Star san

+1 what Denny said.

John

I’ve never tried to keep mine for a couple of years, but it should be good as long as the ph is below 3. I typically replace mine every 2-3 months.

So is there a way to test it to see if its good?

Get some pH strips. If the pH is below 3, then it’s OK.

Thanks

Curious about star san. I’ve never used it. Wached a you tube video on harvesting yeast. The guy was spraying star san every where including the lids for the mason jars. Some of the stuff had to be getting into the yeast he decanted into the jars. So, I’m just asking - star san disenfects without harming the yeast? That’s awesome, but just wanted to verify.

Thanks,

Kinda thought the same thing about it not killing the yeast

Kinda thought the same thing about it not killing the yeast

[quote=“joe-ada”]Curious about star san. I’ve never used it. Wached a you tube video on harvesting yeast. The guy was spraying star san every where including the lids for the mason jars. Some of the stuff had to be getting into the yeast he decanted into the jars. So, I’m just asking - star san disenfects without harming the yeast? That’s awesome, but just wanted to verify.

Thanks,[/quote]

The StarSan is diluted to the point where it is no longer effective as a bactericide or a fungicide; this happens because the pH rises as you dilute the active ingredients (phosphoric acid) beyond the 300ppm threshold for efficacy.

Some cells may be killed, but not so many as to kill off all of our yeast friends. This is where the “don’t fear the foam” one-liner comes from, because the volume of foam represents a very small amount of actual sanitizer, and once diluted, has a negligible to zero impact on the taste, fermentation, and health of your beer. I read somewhere that the phosphorus from the dilute acid can actually act as a yeast nutrient… but I don’t think that it would make a material difference.

Cheers.

Mine lasts a long time as Ph tests prove, but I throw it out if I don’t use it all. It’s cheap.

StarSan costs about 12 cents a prepared gallon or less, so no reason to keep it, and no reason to make more than a gallon. All you need to have is a wet surface, not a deep soak, so a spray bottle full is about all anyone needs most of the time. Just because the ratio stated is one ounce of concentrate to 5 gallons, doesn’t mean you need to make 5 gallons each time :slight_smile:

Like Dean mentioned, I make 1 gallon at a time. 1oz = 29.5ml. I use 6ml to the gallon, using a small syringe from when the cat was sick.

Keep the starsan around for a month or two. Then make a new batch. Also keep a spray bottle around for general kitchen sanitation after dinner.

If you have a newborn and your wife breast feeds… there is nothing better than a 2:45am spray of StarSan to disinfect what your wife is pumping into the various bottles she uses. Given how little intelligence you have, StarSan becomes this magical gift that you will worship forever.

Cheers.

Thanks for the replies. I’ve always used iodophor for sanitizing carboys, buckets and equipment. The star-san in a spray bottle looked very easy to use for the harvesting yeast process (transferring to mason jars, etc). Ain’t You Tube won 'erful?

My next two projects include better understanding my water and harvesting my yeast.

I’ve been wondering lately, after a few uses my starsan will pick up little particles and floaties. I’m wondering if this is cause for concern, perhaps leading to pedio infection.
Any thoughts?

[quote=“Beersk”]I’ve been wondering lately, after a few uses my starsan will pick up little particles and floaties. I’m wondering if this is cause for concern, perhaps leading to pedio infection.
Any thoughts?[/quote]

I dunno about pedio, but I don’t think I’d reuse SS that had stuff floating in it.

[quote=“Beersk”]I’ve been wondering lately, after a few uses my starsan will pick up little particles and floaties. I’m wondering if this is cause for concern, perhaps leading to pedio infection.
Any thoughts?[/quote]

At about 12 cents gallon for StarSan it doesn’t pay to find out.

Toss it!

[quote=“Denny”][quote=“Beersk”]I’ve been wondering lately, after a few uses my starsan will pick up little particles and floaties. I’m wondering if this is cause for concern, perhaps leading to pedio infection.
Any thoughts?[/quote]

I dunno about pedio, but I don’t think I’d reuse SS that had stuff floating in it.[/quote]

+2. There was a 2007 study that indicated that certain Pedio’s had survived at pH’s well below 3 (in gastric acid); I wouldn’t tempt fate.

Cheers.

Every once in awhile, I rack my Star San off to another bucket. Leave the last inch behind and discard. That takes care of the little bits of stuff that accumulate; I find they settle to the bottom.

Good call, fellas. I don’t think I’ll be reusing it anymore. No big deal for me.

Back when I lived in the states, I made Star San fresh every use. Over here, it’s hard to get so generally try to make it last, which generally means 2-4 months between new batches. I’ve also found that dust and bits of stuff can accumulate in the bottom of the jug, so I’ll also decant off and toss the floaties. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but no infections to date and I’ve been using this system for 4 years now.