Recommended way to store mixed Star San?

[Tobor_8thMan]

What is the recommended way to store mixed Star San? Used a food grade plastic bucket and lid to store 1 to 2 gallons of the mix. Over time I'd get mold on the lid and/or sides of the plastic bucket.

Was thinking of storing the mix in gallon glass jugs (with lids).

Thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[camonick]

Used a food grade plastic bucket and lid to store 1 to 2 gallons of the mix. Over time I'd get mold on the lid and/or sides of the plastic bucket.

How long is “over time”? I recently (over a month ago) mixed a 3 gallon batch using distilled water in a bucket like you describe in hopes of not having to make a new batch every time I brew. So far I haven’t noticed any issues other than a minute amount of “dirt” at the bottom of the bucket. Did you use distilled water? It’s an interesting question.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Probably > 1 month but < 3 months. No, I used tap water. The food grade bucket and lid were clean.

 

[NeverDie]

From what I've read, as long as it still has a low pH, it's still good. If you have a pH tester, you can check it.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

From what I've read, as long as it still has a low pH, it's still good. If you have a pH tester, you can check it.

Yes, I understand about the Star San pH. It's the mold on the lid, bucket sides that concerned me.

 

[Beholder]

I mix it up with RO and store it in a glass spray bottle, which has a screw top lid as well as the sprayer so no need to keep the plastic sprayer attached (wanted to avoid potential of it getting dissolved over time sitting in low pH solution).

 

[bigdawg86]

I have gotten mold only when used with a bucket that has seen wort... I have had 5 gallons in a glass carboy for a few months and haven't seen anything resembling mold.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

I have gotten mold only when used with a bucket that has seen wort... I have had 5 gallons in a glass carboy for a few months and haven't seen anything resembling mold.

No, the food grade buckets are cleaned with hot soapy water.

Seems, at least in my area, water/moisture sits on something for awhile and it becomes moldy.

Yes, we have HIGH humidity here during the Spring, Summer and Fall.

 

[day_trippr]

I keep a Star San reservoir in a food grade bucket with the lid basically resting on top and a couple of times I have indeed noticed a black mold spot or two under the lid - never on the bucket walls. I guess condensation under the lid is responsible for hosting air-borne spores.

Once I was aware of the possibility I keep an eye on the lid if I haven't brewed in awhile and give it a quick wash and dry if necessary...

Cheers!

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

So, the mold isn't a problem. Clean it off and continue...?

 

[AJinJacksonville]

Each brew day, I fill up a 32 oz spray bottle with de-chlorinated water, with the appropriate amount of Star San. I used to make a brew bucket sized five gallon amount to soak stuff in, but it just seemed so wasteful and difficult to manipulate. I can generously spray on Star San onto whatever I need to sanitize, and I have yet to have any issues with cleanliness. After the brew day is over, I dump out whatever is left and rinse off the plastic pieces.

 

[JimRausch]

Mold is odd. I thought the starsan would kill that. Are you talking about the outside of the lid and sides? Or inside that might be at least occasionally splashed by the solution? It does worry me a bit if it's a mold that starsan doesn't affect.
But to answer your question, I make mine up a gallon at a time and store it in a milk jug for months (maybe 6 months tops). If I do make a larger batch (because I have a lot of stuff to sanitize) I do store it in a fermenter bucket or bottling bucket with the lid on loose. But I would usually use up that volume within a couple days.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Insides

 

[day_trippr]

Only the inside. And it's just the typical black mold that can form during the warm humid days here (August primarily) on things left wet and exposed.
I don't worry about it after a wash and dry...

Cheers!

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

I guess we have more warm and humid days here. I normally toss the star san mix. Am I wasting?

 

[day_trippr]

Couldn't say, I can only offer the anecdote that I've never had an evident infection in almost 15 years...

Cheers!

 

[NeverDie]

I put mine in 1/2-gallon mason jars with mason lids and swish it all around before storing it. Mason jars are cheap.

