Starsan water suitability

[paulgough]

I have read that Starsan can only be used with certain water because it is acid based.

I thought I might buy some bottled water to use.

What type of water is works well? Can I buy it at a supermarket? What pH range should I be looking for?

 

[dennisking]

Ashbeck from Tescos. :thumb:

 

[Asalpaws]

Agree with above. Or get friends in Wales, Lancashire, Highlands or other softwater area and nick water off them. T

 

[Dave1970]

I use reverse osmosis water, it's mineral free and available from marine aquarium shops, my local one charges 10p/litre to fill a container. Cheaper than mineral water and no minerals at all to effect your starsan.

Mixed up in a spray bottle the starsan stays clear (which is meant to indicate it's still ok to use) for months

 

[Buster]

#2 for Ashbeck from Tesco,s £1.05 for 5 litre bottles which when empty come in handy as Demi Johns :thumb:

 

[Buster]

Forgot to add, Star San requires a water ph level of 3 or below to be at its full strength.

 

[rpt]

Forgot to add, Star San requires a water ph level of 3 or below to be at its full strength.

Not quite right. The Starsan solution requires a low pH, the water itself doesn't need to be that acidic.

 

[Buster]

Forgot to add, Star San requires a water ph level of 3 or below to be at its full strength.

Not quite right. The Starsan solution requires a low pH, the water itself doesn't need to be that acidic.

It is 100% right, take a look at the manufacturers usage sheet http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-con ... nTech5.pdf it clearly states that Star San requires a water ph level of 3.5 or below to achieve correct sanitisation , also quoted by John Palmer as well as numerous forums.

 

[rpt]

Forgot to add, Star San requires a water ph level of 3 or below to be at its full strength.

Not quite right. The Starsan solution requires a low pH, the water itself doesn't need to be that acidic.

It is 100% right, take a look at the manufacturers usage sheet http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-con ... nTech5.pdf it clearly states that Star San requires a water ph level of 3.5 or below to achieve correct sanitisation , also quoted by John Palmer as well as numerous forums.

No it doesn't!

Solution must remain at a pH at 3 or below to maintain proper sanitizing level.

The solution, not the water, must be at pH 3 or below.

 

[Buster]

It is 100% right, take a look at the manufacturers usage sheet http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-con ... nTech5.pdf it clearly states that Star San requires a water ph level of 3.5 or below to achieve correct sanitisation , also quoted by John Palmer as well as numerous forums.[/quote]No it doesn't!

Solution must remain at a pH at 3 or below to maintain proper sanitizing level.

The solution, not the water, must be at pH 3 or below.[/quote]

So how do you get a solution of Star San and Water below a level of ph 3 if the water is not on or below that and the mixture is at 300ppm for no rinse sanitisation, those are the only 2 things in the solution ?? what else is there, the solution when mixed is Star San and Water, please explain how you come to your answer.

 

[bunkerbrewer]

I use water from a dehumidifier, which also works well, and is free :)

 

[morethanworts]

It is 100% right, take a look at the manufacturers usage sheet http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-con ... nTech5.pdf it clearly states that Star San requires a water ph level of 3.5 or below to achieve correct sanitisation , also quoted by John Palmer as well as numerous forums.

No it doesn't!

Solution must remain at a pH at 3 or below to maintain proper sanitizing level.[quote:ligry7vf]The solution, not the water, must be at pH 3 or below.

So how do you get a solution of Star San and Water below a level of ph 3 if the water is not on or below that and the mixture is at 300ppm for no rinse sanitisation, those are the only 2 things in the solution ?? what else is there, the solution when mixed is Star San and Water, please explain how you come to your answer.[/quote:ligry7vf]

Our water averages pH 6.58, so I'd be very surprised and disappointed to learn that I can't use tap water with Star San. Presumably, it is the concentration of Star San that is designed to deal with a range of water pH levels.

It just needs someone with a bit of litmus paper to test a solution they've made up with water like ours (or above) is lower than 3.5 and we'll know. I will get some soon...!

ADDED - I've got a gallon stored that is cloudy after only a brief use, so maybe the water is too alkaline for it. I've ordered some litmus strips as it seems to be the only real way to know!

 

[captain wassname]

This seems to be getting overcomplicated. Ashbeck works well.Buy a 5 litre bottle and add a dsp of starsan. Use some to fill up a spray which can be used on bottles and also come brewday on thermostats,paddles,hydometers etc.
The rest can be used to sanitise kegs.Just chuck it in give it a shake about and then syphon it back into its bottle thus sanitising your syphon.
When or if the solution turns cloudy its had it and should be discarded.

Jim

 

[Dr Mike]

So how do you get a solution of Star San and Water below a level of ph 3 if the water is not on or below that and the mixture is at 300ppm for no rinse sanitisation, those are the only 2 things in the solution ?? what else is there, the solution when mixed is Star San and Water, please explain how you come to your answer.

But Starsan is itself a mixture of two acids, so the pH of the solutio will be lower than the water it is added to.

I would surprised if any UK tap water has a pH as low as 3.5. De-ionised water has (by definition) a pH of 7 but is suitable for making Star San solution.

 

[morethanworts]

So how do you get a solution of Star San and Water below a level of ph 3 if the water is not on or below that and the mixture is at 300ppm for no rinse sanitisation, those are the only 2 things in the solution ?? what else is there, the solution when mixed is Star San and Water, please explain how you come to your answer.

But Starsan is itself a mixture of two acids, so the pH of the solutio will be lower than the water it is added to.

I would surprised if any UK tap water has a pH as low as 3.5. De-ionised water has (by definition) a pH of 7 but is suitable for making Star San solution.

Yes, this seems more likely to me. The World Health Organisation seems to suggest drinking water should be 6.5 to 8.5 ('desirable'). See footnote (2) here and it seems unlikely we'd have tap water that's nearly as acidic as a solution we're using to sanitise equipment!

 

[Buster]

Thanks Dr Mike, that seems to make sense of it, you are saying that Star San will lower the ph of the water. So as long as you dont exceed 300ppm and the solution remains at or below a ph of 3.5 your good to go. :thumb:

 

[Dr Mike]

That's right. The starting pH of the water is potentially misleading. You could have water with a pH below 7 which has sufficient carbonate in to buffer the acidity of the Star San such that the resulting solution was greater than 3.5.

For our purposes, it's best to stick to the 'does it go cloudy' test!

 

[rpt]

I find it goes cloudy in both Ashbeck water and my tap water but according to the pH test strips it is fine to use. Not had any issues yet.

 

[sam.k]

If your anywhere near southampton I can run some RO water of for you, I make loads every week anyway.

 

[brewtim]

When or if the solution turns cloudy its had it and should be discarded.

Jim

I think this might be wrong information, my starsan goes cloudy as soon as it mixes with my tap water (hard water area), the PH hangs around 2.5 and I use it until I decide it looks a bit dirty or it runs out after many weeks of use and a few buckets/bottles/equipment sanitised.

Plenty of other forums' users also reporting that it goes cloudy on contact with their water but is perfectly useable for months.

I think it is the PH that is probably the most accurate measure of if it is still working or not.