Stringy Slime in Starsan

[jimp2003]

Hi everyone.

Just before my last brewday I noticed that the starsan solution left over from the last brew (probably 6 weeks earlier) had stringy bits of translucent slime floating around in it. I dumped it and made up a new batch.

I use Tesco Ashbeck water to make the solution and keep it in the plastic bottle that the water comes in. Has anyone else come across this? Is it a problem? I did a quick search of the net could not find much out there.

I guess in future I will have to mix up what I need for each brew....

[FUBAR]

Are you using the star san on wet surfaces because I had that problem when using on wet surfaces,resolved it by cleaning the items and drying them thoroughly before using the star san.

[jimp2003]

Are you using the star san on wet surfaces because I had that problem when using on wet surfaces,resolved it by cleaning the items and drying them thoroughly before using the star san.

I have not noticed a problem with applying it to wet surfaces. The strings seem to form when the solution has been made up for a period of weeks and has been kept in the plastic water bottle.

I would be wary of using it on wet surfaces because the tap water here is very hard and the starsan might lose its acidity when mixed with the water on the equipment to be sanitised, unless I was using a lot of the solution that is.

[FUBAR]

Oh sorry I miss read your first post, I thought you meant it was going cloudy after using. Does seem rather odd then why its doing that, a dodgy batch of Ashbeck perhaps ?.

[jaroporter]

i do exactly the same as you with the ashbeck. had some kicking around quite a while that have had it poured out and back in again but i've not noticed anything i'd call 'slimy'. might be worth an email to five star, would have thought they'd be be able to come up with some science if you don't find an explanation online..?

[196osh]

It is the surfactant coming out of solution, not a problem at all. Just shake it up. The Phosphoric acid and surfactant are not bound to each other so therefore the surfactant can come out of solution.

[jimp2003]

It is the surfactant coming out of solution, not a problem at all. Just shake it up. The Phosphoric acid and surfactant are not bound to each other so therefore the surfactant can come out of solution.

That's good to hear.

Thanks 196osh!

[phatboytall]

I squirt 3ml of star san in 2litre bottles of Ashbeck regularly. never had any issues like you describe, even after a long time in the bottle it pours out like water and passes a ph test as being 3ph.

You do the same 3ml per 2litres?

[mabrungard]

It is the surfactant coming out of solution, not a problem at all. Just shake it up. The Phosphoric acid and surfactant are not bound to each other so therefore the surfactant can come out of solution.

Very interesting. I had not heard this before, but it makes some sense. Do you have a source for this information?

I'm curious if the interaction between the surfactant and hardness ions is what creates this 'slime'?

[Queequeg]

I have had a similar problem with saniclean by 5 star. At the end of the bottle the concentrate was full of slimy lumps, it was on bottling day so I didn't have much of a choice except to use it. Everything turned out o.k enough.