Elshupacabra

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Is there any official explanation for how Star San goes from being a product that kills wild bacteria and yeast cells to becoming a helpful yeast nutrient in the wort?

I've done a few vague Google searches, without much luck.

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dwarven_stout

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It's all about the concentration. At the prescribed dose, it destroys bacteria cell walls. At dilute concentrations, it mostly dissociates, freeing phosphate for yeast to use. Yeast nutrient that you buy in the store is primarily nitrogen compounds and phosphates- the breakdown products of StarSan are phosphate.

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GilaMinumBeer

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+1 only edit "concentration, dose, (&) dilute concentration" with pH.

It's all about the pH of the solution, which isn't saying DS was wrong. At pH 3 or higher Star San is an effective sanitizer. As the pH drifts/blends toward neutral (with the wort pH) it becomes nutrient.

dwarven_stout

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Meh. In the end pH is just a measure of H+ concentration. I'll stick by what I said. :P

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"I can't believe how many people think Air Lock is pronounced Hydrometer." -BigKahuna
"If you gave me a beer with placenta in it without telling me I would kick you in the nuts." -ODaniel
"We be in a big hurry for dope beer with much alcamahol and flavor, quality, balance, and aroma don't matter. We just wantz to be druck, u know?" -Yooper

emjay

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You mean pH 3 or lower, dingbat!!!1

Which isn't saying you were wrong. Or wait, yeah, it kind of does...

HHP

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Just throwing this out there, the dude who made star san says a pH of 3.5 or lower and it kills ****.

rico567

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Yes. I suspect that the "dude" (Charlie Talley at Five Star) would be really easy to contact for anyone who requires further clarification on this subject.

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Revvy

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This podcast has been posted every time this question comes up, it's all over the place on here, in fact a transcript of it is even stickied at the top of the equipment/sanitiation section of the forum.

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rico567

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Yes- and the part about bleach is worth a listen, even though I don't go near it for brewing. On brewday, it's Star San all the way.

Acidified bleach is very useful for cleaning/sanitizing things as a cheap expedient. As always, watch your clothes when mixing bleach soluitons. Bleach by itself is a poor sanitizer. Charlie Talley discusses how putting a tablespoon or so of white vinegar into the bleach & water solution makes an effective sanitizing agent. Very useful for things like killing mold.

(NB: never, ever mix vinegar directly into bleach, or you will have the same experience as the British Army that morning in 1915 when the Germans used chlorine gas on them at Ypres....)

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“Malt does more than Milton can / To justify God’s ways to man”

-A. E. Housman (1859–1936). A Shropshire Lad , 1896.

KFBass

Recipes 

if you do, just pee on a rag and breathe through that! That's what the Canadians did while the french and british lines fled!

I believe charlie talley was on the Brewing network as well. He discusses this yeast nutrient thing birefly.