Question for StarSan Users

I have always used iodophor for sanitation but today I bought some StarSan. I switched due to the ability to store StarSan diluted and have it on hand to use whenever, not having to mix it every time I want to pull a hydrometer sample.

Anyway...I know the foam is my friend and racking onto the foam is a good thing, but how much foam do you usually have? For example I was racking into a 5 gallon carboy tonight, how much foam would you normally have in the carboy?

I have been told not to worry about how much foam is in the carboy, just drain as much of the liquid as you can out, and leave the foam.

It depends how much it got swished around, but sometimes one quarter of the carboy. If you try to add water to it (say to rinse it out) sometimes it foams right to the top.

Anyways, don't worry about the foam. It can be annoying when you are trying to fill a carboy and all that foam comes shooting out, but other than that, Star San is awesome, awesome stuff. I don't think I could ever go back.

I'm a StarSan user for quite some time and I admit the foam makes me nervous. I sanitize my carboys/kegs in StarSan and then quickly rinse the foam out with the hottest tap water I can get running through my pipes.

Don't fear the foam. It is harmless to your beer. Actually, it is protecting your beer. It is good.

I once racked into a carboy that had at least a quart of Star San in the bottom because I forgot to drain it. I had about 2 gallons in it before I realized my mistake. So rather than throw out 2 gallons of beer, I just kept on racking. To make a long story short, it made no difference whatsoever.

On a BBR podcast, the inventor of Star San, Charlie Talley made the same claim. I didn't really believe him either, but now I do.

You guys don't need to sweat the foam with Starsan. When you rack on top of it, the little bit left dilutes with your wort and becomes food for the yeast. Pretty sweet! It can't get any better than that.

Ok everybody, let's try it all together now.

RACK ON FOAM!

RACK ON FOAM!

RACK ON FOAM!

ROF ROF ROF!

After my very first beer, (totally infected) I've only ever used star-san. I like to fill the carboy half or three quarters full and then add my star-san. Then I fill up the rest of the carboy to the very top. This limits the amount of foam while still thoroughly mixing it. When you dump the star-san out, just gently pour it vs. letting it go "glug" and agitate the solution. You will have a moderate amount of foam, but nothing 10 minutes of draining won't fix. The foam is good because it actually forms a barrier in the neck of the upside down carboy. That way, nothing can draft up in there....

good to know about feeding the yeast...

EdWort said:

You guys don't need to sweat the foam with Starsan. When you rack on top of it, the little bit left dilutes with your wort and becomes food for the yeast. Pretty sweet!

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I've always wondered exactly what it is that becomes food for the yeast?

ScubaSteve said:

I've always wondered exactly what it is that becomes food for the yeast?

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I don't know, but I heard an interview on The Brewing Network with the inventor. It's a food grade sanitizer and contact time needed is 30 seconds, but the FDA makes him say 2 minutes. I've used it for a year with nothing but stellar results. I keep a 3 gallon bottle of RO (Reverse Osmosis) water handy with Starsan, so I always have sanitizer ready when I need it. It lasts and last as long as the Ph is 3.

Yeah...starsan is great stuff....but you gotta wonder what it is that the yeast might eat out of an acid based sanitizer that has been broken down.....

ScubaSteve said:

Yeah...starsan is great stuff....but you gotta wonder what it is that the yeast might eat out of an acid based sanitizer that has been broken down.....

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Well, when you think vitamin C is an acid and you have amino acids.....

Yeah, I had heard the interviews on both BBR and TBN with Charlie Talley and that is what basically switched me over.

I don't mind the foam, I was just curious because I tried (not that hard) to get some of it out, it was about 1/4 full of foam. I wasn't watching the carboy on the ground after the siphon got started (minding the trub) and when I was done I saw that a lot of the foam go pushed out the top of the carboy. I was expecting that but what was cool was that it stuck to the hose and started to spiral up. I wish I had grabbed a camera it was pretty cool.

Star San is a pH dependant bacteriocidal detergent. It contains a buffer to keep the pH in the range that makes the detergent - which is "soap" - deadly to bacteria and yeast. Once it is diluted - ie with your beer - it is no longer effective so the yeast you pitch is fine. The detergent is biodegradable and consumed by the yeast.