# Sanitization **URL:** \ **Category:** General Homebrew Discussion\ **Created:** [April 9, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706 "2015-04-09T14:25:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flbrewer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/flbrewer/32/6296_2.png) [@flbrewer](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/flbrewer)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/1 "2015-04-09T14:25:15Z")
In an effort to use less water and Star San, I’m curious to know if anyone sanitizes fermenters and bottles/kegs with Star San via spray bottle. I currently make up a 5 gallon batch of Star San for bottling and typically do the same or maybe a 2.5 gallon mix for the fermenter and shake up. ---
**Author:** ![pmorrissette](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/pmorrissette/32/2952_2.png) [@pmorrissette](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/pmorrissette)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 2:33pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/2 "2015-04-09T14:33:23Z")
For my carboys, I usually just use about a cup and shake/swirl the carboy for a few minutes to ensure the star san covers the entire surface area for 30ish seconds. Then I pour it as much as I can back into my star san bucket. Seems to work well so far. ---
**Author:** ![euge](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/euge/32/5060_2.png) [@euge](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/euge)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/3 "2015-04-09T14:40:49Z")
Lately I’ve been spritzing my buckets with a bottle. Works well. I keep some Starsan solution in a PET bottle to pour into my kegs. Pretty much don’t make even small buckets of the solution any more. ---
**Author:** ![reverseapachemaster](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/reverseapachemaster/32/19_2.png) [@reverseapachemaster](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/reverseapachemaster)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 2:56pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/4 "2015-04-09T14:56:38Z")
Yes I almost always use a spray bottle exclusively to sanitize. Carboys are the exception because it’s not easy to get a good coat on the upper interior with a spray (at least for me). I make a cup or so of solution and pour it in the carboy and shake it up until everything appears well coated. When I pour out the excess solution I capture it in a plastic bowl and use it to sanitize small parts or add it to my spray bottle. I use very little star-san that way. ---
**Author:** ![wort-h.o.g](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/wort-h.o.g/32/11975_2.png) [@wort-h.o.g](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/wort-h.o.g)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 3:09pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/5 "2015-04-09T15:09:35Z")
i mix a gallon and fill spray bottle as needed. ---
**Author:** ![kylekohlmorgen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/kylekohlmorgen/32/7926_2.png) [@kylekohlmorgen](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/kylekohlmorgen)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/6 "2015-04-09T15:31:09Z")
> [@euge](#): > > Lately I’ve been spritzing my buckets with a bottle. Works well. > > I keep some Starsan solution in a PET bottle to pour into my kegs. Pretty much don’t make even small buckets of the solution any more. +1 Its a very GOOD spritzing, ending with about a half-inch of Star San on the bottom. Make sure you get the lid, inside the grommet, etc. I am a bad example, though. I’ve only brewed mixed-fermentation beers over the last year. I definitely have had cross-contamination, but its quite welcome  😃 I have a 2.5 gal keg filled with Star San for filling spray bottles and sanitizing kegs, lines, transfer tubing, glasses, and fermentors. If I need the keg, I just fill all the spray bottles and dump. ---
**Author:** ![metron-brewer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/metron-brewer/32/670_2.png) [@metron-brewer](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/metron-brewer)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/7 "2015-04-09T15:47:55Z")
I use a spray bottle to sanitize everything. I mix up 1 gallon at a time using distilled water and fill my spray bottle as needed from the one gallon jug. For kegs and carboys I just make sure to give it a good sparyaing and then swirl it around to make sure it gets up at the top. ---
**Author:** ![jonhughey\_att.net](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/jonhughey_att.net/32/6277_2.png) [@jonhughey\_att.net](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/jonhughey_att.net)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/8 "2015-04-09T15:53:39Z")
I soak tubing and small items in my 5 gallon bucket of starsan. Since I ferment in buckets I pour the bucket of sanitizer into the fermenter bucket, put the lid on and swirl like hell, and pour back a couple minutes later. I then use the spray bottle for any needed spot sanitizing, like on the bucket lid, grommet, keg posts and QDs, etc. ---
**Author:** ![flbrewer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/flbrewer/32/6296_2.png) [@flbrewer](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/flbrewer)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 4:35pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/9 "2015-04-09T16:35:39Z")
> [@euge](#): > > Lately I’ve been spritzing my buckets with a bottle. Works well. > > I keep some Starsan solution in a PET bottle to pour into my kegs. Pretty much don’t make even small buckets of the solution any more. Any requirement for longer storage in PET? ---
