Official Star San ate my spray bottle thread

[Miraculix]

One spray bottle got ripepd through a year ago, the second one this weekend.

Rest in pieces!

Bottle Count: 2

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

I have used the same for almost 3 years.
Is German plastic of inferior quality?

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

My wife broke my first one, a good chemical grade one, solvent resistant, whatever you wanna call it, from my work. She was nice enough to replace it with dollar store junk, that pos didn't last long. So I got another one from work, a quality spray bottle is worth every penny. I've had this one for a couple years now.

 

[mac_1103]

32 oz plastic spray bottles are $3 at the big box home improvement store. I don't seem to be going through them any faster than I go through Starsan, so I don't worry about it.

 

[Velnerj]

I didn't know this was an issue... I have the crappiest, cheapest spray bottle from ikea. Has held a star San solution for a number of years now without any problems ....

 

[MaxStout]

Get this at your home center store. I use them for starsan, iodophor, you name it. I even have one with bleach solution. Never corroded.

 

[mac_1103]

In my experience, the only thing that ever just flat out killed a spray bottle was vinegar. That was straight distilled white vinegar in a supposedly chemical-resistant sprayer. OTOH, I've had 50% vinegar in the same cheap-o spray bottle for about five years with no issues.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

The good ones, as pictured above also give you better control of your spray, as in mist or stream or in the middle. Comes in handy for different uses.

 

[mac_1103]

But those cost almost a whole dollar more!

I actually like the cheap ones better because of the wide mouth for easy filling.

 

[DuncB]

My spray bottle in use for about 4 years is having issues, needs a squeeze to get spraying. Not sure this is a starsan issue. Might need a better seal around the top. Will have to tinker before getting a new one. Mine was a standard very cheap bottle.

 

[day_trippr]

This must have come up in another thread recently because my browser cache still has the link to the spray bottle I bought years ago for Star San use - and which is still very much alive today...

https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-32oz-Heavy-Duty-Spray-Bottle/dp/B005KDIWES


Cheers!

 

[duncan.brown]

I use them for starsan, iodophor, you name it. I even have one with bleach solution. Never corroded.

+1 for Zep. I keep one full of StarSan all the time and another full of Isopropyl Alcohol. Both work great, including the spray mechanisms, and are at least 3 years old.

 

[passedpawn]

Get this at your home center store. I use them for starsan, iodophor, you name it. I even have one with bleach solution. Never corroded.

View attachment 825543

Nope. They suck. Thrown out many of them.

 

[passedpawn]

I'm testing a bunch off amazon. Will post later on results.

 

[seatazzz]

I'm using a cheapie one from HD (or walmart, dunno the husband bought it) for over three years and no issues. Maybe too strong of starsan? Just my two cents.

 

[Graham H]

I lucked out—when I first heard about using Starsan in a spray bottle (at the very beginning of my HB journey) I happened to read a tip for buying a good bottle. I’ve only used this bottle, and it’s lasted years.

Chemical Guys Acc_130 Professional Chemical Resistant Heavy Duty Bottle and Sprayer, 32 oz https://a.co/d/iHgMEb6

 

[passedpawn]

I lucked out—when I first heard about using Starsan in a spray bottle (at the very beginning of my HB journey) I happened to read a tip for buying a good bottle. I’ve only used this bottle, and it’s lasted years.

Chemical Guys Acc_130 Professional Chemical Resistant Heavy Duty Bottle and Sprayer, 32 oz https://a.co/d/iHgMEb6

That's good to hear! It's the one I've also been using

 

[MaxStout]

Not so CSB:

I started out using the cheap ones from the dollar store. Filled one with Starsan. One day I was spraying some small parts. The sprayer shot out a reddish-brown liquid. Apparently, the guts in the sprayer were made from ordinary steel and it rusted.

 

[hotbeer]

I'm just curious what StarSan did to the plastic. Did it get thin or did it get brittle? Or something else?

 

[IslandLizard]

I'm just curious what StarSan did to the plastic. Did it get thin or did it get brittle? Or something else?

I'd say brittle. Mine self-decapitated:

 

[cubalz]

The Zep ones shown above last. All others only for about a year

 

[Miraculix]

I'd say brittle.

Yep, i agree. My handle broke off and the rest fell instantly apart. The one that died before was not creating mist anymore but shooting like a water pistol.

 

[BongoYodeler]

My cheap one has lasted a few years but can no longer be adjusted to a mist, which I prefer.

But I also have one of these now for a year or two, and it's still working fine.

 

[hotbeer]

I'd say brittle. Mine self-decapitated:

View attachment 825607

Though I doubt you did, but I have to ask, did you keep it somewhere where UV from the sun would get to it?

Though those sharp shoulders on that bottle look to be a problem just in themselves for stress cracking after you've squeezed the trigger for a time.

 

[balrog]

The cheap one I had lasted "a while" but lost its ability to draw liquid up the stand pipe.
The ZEP-ish like one, made for bleach/chem, has been much better suited for the StarSan environment. Also sprays better, wider swath, uniform coverage, just oh so much better.

 

[Graham H]

The Zep ones shown above last. All others only for about a year

…or 5 1/2, in my case.

 

[MaxStout]

I'd say brittle. Mine self-decapitated:

View attachment 825607

You need to take the death grip off of that thing.

Never had a neck break off, but the cheapo bottles I used to buy would stop siphoning and no longer spray.

This is what I love about HBT. There's no subject too mundane or obscure to keep us from running an involved discussion about it.

 

[AZ Maverick]

I guess I've been lucky.
I've been using the same cheapo spritz bottle from Walmart for the last 5 years and it still works like new.

 

[pvpeacock]

My Zep is over 10 years old and never without Starsan in it. No problem.

 

[Iowa Brewer]

Get this at your home center store. I use them for starsan, iodophor, you name it. I even have one with bleach solution. Never corroded.

View attachment 825543

Yup! Works great. Been using mine with StarSan for ages.