Star San

[MoreBeerEh]

I was told to get some Star San sanitizer. So I did. How do you use it for sanitizing stuff when brewing? Is it safe for you to put your hands in the sanitized water with this stuff?

TIA

[brewmonkey]

I have used it for the last several years with my bare hands, no problems. You will love this stuff and will never want to use anything else!

Remember that this is a no rinse sani and can be used on all your stuff.

[mmmBeer...]

Best stuff in the world...doesn't stain,leave bleach marks on your clothes, or severely dry out your skin.

You'll never go back :)

[MoreBeerEh]

That's great. So you don't have to rinse the bottles after you use it? No after taste or anyuthing?

[brewmonkey]

Not a damn thing from this stuff. It is a high foaming agent, so if you plan on shaking something give it enough time for the foam to settle out. I made the mistake of putting this into a CIP loop once, and it took me some time to get the foam down. Like I said though, great freaking stuff. I would rate this as the #1 sani agent for homebrewers.

[kgaugler]

Brewmonkey, I noticed how darn much it foams too. First time I used it, I put the StarSan in my keg and proceeded to fill with water. I got about a gallon of water and 4 gallons of foam!! The foam NEVER seems to go away. I know it is "no rinse" but how the heck else do you get rid of all the foam (especially in racking tubing, etc.)? It would take a long time to dry or break down.

[brewmonkey]

You have to wait. That is why I was letting him know about it's foaming abilities. All the foam will reduce but it takes time. Best thing to for cornies/carboys is to sani them well in advance. Like when you mash in as that will give it the time it needs.

[MoreBeerEh]

How much do you put in per gallon?

[brewmonkey]

Check out the Five Star Site. Here is a link directly to Star-San's directions. If you hit the site, look under Masterbrewer as that is where all the MSDS are located as well as directions.

http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/brewers/Sanitizers_and_Final_Rinsers/starsan.html

[Brownbeard]

I never really worry about the foam. There seems like a lot of sanitizing solution there, but in the form of foam, it is all surface area. There is very little solution there at all, and it is no rinse. I rinse what foam I can out and then go right on top of it. No problems.

[ray m]

Originally posted by MoreBeerEh:
_________________________________
How much do you put in per gallon?
_________________________________
The StarSan bottles have this great measuring device built in. It calls for 1 oz. per 5 gallons, so I use 1/4 oz. for 1.25 gallons to make a smaller "batch" of it.

[kgaugler]

Brownbeard, so you are saying you don't worry about the foam? Your just putting your wort or fermented beer right on top of it? Do you get any off flavors from doing this?

[fuji6100]

When I mix my star san, I typically add the solution to the water, then stir (so I don't get a bucket with a heaping head of suds) rather than add water on top of the solution.

Also, I invert my carboy to dry and usually there is still some foam left inside. I haven't had even a trace of an off flavor from racking right onto the remaining foam.

Brownbeard hit the nail on the head.... it's all surface area, very little liquid is left and it's 99% air.

[fstbttms]

Originally posted by kgaugler
Brewmonkey, I noticed how darn much it foams too. First time I used it, I put the StarSan in my keg and proceeded to fill with water. I got about a gallon of water and 4 gallons of foam!! The foam NEVER seems to go away. I know it is "no rinse" but how the heck else do you get rid of all the foam (especially in racking tubing, etc.)? It would take a long time to dry or break down.

I have asked this question in this forum and others, as well as the boys at B3. I always get the same answer. "Don't worry about the foam." You won't taste it, it won't hurt your beer and in fact it's a good thing. It'll get into, and stay in longer, the places you need sanitized.

[paul84043]

I posted this on another thread in this same section a while back, but I think it's still relavent.
Someone mentioned "swirling" your bottles as they empty to get all the foam out of them when sanitizing, it worked wonderfully, but it works even better on a carboy full of star san foam! I just pour in some extra solution, invert the carboy and give it a circular whirl, the foam gets drawn right out, it's amazing.
Even for a carboy full of foam you'll only need to do this a couple of times and it will be empty.

Also with Star San, I have never worried about drying my carboys, or draining out every last drop of sanitizer, I've never detected an off taste of any kind.

[sullydavid]

I also use this stuff exclusively. One small thing I noticed is that adding it near the end of the water will reduce the amount of foam greatly. I usually add about 4 gallons of water to a carboy, add the sanitizer and then top off with water. Very little foam that way.

Also when dumping it, swirling works as mentioned above, but I also will feed a racking cane or piece of tube in to provide a path for air so the gurgling is cut back.

[brewmonkey]

For those of you who do not like the high foaming of the starsan there is a product by five star called Sani Clean. It is a low foaming acid anionic and is available from morebeer.com in a 1 qt size. Contact time is a bit longer and usage is a little more, but it works great, is low foam and CAN BE put into a CIP loop for those who have pumps and spray balls.

[Salpta]

Hiya, long time lurker here, with a small tip to help reduce the amount of star san you're using (stuff's expensive) :(

I've got a spray bottle (about 1/2 gal) that i fill up with a slightly more concentrated solution of starsan. When it comes time to sanitize my gear, i'll just spray everything down with the bottle, Including the fermentors. Just 10 or so sprays gives me a small level in the fermentor that I shake and roll around to coat the inside. Let sit for a few min, rinse repeat. Very little foam this way and i've yet to have an infection (**Crosses fingers, and looks in fear at the beer gods**).

Plus its just darn convienient, in a spraybottle.

[chris1kanobi]

You can also re-use Star-San. I keep a 5 gallon bucket full under the sink and when it gets nasty looking (or the Ph gets too high) I pour it out and make some more. Great stuff. You learn to love the bubbles, and ignore them in the fermenter.:D