I'm brewing a beer right now. I just got some star san I'm trying. I know you say don't worry about the foam! I was going to ferment in a carboy, but after cleaning with star San it's like totally full of foam! Is it ok to fill it with the wort?
Star san?
- Thread starter benco
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Greyhound
Well-Known Member
You're good to go. I dump as much as I can and I don't worry about the rest. Never had a problem.
isurf
Well-Known Member
I call it beer foam
YeastHerder
Well-Known Member
I use starsan for everything. I just treat containers at least 10 minutes before I need them and leave them upside down to let as much as possible drain out.
If you want less foam, don't shake it inside the vessels, swirl it. All you really need for the sanitation to work is to wet all the surfaces.
If you want less foam, don't shake it inside the vessels, swirl it. All you really need for the sanitation to work is to wet all the surfaces.
AndrewD
Well-Known Member
Nonsense.
I don't fear the foam, but as well I see no purpose to leave in what can be easily removed/drained out.
PackerfaninSanDiego
Member
foam insulates
mikescooling
Well-Known Member
2nd,,, this is a long time brewers saying, you may want to thin the mix out a little next time, but don't fear the foam!
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Star San is NOT a cleaner, it's a wet contact SANITIZER... PBW is a cleaner.
Oh, and don't fear the foam... The yeast loves to eat it.
I mix it exactly to the label, but it still foams up alot if you shake it. Because of the nature of the product my guess is there is some cushion in the mix ratio, but not worth the risk to me to go off-label.
Perhaps try just swirling or rolling instead of shaking to reduce the amount of foam.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Carbon?? Let me guess, iphoney autocorrect buggered you again.
:rockin: I, normally, invert my fermenter for a few moments to get the Star San, and foam, out of it. I do shake it up after putting a few quarts inside, to get a complete coating, and then seal it up. After it has time to settle, the foam that remains isn't as much. Of course, I cannot see how much foam is inside since I use adapted sanke kegs.
I put about a cup or two of Starsan solution in my Better Bottles and swirl it around. It does not make much foam. I also do this up to 10 minutes before adding the wort.
As far as I know I have not had an infection in over a year and a half of brewing.
As far as I know I have not had an infection in over a year and a half of brewing.
I use OxySan... No rinse cleaner with no annoying foam... ;-)
but stop worrying about starsan foam... if you actually let it dry out it, it will take so much time that it will probably not be sanitized anymore... ;-)
and really... isn't there like 50 threads about starsan's foam already? a simple search, for sure.... ....?
but stop worrying about starsan foam... if you actually let it dry out it, it will take so much time that it will probably not be sanitized anymore... ;-)
and really... isn't there like 50 threads about starsan's foam already? a simple search, for sure.... ....?
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
It's a 'wet contact' sanitizer. Meaning, it's effective protection while WET. Letting it dry negates it's protection layer.
Having a layer on your fermenting vessel is a good thing. Letting it dry before moving the beer/wort into the vessel is a bad thing. If you're bottling, get a bottle tree so that they're inverted while you fill (you pull one down, fill it up, then grab another from the tree, should be a song) another. I use that for my mead bottles. Since things won't fall up into the bottles, you're good there. Besides, I spray the tree with Star San before putting bottles on it (I keep spraying the empty spikes to make sure they're safe). Never had any issue with this method.
I know of other brewers that just dunk, fill, empty the bottles in the Star San bucket before bottling. Most haven't have any issue that way either. I just see the tree as extra insurance for the bottles I do use. Although when filling them with ~14%+ fluids, chances are nothing bad will happen.
Golddiggie said:It's a 'wet contact' sanitizer. Meaning, it's effective protection while WET. Letting it dry negates it's protection layer.
Thanks. That is what I thought. I was confused because the bottle says to let it dry.
JTylerSingletary
Member
Agreed. The foam is also an active sanitizer, so even a little foam in the bottles won't hurt anything. There is less phosphoric acid in Star San than a can of Coke, but it has worked great for me for years.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Well whattaya know... Just checked the new bottle I got (finally ran out of my old one, after over a year)... It does say to have at least a full minute of wet time. So, you're call. But, IMO, a bottle tree makes it easier to keep bottles 'safe'. For other applications, a spray bottle of solution is a cheap, and easy, way to make sure things are kosher.
mammothkraken
Well-Known Member
Also save your starsan. Get a 5 gallon bucket and mix up a batch, when you're done sanitizing everything pop it back in the bucket and store in the garage. I've been using the same starsan for 3 months and it still works great.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
Below 3.0 is the previously noted range. If yours has a PH above 3.0, toss it and make fresh before you use it again.
