Prevent waste? Reusing BLC/PBW/StarSan

[Gizzygone]

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a germaphobe...

So when it comes to cleaning I usually overdo it. I’ll mix a new batch of BLC to flush each line, and I’ll mix up more PBW for each vessel to clean.

I’m curious, though: is it necessary? Sanitation is important in this hobby, but I see lots of videos where PBW is used to wash a corny, and then dumped out to wash another....

Or starsan will be used in a fermentation bucket to sterilize the equipment.... then slosh around to sterilize the bucket.... then dumped into a keg to sterilize that.

In my mind, I’d want fresh starsan for each step!

Just curious how much I overdo it...

 

[cubalz]

Here is the thing: I mix fresh solutions of PBW and Star San for each step as I figure it is cheaper to use more of those products during every brew day than ruining an entire batch as a result of some glitch in sanitation. I realize that this may be overkill and maybe wasteful but I have not had an infection or unintentionally sour beer in probably 25 years.

 

[Mike_kever_kombi]

For me it depends. I tend to clean things as I go, and often times clean things repeatedly. I usually have 2 buckets around me during brew day to collect water, Star San, PBE, etc. at the end of the brew, I will dump the left over kettle sludge in the garbage, then use the waste water from CFC to scrub and rinse the kettle. The kettle will be pretty clean at this point with just warm water, but I will still use PBW for a thorough clean, followed by a spritz of Star San for storage. When I next use the kettle, I will give it a warm water rinse, a PBW wash, another rinse, and a spritz of Star San before adding wort.

As long as my PBW, and Star San look clean, I will use them all brew day long. So the same PBW I start the day with, washing the already clean kettle, will be the same PBW I use at the end of the day to clean the kettle before putting it away. It’s the same for all “chemicals” as well as all vessels (fermenter, mash tun, etc. )

So one batch of each, usually lasts the entire brew day. If any of them seem “off”, I will make another batch as cheap insurance.

 

[paneubert]

I test the pH of my StarSan to see if it is in the right range. Not usually within a cleaning day, but if I have a jug I made weeks ago, or I am suddenly paranoid about my spray bottle that I have been using for 3 months, I check the pH.