 

[passedpawn]

I won't denigrate the process others use, but the only way I've ever used starsan is to put it in spray bottles and spritz stuff. I will occasionally pour some out of the spray bottle (e.g., into a keg), but I've never made a bucket and stored that. And frankly I would not trust that bucket after I'd dipped something nasty into it.

You can get pretty empty good spray bottles at home depot. The $2 ones don't last, the $4 are far far better. The one in the pic below is the cheap one - don't get that!

I add two drops of food coloring to mine so I can tell it apart from other stuff I also keep in these spray bottles.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I keep a Star San reservoir in a food grade bucket with the lid basically resting on top and a couple of times I have indeed noticed a black mold spot or two under the lid - never on the bucket walls. I guess condensation under the lid is responsible for hosting air-borne spores.

Once I was aware of the possibility I keep an eye on the lid if I haven't brewed in awhile and give it a quick wash and dry if necessary...

Cheers!

Wouldn't a fresh cup of Oxiclean be so much easier than black mold with Star San on an old bucket...disregard that..Intentional nipple twister after the last thread for no good reason...cheers..and peace

 

[day_trippr]

I have 1" ID blow-off hoses, long ss racking canes, and multi-foot racking tubing with QDs attached.
I'd love to be able to sanitize all of those before using without a bucket of Star San next to my brewery sink, but I don't see how that could ever hope to work using my Star San spray bottle - which exists for suitable tasks...

Cheers!

[edit] Careful there JR, lest this thread get "sanitized" like yours
[edit2] It's not like every time I check there's a lid load of black mold. Sheesh.
It's happened like twice in 10 years, both during our Dog Days where everything is damp...

 

[HomeBrewMasterRace]

I just hold star San from brewing to bottling in my secondary fermenter, never had and issue with there (it's plastic) but I've never stores more than a 2 months.

 

[NeverDie]

And frankly I would not trust that bucket after I'd dipped something nasty into it.

Except wouldn't you be cleaning it beforehand, so it would no longer be nasty?

 

[Calder]

I've had the mold problem too. There must be something in the StarSan that has nutrients for mold to grow, and when the PH gets high enough ...... 'stuff' can grow. It only happens on the lid and nowhere near the liquid, and only after a decent length of time (Month +, probably 2 or 3 months).

I keep StarSan in a 1 gallon bowl that I sanitize small stuff in, and pour into fermenters, and then back into the bowl. I keep the same solution for several months; usually until it gets murky, or half of it is gone. Usually lasts 2 to 3 months.

I've used StarSan for several years, and only seen he mold on a couple of occasions. It is worrying when you see it, but I think it is isolated and easily cleaned up. Not had any infection issues with my beer (for any reasons).

 

[Yooper]

I store my starsan in a large plastic gallon jug (like a milk container, but it held juice or something). I've never seen mold in it, even after a few months.

I also have a spray bottle and squirt things that are too big to immerse.

Maybe since you have so much mold due to the climate, you may want to consider making a smaller amount up at a time, and use it up since I would probably not use star-san where there was mold growing. It might be fine of course, but even opening it up allows mold spores out in your brewing space.

 

[Soulshine2]

What is the recommended way to store mixed Star San? Used a food grade plastic bucket and lid to store 1 to 2 gallons of the mix. Over time I'd get mold on the lid and/or sides of the plastic bucket.

Was thinking of storing the mix in gallon glass jugs (with lids).

Thoughts?

Thanks.

store mine in plastic gallon water jugs

 

[VirginiaHops1]

I keep it in a brewing bucket I no longer use for fermenting. I'll keep it for months before dumping and remixing a batch. I have a ph meter and occasionally check it to make sure ph is still under 3 and have never found that it's not.

 

[Maylar]

So, the mold isn't a problem. Clean it off and continue...?

That's what I've done. I get mold on the cap of the 1 gallon plastic bottle that I store it in. Washes off with a sponge and 1-Step.