# Star San calculation



## madison (May 13, 2019)

I have received my shipment and made my first solution for my small containers, I will be appreciated if someone else checks my calculation one more time.
I diluted 1 oz. of Star San in 8 lb. of tap water instead of 40 lb. and  immersed my small containers in there, 
so in order to fix it I took 1/5 of the solution and added 5 times extra water to make it the right concentration, I ended up with a lot of solution for the amount of containers I have.
 Did I do the calculation right?
Thank you


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## atiz (May 13, 2019)

The recommended solution is 1 oz to 5 gallons (ca. 40 lb.) of water. So if you just want to have 1 gallon of solution, then you can dissolve 0.2 oz starsan with 1 gallon of water.

I think you may have made a small mistake in there, but not sure if it will make much of a difference.
Your original solution has 1 oz starsan + 1 gal (circa) water, so if you take out 1/5 of it that's 0.2 oz starsan + 0.2 gal water. You add 5 times extra water, you get 0.2 oz starsan + 1.2 gal water. That's 0.2 gal more water than you would like to have for the recommended strength of solution. 

I have not worked with starsan much so not sure if this will make any difference. At any rate, it sounds like you have a lot of strong solution too, so you can always just add some back in .


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## madison (May 13, 2019)

atiz said:


> The recommended solution is 1 oz to 5 gallons (ca. 40 lb.) of water. So if you just want to have 1 gallon of solution, then you can dissolve 0.2 oz starsan with 1 gallon of water.
> 
> I think you may have made a small mistake in there, but not sure if it will make much of a difference.
> Your original solution has 1 oz starsan + 1 gal (circa) water, so if you take out 1/5 of it that's 0.2 oz starsan + 0.2 gal water. You add 5 times extra water, you get 0.2 oz starsan + 1.2 gal water. That's 0.2 gal more water than you would like to have for the recommended strength of solution.
> ...



Thank you atiz, I hope this extra 0.2 gallon will compensate for the extra time the containers were in the concentrated solution. I kept them more than 10 min


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## IrishLass (May 14, 2019)

Wow- 10 minutes is a long time! The maximum time I leave mine in is 3 minutes tops.


IrishLass


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## madison (May 15, 2019)

IrishLass said:


> Wow- 10 minutes is a long time! The maximum time I leave mine in is 3 minutes tops.
> 
> 
> IrishLass



 I actually realized that, it took me almost 13 min. to fix the calculation and fill up the container with more water, I ended up with so much liquid much more what I needed for my containers altogether.
I wonder if that's why I have a light film on the containers, I am not sure what to do to remove the film. I don't think it's safe to use them. I may wash them with water then re-do the whole process, just to be on the safe side. 
I had hard time drying the tiny sprayers, I have the liquid trapped in the small nooks & crannies, I am thinking to use a hair dryer.
IrishLass,do you use star san in anything else? 
Thank you


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## IrishLass (May 15, 2019)

I use it for anything I want sanitized before placing perishables inside, such as lotion & body butter containers, canning jars/food-storage containers, etc... I also give my lotion-making and canning equipment such as spoons, spatulas, funnels, etc...a dip in the StarSan before using, too......3 minutes soap, then an air-dry (no rinsing). It's amazing how much longer things such as leftovers, etc.,  last in containers that have been sanitized with StarSan compared to when they've only just been washed well in hot soapy water.

I have a dedicated 5-gallon food-grade bucket that's always filled with a proper dilution of StarSan. It keeps a loooooong time. The moment it starts looking cloudy and/or the pH goes above 3, it's time to make a new batch. The batch I have going in my bucket at the moment is about 1-year old and is still clear with a pH of about 2 and is working great. 

Re: the film....is it a visible film, like a white film? In any case, it's probably a good idea to re-wash and re-do in the proper dilution.

Re: any residual amount left in a bottle or keg, I wrote down this little tidbit of info from Charlie Talley (the inventor of StarSan):   "And last but not least is the foam. Since Star San will not kill when the pH goes above 3 any small amount left in a bottle or a keg will not stop the fermentation process and it is safe to drink the beer that is what comes out of the package. That is why Star San has a no rinse claim."

For what it's worth, when I make fresh-squeezed orange juice, my 1/2 gallon glass storage bottle that I've given a bath in the Star San sometimes has a tiny residual drop or two of the StarSan remaining in a corner that's not completely 100% dry yet before I pour my juice in, and all has been well.  


IrishLass


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## madison (May 16, 2019)

IrishLass said:


> I use it for anything I want sanitized before placing perishables inside, such as lotion & body butter containers, canning jars/food-storage containers, etc... I also give my lotion-making and canning equipment such as spoons, spatulas, funnels, etc...a dip in the StarSan before using, too......3 minutes soap, then an air-dry (no rinsing). It's amazing how much longer things such as leftovers, etc.,  last in containers that have been sanitized with StarSan compared to when they've only just been washed well in hot soapy water.
> 
> I have a dedicated 5-gallon food-grade bucket that's always filled with a proper dilution of StarSan. It keeps a loooooong time. The moment it starts looking cloudy and/or the pH goes above 3, it's time to make a new batch. The batch I have going in my bucket at the moment is about 1-year old and is still clear with a pH of about 2 and is working great.
> 
> ...



Thank you IrishLass, I really appreciate all your help. I was thinking maybe I shouldn't have foam, now I know it's normal.
Do you use regular PH strips? how often  do you check the PH?
I mentioned using a hair dryer to dry the small sprayers because I use them for my body oils with different scents ( I don't like to have a big container of one scent).
Thank you again.


