Setups to Make Sanitizing Less of a PITA

I have a 20 or 30 gallon clear/white Rubbermaid food grade “garbage can” on wheels that I keep filled with Star San, very handy, anything fits into it. I usually check the ph to make sure it’s still good. Also keep a spray bottle handy. Wish I had thought of the wall paper tray thing. If you brew in your garage and have one of those epoxy floor coatings, Star San seems to bleach it or break it down.

I recently just posted about this on reddit. Here’s some things I do to take the PITA out of brewing.

http://imgur.com/a/ROues

Long story short I use a large rubbermaid tub filled about half way up with water + sanitizer.

Another reason to use a bucket fermenter. Fill the bucket with starsan solution all you equipment goes in even the long stuff the lid also. After the chill dump the starssan into another bucket. And pour your wort into your sanitized bucket cover and aerate , done. Cover your starsan for the next brew day.

As a follow up I’ve determined that one big thing I can do to make sanitation less of a pita is to create less things that need sanitation so I got a conical.

I keep an auxiliary gallon pitcher full of star San solution for smaller things like airlocks, tubing, oxygen stone, etc.

The conical still needs sanitized as well as everything else. But, you’ll LOVE your conical.

The conical still needs sanitized as well as everything else. But, you’ll LOVE your conical.[/quote]

Oh, I’ll be sanitizing… just one vessel vs two now.

Just adding a +1 that spray bottle of Star San is the way to go, easily my most used brew item. I still make up a few gallons of Star San solution for dumping stuff in during brew day but the spray bottle is great for smaller tasks.

How long does the starsan stay good?

I’d figure that I’d make the starsan in fermenting bucket, get everything set, pour into bottling bucket, pour wort into fermenting bucket. Once racked to secondary, pour starsan back into cleaned fermenting bucket for next batch, and repeat.

The description states that a StarSan solution is still considered “good” for sanitation purposes if the pH is at 3 or lower. It also states that it will remain effective for 3 to 4 weeks in a sealed container. Spray bottles are great for small tasks, and the bottling bucket is good for brew/transfer day.

I probably wouldn’t use it much past a few weeks, but that’s just me. I don’t really brew often enough at this point to keep a bucket full on hand, so I just make the solution when I brew. I fill my bucket, dump the sanitizer in, then put my equipment in it. I’ll take a measuring cup and fill it a little for some of the smaller parts I want to reach easier. I’ll use the valve and tubing to push some (not all) to the carboy, swish it around and get a good foam going then dump the rest and cover the carboy opening. I’ve never had any infections. This doesn’t really make having a bucket as a fermenter any better than a carboy for me, since I just dump the solution after I’m done (either two buckets or a carboy and a bucket, no difference). Starsan is not expensive at all so it’s not really an issue for me personally to just toss it. For smaller tasks I have my spray bottle ready and I replace the solution every couple of weeks.

How long does the starsan stay good?

I’d figure that I’d make the starsan in fermenting bucket, get everything set, pour into bottling bucket, pour wort into fermenting bucket. Once racked to secondary, pour starsan back into cleaned fermenting bucket for next batch, and repeat.[/quote]
As Templar said, the pH has to be below 3. I always keep a capped jug of Star San around, and dip things in as I need something sanitized. I’ve gone as long as a couple months using the same batch. Eventually, I notice some lint or something fell in there, or it is starting to get cloudy, or the level is low enough that dipping can be a pain. Then I’ll make up a new batch.