Replacement for star-san?

[asterix404]

I need a cheaper sanitizer. I don't particularly care about no rinse but I think I would prefer it since I am not excellent at rinsing after sanitizing stuff. I have had excellent luck with star san but it's just too expensive for me right now. Any recommendations?

 

[Bk2X]

Learn To Brew: Iodophor Sanitizer 4oz

 

[atom]

bleach is as cheap as you're gonna get. it's certainly not "no rinse" though.

 

[hypergolic]

If you use distilled water with Star San it will last a long time.

 

[Golddiggie]

Why are you looking for something cheaper? Is it the amount of the concentrate bottle? If so, look at online vendors for those that offer it for less than the LHBS in the area (easy to locate cheaper sources this way). Don't buy from the place in Natick Center either, they over-charge on pretty much everything (by no small amount). You can get a 32oz bottle (online/Rebel Brewer) for less than the cost of a 16oz bottle from the local stores. Maybe get with someone in your area (check my location ) and do a combined order to get the shipping costs spread-out better...

I also keep a bucket of StarSan solution on hand for several weeks. I have a spray bottle of it too that I only change when it's either low, or I've mixed up a fresh batch. Extremely useful to have that on hand.

 

[Revvy]

Starsan's the most cost effective sanitizer out there, a large bottke lasts me about a year and a half. And I probably brew a lot more than you do.

If you're having issues where it's cost effective, then you're not using effectively.

Starsan is really a good investment, you only need to use a little bit at a time (you don't need to make 5 gallons of it every time- I usually only make 2-2.5 gallons on a typical brewday.) You can store it and reuse it quite a few times, especially if you use distilled water and store it in an airtight container. A lot of us store some in a spray bottle for all the little sanitizations we might need to do, like take grav readings. Some folks store a gallon of it and use that til the PH changes. (Get a 1 gallon jug of distilled water, pour a little out, and add a few MLs of starsan and shake. Just pour it back in and seal the jug.

Since it's a wet contact/no rinse sanitizer, you just need to put a gallon or two in your fermenter for example and swirl it around to make contact and then pour it back into your storage container...

With all the re-usability and versatility of it, it really is cost effectives, it works out to pennys per use...

There's a lot of great info in this thread, including the links to podcasts about the two most effective sanitizers we use, iodophor and starsan.

Sanitizer Question.

 

[rancidcrabtree]

You can sanitize a 6.5 gal carboy or bucket with a minimum of approx. 2 ounces of Clorox bleach, but you'll definitely have to rinse afterwards and its not really the ideal method, depending the quality of the water you'll be rinsing with.

 

[Old_mil_guy]

There are lots of iodophor sanitizer options on google shopping, 4, 32 or 128 oz.

 

[Homercidal]

IMO you can't beat StarSan. The price difference between that and anything even close to similar is practically nil. I'd never use bleach though.

My advice is to start mixing StarSan with distilled water and keep it in gallon jugs, like milk jugs or what have you. Get a spray bottle and only spray what you need. Use the jugs to top off the spray bottle.

If you feel the need to pour some into a container, then pour it right back into the storage jugs. It doesn't go bad through use (if your container is CLEAN, as it SHOULD BE!)

The only time I don't reuse it is when I'm neutralizing residue from our alkaline water after an oxiclean soak, and I've actually been using a mild acid solution of water and muriatic acid for that lately.

A regular bottle of starsan will probably last me about 2 years. Maybe more.

 

[EdWort]

Starsan's the most cost effective sanitizer out there, a large bottke lasts me about a year and a half. And I probably brew a lot more than you do.

If you're having issues where it's cost effective, then you're not using effectively.

Starsan is really a good investment, you only need to use a little bit at a time (you don't need to make 5 gallons of it every time- I usually only make 2-2.5 gallons on a typical brewday.) You can store it and reuse it quite a few times, especially if you use distilled water and store it in an airtight container. A lot of us store some in a spray bottle for all the little sanitizations we might need to do, like take grav readings. Some folks store a gallon of it and use that til the PH changes. (Get a 1 gallon jug of distilled water, pour a little out, and add a few MLs of starsan and shake. Just pour it back in and seal the jug.

Since it's a wet contact/no rinse sanitizer, you just need to put a gallon or two in your fermenter for example and swirl it around to make contact and then pour it back into your storage container...

With all the re-usability and versatility of it, it really is cost effectives, it works out to pennys per use...

There's a lot of great info in this thread, including the links to podcasts about the two most effective sanitizers we use, iodophor and starsan.

Sanitizer Question.

+ 1000 It's all in how you use it.

 

[BigTerp]

+ 1000 It's all in how you use it.

This.

When I first started brewing I went through StarSan like mad. Once I got smart and starting using a spray bottle instead of using a half gallon of the stuff to santize a fermenting bucket, it starting lasting a LONG time.

 

[billtzk]

... I've actually been using a mild acid solution of water and muriatic acid for that lately.

That's a good idea. Home improvement stores and hardware stores sell it by the gallon. How much muriatic acid do you use per gallon of water, or what is your solution strength?

