Best Star SAN Alternative including all new Chemsan

[QED]

they suggest that using Tesco Ashbeck water with this

For the sake of the environment and contributing to the single use plastic problem, just use tap water, it'll be fine.

 

[Edison]

I think I read that tap water is fine if you have soft water. If you’re in a hard water area, not so much. The minerals affect the ph of the solution, if it goes cloudy this can indicate minerals in the water are reacting. As long as the solution retains a ph of at least 3 it should be affective though.

 

[marshbrewer]

For the sake of the environment and contributing to the single use plastic problem, just use tap water, it'll be fine.

I'm in a hard water area and experienced cloudy chemsan. I've brought some ph strips, and sure enough, once its gone cloudy it's ph is out of range so you need to add more to compensate. I'll be using Ashbeck for that reason alone.

 

[Edison]

I know the makers are going to cover their backs, but they do say it is only ‘no-rinse’ (air dry) at their recommended concentrations. Increasing the concentration could leave more harmful residues. Be safe out there!

 

[chuffer]

I think I read that tap water is fine if you have soft water. If you’re in a hard water area, not so much. The minerals affect the ph of the solution, if it goes cloudy this can indicate minerals in the water are reacting. As long as the solution retains a ph of at least 3 it should be affective though.

It should be below pH3, rather than at least pH3.

In my own experience - Star San used to work fine with a pH of 2-2.5 after I added it to relatively hard water. However, I've since moved to a soft water area and the ChemSan I have seems to come in at around 2.5 - 3. This suggests to me that Star San is a heavier hitter

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

I swapped to Chemsan what baffles me is the price variance from the usual suppliers, after just doing a search on the various homebrew sites I know about, getting prices for 1L of Chemsan, cheapest to the most expensive as follows:

1 = Brew2bottle £17.95
2 = Kegthat £18.94
3 = The Home Brew Shop £18.96
4 = Brew UK £22,99
5 = Malt Miller £23.99

Some people clearly making a lot more profit on the exact same product, I know the shop I use and trust and a site sponsor to boot, good old Brew 2 bottle, keep up the good work

 

[Edison]

473ml bottle of genuine StarSan available for £18.

https://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Five_Star_Star_San_16oz.html
This size lasted me nearly 40 brews.

 

[vergil300]

What about just pure sodium percarbonate? I've been using exclusively, no issues...

 

[Edison]

I’ve not used it, but don’t you need to rinse it off? If you use tap water to rinse this can contain bacteria etc which could contaminate (at least in theory). It sounds like a great cleaner though and if it’s not clean it can’t be sanitised. I’m running out of PBW so keeping my eyes open for possible alternatives.

[edit] Nice avatar BTW Vergi!

 

[vergil300]

[edit] Nice avatar BTW Vergi!

Cheers! Cant even remember what beer that was!

Yeah, well, I believe it's no-rinse as the residue is soda ash but I do usaully give most stuff a quick rinse with cold water, normally from a jug thats been sanitised too.
It's super cheap, there's an Edinburgh company on eBay, got a KG for a few quid.

 

[chuffer]

What about just pure sodium percarbonate? I've been using exclusively, no issues...

Its a cleaning product, not a sanitizing product

 

[TheOsprey]

https://www.lovebrewing.co.uk/no-rinse-steriliser-500g/
This says the active ingredient is sodium percarbonate, and says "Ideal for sterilising your brewing equipment. It won’t however act as a cleaner (use our Cleaner/Steriliser for this). "

Have to say, cleaning and sanitising options are baffling me a bit

 

[Fireside Ales Homebrewery]

As others have said Bleach and vinegar makes a great no -rinse sanitiser. This is going to be my go to once my star san runs out. As others have said dont mix the bleach and vinegar directly as you'll create chlorine gas

https://beerliever.com/bleach-no-rinse-sanitiser-home-brewing-beer/

If you got to the commets down the bottom someone converts things into ml/L

I might have to do some sort of sticky for this as Star San seems to be running out everywhere