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## IrishLass (May 16, 2019)

I use *these lab-grade plastic strips* made by Macherey-Nagel. To be on the safe side, I pH test every time I open my bucket up to use it, since weeks can oftentimes go by in between uses. For what it's worth, I always mix the StarSan with distilled water as opposed to tap water or RO. According to the folks over on the HomeBrewTalk forums, it lasts indefinitely that way......and for me, it definitely has.


IrishLass


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## madison (May 17, 2019)

IrishLass said:


> I use *these lab-grade plastic strips* made by Macherey-Nagel. To be on the safe side, I pH test every time I open my bucket up to use it, since weeks can oftentimes go by in between uses. For what it's worth, I always mix the StarSan with distilled water as opposed to tap water or RO. According to the folks over on the HomeBrewTalk forums, it lasts indefinitely that way......and for me, it definitely has.
> 
> 
> IrishLass



I have the same exact ones, got them from Amazon. I am happy I have the same product.
 I like the idea of using distilled water, thank you for bringing that to my attention. Look like that the product doesn't have an expiration date, I bought 32 oz. it may last forever this way. May I ask you please how do you dispose the final solution?
Do you sanitize your lip balm containers as well? I have a small Dropper Bottle Kit I am using to mix my FO, I'll give them a dip.
Thank you IrishLass.


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## IrishLass (May 17, 2019)

I dispose of any leftover final solution by pouring it on a dirt pile I happen to have in my backyard. According to Charlie Talley, it's creator, it is environmentally friendly, biodegradable and will not harm septic systems (it becomes food for the septic bacteria). Here's a really good thread over on HomeBrewTalk that discusses how to dispose of it: *https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/star-san-disposal.69662/*  It's supposedly even good for developing the root systems of plants and grass....only you need to bring it up to a neutral pH first before dumping it onto your lawn or your plants or the low pH can kill them.

I've never sanitized my lip balm containers before, but it shouldn't hurt.


IrishLass


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## madison (May 17, 2019)

IrishLass said:


> I dispose of any leftover final solution by pouring it on a dirt pile I happen to have in my backyard. According to Charlie Talley, it's creator, it is environmentally friendly, biodegradable and will not harm septic systems (it becomes food for the septic bacteria). Here's a really good thread over on HomeBrewTalk that discusses how to dispose of it: *https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/star-san-disposal.69662/*  It's supposedly even good for developing the root systems of plants and grass....only you need to bring it up to a neutral pH first before dumping it onto your lawn or your plants or the low pH can kill them.
> 
> I've never sanitized my lip balm containers before, but it shouldn't hurt.
> 
> ...



I'll go over the thread, it will be great if I can use it for my compost.
Thank you IrishLass, I appreciate all what I've learned from you.


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## MGM (Jun 20, 2019)

IrishLass said:


> For what it's worth, I always mix the StarSan with distilled water as opposed to tap water or RO. According to the folks over on the HomeBrewTalk forums, it lasts indefinitely that way......and for me, it definitely has.
> 
> 
> IrishLass



Thanks for all this detail, @IrishLass . I'm about to invest in some StarSan and am trying to read up on it first. Do you know if the success with distilled or RO water has to do with the lack of minerals or with the purity of the water? I have a water purifier that doesn't filter out minerals....the water is very clean, but I don't soap with it because of the minerals. Do you happen to know which issue it is with StarSan?
tnx!


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## IrishLass (Jun 24, 2019)

MGM said:


> Thanks for all this detail, @IrishLass . I'm about to invest in some StarSan and am trying to read up on it first. Do you know if the success with distilled or RO water has to do with the lack of minerals or with the purity of the water? I have a water purifier that doesn't filter out minerals....the water is very clean, but I don't soap with it because of the minerals. Do you happen to know which issue it is with StarSan?
> tnx!



Hi MGM- sorry so late in getting back with you- only just now saw your question! With the Star San, all the reading I've done on it says that once the Star San solution is made, it will keep in good/active condition for much longer if you make it with distilled water rather than with tap water or RO water. With the latter two, it will turn cloudy and the pH will rise more quickly, making it ineffective.

For what it's worth, I always use distilled water, and mine lasts a very long time.......we're talking at least year and counting.....the solution stays clear and the pH remains at 3 or below. I store the solution in a tightly-closed 5 gallon food-grade bucket out in my garage and I make sure to never put dirty things in it, i.e., I make sure that the containers I'm dunking in it to sanitize have been washed and dried normally first beforehand. 


IrishLass


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## MGM (Jun 27, 2019)

IrishLass said:


> For what it's worth, I always use distilled water, and mine lasts a very long time.......we're talking at least year and counting.....the solution stays clear and the pH remains at 3 or below. I store the solution in a tightly-closed 5 gallon food-grade bucket out in my garage and I make sure to never put dirty things in it, i.e., I make sure that the containers I'm dunking in it to sanitize have been washed and dried normally first beforehand.
> 
> 
> IrishLass



Thanks very much for the details, @IrishLass . StarSan is on order and once it gets here, I'll re-read all the info on the board, then I'll start sanitizing everything in sight (CLEAN things, of course, so that excludes the children  )


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## madison (Sep 6, 2019)

I got my 5 gallon food grade bucket leaking, I bought it from Walmart back in July, only used it a couple of times since then.
I wonder where to buy a good one from, I'll be going out of town soon, we don't have many shops in my area.
I appreciate any help.
Thank you.


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## IrishLass (Sep 7, 2019)

Lowe's sells 5-gallon food-grade buckets. Also, if you have a home-brew supply store nearby, they sell them, too.


IrishLass


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## madison (Sep 8, 2019)

IrishLass said:


> Lowe's sells 5-gallon food-grade buckets. Also, if you have a home-brew supply store nearby, they sell them, too.
> 
> 
> IrishLass



Thank you IrishLass, I'll be having a trip tp Lowe's soon.


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