Starsan

[fishplate]

How many times can you use the same batch of starsan for sterilisation

[Beer O'Clock]

I don't know the reason but my rule-of-thumb is - until it goes cloudy. It's something to do with pH.

[fishplate]

Cheers,think I'll be trying Starsan soon as it becomes available.

[mickhew]

Why not just use fresh starsan every time? It goes so far there's no need to reuse it. 1.6ml of it for a litre of water. I bought 750 ml bottle over a year ago and still have over half a bottle left. Stop being tight

[mickhew]

I would offier to send you some to try, but the last person I did this to, promised to send me a cheque for the postage (which was peanuts) and never did, I lost all faith in humans then! Oh sod it, p.m me, and we'll sort something out. I've got some medical sample bottles from the hospital. I'll fill one up for you. About 50 ml, enough for a ton of sanitising mox.

[Gawk]

Star San goes an awful long way but it is incredibly useful to be able to make up a batch to keep around in between brew days.

What I do is buy 4 2litre bottles of Ashbeck still water from Tesco, put 3 litres into a bowl and add 5ml or Star San, stir well and put back into the bottles, repeat again and you end up with 6 litres of Star San solution, drink the water you don't use! 6 litres could be overkill as it will last you a long time!

The solution is perfect for soaking stuff and great in a spray bottle and you can spray everything like mad when you take a hydrometer reading / pull the lid off/ replace an airlock / dry hop / barrels / bottles / bottle caps / siphon - you get the idea.

If the solution stays clear it is good to use, you can always test it with some litmus paper, you want the paper to go red to show low Ph.

[hotmog]

I make up a 500ml solution (0.8ml StarSan) in a spray bottle as required, then repeat when empty. I collect what is effectively distilled water from the dehumidifier in our kitchen. The supply well exceeds demand - I currently have over 10 ltrs of such water stored in PET bottles. Certainly no need to buy bottled spring water.

[Skittlebrau]

So 0.8ml per 500ml is a no-rinse strength?

[Beer O'Clock]

I make up a 500ml solution (0.8ml StarSan) in a spray bottle as required, then repeat when empty. I collect what is effectively distilled water from the dehumidifier in our kitchen. The supply well exceeds demand - I currently have over 10 ltrs of such water stored in PET bottles. Certainly no need to buy bottled spring water.

So 0.8ml per 500ml is a no-rinse strength?

That's a very low concentration. It should be around 2.5ml per 1 litre. Any more or less than that and it's not only a waste but the effectiveness is compromised.







<edit> reread earlier posts.

[fishplate]

Cheers for the offer mickhew just managed to order some

[hotmog]

I make up a 500ml solution (0.8ml StarSan) in a spray bottle as required, then repeat when empty. I collect what is effectively distilled water from the dehumidifier in our kitchen. The supply well exceeds demand - I currently have over 10 ltrs of such water stored in PET bottles. Certainly no need to buy bottled spring water.

So 0.8ml per 500ml is a no-rinse strength?

That's a very low concentration. It should be around 2.5ml per 1 litre. Any more or less than that and it's not only a waste but the effectiveness is compromised.





<edit> reread earlier posts.

The recommended no-rinse dilution rate, according to the instructions on the bottle, is 1oz (30ml) Star San to 5 (US) gallons of water.

5 US gallons = 18.9270589 litres, so that's 30ml of Star San to 18.9270589 litres of water.

To make up a 1 litre batch therefore requires 30/18.9270589 = 1.585ml Star San. May as well call that 1.6ml.

So both I and Skittlebrau are correct: 0.8ml Star San per 500ml water is indeed the recommended no-rinse strength.

[AceMcAce]

I don't know the reason but my rule-of-thumb is - until it goes cloudy. It's something to do with pH.

No offense to Beer O'Clock here, as I have heard many people say that when StarSan goes cloudy it's off but......

that's a crock.

Time it takes for StarSan to go cloudy when added to my tap water - about 1 minute.
Will I still use it? - Yes. I have some PH strips, and as long as it reads 3 or below, i'll keep on using it. Been using the same 19L of StarSan for about 4 batches (4 weeks) now, still fine, no infections.

I was advised that it was my tap water causing it to go cloudy, tried it with bottled water, same results.

Think of it like beer. If it's cloudy, are you still going to drink it?

I know my answer to that. I never pour beer away because of the way it looks.

[alix101]

There is a good sticky from jim with the inverter of starrsan I think as long as the ph is 3.5 or lower your ok.it maters not if its cloudy it's the ph that counts

[Beer O'Clock]

I don't know the reason but my rule-of-thumb is - until it goes cloudy. It's something to do with pH.

No offense to Beer O'Clock here, as I have heard many people say that when StarSan goes cloudy it's off but......

that's a crock.

Time it takes for StarSan to go cloudy when added to my tap water - about 1 minute.
Will I still use it? - Yes. I have some PH strips, and as long as it reads 3 or below, i'll keep on using it. Been using the same 19L of StarSan for about 4 batches (4 weeks) now, still fine, no infections.

I was advised that it was my tap water causing it to go cloudy, tried it with bottled water, same results.

Think of it like beer. If it's cloudy, are you still going to drink it?

I know my answer to that. I never pour beer away because of the way it looks.

Yeah, all very interesting but as I said "it's MY rule of thumb". It works that way for me and my equipment.

[Beer O'Clock]

I make up a 500ml solution (0.8ml StarSan) in a spray bottle as required, then repeat when empty. I collect what is effectively distilled water from the dehumidifier in our kitchen. The supply well exceeds demand - I currently have over 10 ltrs of such water stored in PET bottles. Certainly no need to buy bottled spring water.

So 0.8ml per 500ml is a no-rinse strength?

That's a very low concentration. It should be around 2.5ml per 1 litre. Any more or less than that and it's not only a waste but the effectiveness is compromised.





<edit> reread earlier posts.

The recommended no-rinse dilution rate, according to the instructions on the bottle, is 1oz (30ml) Star San to 5 (US) gallons of water.

5 US gallons = 18.9270589 litres, so that's 30ml of Star San to 18.9270589 litres of water.

To make up a 1 litre batch therefore requires 30/18.9270589 = 1.585ml Star San. May as well call that 1.6ml.

So both I and Skittlebrau are correct: 0.8ml Star San per 500ml water is indeed the recommended no-rinse strength.

I stand corrected.