Starsan question

[Siwash]

Hey folks,

Just recently started using it. First go at it I filled a gallon with the proper ratio of SS and water. After washing stuff, I threw it out. Thought it was wasteful. Got me thinking about pre-mixing into gallons and using it more sparingly. Is it stable (once -er-mixed with h2o) in a gallon if kept in a dark cool room?

 

[distancerunner]

In my experience, if kept in an air tight container it will last at least a month.

Some folks will say longer. Some will say less

 

[Bmd2k1]

Hey folks,

Just recently started using it. First go at it I filled a gallon with the proper ratio of SS and water. After washing stuff, I threw it out. Thought it was wasteful. Got me thinking about pre-mixing into gallons and using it more sparingly. Is it stable (once -er-mixed with h2o) in a gallon if kept in a dark cool room?

I keep a 5gal bucket if it that I use for All my sanitizing. As level drops...I add more distilled h20 & SS.

 

[Siwash]

do you folks pre-rinse your items to be washed before starsan application?

Have to admit my urge was to rinse again after washing my stuff... I felt like was was washing the dishes and not rinsing off the soapy suds!

 

[winemaker81]

Others have posted that if the pH of the solution is below a certain level, it's still good. I can't recall the value, so you'll need to search on it.

DO NOT rinse after using Star San or K-meta solution -- you just un-did what you were attempting.

My process is to immediately clean all equipment when done -- I don't let it set. Cleaning sooner gets residue off. There is no value in treating with Star San or K-meta at this point.

Before the next use I may rinse the equipment (depends on conditions and duration since last use), then I pour K-meta or Star San into containers and over small items, the latter into a 2 gallon food-grade bucket. As long as the solution is clear (both types) I pour it back into the gallon jug for re-use.

Some solution is lost with usage -- when the jug gets down to half, I replace it. This typically takes 6 months so I'm likely re-using for that period, maybe shorter or longer.

 

[Jim Welch]

If it is clear and the ph is 3.00 or less it is good! I mix it with distilled water only and it stays good for months, even years.

 

[David Violante]

I like to clean and rinse everything off when finished with it and then store clean.

Before use of equipment, I use a spray bottle of starsan to wet it. Seems to work pretty well and I don’t have a lot of waste. I just make new when the spray bottle gets low. If I’m sanitizing a few things at once, I’ll combine items being sprayed (hydrometer in a cylinder or I’ll empty the excess of one bottle into the next…). If it’s foaming it’s working…

I’ll also sometimes rinse bottled I’ve just sanitized by using starsan, with a kmeta solution just to get the foaminess off. That’s only when I’m just sanitizing bottles to use immediately because I don’t have any done. Not all the time though. Seems like it’s a decision in the moment. I can’t even tell you what goes through my mind in the decision making process. It is clean and sanitized though.

 

[wineview]

do you folks pre-rinse your items to be washed before starsan application?

Have to admit my urge was to rinse again after washing my stuff... I felt like was was washing the dishes and not rinsing off the soapy suds!

Don’t let the suds fool you. They will disappear. I make star San by the gallon and keep some in a spray bottle. I check the PH level if it’s been a month or so. If PH is below 3.0 it is still viable.

 

[wineview]

If it is clear and the ph is 3.00 or less it is good! I mix it with distilled water only and it stays good for months, even years.

Yea I use distilled water as well.

 

[wood1954]

I checked my spray bottle and it was at ph 6.0, the solution was about three months old. Made a new batch and it is at ph 2.3. I never thought to check ph, I will from now on.

 

[Siwash]

Do find the spray bottle is adequate at disinfecting most equipment?

 

[Siwash]

Also, are you all following the warning/precautions? I was surprised about how strict the handling of this stuff is. I moved away from k-meta as a cleaner as it was really irritating me. I would cough and really feel it in my lungs. Seems like starsan is pretty toxic too...

 

[VinesnBines]

Also, are you all following the warning/precautions? I was surprised about how strict the handling of this stuff is. I moved away from k-meta as a cleaner as it was really irritating me. I would cough and really feel it in my lungs. Seems like starsan is pretty toxic too...

Star San doesn't have any fumes. Since it is no rinse, what makes you think it is toxic?

 

[winemaker81]

Also, are you all following the warning/precautions? I was surprised about how strict the handling of this stuff is. I moved away from k-meta as a cleaner as it was really irritating me. I would cough and really feel it in my lungs. Seems like starsan is pretty toxic too...

Every cleaning and/or sanitizing product is probably dangerous in some way. Treat them with care.

I run a fan while working on wines, and while I do it primarily because of K-meta, it's probably a good idea for all chemicals and additives. If you get anything on your skin, treat it as harmful and rinse as soon as feasible. Wear glasses or safety glasses to protect your eyes.

I admit I got blase about a lot of this, but some years back my sons (chemical/civil and paper science engineers) both reminded me of safe lab conduct. It's best to treat everything as dangerous, even if it isn't, as the habit keeps us safer.

Star San doesn't have any fumes. Since it is no rinse, what makes you think it is toxic?

It's odorless, but that does not mean there are no fumes -- it just means we lack the nose to detect fumes.

Also, it's not toxic, it's corrosive. The Star San spec sheet says it can burn skin and cause eye damage. This is probably undiluted, but as I said above, it's wiser to be careful in all situations.

 

[winemaker81]

I've written a couple of posts regarding sanitation. The first one explains terms, as folks may not understand the difference between "sanitize" and "sterilize". The second post describes the process I use in detail.

https://wine.bkfazekas.com/sanitation-in-wine/
https://wine.bkfazekas.com/sanitizing-during-winemaking/

 

[Siwash]

Star San doesn't have any fumes. Since it is no rinse, what makes you think it is toxic?

Says to wear a mask, goggles and gloves right on the package!!

 

[wineview]

I checked my spray bottle and it was at ph 6.0, the solution was about three months old. Made a new batch and it is at ph 2.3. I never thought to check ph, I will from now on.

A 6.0 ph made that StarSan useless

 

[wineview]

Do find the spray bottle is adequate at disinfecting most equipment?

Yes. And there is no waste.

 

[Ericphotoart]

It says it is a "no rinse" sanitizer but when I clean a carboy with starsan it leaves a lot of foam which stays. How to get rid of it? Do you guys rinse it anyway with clean water? I left a carboy with foam for a few hours and the foam stays.

 

[VinesnBines]

The saying is "Don't fear the foam." Leaving the foam is good because you still have the sanitizing effect going. If you rinse with tap water you have just undone the sanitizing. I use Star San in beer and wine and never had a problem with off taste from the foam.