Star San

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Bubman

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Question about using star san.

I bottled up a batch today and made 5 gallons of sanitizer. After cleaning all the ferm gear I was thinking about dumping the sanitizer in my cleaned fermenter as I am going to brew another batch tomorrow.

Will it still be effective?

I remember reading somewhere if it remains above a certain ph it will be fine however I have no way of checking it.

Thanks!
 
Yep, it will be fine- I routinely keep mine for weeks so long as I have somewhere to store it.
 
Absolutely!

It will keep for weeks, months even. Even if it turns somewhat cloudy over time, it's still good to use.

Before filling your fermentor tomorrow, empty it into a spare bucket, and keep a lid on (loosely) to keep bugs and dust out. If you have little children or animals, secure the lid and keep well out of their reach.

When freshly mixed the pH is around 2.3. You really need to "abuse" it to raise it above 3-3.5, which is the cut off for its effectiveness.
 
Thanks for the reply's Guys.

Guess I'll get some litmus paper to test the ph.
 
if it remains above a certain ph it will be fine
If it remains under a certain pH (3 - 3.5).
Guess I'll get some litmus paper to test the ph.
For peace of mind, sure. Cheap, multi range litmus paper. You only need a 1/4" snip off the roll or strip.

Mind, in all those years I've never had a bucket of Starsan go above a pH of 3, even after using it weekly for 6 months. Just don't contaminate it by dumping wort or alkaline stuff (cleaners) in it, etc. Clean, rinse, then Starsan.
 
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Sorry, that link does not bring up a .5 unit set in the 3.5 range. The vial shown has a range of pH 1-12, while the difference between pH 3 and 4 will be very difficult to judge going by the printed reference patches, they're way too close in color (dark orange to light orange <ugh>). The pH being 3 (pass) or 4 (reject) is the critical area we are most interested in for measuring Starsan's acidity.

Now when in doubt or you read/suspect the pH to be a little higher than 3, you can always sweeten the working solution with some fresh Starsan concentrate or Phosphoric Acid. Or start anew and make a fresh working solution for a buck a bucket (or less).
 
Sorry... Don't mean to negatize (is that a word?) the thread, but there's many more important things to monitor in your system than the Ph of your star-san.
As IslandLizard says, if you don't contaminate it, the Ph isn't going anywhere and the product will function as intended. No test strips required.
 
Don't mean to negatize (is that a word?) the thread, but there's many more important things to monitor in your system than the Ph of your star-san
Exactly!

Also stay away from pH strips to determine mash pH, as those are highly unreliable (reading too high) while the indicator color is almost impossible to compare against the reference patches, especially with wort darker than the lightest Pilsner.
 
I will propose an alternate method that is far less expensive and much easier - make star san solution 1L (or quart) at a time in a spray bottle using reverse osmosis or distilled water. Soaking isn't necessary. Just spray the surfaces.

The process is simple. 1oz/5G is ~1.57mL/L. Get a small syringe and add ~1.6mL per liter of water. If you use RO or distilled it'll never go bad. No pH strips. Nothing. When using a spray bottle you'll also find you only need to refill it every couple brew days.

I expect my star san bottle to wear out before i use up the concentrate.
 
Sorry... Don't mean to negatize (is that a word?) the thread, but there's many more important things to monitor in your system than the Ph of your star-san.
As IslandLizard says, if you don't contaminate it, the Ph isn't going anywhere and the product will function as intended. No test strips required.

I respectfully disagree.

What I think SEndorf is saying is that a mixture of Starsan, if properly made, is not going to change in pH unless diluted or a lot of evaporation occurs. I use pH strips that are easy to read and the pH never changes. I just check for peace of mind. I just use tap water. I just top up and ran one batch for 6 years, topping up every once in a while.
 
If test stripping your Ph gives you peace of mind, who am I to argue.
Just didn't want newer brewers reading this thinking this is one more required step in a process that has a multitude of important tasks and variables.

Analogous to motor oil. I trust a proven product and don't perform any type of boil viscosity test. When it becomes contaminated, it's simply time to replace.
 
What I think SEndorf is saying is that a mixture of Starsan, if properly made, is not going to change in pH unless diluted or a lot of evaporation occurs. I use pH strips that are easy to read and the pH never changes. I just check for peace of mind. I just use tap water. I just top up and ran one batch for 6 years, topping up every once in a while.

If test stripping your Ph gives you peace of mind, who am I to argue.
Just didn't want newer brewers reading this thinking this is one more required step in a process that has a multitude of important tasks and variables.

Analogous to motor oil. I trust a proven product and don't perform any type of boil viscosity test. When it becomes contaminated, it's simply time to replace.

I really meant my comment figuratively. I'm a believer in sanitation being number 1. pH of Star San is important, but I haven't measured the pH before. I have some pH strips ordered now because my water changed, and now turns it cloudy.
 
When using a spray bottle you'll also find you only need to refill it every couple brew days.

I expect my star san bottle to wear out before i use up the concentrate.

I can't manage to keep the spray bottle working when storing star san in it. After about a month or two, it gives out and won't spray. I've tried the cheap kind, the professional cleaning kind, they all work (or don't) the same.

Spraying surfaces with star san is fine. Storing it in spray bottles, not so much.
 
I can't manage to keep the spray bottle working when storing star san in it. After about a month or two, it gives out and won't spray. I've tried the cheap kind, the professional cleaning kind, they all work (or don't) the same.

