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Author Topic: Extending the life of Star-San  (Read 8382 times)

Offline Will's Swill

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #15 on: June 05, 2011, 12:00:18 pm »
Is the cloudiness really a problem, or is StarSan really still good to go as long as the pH is below 3.4 regardless of cloudiness?
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Offline bonjour

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #16 on: June 05, 2011, 12:13:55 pm »
The issue is pH, not cloudiness. 

Cloudiness is an indication that some of the acid in Star San has reacted with your water. in and of itself is not a problem.
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Offline denny

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #17 on: June 05, 2011, 12:24:55 pm »
Is the cloudiness really a problem, or is StarSan really still good to go as long as the pH is below 3.4 regardless of cloudiness?

I believe it's 3, not 3.4.
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Offline tubercle

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #18 on: June 05, 2011, 01:44:03 pm »
If you're having problems getting distilled or RO water just sit a bucket outside the next time it rains. It won't have any minerals in it plus you will get a jumpstart on the low pH.
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Offline a10t2

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #19 on: June 05, 2011, 02:40:06 pm »
I believe it's 3, not 3.4.

You are correct sir!

Also, mixed per the label instructions with my tap water, which is darn near distilled to begin with, it comes in at about 1.8 pH and takes a couple weeks sitting out in an open bucket to get above 3.0.
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Offline thomasbarnes

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #20 on: June 06, 2011, 01:42:09 am »
If you're having problems getting distilled or RO water just sit a bucket outside the next time it rains. It won't have any minerals in it plus you will get a jumpstart on the low pH.

Assuming you're someplace that gets a fair bit of rain and that the local air quality is decent. While rain water is pretty clean, it can pick up small amounts of airborne dust and other pollutants - although the air would have to be very foul for there to be so much contamination that you can't brew with it.

Also, if the bucket isn't food grade, or if you let it sit with water in it long enough for algae to grow, then you could get off flavors from those sources.

Offline Will's Swill

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #21 on: June 06, 2011, 07:07:27 pm »
I believe it's 3, not 3.4.

You are correct sir!

Also, mixed per the label instructions with my tap water, which is darn near distilled to begin with, it comes in at about 1.8 pH and takes a couple weeks sitting out in an open bucket to get above 3.0.

Y'all may be right.  I thought I heard the 3.4 number in the interview with the owner of Five Star on The Brewing Network, but I may misremember that.
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Offline Kit B

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #22 on: June 09, 2011, 12:31:21 pm »
I would go RO or DI water.  I guess you could always try phosphoric acid since it is essentially tasteless.  I think the lactic and vinegar flavors may be left behind?

Isn't Starsan made from phosphoric acid?

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #23 on: June 10, 2011, 11:13:22 am »
I would go RO or DI water.  I guess you could always try phosphoric acid since it is essentially tasteless.  I think the lactic and vinegar flavors may be left behind?

Isn't Starsan made from phosphoric acid?
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Offline cheba420

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #24 on: June 10, 2011, 05:59:08 pm »
This is a great topic. I've had the same issue. I'll use some RO this weekend and see how it works.
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Offline Will's Swill

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #25 on: June 11, 2011, 12:52:30 pm »
I believe it's 3, not 3.4.

You are correct sir!

Also, mixed per the label instructions with my tap water, which is darn near distilled to begin with, it comes in at about 1.8 pH and takes a couple weeks sitting out in an open bucket to get above 3.0.

Y'all may be right.  I thought I heard the 3.4 number in the interview with the owner of Five Star on The Brewing Network, but I may misremember that.

Well, I was close.  Jon Herskovits of Five Star Chemicals on the Brewing Network says Star San works below pH 3.5.  For bleach water he said below pH 9.  The show is here: http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/469
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Offline denny

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #26 on: June 11, 2011, 12:55:02 pm »
Interesting.  I'm pretty sure I heard 3 from Charley Talley at 5 Star.
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Offline a10t2

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #27 on: June 12, 2011, 09:49:27 am »
It could be that the "real" answer is 3.5 but they say 3.0 in the literature to give their customers a margin for error.

http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/StarSanTech-HB2.pdf
« Last Edit: June 12, 2011, 09:52:01 am by a10t2 »
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Offline Will's Swill

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #28 on: June 13, 2011, 06:48:52 pm »
I'd buy that.  On the show, Jon also mentioned that the contact time needed is only 30 seconds even though the label says, what, 3 minutes?
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Offline Tristan

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Re: Extending the life of Star-San
« Reply #29 on: June 20, 2011, 08:06:20 pm »
I'm in the same boat that you are with tap water/Star San solution becoming cloudy.  For a long time I had to go out of my way to get RO water.  I purchased this an RO system a few months ago.  I did a ton of research and considered having a company put a system in.  I settled on a  Watts brand unit.  It was really easy to install.  I'm so glad I put this in and I wish I would have done it much earlier.  It's been worth every penny to have easy access and being able to get RO on demand for brewing water and to make sanitizer.  Plus, it gets rid of chloramines and the water tastes fantastic.  The filters are super cheap at Sam's Club when you need to replace them.  Here is the system I use:

http://www.amazon.com/Watts-WP5-50-Five-Stage-Manifold-Treatment/dp/B000E77I04
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