What are the effects of storing things IN Star San for extended periods? I’m thinking mostly for things like auto-siphons and tubing that never really dry out completely or could retain some moisture and encourage mold, etc…
As much as I love Star San, I know it’s an acid and worry about it eating away at things…
Thoughts??
???
I don’t know what might be long term storage, but I will store items for up to a week or so at times. I tend to keep Star San handy at all times and will use it for many tasks. I will rinse out my bottles in tap water and then soak them in Star San for a number of days until I have enough bottles to fill the bucket again. I then drain and store the bottles for the future.
Time frame wouldn’t be long…I would change the Star San between uses (1-2 weeks max) since I usually have to transfer something once a week (Pri, Sec, Keg)…I just wasn’t sure if there were any ill effects from having prolonged exposure to plastic tubing, tap hoses, etc.
I too use Star San for just about everything, love the stuff…I have a great recipe for a chicken marinade! ;D
Time to update my sig
The other thing that will happen is you will begin to gather duplicates and triplicates of the equipment you use. Soon you will have a number of air locks and you will rotate them through your brewing processes. Therefore, each individual item will be exposed fewer times to long term contact.
I think though, some items may cloud. Maybe somebody else will chime in on that.
I thought it would be a good idea as well. I left some airlocks and a few misc. items in my starsan bucket, it turned cloudy. On the other hand, my spray bottle, with the same solution was just fine. I can’t say why, just my observation.
It can leave a soapy film on things sometimes.
i left a bucket of star san on my stained concrete floor for about two weeks and there is a ring where the bucket sat. other than that, i love star san…
i think the way you test star san to see if it’s still good is to check the pH, although i forgot what the number is supposed to be.
pH should be 3 or less.
Another test is when it eats skin on my hands it is still good 
thanks. i knew it was 2 or 3, but couldn’t rememeber which.
cheers.
Yeah 3 or less…here’s the mfg’s data sheet.
I make my starsan solution with distilled water because the local water clouds it up quickly. I have kept airlocks in the solution for a day or two but have no experience with tubing. The airlock was okay but I still felt like it wasn’t a good idea? idk why really? Now though, I keep the starsan in the gallon jugs in the garage. Cold or hot they do fine and test below 3 for months. I have had my bottle of starsan for way too long. I have noticed that if I use the solution on something and then let it dry it gets a strange film on it so I always rinse everything. Tubing will dry if you swing it around to force the water out and then hang it somewhere for a day or two.
It has never eaten through the gallon jugs in the garage.
It used to be 2.4. Looks like they lowered the concentration.
Plastic racking tubing does get cloudy if you leave it in star san for a couple of days. No big deal.
Really? I don’t recall it ever being 2.4, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t!
After use, I sanitize and take my autosiphon apart (just the “racking cane” out), and place it upright so it can dry and hang my hoses in a manner that they will drip dry. I have never had mold (or other growth) in my auto siphon or my tubing.
+1
Times are a changin’ 8)
In a reply from Jon Herskovits of Five Star Chemicals (I had asked him about long term storage in a carboy):Yes, storage in a glass container or plastic (HDPE) would be suitable.
"Star San will kill below a pH of 3.5, when the pH drifts above 3.5, it means
that it is no longer effective. You could also Titrate to determine the
exact ppm of acid and DDBSA. Most people use the pH method.
Jon "
