using Starsan / sanitiser in hard water area

[braziliain]

I've been using the same 5L of starsan for months. Each time I use it I test with litmus to ensure it is between 2-3pH.
Hard water here in York and it goes cloudy within a few hours but still works great.

 

[trueblue]

Videne is a more effective sanitize. If it's good enough for an operating theater it's good enough for my fermenter.

 

[cyderspace]

Thank you to all that replied, I think I'll buy starsan and use bottled water.

I've asked a few questions on here and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you blokes taking the time to reply, this forum and all you lot are brilliant thanks.

 

[strange-steve]

If you are making up star san just as and when you need it then don't be concerned with your hard water. It will go cloudy but that doesn't necessarily mean it's useless. However if you want to make it in bulk or you intend to store it for any length of time, like in a spray bottle for example, then use soft water. As others have mentioned, Tesco Ashbeck is fine, RO or distilled even better.

 

[Soton]

If you are making up star san just as and when you need it then don't be concerned with your hard water. It will go cloudy but that doesn't necessarily mean it's useless. However if you want to make it in bulk or you intend to store it for any length of time, like in a spray bottle for example, then use soft water. As others have mentioned, Tesco Ashbeck is fine, RO or distilled even better.

Steve could you let's say add CRS to the tap water that you are going to use for starsan, would this offset the water hardness to make the starsan more effective?

 

[lancon]

I did email 5 star, maker of Starsan and they did say that was doable. But Ashbeck by far easiest, (assuming there is a Tesco not too far)

 

[johnbarleycorn]

Live in London and my water comes out of the tap fighting its that hard.... Always use starsan and it goes as cloudy as an English August day- never had any problems with infections etc...
Could just be lucky though !!!

 

[cyderspace]

Videne is a more effective sanitize. If it's good enough for an operating theater it's good enough for my fermenter.

Thanks trueblue, that's gonna be my back up if starsan doesn't work out.

 

[serum]

Buy a 5 litre container of de-ionised water and put it in that.

 

[strange-steve]

Steve could you let's say add CRS to the tap water that you are going to use for starsan, would this offset the water hardness to make the starsan more effective?

It won't offset hardness so it'll still go cloudy, which I think is due to a reaction with calcium, but it will reduce alkalinity meaning the pH will be lower, so it should be more effective and for longer.

 

[lancon]

Aren't the hardness and alkalinity linked....???

 

[strange-steve]

Aren't the hardness and alkalinity linked....???

Not necessarily, hardness is a measure of the calcium and magnesium whereas alkalinity is the buffering capacity. Usually hard water will have high alkalinity and soft water low alkalinity, but not always (Burton water for example is incredibly hard but has a low alkalinity, which is why it's perfect for IPAs). Adding CRS, which is an acid blend, will neutralise some of the alkalinity but it won't affect the hardness.

 

[jceg316]

I see I'm pretty late to this party, but I live in London where the water is very hard and I use Starsan, it works great.

 

[BREWERS DROOP]

I emailed starsan,and the reply I got it was ok to use with my Ph 7

 

[lancon]

hardness is a measure of the calcium and magnesium

not sure if that is true...

 

[strange-steve]

hardness is a measure of the calcium and magnesium

not sure if that is true...

Well other metals such as sodium, potassium and iron also contribute to hardness but it is primarily the calcium and magnesium. To work out water hardness it's (2.5 × calcium content) + (4.1 × magnesium content).

 

[MyQul]

As the other London Forumites on the thread have also said, I use star san with tap water and it goes cloudy straight away, and I've never had any problems. I re-use and re-use my star san, in fact I've been using the same bottle (of undiluted) for about four years and it's still about a quater full!

 

[Litmus]

I just spent 5 mins kicking myself as it never dawned on me to try the water out of our sofener, I was using the filter water or rather I was distilling my own water.. I now have a C-keg full of cristal clear starsan and a sore foot