Cloudy starsan

[Kev R]

Hi,
I have read that cloudy starsan is past it's use by. My solution goes cloudy as soon as it's mixed, read that it's not a problem as long as ph is less than 3. Is it possible it's a water problem is distilled water an option worth the cost.
kev

 

[manticle]

pH is much more important than appearance.
I mix up 500mL of dilute solution at a time, gets used up pretty quickly.

 

[AJS2154]

Mine goes cloudy very quickly too. Kev. I am in Sydney.

Assuming it goes cloudy immediately and you mix it according to instructions then it will be fine. Check the pH on it. Less than 3 is OK.

I mix up 20 litres and put it in a corny keg. Put a small amout of CO2 in there (to push it out) it and dispense some when you need it. I don't recycle it much, but it lasts for a very long time for me.

Simple, cheap and easy. See you, Anthony

 

[Grott]

Adelaide water turns starsan cloudy straight away, if you want clear use the Diggers mineral water, 4 litres for $3.12 at Coles.
To test pH got some litmus paper ( 80 stripes for $1 from eBay) and has a reference colour code for ease of checking.
Cheers

 

[Bendymann]

For all those wondering, today I did a side by side with Star-san.
I mixed as per instructions on the bottle. The beaker on the left has RO water, the beaker on the right has Brisbane (South West) tap water. The photo was taken 10min after mixing. As you can see the Tap water has clouded, and significantly increased pH. Showing the Tap water mix was useless after as little as 10min.

Update: In addition to my findings above, within an hour of mixing, the Tap water mix was so cloudy you couldn't see though it.

My intention is not to trash "Star-San", I myself like and use the product. But this may help those who seem to be having infection issues after following a good cleaning regime and don't necessarily have the tools on hand to do their own checks and tests.

 

[fungrel]

Adelaide water turns starsan cloudy straight away, if you want clear use the Diggers mineral water, 4 litres for $3.12 at Coles.
To test pH got some litmus paper ( 80 stripes for $1 from eBay) and has a reference colour code for ease of checking.
Cheers

Coles sell demineralised water for 4c more, would be better for mixing.

 

[Ben Davies]

For all those wondering, today I did a side by side with Starsan.
I mixed as per instructions on the bottle. The beaker on the left has RO water, the beaker on thr right has Brisbane tap water. The photo was taken 10min after mixing. As you can see the Tap water has clouded, and significantly increased pH. Showing the Starsan is useless after as little as 10min in Brisbane tap water.

Well ill be buggered thats crazy! I was buying demineralised water for mixing up phosphoric acid but have just used filtered water lately this test shows ill have to rethink me sanitizer use.

 

[Black Devil Dog]

Those strips are about as reliable as dipping your finger in to test the pH.
You should buy a decent pH metre.

I use cooled, boiled water for my Starsan, it turns cloudy very soon after mixing and the pH is always around 2.6, which is under the pH of 3, as recommended by Five Star to be effective.
The pH stays at that level for months.


Below is a copy and paste from Five Star Chemicals product tech sheet for Starsan.

Homebrew use: Thoroughly wash all surfaces with detergent or a compatible cleaner, followed by a potable water rinse before application of sanitizing solution. Prepare a use solution of 1 oz. of Star San per 5 gallons of tap water. Apply on surfaces with a cloth mop, sponge, spray or by a 5 minute immersion. For spray applications, use a course mist, with pump or trigger spray. Spray 6 to 8 inches from surface; rub with a brush, cloth or sponge. With spray, cover or remove all food products. For all applications, allow to air dry, however surfaces must remain wet for at least one minute.


In my opinion the often repeated mantra about using distilled water is safe to ignore.

 

[Bendymann]

Those strips are about as reliable as dipping your finger in to test the pH.
You should buy a decent pH metre.

I use cooled, boiled water for my Starsan, it turns cloudy very soon after mixing and the pH is always around 2.6, which is under the pH of 3, as recommended by Five Star to be effective.
The pH stays at that level for months.


Below is a copy and paste from Five Star Chemicals product tech sheet for Starsan.

Homebrew use: Thoroughly wash all surfaces with detergent or a compatible cleaner, followed by a potable water rinse before application of sanitizing solution. Prepare a use solution of 1 oz. of Star San per 5 gallons of tap water. Apply on surfaces with a cloth mop, sponge, spray or by a 5 minute immersion. For spray applications, use a course mist, with pump or trigger spray. Spray 6 to 8 inches from surface; rub with a brush, cloth or sponge. With spray, cover or remove all food products. For all applications, allow to air dry, however surfaces must remain wet for at least one minute.


In my opinion the often repeated mantra about using distilled water is safe to ignore.

I did use a pH meter, but I only have one. So I can't show you two readings at once. It reflects the findings of the strips. You can take or leave the information provided. But a lot of people seem to argue this point, I'd say thay this proves it... Your call my friend.

But it is a fact that municipal water supplies have a very high buffering capability. So it only stands to reason that if you add an acid, it will be buffed out by the water additives.

I'm not here to start an argument but I'd say the results speak for themselves.

 

[Black Devil Dog]

I don't use Brisbane tap water, but I'd be very surprised if it renders the Starsan useless, as your experiment 'proves'.

 

[Bendymann]

Not arguing with you...

 

[Smokomark]

I use straight Brisbane water ( Redlands) I keep a corny full of starsan mix and push this thru all my kegs after washing prior to use. I change it every 3-6 months or so. Never had the pH drop below 3 even though it's cloudy as soon as I mix it.

 

[Bendymann]

I use straight Brisbane water ( Redlands) I keep a corny full of starsan mix and push this thru all my kegs after washing prior to use. I change it every 3-6 months or so. Never had the pH drop below 3 even though it's cloudy as soon as I mix it.

If you are in Redlands You are not using Brisbane water. Your water comes form a completely different dam, and Municipal Processing plant. That's why Redlands don't follow Brisbane water restrictions... You guys are lucky .