Spraying surfaces with star san is fine. Storing it in spray bottles, not so much.

I’ve heard others say the same.

I’ve had the same bottle for about 5 years so it’s not my experience but I suspect there are less chemically resistant bottles out there. Not sure how to tell though.
 
In 7 years I have used 3 spray bottles. The first was the cheapest Home Depot one. It lasted for at least a year. I also bought it several years prior. The second was a better Home Depot bottle and it lasted for at least 5 years. The one I am using now, for about a year, is a dollar store bottle. I don't find that Starsan has any effect on the bottles.
 
In 7 years I have used 3 spray bottles. The first was the cheapest Home Depot one. It lasted for at least a year. I also bought it several years prior. The second was a better Home Depot bottle and it lasted for at least 5 years. The one I am using now, for about a year, is a dollar store bottle. I don't find that Starsan has any effect on the bottles.

The first I used was a repurposed glass cleaning bottle. It lasted two months. So I bought an all purpose mid grade Home Depot one. It lasted two months. So I bought a professional, chemical cleared version from Tractor Supply. It lasted two months.

Maybe theres something in my well water that reacts with the star san.
 
The first I used was a repurposed glass cleaning bottle. It lasted two months. So I bought an all purpose mid grade Home Depot one. It lasted two months. So I bought a professional, chemical cleared version from Tractor Supply. It lasted two months.

Maybe theres something in my well water that reacts with the star san.

Who knows, but I have gotten years out of each one. In fact one that I only had water in it gave up sooner........
 
I have a couple Zep brand quart spray bottles from Home Despot. I've stored Starsan in these for 3 or 4 years and they still work fine.

+1
I had no idea various spray bottles caused trouble.
Like MaxStout, I use a Zep spray bottle which I've had for years, though I mix with RO water. Don't know if that makes a difference.
 
I had little or no problems with the bottles that I used for Starsan, but I have had a couple that I used for just water give up in as little as a couple of weeks... Go figure.
 
I have a couple Zep brand quart spray bottles from Home Despot. I've stored Starsan in these for 3 or 4 years and they still work fine.

Yup same here. I wonder if it has more to do with the RO water than the Starsan. Starsan really isn't that strong of an acid. Keeping mineral laden water from drying out in small diameter tubes will certainly extend the life.
 
Yup same here. I wonder if it has more to do with the RO water than the Starsan. Starsan really isn't that strong of an acid. Keeping mineral laden water from drying out in small diameter tubes will certainly extend the life.

That's probably it. I use RO for mixing Starsan, as my tap water is very hard. I use RO for making coffee too (fewer cleanings required).

The only time I've had trouble with spray bottles is when I used one for bleach solution. It corroded the metal springs in the sprayer after just a few months. But Starsan doesn't seem to affect them.
 
I can't manage to keep the spray bottle working when storing star san in it. After about a month or two, it gives out and won't spray. I've tried the cheap kind, the professional cleaning kind, they all work (or don't) the same.

I’ve heard others say the same.
I’ve had the same bottle for about 5 years so it’s not my experience but I suspect there are less chemically resistant bottles out there. Not sure how to tell though.

This is awesome. I wondered why the hell my 3yr old SatrSan spray bottle took pump after pump to finally work. I just figured it was brewing poltergeist. Bad karma from blending together a couple beers I didn't like and pawning it off on unsuspecting tennis buddies who clearly have no taste.
 
To change the subject slightly, are there any negative side affects or flavor issues with having something treated with starsan contacting the beer? I know that it sterilizes the tools we use so that no infections occur but can the starsan itself create issues in the beer or off flavors?
 
To change the subject slightly, are there any negative side affects or flavor issues with having something treated with starsan contacting the beer? I know that it sterilizes the tools we use so that no infections occur but can the starsan itself create issues in the beer or off flavors?
It's a no rinse sanitizer, it's meant to be good to go. The dilution factor is crazy anyway. In other words, it's fine.
 
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Agreed. A good healthy coating of bubbles is a fine sight.
And if you fill kegs by racking, the emerging star-san "noodle" is beautiful.
The amount of actual liquid is typically negligible, but in larger amounts only causes dilution of your beer.
 
Starsan is nor a sterilizer, it is a sanitizer. In proper concentration it is safe to drink. What is left on the surface is not enoutgh to do anything bad to your beer. People have sucked up a lot of Starsan into their beers and the only negative was that their beers were diluted.
 
Sorry... Don't mean to negatize (is that a word?) the thread, but there's many more important things to monitor in your system than the Ph of your star-san.
As IslandLizard says, if you don't contaminate it, the Ph isn't going anywhere and the product will function as intended. No test strips required.
This is why using RO or distilled water when mixing up the starsan allows the starsan to be effective much longer. I use $1 red spray bottles from valu.. been working fine for a few years now. starsan doesnt turn cloudy with the ro water either.
 
This is why using RO or distilled water when mixing up the starsan allows the starsan to be effective much longer.

I'm using distilled water for my Star San now for that reason. When my county changed to a new source for potable water, it started turning the Star San cloudy. There has been conflicting information from Five Star about tap water and cloudy Star San, so I ordered pH strips. I plan to go back to using tap water once I can be sure of the pH.
 
My water where I used to live would never turn the Starsan cloudy. Here it does. pH doesn't change though. I have used the strips and the pH never changes unless it gets diluted.
 
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