STAR SAN!

[jkhlt1210]

G'day guys just waiting on the arrival in my post for the famous Star San!! Never used it before but have read up heaps on it and how good it is . Do tell me for long use is it best with distilled water? I hear one mix lasts months in a sealed container and it is something like two minutes contact time. Thinking of filling a spare fermenter with a mix. Any further advice is much appreciated

 

[Toper]

Just make up a 2 litre PET bottle of starsan and use it in a 500ml spray bottle as needed,forget the fermenter thing.

 

[Cube]

Mix 5 litres up in a sealable bucket. Use that for fermenters, kegs etc. Just shake it in the keg and roll it around for good contact. Store in sealable container for months ( diluted mix not concentrate, that lasts for ever ).

A rule of thumb, and from mr starsan himself, is if the ph is good, and when you shake the container with diluted starsan in it, it foams up, it's good to go.

Put some in a pump bottle for fermenter taps, font taps and so on.

If filling a keg with beer and starsan foam comes out, don't worry it's ok.

 

[beerbog]

1 Litre in a spray bottle, 1.5ml/litre. Works a treat on brew day - on cubes, also on fermenting day sanitising fermentor/tap/etc. :beerbang:

 

[Black Devil Dog]

Wouldn't fill a spare fermenter with one, I believe once diluted it has a limited shelf life unless refrigerated.

I keep a 500ml spray bottle of diluted starsan in my fridge and give whatever needs it a good spray.

On brew day, I mix up a litre in a plastic jug and that gets used on just about everthing.

I also use cooled boiled water, to make up my mix.

 

[Camo6]

My method is to keep a 1l spray bottle like gibbo1. Use this liberally on everything. For sanitising fermentors etc. on brewday I usually mix up 3ml in 2l and slosh it around. This gets poured into a 2l bottle and reused here and there. You won't need to soak everything in Starsan, a surface coating on a clean surface is just as effective IMO.


Edit: I've been using Starsan for probably 2 1/2 years and only ever bought 2 8oz bottles. Cheapest sanitiser ever.

 

[slcmorro]

I use regular old tap water, and a 30L square plastic container filled with 10L of solution - the type with wheels and a snap lock lid from Bunnings for like $10. I used to keep some made up in 3L juice bottles too, just as good and of course I have a 1L sprayer made up at all times.

I may be not exercising best practice, but I literally pour a couple of litres into a clean FV to sanitise it, and then dump it back into the bigger batch.
No 2 min contact times here, just a good covering of all surfaces with liquid and foam and jobs done.

 

[GalBrew]

If the pH remains below 3.5 it is still fine for sanitising. According to the guys from five star the working solution sanitises in around 30 seconds, but are required by law to state a longer sanitation time on the bottle*

*BN Session podcast with five star guests.

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

I just make it up as I need it, but also keep a small sprayer full just in case. I generally go the 30 second rule for taps etc.

 

[jkhlt1210]

Awesome! Bloody hell this stuff sounds good!

 

[slcmorro]

Love the enthusiasm mate haha!

 

[sp0rk]

I use the keg king version, but from what i hear it's very similar
I use it liberally on everything that could need it, brew gear,deli slicer, yoghurt maker,sausage stuffer/mincer, etc...
Great stuff!

 

[Yob]

I mix 20l at a time and take it out as I need it.. Melbourne water is perfect for it, never gone cloudy on me yet.

 

[Edak]

I agree with yob, tap water is fine here in Melbourne. Never had clouds and I always have plenty mixed up. My biggest problem was that the lid from the bottle died on day 2 and now it's taped up with duct tape.

 

[Cube]

My lid cracked as well very early into getting it. Store it in some tupparware for protection as they are brittle.

 

[Rodolphe01]

I agree with yob, tap water is fine here in Melbourne. Never had clouds and I always have plenty mixed up. My biggest problem was that the lid from the bottle died on day 2 and now it's taped up with duct tape.

I'm pretty sure a regular soft drink bottle lid fits just fine.

 

[Bribie G]

I agree with yob, tap water is fine here in Melbourne. Never had clouds and I always have plenty mixed up. My biggest problem was that the lid from the bottle died on day 2 and now it's taped up with duct tape.

The lid of any PET bottle will fit.

 

[Wimmig]

Depends on what you want to do with it. I've only used starsan for home enviroments, and I'd never use anything else.

First and foremost, the lids on the bottles fail quickly. I think this is due to the plastic itself used for the lids. Either way, I replace mine with caps from coke bottles immediately on reception. Never had a problem with those. I've never used starsan after it's been mixed for the immediate purpose (never kept longer than 24 hours). It's cheap to use, and I've no intention of saving cents when hours are already invested.

My mix is 1/4 fluid ounce (rear of grav measure on bottle) per 5L of tap water. Used as contact steri on surface after 5mins of mix time. I run this 5L mix through the entire brew day from BM prep to cube & ferm. Been doing so for 11 years without issue, never an infection. Of course my experience is purely my experience. While well aware you can keep the solution as long as it within X pH, though on a small scale (i.e. personal or household) operation I don't find it needed, I'd rather order more from time to time.

 

[manticle]

I mix 500mL at a time, use and reuse in situ only.
Lids have always been fine for me.

 

[wbosher]

I make up 2L at a time with 3ml of starsan. I put about 1L in my spray bottle and slosh the rest around in my fermenter. Once everything is sanitised I put it into a 2L container for next time. I usually use the same 2L maybe 3 or 4 times then get a fresh lot.

Been using the same bottle of starsan for over a year and not even half way through yet.