**Author:** ![wort-h.o.g](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/wort-h.o.g/32/11975_2.png) [@wort-h.o.g](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/wort-h.o.g)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/10 "2015-04-09T17:23:44Z")
> [@flbrewer](#): > > > [@euge](#): > > > > Lately I’ve been spritzing my buckets with a bottle. Works well. > > > > I keep some Starsan solution in a PET bottle to pour into my kegs. Pretty much don’t make even small buckets of the solution any more. > > Any requirement for longer storage in PET? Not sure but I know in the 1 gal water jugs, it eventually eat a whole and springs a leak…happened a few times already. ---
**Author:** ![mbarnaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@mbarnaby](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/mbarnaby)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 6:56pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/11 "2015-04-09T18:56:08Z")
I use a 2 gallon veggie sprayer, the kind you would use to spray pesticide(it was brand new and has only had san star in it)  I like it cause once it is pumped up you just pull the handle, instead of having to squeeze a spray bottle a thousand times.  They are made to handle some caustic stuff so I have never had issue with it leaking or corroding. ---
**Author:** ![euge](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/euge/32/5060_2.png) [@euge](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/euge)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/12 "2015-04-09T20:35:08Z")
> [@flbrewer](#): > > > [@euge](#): > > > > Lately I’ve been spritzing my buckets with a bottle. Works well. > > > > I keep some Starsan solution in a PET bottle to pour into my kegs. Pretty much don’t make even small buckets of the solution any more. > > Any requirement for longer storage in PET? The solution in the old windex bottle is eight-ish years old from the first bottle of Starsan. Clear as the day I made it. I’m on my second bottle of Starsan now and mix it into an 1L PET (soda) with my RO water. I think it’s like 1/2oz of SS per litre. Keeps forever that way. ---
**Author:** ![inbituinthebrew](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/inbituinthebrew/32/8088_2.png) [@inbituinthebrew](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/inbituinthebrew)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/13 "2015-04-11T13:47:52Z")
> [@](#): > > i mix a gallon and fill spray bottle as needed. +1 I’ve only ever used the gallon jugs (star san directly into distilled water) and spray bottles (from the jug). I typically pour maybe 1/5th of the jug into the carboy and shake. All the smaller components get a shower from the bottle. I haven’t had any holes in my gallon jugs though. ---
**Author:** ![flbrewer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/flbrewer/32/6296_2.png) [@flbrewer](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/flbrewer)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/14 "2015-04-11T15:50:09Z")
Any reason some of you mention mixing w RO or distilled vs tap? ---
**Author:** ![denny](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/denny/32/13092_2.png) [@denny](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/denny)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/15 "2015-04-11T15:59:00Z")
> [@flbrewer](#): > > Any reason some of you mention mixing w RO or distilled vs tap? Mixed with distilled water in a spray bottle it will keep for a long time…like months to years.  with tap water is may only be good for a day. ---
**Author:** ![flbrewer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/flbrewer/32/6296_2.png) [@flbrewer](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/flbrewer)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/16 "2015-04-11T16:01:53Z")
A day? Is that a joke? Apparently I’ve been doing it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![denny](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/denny/32/13092_2.png) [@denny](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/denny)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/17 "2015-04-11T16:02:44Z")
> [@flbrewer](#): > > A day? Is that a joke? Apparently I’ve been doing it wrong. It depends on your water.  For me, a day is about it with my tap water. ---
**Author:** ![jonhughey\_att.net](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/jonhughey_att.net/32/6277_2.png) [@jonhughey\_att.net](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/jonhughey_att.net)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/18 "2015-04-11T16:10:13Z")
> [@denny](#): > > > [@flbrewer](#): > > > > Any reason some of you mention mixing w RO or distilled vs tap? > > Mixed with distilled water in a spray bottle it will keep for a long time…like months to years.  with tap water is may only be good for a day. Yep, I mix with distilled. Stays clear and good for over a year for me. ---
**Author:** ![Philbrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/858c86/32.png) [@Philbrew](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/Philbrew)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/19 "2015-04-11T16:31:39Z")
Yeah, our tap (well) water has 380 ppm TDS.  Star San goes cloudy instantly in it and probably the PH goes wrong (and I think PH is how SS kills bugs). I use RO water (16 ppm TDS) from the machine at WallyMart (37 cents/gal.) and store the SS mix in gallon glass jugs.  Keeps for months at least. ---
**Author:** ![bassetman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/bassetman/32/12512_2.png) [@bassetman](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/bassetman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706/20 "2015-04-11T17:02:57Z")
Same here I have to use RO for everything. If my water were harder I would pour a new driveway from the tap. [Next page](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/sanitization/19706.md?page=2)