (brewing and capping - about 1-1.5 months). As others have mentioned, I think you can keep it longer, but for the price I feel safer replacing it. I haven't had any infections in the year and a half that I have been brewing.
I use distilled water for my star san and keep it for months at a time, until it gets gungy and gross (like residual bits of grain in there or other off colorings from rinsing things and dumping it back into the bucket).
Distilled water keeps it from going cloudy, and is the recommended thing for longer term Star San storage, I BELIEVE from Star San...I've never had any troubles with it at least, been using the same 16oz Star San container to mix up 2g batches of sanitizer for maybe 4 years now. I buy new distilled water and make a new 2g batch of sanitizer maybe every 6 months.
Distilled water keeps it from going cloudy, and is the recommended thing for longer term Star San storage, I BELIEVE from Star San...I've never had any troubles with it at least, been using the same 16oz Star San container to mix up 2g batches of sanitizer for maybe 4 years now. I buy new distilled water and make a new 2g batch of sanitizer maybe every 6 months.
Eubanks
Active Member
Lots of excellent informain. Up until now, I had been mixing a new batch ofsanitized water everytime I brewed or transferred. Glad to know it will keep for several weeks, should save a little money.
jefflane510
Active Member
I found a bucket that had been mixed months prior but got lost in the shuffle for a while. I tested with a digital ph meter, it was still 3.3 if my memory serves me right. That was when I stopped mixing up a new bucket for every brew.
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