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STAR-SAN?***rinse??

h4brewing said:
Okay thanks for the replies!,
      So this is a moderate chemical.  Not that dangerous to handle?  Do I need saftey goggles using it?

You must properly dilute Star-San and follow the handling instructions. 

When properly diluted, it is safe to handle.  Safety goggle are not necessary but read the eye rinsing procedure if you accidentally point the spray bottle into your face.  It does dry the heck out of hands.  I sanitize up to my elbows. This time of year that gets COLD!

Starsan and any other no-rinse sanitizer can be both ineffective or dangerous if not used properly.  If you do not dilute the solution enough, it is no longer a no rise sanitizer.  Too little and you must increase the contact time.

 
KernelCrush said:
I always use GoFerm with dry and rehrydrate at 20X yeast volume.  Yesterday I made a valiant attempt to follow Tom's points post and it damn near killed me.    But kudos to Tom.  hours of measuring while mashing with a somewhat undermodified pilsner malt.  Whew!  Still hoping someday for something close to a Pilsner Urquell.  I keep one on tap for comparison.  I am not very close.  But its great to have a control sample.

Hours?  Really?  Why? 

My brewday takes 4 hours, start to finish.  The measurements that I described add ZERO time. 

Do you have a refractometer?  I will admit that it is quite a bit more faffing around to implement that process with a hydrometer (accurately, anyway). 

This is fairly off-topic from the OP.  Probably best to continue that conversation over in that thread.
 
My apologies to the OP.  Had way too much to drink last night.
 
I listened to the BeerSmith podcast on sanitation on the way home tonite with the guy who runs Five Star.  I said earlier to discard when pH rises above 3.  He says 3.5 is the limit.  Also he talked about sanitizing after cleanup at the end of your brew day.  He says its a good idea cause it leaves your equipment in an 'acid state' .  He was on a while back on the BN.  I think several of his ideas have changed since that older interview.  It is worth a listen.  Some things too I didn't know about bleach.
 
Well the tech sheet on Five Star website says effective only up to 3.0 pH.  Who knows.
 
I've got PH strips used for wine that you'll find at most homebrew shops.  They measure 2.8 to 4.4, and they're green if that matters.  I test the StarSan whenever I fill the spray bottle.  Never been over 3.0.
 
The only reason I am agonizing over the effective pH is I keep a small starsan cooler for soaking and check it with my meter to verify its still good before each brewday.  I guess its time for new when i open the lid and the frogs are sunbathing.
 
KernelCrush said:
I guess its time for new when i open the lid and the frogs are sunbathing.

Celebrity sighting?

Those three frogs really haven't had much work in the beer biz, lately.
 
Here is the tech sheet from Five Star Chemicals

http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/StarSanTech-HB2.pdf

Toy4Rick
 
From previous interviews with Charly Talley, he has said that Star-San effectiveness degrades for two reasons:

1.  Increase of pH above 3.0 (or 3.5 depending on which interview you reference). 
2.  Loss of the surfactant---manifests as a cloudiness (if the solution is so cloudy you can't see through it, it's done). 

Both of these degrade more rapidly when exposed to air (02), and when exposed to dissolved minerals in tap water.  The harder the water the more quickly the chemical properties will degrade.

So, if you wish to hold your sanitizer for an extended period for reuse, it is recommended to use distilled water, and store it in a sealed, plastic container. 
 
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