Life of sanitizer

[broncobob71]

Now that Hunting, Thanksgiving, Shopping, Christmas, New Years is done with and the fish have stopped biting, I was able to get a batch of beer made this weekend.

When I mixed up a batch of Star San using city water, like normal, it turned cloudy immediately.
When I mixed up a batch using DI water it was so clear you could see the oily swirls in the water as the acid diluted. A couple of days later it is still clear. Not a hint of cloudiness.
I have not checked for PH loss as I was just comparing city water to DI and solution clarity.

Most people do not have access to DI water, but you should be able to get similar results from distilled water. I'm not suggesting that you mix up all of your sanitizer with distilled water, but if want some for spray bottle use. A 99 cent jug of distilled water with a splash of star san in it will go a long way in a spray bottle.

 

[rodwha]

I'm still curious about the use of Star San in hard water.
It's what I've been using. I make 3.8 gallons and use it for a month or so.
I haven't had a problem, but that doesn't mean I can't...

 

[stvo]

That is the truth. Mine comes out cloudy from the word go but I haven't had a problem with it yet. Personally I toss mine at the end of every function that requires sanitation so I don't know how long it keeps for me. 1 oz. (5 gallon dose) is $0.52. I'd rather use fresh Star San and be sure then possibly ruin $30 or more in beer because I didn't want to spend $0.52

^^^^ this exactly^^^^
Spend too much on equipment/propane/ingredients to not mix fresh every time!!!!!

 

[unionrdr]

That's fine if it makes you feel better. But isn't technically necessary. As long as the PH is 3 or less,it's good.

 

[rodwha]

So where can I find the truth about hard water nullifying it's abilities to sanitize?

I saw the video of the guy testing different samples with pH strips, but hear that's not a good source.

 

[unionrdr]

I think it's a great video. The truth stands for itself. He showed the test strips,which were the same. 3 or less is good PH-wise. That's from fivestar chemical,who makes starsan.

 

[rodwha]

Where are people coming up with the idea that the hard water is nullifying it's ability?

I've seen how people can easily misread/comprehend what they've read and run off all over the web spreading their idea with black powder substitute powder...

 

[unionrdr]

Hey,pyrodex works pretty good. Still attracts moisture about as well though. But the net can put forth a lot of falsehoods & half truths as well. I told it like it is. Now back to my regularly scheduled beer...

 

[rodwha]

I like the results I'm getting with 3F Triple 7 from my Old Army. It's besting the 45 Colt loads with over 500 ft/lbs with a 240 grn custom conical. I love the thunder it creates! Certainly brings people by to ask what I have...
Doesn't smell as good as Pyrodex though.

 

[unionrdr]

With 100 grains of 3fg pyrodex & a saboted 200g hornady jacketed hollow point,my 50cal TC hawken equals a 30-06 in muzzle velocity. Sound is def different. Sounds more like a recoiless cannon or something. Anyway,it's starsan's PH level that does the job,not how clear it is.

 

[rodwha]

"Anyway,it's starsan's PH level that does the job,not how clear it is."

That's what I thought when I first began using it, and for a long time afterwards. Recently (a month???) I saw the debate. It made me have to wonder as (IIRC) it was stated the company claimed that minerals depleted it's a ability to sanitize.

 

[fc36]

Make your life easy...
Step 1: Buy a cheap 5 gallon bucket and lid from ACE, Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, True Value, Crafty Beaver, etc... Costs about $5
Step 2: Buy 5 gallons of distilled water at Jewel, Dominick's, Kroger, Meijer, Walmart, etc... Costs about $2 a gallon
Step 3: Buy StarSan at LHBS
Step 4: Mix up a batch for every 5 gallon kegging/bottling day.
Step 5: Repeat and discard every time you keg/bottle.

It'll keep indefinitely in the lidded bucket, but just change it every time you bottle or keg and you'll always have a guaranteed good-to-go batch at the ready for any new brew sessions, racking, testing/sampling, or when you decide to cheat on sweet, sweet barley and make a mead or cider. I get about 5-6 uses between kegging sessions. I don't even mix up my batch in the bucket anymore. When I keg, I discard the old bucket, mix up 5 gallons in the keg, run it through my beer lines and refill the empty starsan bucket. Easy Peasy. Sure, it's colder than a new batch made with tap water after sitting around and settling at room temp, but it never goes bad and is always ready to go.

 

[zeg]

I think that debate may have been in this thread...

 

[zeg]

Step 4: Mix up a batch for every 5 gallon kegging/bottling day.
Step 5: Repeat and discard every time you bottle/keg.

That's massive overkill in my book! I have taken to making a fresh batch every brew (or every other brew if I'm in rapid-fire mode), but a single gallon is more than enough, including a few extra weeks worth of random spritzing fodder.

Re: the cloudiness claims, I am planning at some unspecified point in the distant future to do some tests of my own to see if I can resolve this and hopefully post some results that are convincing enough that we can put this to rest. (If anyone is interested in doing this and wants to talk, PM me!)

For now, though, it seems to be certain that using distilled water will result in effective sanitizer, so I've stopped my ridiculously hard using tap water for now. I just take a bottle of distilled water and add about 1/3 oz of Sani-Clean (eventually to switch to Star-San when this bottle runs out).

 

[fc36]

I think that debate may have been in this thread...

I've been on this particular thread since it began, but it seems to have taken a turn for the and so I figured I'd help out those not wanting to sift through it all to get a good idea of the gist.

 

[fc36]

That's massive overkill in my book! I have taken to making a fresh batch every brew (or every other brew if I'm in rapid-fire mode), but a single gallon is more than enough, including a few extra weeks worth of random spritzing fodder.

Re: the cloudiness claims, I am planning at some unspecified point in the distant future to do some tests of my own to see if I can resolve this and hopefully post some results that are convincing enough that we can put this to rest. (If anyone is interested in doing this and wants to talk, PM me!)

For now, though, it seems to be certain that using distilled water will result in effective sanitizer, so I've stopped my ridiculously hard using tap water for now. I just take a bottle of distilled water and add about 1/3 oz of Sani-Clean (eventually to switch to Star-San when this bottle runs out).

Now that I think about it, I probably go about 2-3 brew sessions between changes as of late. Maybe I shouldn't drink so much when kegging.

 

[Inner10]

I mix a 5 gallon batch and discard every 6 months or so. I use tap water and it will be slightly cloudy right away...but after a few uses it gets more cloudy.

Guess we could get some ph strips and test...

 

[Dolomieu]

So this should make a great deal of sense. Your DI or RO water is going to run a pH of around 6-6.5. It will be less cloudy and last long because ions and minerals have been stripped from the water. The things interacting with the starsan to cause it to be cloudy in the tap water,that and DOCs and TSSs. Unfiltered tap water will have all those things in it and give it some buffering capacity. This will vary greatly depending on where you are and the water thats coming from your tap.

So to say "mine lasts me this lone using tap water" may be true but doesn't mean my source water will last as long. If there is a greater buffering capacity in my source water it may only take a couple brew days for the pH to rise since it is picking up some things while being used.

I do have access to a huge water system but it's just easier spending the .52 and using tap. I used DI from the store for my spray bottle and keep the extra in the jug in my keezer. I have had one gallon jug last 8 month with no issues. I checked the pH on the last bit and it was fine.

As long as what you are doing works for you who cares.