# Starsan...and then what?



## Jbu50 (Apr 3, 2021)

The question that I cannot find an answer to anywhere on this site, or on youtube, is this: You make a 5 gallon solution and you sanitize your stuff... Then what? How long does the 5 gallon solution last for? Can you cap the pail and keep it forever? Can you leave the pail open? Does the solution expire? Or do you have to pour it all down the drain 30 minutes later?


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## stickman (Apr 3, 2021)

The information below is from the Star san product tech sheet.

*Directions: *A dilution of 1 ounce to 5 gallons of water, STAR SAN will provide 300 ppm of dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid. After 1 to 2 minutes contact time, drain sanitizing solution equipment thoroughly. Do not rinse. If using Star San in CIP, proper water balance must be maintained or your pump may cavitate. If used at a rate of more than 300 ppm, a potable rinse is required.

*Part Soaking*: Use 1 ounce of STAR SAN per 5 gallons of water. Parts must have contact with solution for 30 seconds and put on wet. When solution begins to cloud, sweeten with Star San or Phosphoric Acid. Solution must remain at a pH at 3 or below to maintain proper sanitizing level.


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## thunderwagn (Apr 3, 2021)

New at making wine but I've brewed beer forever and Star San is the sanitizer of choice. There's really no need to make 5 gallons for sanitizing most things. I make up a gallon at at time, which is about 6 ml of Star San. That's plenty to pour into a fermenter and slosh around. I fill a spray bottle and keep the rest in a sealed small bucket. When it starts looking cloudy I toss it. Distilled water can prolong the life. I can easily use a gallon batch for months.
You can also test the ph (effectiveness). If under 3.5, you should be good.


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## Ajmassa (Apr 4, 2021)

i made 5gal buckets of sanitizer originally as well. most just gets wasted. way too much. now i keep 1gal solution (i use all kmeta now)in a glass jug and another 32oz in a spray bottle. 

back when did use starsan i used the ph test strips to check it. really that’s about all i ever did use the strips for since i never trusted them for wine. but for starsan they’re perfect. bright yellow= still good.


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## Bill Pet (Apr 4, 2021)

I make up 2.5 gallons of the solution at a time and keep it in a sealed bucket. The reason I make that much is that it is handy for me to dip items like funnels and measuring cups. It also makes it easier for me to sanitize things like tubing and siphons. I make sure to make up the solution with distilled water, otherwise it becomes cloudy almost immediately. When I need just a little bit (e.g. for sanitizing a bottle), I dip some out, pour it in the bottle, swish it around, and pour it back in the bucket. I read in posts years ago the solution is ok as long as it still foams well. I don't know whether that is true or not but I've never had any trouble by following that rubric.


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## sour_grapes (Apr 4, 2021)

I don't like how a solution becomes, I don't know, sticky or gummy after more than a couple of days. It is cheap enough that I mix up 2 gallons, use it for tasks at hand for a few days, then dump it.


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## CDrew (Apr 4, 2021)

I am another regular user of starsan for almost every sanitary duty in wine making. I mix in distilled water so I don't have to deal with cloudy solutions. For a racking day, I'll mix up 2-3 gallons and usually dump out the left overs at the end of the day. It's so inexpensive and easy to make up, that to me, it isn't worth storing the left over solutions.

The only thing I don't use it for is rinsing wine bottles immediately before bottling. I feel the sulfite solution works better for that.


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## Ivywoods (Apr 5, 2021)

CDrew said:


> The only thing I don't use it for is rinsing wine bottles immediately before bottling. I feel the sulfite solution works better for that.



When I rinse my bottles with star san I always end up with bubbles in the bottle. I don't like them, but I've read that they don't hurt anything. How do you mix your sulfite solution for that?


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## CDrew (Apr 5, 2021)

Ivywoods said:


> When I rinse my bottles with star san I always end up with bubbles in the bottle. I don't like them, but I've read that they don't hurt anything. How do you mix your sulfite solution for that?



Standard stuff-2 tablespoons of Potassium Metabisulfite, and 1 tablespoon of citric acid dissolved in 1 gallon of distilled water. It's fumey so make sure your area is ventilated. I use this in the garage which seems to work well.

I really like starsan all the way back to my home brew days, but for the bottle rinse, I feel the KMBS is better.


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## Ivywoods (Apr 5, 2021)

_Thanks CDrew. I think I will do this when I bottle my next batch._


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## sour_grapes (Apr 5, 2021)

Ivywoods said:


> When I rinse my bottles with star san I always end up with bubbles in the bottle. I don't like them, but I've read that they don't hurt anything. How do you mix your sulfite solution for that?



Yes: Don't fear the foam!


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## Jbu50 (Apr 5, 2021)

CDrew said:


> Standard stuff-2 tablespoons of Potassium Metabisulfite, and 1 tablespoon of citric acid dissolved in 1 gallon of distilled water. It's fumey so make sure your area is ventilated. I use this in the garage which seems to work well.
> 
> I really like starsan all the way back to my home brew days, but for the bottle rinse, I feel the KMBS is better.


What does the citric acid do? I thought KMBS should be good on its own? Thanks.


