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Author Topic: Water hardness  (Read 1344 times)

Offline bierview

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Water hardness
« on: November 06, 2016, 06:50:27 am »
I have read so much about StarSan losing effectiveness in hard water.  I have my municipality water report and the range of hardness is between 61-101 (as CaC03) ppm.  The NJ upper limit is 250.
iron ND-192 (upper limit 300)
aluminum ppb ND-172 (upper limit 200)
ph units 6.4-7.4 (upper limit 6.5-8.5)
silver ppb ND-9.7 (upper limit 100)
sodium ppb 22-27 (upper limit 50)
sulfate ppb 12-14 (upper limit 250)
zinc ppb ND-0.03 (upper limit 5)
Total dissolved solids 76-318 (upper limit 500) 

I have been using StarSan for years with no apparent ill effects.  Should I be concerned especially with making yeast starters?

BV

Offline mabrungard

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Re: Water hardness
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2016, 12:04:45 pm »
While StarSan will still be effective in hard water, you won't be able to keep a solution that was made of that water without it becoming cloudy, slimey feeling, and coating your equipment if its left in the solution. The best option for creating a long-lasting StarSan solution is to use distilled water.

You won't need to be concerned with using that water for yeast starters, it's fine.
Martin B
Carmel, IN

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Offline bierview

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Re: Water hardness
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2016, 04:25:43 pm »
While StarSan will still be effective in hard water, you won't be able to keep a solution that was made of that water without it becoming cloudy, slimey feeling, and coating your equipment if its left in the solution. The best option for creating a long-lasting StarSan solution is to use distilled water.

You won't need to be concerned with using that water for yeast starters, it's fine.

Not concerned about the water for starters, I was commenting on the effectiveness of SanStar while making starters.

Offline mabrungard

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Re: Water hardness
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2016, 04:39:26 pm »
StarSan does have an Achiles Heel in that it is not very effective against wild yeast and mold spores. That could be a problem for sanitization for starters.
Martin B
Carmel, IN

BJCP National
Foam Blowers of Indiana (FBI)

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Offline bierview

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Re: Water hardness
« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2016, 02:13:38 am »
Looking at the water profile above, would you consider this very hard water?

Offline Hand of Dom

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Re: Water hardness
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2016, 02:58:23 am »
I buy a 5L bottle of distilled water and dose that up.  It keeps for ages like that, certainly longer than it lasts.
Dom

Currently drinking - Amarillo saison
Currently fermenting - Pale ale 1 - 2017

Offline mabrungard

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Re: Water hardness
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2016, 12:08:57 pm »
Looking at the water profile above, would you consider this very hard water?

It's more than hard enough to create problems.
Martin B
Carmel, IN

BJCP National
Foam Blowers of Indiana (FBI)

Brewing Water Information at:
https://www.brunwater.com/

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