[Pi]

Using StarSan to sanitize i have noticed the water gets really cloudy like really thin skim milk. Is this normal? I am getting similar with the low-foaming Saniclean, muddy water. I am using well water through a carbon filter.

[denny]

I use well water, too, and my StarSan mixture gets cloudy within a few minutes.  The pH remains below 3, though, so I'm pretty confident that it's OK to use.  Checking the pH is the only way to know what's really happening.

[Slowbrew]

You can use distilled water to mix with an d it will stay clear for weeks or months.  I mix up 5 gallons in a old bucket with a well sealing lid and keep it around for ages.

Like Denny said, as long as the ph stays around 3 it will work fine.

Paul

***Edited for the normal reason.  I can't type.  8^(

[cheshirecat]

Even though I have super soft water mine will get lightly cloudy after a few weeks or a months. I was concerned so I contact 5 star. They pretty much stated what Denny has said under a pH of 3 you are good to go.

[theDarkSide]

I used to fall under the false assumption that cloudy meant not effective until I got my ph meter.  Under 3 is good for me 

[mabrungard]

The cloudiness is due to the water hardness.  Use either RO, distilled, or ion-exchange softened water to prepare your Star San sanitizing solution.  I have used both RO and softened water and they both stay clear forever. 

And you thought there was no use for ion-exchange softened water in the brewery.

Enjoy! 

[euge]

I have some in a spray bottle that is 4+ years old. Crystal clear and effective. I make it with RO water 1/2 gallon at a time in a five gallon bucket. It'll get a bit murky with sediment and I've had bugs floating in it- which didn't affect anything. Still, I like to toss it periodically. Crazy at how well it works.

[gmac]

I've had bugs floating in it-

I thought I was the only one. 

[Kaiser]

It also helps to keep the previous batch of StarSan around as a pre rinse. With that I get about 6 batches of beer out of one 5 gal batch.

Kai

[hubie]

Does it take much change in mineral content to see it clouding up?  In the past I have seen it take a week to a month for mine to cloud up, but for the brew session I had on Monday, after six hours my bucket looked like skim milk.  As far as I can tell, my water comes from a (Maryland) river and is held in a reservoir till needed.  If I could I would tell you the makeup of my water, but the water report I can get online is pretty much useless from a brewing standpoint (no numbers for pH, alkalinity, etc.).