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## CDrew (Apr 5, 2021)

Jbu50 said:


> What does the citric acid do? I thought KMBS should be good on its own? Thanks.



Lowers the pH, that pushes the reaction to the right and thus more effective sulfite solution.


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## Jbu50 (Apr 6, 2021)

Thanks for all the great advice. Finally feel confident and will give it a try. Looking forward to seeing how long it will last. Cheers!


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## Jbu50 (Apr 6, 2021)

Okay, so I've been using a 5 gallon solution for the last 2 hours and doing a deep cleaning of all my accessories and whatnot but I've had to stick my hands into the mix for the entire time pulling stuff that doesn't float out from the bottom. I assume if you're not supposed to worry about the bubbles, then you don't really have to worry about getting this stuff on your hands. Is that really the case? Is this stuff safe on your hands? I've got various hand towels that are wet. I assume they are safe to touch your face with?


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## sjjan (Apr 7, 2021)

I have been rinsing my bottles with a StarSan solution before bottling. As as result, the rosé wine is great but when pouring a glass, it seems that while pouring the wine into a glass, some foam bubbles appear on the edges of the wine glass. The foam bubbles disappear after a few minutes and there is no taste of “soap” or whatsoever. So ... I assume that it is from the StarSan used during rinsing?

See here how we rinse the bottles just before bottling with a proper StarSan solution.


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## sjjan (Apr 7, 2021)

After pouring the rosé from the bottle into the wine glass, these bubbles or this “foam” appears at the edges of the glass as can be seen in these two images. Is that normal? What could be the reason? Is it the StarSan solution that was using in rinsing the bottles? The bubbles disappear within a minute or so leaving a clear glass of great tasting rosé in the glass, but presentation is also important, so who can help out?


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## CDrew (Apr 7, 2021)

Probably some residual CO2. If present, it can haunt the edge of the wine glass.


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## RickD (Apr 7, 2021)

I'm a small batch wine maker. I mix up one gallon batches of Star San in one gallon jugs of distilled water using 1-1/4 tsp of Star San. I cap the jug with it's original cap, write the date on the jug with a sharpie, and make a new batch every 8 weeks (arbitrary, but on week 8 the fumes still choke me), but after reading this thread I think I will test the pH of a fresh batch and then re-test every couple of weeks. Most of the time I spray (as opposed to "flooding")


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## Jbu50 (Apr 7, 2021)

sjjan said:


> After pouring the rosé from the bottle into the wine glass, these bubbles or this “foam” appears at the edges of the glass as can be seen in these two images. Is that normal? What could be the reason? Is it the StarSan solution that was using in rinsing the bottles? The bubbles disappear within a minute or so leaving a clear glass of great tasting rosé in the glass, but presentation is also important, so who can help out?


...look like star san bubbles to me...


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## sjjan (Apr 8, 2021)

I doubt that it is CO2. The wine was made last fall and has been sitting in the SS tank until last week which is 6 months. If they are StarSan bubbles ... I can understand that StarSan is used more in the weer brewing world where such bubbles would go unnoticed in a glass of beer with beer foam on top. I still think that a proper StarSan solution is great for sanitizing the bottles at bottling time. Or is there a better alternative?


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## sjjan (Apr 8, 2021)

It could be CO2 but the wine has been in the SS tank now for over 6 months. It is possible. I personally suspect the StarSan solution.


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## David Violante (Apr 8, 2021)

According to Five Star, the makers of Star San, their product breaks down into sugar and adds extra nutrients... here is their *FAQ*. I don’t know that it would still foam after sitting that long~ they even say it’s not good after an hour. I’ve been following the advice here as well and haven’t had any problems in using it or tasting it either. Perhaps they ‘have’ to say it’s not good after an hour but it could last for much longer. As they say, if it’s foaming it‘s working. Just more info to add to the clarity... LOL


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## stickman (Apr 8, 2021)

Five Star also has a similar product called Saniclean which is indicated as low foaming.









Saniclean


Low-foaming, acid based, final rinse product perfect for CIP applications.




fivestarchemicals.com


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## Bmd2k1 (May 1, 2021)

I keep a 5gal HD bucket of Distilled + Star San for All my sanitizing. Typically 3/4s filled....add Both to it as needed. Been using for Years....Zero issues ✌ Top on between uses.

Cheers!


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## Raptor99 (May 3, 2021)

David Violante said:


> According to Five Star, the makers of Star San, their product breaks down into sugar and adds extra nutrients... here is their *FAQ*. I don’t know that it would still foam after sitting that long~ they even say it’s not good after an hour. I’ve been following the advice here as well and haven’t had any problems in using it or tasting it either. Perhaps they ‘have’ to say it’s not good after an hour but it could last for much longer. As they say, if it’s foaming it‘s working. Just more info to add to the clarity... LOL



I also keep and reuse my Star San solution. I have seen people suggest a few ways to see if it is still good:
* Is it clear rather than cloudy?
* Is the pH under 3.5?
* Does it foam up (this is not as reliable as a test)

If it fails any one of those tests, I discard it and make a new batch. More information here: What’s the Shelf Life of Star San? – Testing Star San’s Effectiveness

Here is a good discussion on this question: Sanitation: How long does Star-San stay good for (mixed up)?


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