Storing Star San

[PearlJamNoCode]

Star San is kind of expensive and I know its reusable. I'm thinking that using the same 5 gal batch of it on brew day and then bottling 3 or 4 weeks later. During the interim would it be safe to store in a spare bottling bucket? Would that damage the plastic or effect its sanitizing effectiveness?

 

[Kevin Dean]

Star San is kind of expensive and I know its reusable.

These two statements are almost contradictory. A small bottle of Star San is the same price as a small bottle of One Step (for example) and lasts MUCH longer, especially if you save it.

I'm thinking that using the same 5 gal batch of it on brew day and then bottling 3 or 4 weeks later.

Let's assume for a moment the bottles are already extremely clean and that you've got some kind of bucket with a lid (bottling works!)... I see no reason you couldn't sanitize your bottles, your carboys, your spoons, hydrometer for a few batches.

I keep a 5 gallon bucket of Star-San solution (1 ounce to 5 gallons, 36 ounces to a $20 bottle...) ready at any given time with my funnel and carboy caps and airlocks floating around. I dump it after three batches (full process) simply for peace of mind.

During the interim would it be safe to store in a spare bottling bucket?

Assuming it's clean, yep!

Would that damage the plastic or effect its sanitizing effectiveness?

Star San is pretty safe for use on just about anything in a "normal" brewery. It won't damage plastics. On the flipside, any plastic that can harm Star San (dirty, has holes, scratches, is on fire) is probably not something you'd want contacting beer anyway. Star San can, over time, corrode metals when in prolonged contact.

Star San works because of it's acidity, as long as the pH stays below 3 it's effective.

 

[the_bird]

If you are going to store it for an extended period (especially in an open environment), drop the coin and get some cheap pH measuring strips, so that you can confirm whether it is still effective or not.

 

[PseudoChef]

First of all, depending on your brew-day techniques, you don't need 5 gallons. I made up a half-gallon in my carboy to be sanitized...sloshed it around a couple times during the chill, and then used the star san in there to sanitize my racking cane and tubing, which is all that basically needs to be santized on brew day (again, depending on your methods). I'll then just store this in a bucket for future use, monitoring the pH.

Also, it helps to make some up and put it in a spray bottle for weird shaped objects, or for your thief. Also, you can get a wallpaper glue-holder (long carton-shaped plastic) at HD or Lowes for your auto-siphon if you have one and racking cane.

 

[rod]

i make up 2 litres with distilled water and keep it in a glass jug.
i transfer some to a spray bottle as required. i spray the insides of my fermentation buckets twice and the inside and outside of my racking cane and tubing. pour a little in the glass carboys and swish it around.
on bottling day i put in in a pump type bottle sanitizer.
that 2 litres of star san gets me through 2 brewing days and two bottling days.

 

[conpewter]

I've had this idea as well but I want to test the PH to make sure it's still good. I listened to a "Brewcast" recently and they had the inventor of star-san on the show. He said that you should only put clean things in starsan (of course) but that it will last as long as the PH is below 3.5

Anyway, does anyone know where I'd get PH test strips?

 

[FSR402]

I've had this idea as well but I want to test the PH to make sure it's still good. I listened to a "Brewcast" recently and they had the inventor of star-san on the show. He said that you should only put clean things in starsan (of course) but that it will last as long as the PH is below 3.5

Anyway, does anyone know where I'd get PH test strips?

Google is your friend

test strips

 

[CatchinZs]

You can get them here as well.

http://www.sciplus.com/index.cfm

Minimum of a $10 order but they have some cool stuff on there website, geeky but cool.

 

[rabidgerbil]

I am to the point where I am using my brew house cleaners on the rest of the house also. Why buy 114 ounces of Lysol Disinfectant Spray for $20, when the same $20, when spent on Star San, will produce 20,480 ounces of spray disinfectant??? I have also been purchasing the 11 pound box of Oxiclean at Sams Club, and I throw some in the wash, or where ever else it comes in handy.

 

[SuperiorBrew]

I keep mine in a 3 gal corny more as a convenience than a cost savings, Starsan is dirt cheap already. I usually use it before the ph drops enough to worry.

Universal PH test strips @ Northern Brewer for $2.25
100 strips per vial. Available in a beer range (4.6 to 6.2), a wine range (2.8 to 4.4), and a universal range (2.0 to 10.0).

 

[Got Trub?]

I make up 5g at a time in a used bottling bucket. It lasts months. As long as it is clear, not cloudy, the pH and effectiveness are fine. As mentioned above it must be a clean container. The other variable is your water. If it pushes the pH up it will turn cloudy and become ineffective.

GT