Just to clarify, because for some reason, it might be the second pint, the idea of using bleach and vinegar is blowing my mind. As quoted from the link you gave, - ‘for 1 gallon of water I use 1 teaspoon of bleach and 1 teaspoon of distilled vinegar. I’ll use this to sanitise everything by wiping it with a cloth’- This would be the correct dosage and method etc. If so, why have I been spending so much money on expensive sanitisers

 

[parpot]

Just to clarify, because for some reason, it might be the second pint, the idea of using bleach and vinegar is blowing my mind. As quoted from the link you gave, - ‘for 1 gallon of water I use 1 teaspoon of bleach and 1 teaspoon of distilled vinegar. I’ll use this to sanitise everything by wiping it with a cloth’- This would be the correct dosage and method etc. If so, why have I been spending so much money on expensive sanitisers

Yes that is correct but you MUST be VERY careful with the measurements and how you mix it, too much bleach and you will taste a hint of it in your beer!

 

[Fireside Ales Homebrewery]

Yes that is correct but you MUST be VERY careful with the measurements and how you mix it, too much bleach and you will taste a hint of it in your beer!

Do you have to use vinegar? Or would it be possible to just use dilute Bleach, at the ratio previously proscribed, as a no rinse san? I have very hard water and so I know my PH will be higher. This makes me a bit cautious to add vinegar at the dosage mentioned. Any thoughts?

 

[parpot]

Do you have to use vinegar? Or would it be possible to just use dilute Bleach, at the ratio previously proscribed, as a no rinse san? I have very hard water and so I know my PH will be higher. This makes me a bit cautious to add vinegar at the dosage mentioned. Any thoughts?

Yes bleach and vinegar as previously stated

 

[Brew2Day]

I use sodium percarbonate for a cleaner then bung all my gear in the bucket and blast it with 2x 6w G5 UVC lamps for 20mins or so and it will eliminate anything with a cell. I probably only need one lamp as it emits ozone. I try to avoid chemicals where possible these days. UVC won't work for bottles as they are UVB/C resistant.

 

[gavp1979]

Just to clarify, because for some reason, it might be the second pint, the idea of using bleach and vinegar is blowing my mind. As quoted from the link you gave, - ‘for 1 gallon of water I use 1 teaspoon of bleach and 1 teaspoon of distilled vinegar. I’ll use this to sanitise everything by wiping it with a cloth’- This would be the correct dosage and method etc. If so, why have I been spending so much money on expensive sanitisers

If you are in the UK be aware that our thin bleach tends to be 1% hyperchlorite whereas the original article uses 5% hyperchlorite bleach which I believe is common in America

 

[OliH]

I'm totally confused with all this. I've only been brewing all grain BIAB for about 8 months but got 10 or 12 brews done with 1 minor infection and that was due to an old PB with a crack inside, which has been binned. I'm stingy so I have just used the bleach and acid option but because I'm a bit paranoid I have always done a quick rinse with boiled water. This all makes bottling a bit of a faff.
I called in at a new micro brewery the other day to see if they would sell any grain, they gave me a 25kg sack of base malt and 25kg sack of malted oats, I couldn't believe it! Obviously I had to buy a mini keg of their beer to say thanks.
Anyway knowing Im going to be having to bottle a lot of beer I thought I'd get some chemsan and a bottle washer. I didn't bother trying the tap water just used a 2 litre bottle of Tesco Stockwell bottled water, instantly turned cloudy with a PH of 5 tested using a decent PH meter. Is this still effective, and does it have a shelf life?? Or do I need to adjust this PH straight away? Its surprising there is no sort of PH buffer in the chemsan.
Sorry to ask the same question that everyone seems to ask but it is all very confusing.
With the bleach and vinegar I have always used 8ml per litre of 1% sodium hyperchlorite and 2ml per litre of white vinegar. This gives a PH of about 5.5. From what I have read this gives maximum sanitation with minimum risk of gas being produced and has always seemed very effective.....

 

[CD]

Doesn’t anybody, apart from me and the brewery I get it from, use Antiformin S? Check it out on Murphy’s of Nottingham’s website. It is available through home brew shops for £6.25 a litre, which diluted at a rate of 30cc / gallon goes a long way.