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Post #2 made 13 years ago
by Ralph
Yes, you can re- use Starsan, it become ineffective when its pH rises to a particular level, what that is I'm not sure but google could probably turn it up.

Keep an eye on cloudiness, its supposedly won't work once the solution goes cloudy, but mine is cloudy from the start and it works fine. I've got slightly alkaline tap water so I add some citric acid, I should probably start using lactic though.

It is important to remember that Starsan is only a sanitiser and not a cleanser, jrodie's on the right track with a container of it made up and ready for dunking your clean equipment into before use.
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Post #3 made 13 years ago
by EoinMag
Higher than pH 3 is no longer considered to be effective. Cloudiness can be a problem,but I've tested the pH when it's cloudy and once it's acidic enough I use it. That said the cloudiness is due to hard water, if it happens after the initial mixing I'd not let it concern me. It's all pH dependent, once the pH is within the right range it will kill bacteria and nasties. The cloudiness is generally a sign of adverse reaction of the acid with water hardness and minerals that makes it ineffective.

I have used it up to pH 3.4 (and it was cloudy, but not everyone has a pH metre) with no adverse effects as not much will live in a solution that acidic either, but I wouldn't keep it, when I wish to reuse it I buy deionised water and mix it with that.
http://beernvictuals.blogspot.com/ My blog, If you like what you read post a comment on the blog comments section thanks, BIAB post coming soon.

Post #4 made 13 years ago
by shibolet
and what about iodine?
Cube:
fermenter: Sourdough Spelt Ale, Classic Lambic, Oud Brune, Barrel Aged Belgian Dubbel
Kegs: Bob's Black IPA, Blanc Blond, Soda...
to be brewed:

Post #5 made 13 years ago
by jrodie
I just thought about it, and I keep a spray bottle of starsan around incase I want to do a quick sanitize for some reason like checking gravity. The solution has been in there for months now and I have not noticed any cloudiness so that should be ok, right?

Post #6 made 13 years ago
by EoinMag
jrodie wrote:I just thought about it, and I keep a spray bottle of starsan around incase I want to do a quick sanitize for some reason like checking gravity. The solution has been in there for months now and I have not noticed any cloudiness so that should be ok, right?

Yep you can keep it indefinitely once mixed.
Last edited by EoinMag on 07 Dec 2010, 03:59, edited 5 times in total.
http://beernvictuals.blogspot.com/ My blog, If you like what you read post a comment on the blog comments section thanks, BIAB post coming soon.

Post #7 made 13 years ago
by BobBrews
StarSan in a spray bottle is great to have around to spray your connections on your kegging set up. The foaming shows if and where you have a co2 leak?
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tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
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Post #8 made 13 years ago
by jrodie
if you are able to remove all visible material from your equipment with just water is it still necessary to use PBW to wash your equipment after use? That is assuming you are still sanitizing before use of course.

Also keep in mind my setup just includes some plastic fermenting buckets, glass carboys, and some clear plastic siphoning tubes.

Post #9 made 13 years ago
by EoinMag
I tend to wash and clean thoroughly first using VWP and a sponge a brush and a soak if necessary. Then I move on to my sanitation step, that said VWP is chlorine based so it would also do the job if I just wanted to go straight to rinsing and filling.
The star san serves two purposes in this case, removing the remnants of any chlorine that hasn't been rinsed off and also sanitation.
http://beernvictuals.blogspot.com/ My blog, If you like what you read post a comment on the blog comments section thanks, BIAB post coming soon.

Post #10 made 13 years ago
by Beer O'Clock
Starsan in a spray bottle is also perfect for spraying into bottles once you have rinsed the contents. Seal with a plastic stopper and it's then ready to be refilled at a later date. No more bottle cleaning sessions.
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Post #11 made 13 years ago
by maheel
i know starsan seems expensive but it's not really when you consider your other costs of the brew.

i am not sure i would risk $1 worth of starsan with $30+ (and a few hours time) each all grain brew by having 5L of starsan sitting around between brews and possibly not effectively sanitizing

i keep a spray bottle in the ferment fridge, but i replace it every time i brew (or weekly)

but each to their own thats only my opinon....

Post #12 made 13 years ago
by shibolet
i just ordered my first bottle of StarSan on line from the US.
32US$ (including shipping). not cheap at all. i will do my best to save and reuse it as long as possible.
Cube:
fermenter: Sourdough Spelt Ale, Classic Lambic, Oud Brune, Barrel Aged Belgian Dubbel
Kegs: Bob's Black IPA, Blanc Blond, Soda...
to be brewed:

Post #13 made 13 years ago
by stux
Biggest way to save when using starsan is to only make u 3L or so for a brew day

It foams so much that the 3L becomes 6L of sudsy foam which is plenty for inside cubes, fermenters etc.

I normally make up 3L, pour 1.5L into each of my cubes, shake shake, pour out the now 6L into a bucket, dump everything in that... and soak my end-of-boil equipment in that.

Also I up-end the cubes into the bucket to sanitzie the tops/threads/lids etc

Similar thing happens on fermentation days... just make up the 3L in the fermenter, shake shake, dump everything, airlocks/taps, etc into that...

I still use iodophor, but only when I'm making up santized water vessels, for instance, when sanitizing a keg I'm going to put water in to make sodawater... or when I don't want foam

at 3L a time, I have 200 doses of starsan ;)
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #14 made 13 years ago
by hashie
I wouldn't bother trying to re-use starsan either, you use such a small amount, it lasts for ages.

I make up 5 litres on kegging day. This sanitises my keg, bottles, all other equipment and the fermenter ready for the next brew.
5ml makes 5 litres, 1 litre of starsan is going to last more than a year, cheap as chips.
"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."

Post #15 made 12 years ago
by Silas
The "no rinse" delusion rate is max. 1.5-1.6ML/L for Star San. I'd recommend using de-ionised or distilled water if you are planning on keeping a spray bottle around for longer times.

Post #16 made 12 years ago
by stux
hashie wrote:I wouldn't bother trying to re-use starsan either, you use such a small amount, it lasts for ages.

I make up 5 litres on kegging day. This sanitises my keg, bottles, all other equipment and the fermenter ready for the next brew.
5ml makes 5 litres, 1 litre of starsan is going to last more than a year, cheap as chips.
Should actually be 7.5ml for 5L

I use 4.5ml for 3L
Last edited by stux on 09 May 2012, 13:07, edited 5 times in total.
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12
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