Acid based sanitiser in hard water with CRS?

[DerbyshireNick]

Could one use CRS to make hard water acceptable for use with an acid based sanitiser?

I will experiment when my CRS turns up tomorrow, in the meantime. Thoughts? the theory in my mind says yes but then I am no chemist.

[Goulders]

Why? Just use Ashbeck or similar, unless you can measure the PH accurately of your tap water.

[DerbyshireNick]

Or just keep filling up my no chill cube with soft water from work... Just in case I am caught short I am exploring the tools at my disposal. Treating a bit of water is quicker and easier then going to asda (maybe I live in the middle of nowhere... I kind of do)

[MTW]

If I understand the chemistry well enough, altering the alkalinity of the water with CRS isn't going to improve anything. You could just add more acid sanitiser, which is doing the same thing! The issue is the wider mineral composition of the water. Views vary on whether it matters if the solution is cloudy, as long as the pH is around 3.

Check out this interview with the maker of Star San (if Star San is relevant to you) and decide: http://ec.libsyn.com/p/3/9/0/390da96899 ... id=1452161

[Wonkydonkey]

Could one use CRS to make hard water acceptable for use with an acid based sanitiser?

I will experiment when my CRS turns up tomorrow, in the meantime. Thoughts? the theory in my mind says yes but then I am no chemist.

My answer is no, not that I really understand fully. But if you want low mineral water, ie rain water, distilled , even water from a dehumidifier which is really water that was once evaporated and then condensed again.)

So to put anything in is not what you want to do IMHO Because some things will be precipitated out ( turn into a solid). But that may only happen if you were to boil it after.

Much easier to get low/no mineral water (RO water from your local fish shop that has marine fish, apparently. A shop in hove/portslade £3 for 25lt but i'm sure that's bring you own container.

Edit, not that your anywhere near hove, ring a few local shops, and there's those pole window cleaners, they use RO water. You get streaky windows from chalky water.

[DerbyshireNick]

My answer is no, not that I really understand fully. But if you want low mineral water, ie rain water, distilled , even water from a dehumidifier which is really water that was once evaporated and then condensed again.)

Ingenious, you have me there. Water from a dehumidifier is something I have plenty of access to! I always want to drink it because it looks so good but now I have a use!

[Wonkydonkey]

Yeh, not my idea, water from a dehumidifier, someone else on here uses it,

But when you think about it, it's the same as distilled water but maybe a bit of dust mixed in it.

I use rain water collected in a water butt, maybe some crap in it, but no chalk,

[BenB]

Our water has a fairly stable alkalinity of 220 and using a standard starsan concentration I get a very stable pH of 2.6-2.7 so personally I wouldn't worry. Some of the detergent actions of the starsan might be reduced (hence clouding of the solution) but I still get lots of foam!
I'd be careful using water from a dehumidifer. I know it's being made into a very acidic solution but it's traditionally full of bugs- nice breeding ground for Aspergillus Niger amongst others. Distilled water made by heating is different- the tubes get blasted by boiling steam and therefore they're sterile. Dehumidifiers working by cooling moist air and collecting the condensate and do not have that sterilising action.

[Jocky]

Yeh, not my idea, water from a dehumidifier, someone else on here uses it,

But when you think about it, it's the same as distilled water but maybe a bit of dust mixed in it.

I use rain water collected in a water butt, maybe some crap in it, but no chalk,

I started off using water from a dehumidifier, and it was great... until the dehumidifier started growing black mould in the water collection tray from the room the dehumidifier was bought to help resolve. I fixed the mould problem in the room, but considering all the other crap potentially in there I think I'll just buy some water from a supermarket.