Has anybody used Star San to sanitize tubes?

[HowardR]

Would this stuff work great to wash stainless sap holding tanks and pvc lines that go from tank to tank? How about washing evaporator?

It's not a soap. It's something to use after you've gotten the gunk off. But after your tanks are clean, you could sterilize them with Star San. Watch this YouTube video to see how beer brewers use it. (There are lots of videos about Star San on YouTube.) I've learned two other things about Star San:

1. It can ruin the finish of an aluminum pot. (Star San is an acid, and acids react with aluminum.)

2. If your tap water is hard, the Star San might not work because hard tap water is a base, and bases neutralize acids. I've been saving permeate water from my RO to use with Star San.

Howard

[HowardR]

Here's a picture of my Star San tube pump:

TubeWashingTools.jpg

1. Green chemical resistant gloves bought at a local hardware store, because I don't want the extremely acidic Star San concentrate to touch my skin.

2. 6 gallon stainless steel milk bucket bought on Ebay years ago to carry almost-syrup from my evaporator to my kitchen.

3. About 3 gallons of Star San solution (it is bubbly) in the 6 gallon bucket.

4. About 1 foot long end cut off of a torn garden hose. It reaches into the bucket and is connected to the pump.

5. Milescraft drill pump attached to the 20 volt cordless DeWalt drill, the same drill that I use to drill the 5/16 holes for my maple syrup taps.

6. 3/4 GHT Female to 3/8 Male NPT hose fitting

7. 3/8 Female NPT to 5/16 Barb pipe fitting

8. 5/16 tube attached to barb at one end and open at other end. (Not shown is a plug that I put in the open end of the tube which helps to keep the pump primed as I move from one spout to another.)

9. 5/16 maple spout that is temporarily inserted into the tube of step 8. It is the spout end of the maple syrup line that I am cleaning. I push the spout into the open tube. Then I press the button on my drill to drive 1 to 3 cups of Star San solution through the tube and into my main line.

10. A five gallon stainless steel bucket that I bought on Ebay years ago to carry almost-syrup from my evaporator to my kitchen. I need both buckets in the woods. I mix five new gallons of Star San (5 gallons water to 1 oz. Star San concentrate) in my 6 gallon bucket, Then I split the solution into the two stainless steel buckets. Also, the drill pump doesn't prime easily when the bucket gets to about a gallon left, so I use the second bucket to hold the extra Star San solution from one batch to the next.

After I pump the Star San solution through the tubes, I plug the spouts so that no insects can get into them over the summer.

[GotSap?]

A4C029D5-432B-44F5-A539-54724F9935D4.jpg

Similar process with the Star San, but I use a 3 gallon chemical sprayer with modified end. This year, my 2 sons (12 & 15) pulled, sanitized, and plugged all 300 taps themselves in 1 weekend using this setup.

[HowardR]

Attachment 18514

Similar process with the Star San, but I use a 3 gallon chemical sprayer with modified end. This year, my 2 sons (12 & 15) pulled, sanitized, and plugged all 300 taps themselves in 1 weekend using this setup.

Your sprayer looks great. (I'd be interested in seeing a close-up photo of the modified end.) But what I most want to borrow is your two sons!

[tgormley358]

HowardR,

This is my first year with tubing for about 70 taps on 7-8 lines mostly 5/16, and a little 3/16. I’ve been readin up here on cleaning and sanatizing the tubing and purchased a drill pump for this but can’t get it to pump any fluid out of my 5-gallon bucket into the tubing. Im using a Dewalt 18v cordless and notnsure it’s spinning fast enough. It only moves an inch or two (in the tubing) of my water Star San solution. Called the vendor and they said this drill pump isn’t capable for this. Well I didn’t pay much for it, but it sounded like others here had success with theirs, so I’m still trying. Next step is try my electric corded drill as I think it spins faster. I’m using a similar setup with 5/8 hose into my bucket and the other end screwed into the pump inlet. The outlet has fittings bringing it down to 5/16 or 3/16. Appreciate any thoughts. I also have a larger gas powered pump 1,300 Gph for sap transfer but I’m afraid it would be too powerful.

[HowardR]

HowardR,
This is my first year with tubing for about 70 taps on 7-8 lines mostly 5/16, and a little 3/16. I’ve been readin up here on cleaning and sanatizing the tubing and purchased a drill pump for this but can’t get it to pump any fluid out of my 5-gallon bucket into the tubing. Im using a Dewalt 18v cordless and notnsure it’s spinning fast enough. It only moves an inch or two (in the tubing) of my water Star San solution. Called the vendor and they said this drill pump isn’t capable for this.

Your drill may not be the problem. My drill is a 20V Dewalt DCD777 with a maximum speed of 1750 RPM. The 18V Dewalt drills have a maximum speed of 1500 RPM, which is just a bit less. I just finished pouring Star San solution through all of my 680 spiles without problem.

Your description sounds like what happens to me when I have lost the priming and can't get it back because the bucket is nearly empty. You have air in the pump, and, as a result, the pump does not have the power to push much solution into the spile. (There are less likely explanations such as that you didn't tighten the chuck enough or that the drill is turning in the wrong direction.)

It is very easy to get the pump primed when the pump is only a few inches above the solution. Just hold the open end of the 5/16 tube as low as possible while you trigger the drill. Once the solution starts to pour out, the pump is primed and you just need to keep it primed. I try to do so, between spiles, by keeping the hose end in solution and the tube end plugged.

Also, you may have bought a pump that requires a very fast drill for self-priming. I bought the Milescraft 1314 drill pump from Amazon for $12.99. Before I bought it, I looked at claims, ratings and reviews of some of their other drill pumps. The Milescraft had a higher self-priming distance, higher user ratings and better reviews than the other drill pumps that I looked at. One of the $6 drill pumps has a 2.3 user rating, but the Milescraft has a 3.9 user rating.

[tgormley358]

Thanks for the reply Howard. I’ll try your ideas and read up on this pump. Maybe you’re right it’s just not a good mine for this application.