The life of sterilising solution?

[DrTerror]

Hi everyone,not sure where too put this,so I will try here....
I have just made my 1st brew,and before I started,I bought a 40 litre storage container with lid from Tescos to sterilise everything in,(using Wilco's brewclens cleaner and steriliser at the moment)...what I was wondering was is how long would the sterilising solution be good for?,as it is in its own lidded container,would it be OK for a while?,or should I dump it after 1st use?.I dont mind buying fresh,but if I progress onto the likes of StarSan,could I just put say a 20 litre mix into the container and use it over and over again?.Sorry to sound like a tight wad,but every penny saved,is an extra penny on beer,yes?;-).

 

[YeastFace]

Starsan is reuseable, although I'm not sure how many times you can or should reuse it (Actually I've just read that if the PH of the solution gets above 3.5, you should stop reusing it). It is also excellent when put into a spray bottle.

I recently brought some Brewsafe no-rinse sanitiser and it isn't a patch on Starsan. Even using exactly as advised, the crystals don't properly dissolve into the solution. I won't be buying it again, even if it is significantly cheaper.

 

[DrTerror]

Thanks for that!,luckily I have a couple of brand new digital PH pens spare (thanks to an aquarium hobby),so I will be able to keep an eye on it...I will check what PH Tescos still spring water is,as that is what I used for this brew,(and it is 17p per 2 litres)!.I will definatley be getting some Starsan for my next brew now!.
Cheers buddy!.:

 

[DoctorMick]

My first batch of StarSan made with Tesco Ashbeck lasted about 3 months. My second made with tap water lasted about 2. I just put together my third batch last night with Ashbeck again (just because I needed another 5l bottle) so expect that to last a while.

One tip if you use star san tho, keep the bottle upright when you store it, I noticed mine had been leaking and it's ruined the draw I kept it in...mind you, it is possible I just didn't put the lid on properly!!!

 

[DrTerror]

My first batch of StarSan made with Tesco Ashbeck lasted about 3 months. My second made with tap water lasted about 2. I just put together my third batch last night with Ashbeck again (just because I needed another 5l bottle) so expect that to last a while.

One tip if you use star san tho, keep the bottle upright when you store it, I noticed mine had been leaking and it's ruined the draw I kept it in...mind you, it is possible I just didn't put the lid on properly!!!

3 months?,thats just put a large grin on my face DM!.Hang on a minute,isnt Tescos Ashbeck the 'posh' one at 70p a bottle:shock:?.I am now going to hunt down my spare PH pens to figure out the PH of the economy version...Im not that tight really....(even though if the PH of the starsan changes,I WOULD change the PH using a couple of ml distilled white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide accordingly:rofl:...


Luckily,I already have a HMA (heavy metal axe) filter hooked up for the fishes,so all my water would be Chlorine/Chloramine free anyway,but the hardness (Dh) and PH stays the same as the tap water...Wouldnt be too much trouble too go to RO though...:-D

 

[MyQul]

Yup, as DrMick says star san lasts ages because you can reuse it. I bought my bottle of star san about 18 months ago (well more like two years but I didn't brew last summer because I didn't know about heat tolerant yeast) and it's still just under half full

 

[ochiburi]

Some shops sell a star san clone that is much cheaper than star san. Was described to me as star san without the fancy bottle. One example would be Rob at the Malt Miller - NBS No Rinse Sanitiser

http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=497

Other suppliers and brew shops probably also do similar.

 

[YeastFace]

I think the MM one is Starsan, just repackaged. May be wrong though. Excellent value either way

 

[DrTerror]

I am liking the sound of Starsan and its clones more and more!,I will grab some next week for sure!.

Thanks for all your replies folks!.