National Homebrew Club Ireland

Brewing Discussions => All Grain Brewing => Topic started by: delzep on February 10, 2014, 02:34:56 PM

Title: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: delzep on February 10, 2014, 02:34:56 PM
(http://imgur.com/DRjAaVrl.jpg)

First time using it to sanitise some bottles. Shouldit look like  this? I used 1.6ml in 1 litre of deionised water
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: delzep on February 10, 2014, 02:42:35 PM
Just to clarify, it's foamy cos I've sanitised some bottles already. It wasn't like that before I started
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: donnchadhc on February 10, 2014, 02:49:41 PM
That's exactly what it should look like. Don't fear the foam!!!!
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: Dunkel on February 10, 2014, 03:01:12 PM
Yep, that's fine. The idea of the foam is that it keeps the sanitized surfaces wet for longer, so no nasties can cause any trouble.
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: delzep on February 10, 2014, 03:07:01 PM
Nice one lads.

Can I pour that back into my spray bottle? The bottles were washed out before sanitising so  there's no gank in the starsan
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: delzep on February 10, 2014, 04:21:26 PM
Sweet, although one bottle of Starsan makes up 377 litres of solution so I don't need to scrimp too much
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: sub82 on February 10, 2014, 04:57:07 PM
Quote from: Tube's Beer Kit on February 10, 2014, 03:51:50 PM
You can.

As long as you keep your starsan solution clean you can keep using it. e.g. I pour into a keg and then back into the bottle. Or into the bucket and then back into the bottle and so on.

How long can you do that for?
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: JD on February 10, 2014, 05:09:30 PM
Starsan mixture is good until its pH rises above 3.0. Assuming you can't measure pH directly, this is when the mixture (deionised water and concentrated starsan) goes cloudy. If you mix it with tap water, the chances are it will be immediately cloudy so you're back with pH testing.

As to reusing Starsan mixtures, this is entirely feasible. I would suggest that you not mix the used mixture back into the unused mixture however. Keep the used stuff separate and reuse it until it becomes ineffective. Throwing it back into your good stuff will just shorten the useful lifetime of the good stuff.

I will usually use a mixture for no more than four brews before I dump it. That may change when I get my pH meter. ;)
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: Ciderhead on February 10, 2014, 05:14:51 PM
The stuff is so cheap you only need a drop per vessel, so I just use as required and chuck out instead of risking 5 hrs of brewing.
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: sub82 on February 10, 2014, 08:15:14 PM
Quote from: JD on February 10, 2014, 05:09:30 PM
I will usually use a mixture for no more than four brews before I dump it. That may change when I get my pH meter. ;)

Haha - get it on the shopping list!  ;)
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: sub82 on February 10, 2014, 08:15:54 PM
Quote from: Tube's Beer Kit on February 10, 2014, 05:22:52 PM
Quote from: sub82 on February 10, 2014, 04:57:07 PM
Quote from: Tube's Beer Kit on February 10, 2014, 03:51:50 PM
You can.

As long as you keep your starsan solution clean you can keep using it. e.g. I pour into a keg and then back into the bottle. Or into the bucket and then back into the bottle and so on.

How long can you do that for?

Starsan love you long time!

  ;D
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: brenmurph on February 10, 2014, 09:19:11 PM
Word I got from the Carbon Chemists was PH 2 or lower.
I use ph strips to check.

The carbon product I have produced is  ( 22 ml in 19 litre)  just over 1ml per litre
The issue arises as to its food safe status as a no-rinse sanitiser above the recomended dilution. Too much residue may or may not adversly affect beer so I wouldnt go with too heavy a concentration.

Does starsan give a recomended Ph?
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: ColinC on February 11, 2014, 09:12:30 PM
Quote from: donnchadhc on February 10, 2014, 02:49:41 PM
That's exactly what it should look like. Don't fear the foam!!!!
Ever fill a corney keg after being star saned? Foam snake!!  :o
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: donnchadhc on February 11, 2014, 09:29:19 PM
Only fill it a third and slosh?
Title: Re: Starsan question - should it look like this?
Post by: RichC on February 11, 2014, 09:31:37 PM
Quote from: brenmurph on February 10, 2014, 09:19:11 PM
Word I got from the Carbon Chemists was PH 2 or lower.
I use ph strips to check.

The carbon product I have produced is  ( 22 ml in 19 litre)  just over 1ml per litre
The issue arises as to its food safe status as a no-rinse sanitiser above the recomended dilution. Too much residue may or may not adversly affect beer so I wouldnt go with too heavy a concentration.

Does starsan give a recomended Ph?
Charley Talley said its good as no rinse and effective as long ad its pH is below 3. Also w.r.t it being cloudy, 5 star chemicals say use it once and dump it if cloudy but Ive measured the pH of cloudy stuff and the pH was well below 3

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