 

[helibrewer]

1/2 oz in a 2 gallon pail lasts weeks. My 32oz bottle still has 24oz's in it and I have been either brewing or making wine every month since May.

 

[Homercidal]

That's a good idea. Home improvement stores and hardware stores sell it by the gallon. How much muriatic acid do you use per gallon of water, or what is your solution strength?

I bought the stuff to treat my alkaline water, which works ok, but I "upgraded" to Phosphoric acid recently because Hydrochloric acid is VERY dangerous to handle. But it's been handy to have around.

I have ZERO idea how much concentration I use. I know I cut it about 4:1 with water to make a solution for cleaning some stuff, and then I use a bit of that to a bottle of water, so you can pretty much cut it pretty thin and it's still effective. At that concentration I only have to dunk the bottle in and swish a bit around inside to remove the deposits.

At that concentration I can remove the paint off of most all of the painted-on beer labels with an hour or two soak... It's still pretty acidic. After a bit of using I can feel a little irritation.

 

[asterix404]

Ahh, then maybe I am in fact using it wrong and will have to look for alternatives online. I really should get a 1G thing of starstan and fill up spray bottles. Basically every time I brew I am using 2tsb of the stuff and I brew about twice a month so I really have been going through this stuff.

 

[Yooper]

Ahh, then maybe I am in fact using it wrong and will have to look for alternatives online. I really should get a 1G thing of starstan and fill up spray bottles. Basically every time I brew I am using 2tsb of the stuff and I brew about twice a month so I really have been going through this stuff.

I mix up a gallon, by adding 1/4 ounce to the gallon of distilled water. That solution is reused many, many times, and when it's gone (usually over a month later), I mix up some more. I sanitize my items, then pour it back into the jug. I brew three times a month, as well as rack wine and rack my beer to kegs- using the same gallon of star-san.

You don't ever have to make up more than a gallon.

 

[Carter1932]

Used to use bleach before Starsan. Before switching had some acrid metalic taste issues in my kegs which I've since attributed to bleach issues.

Starsan has made brewing life so much easier than it used to be, well worth its expense.

 

[copyright1997]

Ahh, then maybe I am in fact using it wrong and will have to look for alternatives online. I really should get a 1G thing of starstan and fill up spray bottles. Basically every time I brew I am using 2tsb of the stuff and I brew about twice a month so I really have been going through this stuff.

Given that one ounce of Star San (2 tablespoons) makes 5 GALLONS of Star San solution, I'd say you are using it wrong. You only need to get the surface wet of whatever you are santizing. Also, you can keep the solution for multiple batches - especially if you use distilled water and keep it covered.

So, either a) use a couple of mililiters of Star San in a quart spray bottle or b) Mix up 2 1/2 gallons of solution (one tablespoon of Star San) and put it in your Star San bucket (covered) or Star San Keg (with lid on and a bit of co2 to keep a good seal).

Or, get in on a group buy. In our last Syracuse one, we bought two sets of 4 gallon Star San's. I think the price on it was something around $30/gallon, and as you can see a gallon of Star San can go a LONG way: 640 gallons of Star San/Water mixture.

 

[BamaRooster]

+1 on all the posts for using a spray bottle. It is the only way I use it any more.

 

[asterix404]

Yea, basically I was just soaking the stuff for a very long time. If all I need to do it wet the surface I will just make a gallon and add it to the spray bottle. Thanks for the tips. BTW, why should I use distilled vs. tap? Does it have to do with how long it keeps?

 

[bredstein]

Bleach works well for me. It makes everything clean in 20 minutes, and then I rinse with hot tap water. In fact, my city water is so bad (it really stinks with bleach) that I might be able to sanitize with it straight from the faucet BTW, if you use moderate amount of bleach (1 tbs per gallon) there is no need to rinse.

 

[Yooper]

Yea, basically I was just soaking the stuff for a very long time. If all I need to do it wet the surface I will just make a gallon and add it to the spray bottle. Thanks for the tips. BTW, why should I use distilled vs. tap? Does it have to do with how long it keeps?

Yes. I have hard water, and the star-san gets cloudy almost right away. With distilled water, the star-san will keep indefinitely. The manufacturer says that it's good as long as the pH is low- I think less than 3- but I've never kept a gallon more than a couple of months as I'm terrible at pouring it back in the jug and manage to spill about 1/4 of it each time! So I have a gallon jug for maybe two months, then mix up some more.

I've been brewing a long time, and winemaking also. I'm on my second container (the small size!) of Star-san after all these years.

 

[Homercidal]

I found some water in the closet that I was going to mix up some starsan with. AS I started pouring it into the jug I noticed it was pretty cloudy. So I shook it up.

Yep.. Starsan!

I must have mixed it with tap water a while back and put it away (Before I found out that it doesn't last long with alkaline water!).

So I had to pour it out and mix it up with some distilled water. If you use distilled water and make it slightly strong, it will be fine for months. If you don't use distilled water, you have to test it to make sure it's pH is low enough to be effective.

But I can tell you if Yooper can make 2 bottles last for years, I know it's cost effective!