Star San smelling like chlorine?

[paneubert]

So this is one of those "impossible to Google" situations since Googling "Star San smells like bleach" just comes up with tons of "don't mix acids and bases / don't mix Star San and bleach" posts.

I have a gallon of Star San that admittedly is a few weeks old. Still crystal clear, still less than 3 pH reading, and was sealed in the container the entire time. Noticed that when I went to use it last night, there is a distinct chlorine smell in the jug. Which is....weird. I made up some fresh since I needed more than I had in the jug, and the new stuff does not smell like anything to me.

Thoughts? Anyone else experience spontaneous chlorine production from Star San?

 

[triethylborane]

Never had that happen.

 

[maf58d]

I have noted a sulfur smell on starsan mix I have sealed up. I don't seal it up tight anymore, a loose lid or a lid with an airlock on it seems to do the trick.

 

[maf58d]

Are you using tap water or spring/well water?

 

[day_trippr]

I don't smell much of anything in my glass carboy Star San reservoir.
SWAG: the smell may be the result of the Star San dissolving the plastic container and you're smelling freed chlorine.

fwiw, I know for certain Star San will dissolve certain plastics. I used to keep my reservoir in a food grade bucket equipped with a plastic ball valve, and over time (roughly a year) the threaded valve shank lost its OD to the point that the inside lock nut (also plastic, but not the same material) would slip on the shank.

This happened twice. The first time I noticed seepage outside the valve and was able to dump the Star San mix before anything dramatic happened and replace the valve (with the same model). The second time (with the new valve) the whole 6 gallons of Star San leaked out -
fortunately in my grade-level shop - it all ran through the garage floor out to the driveway, which is how I discovered something was amiss.

Now I keep the Star San mix in a carboy and fill the bucket when needed...

Cheers!

 

[paneubert]

SWAG: the smell may be the result of the Star San dissolving the plastic container and you're smelling freed chlorine.

Hmmmmmmmm...I checked and the bottle is PETE 1 (I thought it was usually abbreviated PET). I will have to take a look at what I can find about PET(E) 1 plastics and acids in the 2-3 range.


EDIT: There is this...
"Cleaning detergents and high temperatures can cause chemicals to leach out of the plastic. Plastic #1 is only intended for one time use".

I found a massive chart of PET(E) reaction to many chemicals and it scored pretty well on resistance to most. One outlier was chloroform. So don't store your chloroform in PET(E) bottles.

 

[paneubert]

Are you using tap water or spring/well water?

Tap water. If you are thinking chloramines or other water treatment from the city.....maybe. Our water has no smell at all from the tap, but maybe long term in a sealed container with Star San changes the "flavor"?

I used to do saltwater fish tanks, so I used to monitor dissolved solids and stuff quote closely from the tap. Made a lot of RO/DI water, etc... Our area is lucky enough that my water right from the tap was always less than 20 TDS. So I am not discounting this smell coming from the water, but I think it is not likely. I have not had my RO/DI set up for a few years, but maybe I will break it out sometime.