Starsan - Treat It With Respect

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Just a precautionary heads up to fellow forum members about handling Starsan liquid concentrate.
First it contains 50% phosphoric acid. Mineral acids like sulphuric, hydrochloric, and phosphoric acid are very aggresive corrosive chemicals.
Why am I saying this? Story as follows...
I keep my Starsan in a spare room with other brewing kit in a resealable bag on metal mesh racking. The other day I noticed the bottle had fallen on its side so I righted it. Two days later I wondered what the tiny pool of liquid was on the top of a can of LME. I then found out. Because the bottle caps weren't on completely tight and the bag wasn't sealed properly a small leakage (say about 10-15 cc total) had escaped. The damage was etching of the metal rack, eating into a cardboard box, and, surprisingly dissolving the carpet which fortunately doesn't matter too much. although there is now a hole in it.
So lesson learned. I will now ensure the bottle is always upright, caps properly on, and it is stored in a leakproof container.
And finally do not get this stuff near your eyes. You may lose your sight. :-o
 
I have a darker stain on the bedroom carpet due to Mrs DOJ I suspect. the star san bottle was stuffed away in a plastic box because I hadn't tidyed it away quick enough. other stuff was put in the box and knocked it over. the lid wasn't on air tight and some leaked.

I took the syphon tube out of the box and told Mrs DOJ to leave it as I would put all that stuff away somewhere else.

then after a family distraction or 5 I went back to find Mrs DOJ had taken the fv upstairs with the syphon tube on. only guess what? there was star san on it and it was touching the wall and carpet.

what a nice stain on a brand new �£400 bedroom carpet. Divorce almost ensued :mad:

you can be too much of a tidier upper. I keep telling her if you don't know where its supposed to go leave it where it is until someone who does know where it's supposed to go puts it away.

But Yeah, treat star san extra carefully when undiluted:thumb:
 
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you can be too much of a tidier upper. I keep telling her if you don't know where its supposed to go leave it where it is until someone who does know where it's supposed to go puts it away.

.................

I too am married to a Santa's Little Helper!

Latest example was last Sunday.

Garage too cold so prepared conservatory desk ready to commence yeast starter. All pukka. Boiled water in kettle cooling, Pyrex jug cleaned and sanitised under tin foil etc. I even got a melamine tray out of the kitchen in case the starter went wild and foamed.

I went to the garage to pick up the packet of yeast and when I got back the kettle was on the hob heating up (to make SWMBO a cup of tea) and the 12v battery and spinner-plate had been moved up to a higher shelf. The Pyrex jug and the melamine tray had been tidied away back into the kitchen and "that bit of tinfoil you left on the jug" was in the bin.

All I can do is walk around shaking my head and muttering "Nobody knows what I have to put up with!" :doh: :doh: :doh:
 
Just a precautionary heads up to fellow forum members about handling Starsan liquid concentrate.
First it contains 50% phosphoric acid. Mineral acids like sulphuric, hydrochloric, and phosphoric acid are very aggresive corrosive chemicals.
Why am I saying this? Story as follows...
. :-o

Not to be left near the cocktail cabinet.:doh:
 
I too am married to a Santa's Little Helper!

Latest example was last Sunday.

Garage too cold so prepared conservatory desk ready to commence yeast starter. All pukka. Boiled water in kettle cooling, Pyrex jug cleaned and sanitised under tin foil etc. I even got a melamine tray out of the kitchen in case the starter went wild and foamed.

I went to the garage to pick up the packet of yeast and when I got back the kettle was on the hob heating up (to make SWMBO a cup of tea) and the 12v battery and spinner-plate had been moved up to a higher shelf. The Pyrex jug and the melamine tray had been tidied away back into the kitchen and "that bit of tinfoil you left on the jug" was in the bin.

All I can do is walk around shaking my head and muttering "Nobody knows what I have to put up with!" :doh: :doh: :doh:

I barricade myself in the kitchen thesedays and put a wedge behind the door!
 
I too am married to a Santa's Little Helper!

Latest example was last Sunday.

Garage too cold so prepared conservatory desk ready to commence yeast starter. All pukka. Boiled water in kettle cooling, Pyrex jug cleaned and sanitised under tin foil etc. I even got a melamine tray out of the kitchen in case the starter went wild and foamed.

I went to the garage to pick up the packet of yeast and when I got back the kettle was on the hob heating up (to make SWMBO a cup of tea) and the 12v battery and spinner-plate had been moved up to a higher shelf. The Pyrex jug and the melamine tray had been tidied away back into the kitchen and "that bit of tinfoil you left on the jug" was in the bin.

All I can do is walk around shaking my head and muttering "Nobody knows what I have to put up with!" :doh: :doh: :doh:

I wonder how long you were really in your garage.........
 
I did my first brew on Sunday and was splashing starsan all over the place paranoid that bugs would get to my brew. Really does lift the colour out of everything.

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I wonder how long you were really in your garage.........

I "nipped out" like I normally do. Two minutes tops. :thumb:

I only checked the Wilco Keg in the fridge, tightened the cap of the King Keg (not sure that it wasn't leaking a bit) and had a quick pint ... :thumb:

... so maybe it could have been three minutes; but definitely no longer! :whistle:

Oh, and I also brought back the Wilco Wine Yeast as well. :doh:
 
Without noticing I knocked one of the red rubber DJ bungs into my tub of starsan diluted for use, put the lid back on and left it must have been from Friday when I was sterilising some kit. Anyway found it today when I'm sorting stuff for racking my tea wine lift it out and the colour is leaking out of it and the rubber is starting to dissolve. So that's in the bin now off to LHBS tomorrow.


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Without noticing I knocked one of the red rubber DJ bungs into my tub of starsan diluted for use, put the lid back on and left it must have been from Friday when I was sterilising some kit. Anyway found it today when I'm sorting stuff for racking my tea wine lift it out and the colour is leaking out of it and the rubber is starting to dissolve. So that's in the bin now off to LHBS tomorrow.


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i've noticed this on an airlock grommet the plasticy ones are fine.
 
For all the above reasons. I keep mine on the top of the kitchen cupboard well out of reach of Mrs MQ just in case she some how knocks the bottle over ans spills in on herself (even though I keep the caps on tight) or something. I also keep the CRS (blended acids for stipping out the alkalinit of my tap water) up there too. I only need to get the tiniest bit on my skin and I can feel it itching
 
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