TSA took away my Star San

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shuckit

shuckit

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Word of warning here. I put a 32oz bottle of Star San in my checked luggage and the TSA took it out of my bag and left me a note saying it was a hazardous material and prohibited in my luggage.

I've flown with a smaller amount of Star San and they didn't take it away (I guess they didn't find it?).

BTW, they didn't take away my 32oz of Io Star.
 
Good word of warning. FWIW, this is about the least stupid thing I've heard the TSA doing in a while. That's probably a reasonable precaution.
 
shuckit said:
Word of warning here. I put a 32oz bottle of Star San in my checked luggage and the TSA took it out of my bag and left me a note saying it was a hazardous material and prohibited in my luggage.

I've flown with a smaller amount of Star San and they didn't take it away (I guess they didn't find it?).

BTW, they didn't take away my 32oz of Io Star.
Click to expand...

Well, I've got to ask...
why do you fly with star san? Like are you a travelling brewer? Going city to city, converting the masses to homebrew? Or do you live somewhere so remote you can't get it? Just curious :confused:
 
lovemybrew said:
Well, I've got to ask...
why do you fly with star san? Like are you a travelling brewer? Going city to city, converting the masses to homebrew? Or do you live somewhere so remote you can't get it? Just curious :confused:
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He's in Canada. I don't know if it's available there.

That might be the issue, if it's not shippable to canada or cleared by the government.
 
How is this a surprise? Carrying 32oz of acid in a bottle just might draw a little attention from the TSA. :rolleyes:
 
lovemybrew said:
Well, I've got to ask...
why do you fly with star san? Like are you a travelling brewer? Going city to city, converting the masses to homebrew? Or do you live somewhere so remote you can't get it? Just curious :confused:
Click to expand...

I was in the States for a couple of weeks and stocked up on homebrew supplies as they are much cheaper south of the boarder.

I emailed 5 Star Chem to see if this is SOP for the TSA and customer service was disappointed TSA confiscated the Star San and thought it was not necessary but did say TSA can take out just about anything they want.

Big thumbs up to 5 Star Chem as they offered to replace my confiscated bottle for free and without me asking or even hinting at it!!! :mug:
 
As an airline pilot I must thank the TSA. Ok, that's the one and only time that has come out of my mouth. Its nice when they actually find things that are hazardous and not just the "Take Scissors Away" people.
 
jsweet said:
Good word of warning. FWIW, this is about the least stupid thing I've heard the TSA doing in a while. That's probably a reasonable precaution.
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Really? How is 32 oz. of Star San in any way a threat to an airplane? I mean if it busts open it is going to do bad things to anything in his suitcase and maybe even other people's stuff, but that is not TSA's concern.

I mean, I am not criticizing the TSA too much for this, it is technically hazardous, but they can do whatever they want anyway.
 
There was a post of someone who had a bottle of star-san spill in his truck. It was really destructive. I'll see if I can find the thread.
 
In fairness, its a pretty strange looking container. I'd never seen a container that looked like that before i started brewing. Also, not everyone out there knows about acid sanitizers that need to be diluted to prevent destruction. Isnt it better to err on the side of caution than have something happen? Not everyone out there knows what all of us jeniuses know.
 
Next time ditch the star San bottle and pour it into a sprite or other colored soda bottle, who would know?
 
The OP said it was checked baggage, not carry on. I have brought cases of beer back in my luggage, I'm sure they wouldn't look twice at a soda.
 
Beerrific said:
Really? How is 32 oz. of Star San in any way a threat to an airplane? I mean if it busts open it is going to do bad things to anything in his suitcase and maybe even other people's stuff, but that is not TSA's concern.

I mean, I am not criticizing the TSA too much for this, it is technically hazardous, but they can do whatever they want anyway.
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While it wouldn't cause an immediate problem...if some were to leak out and onto the structure, it could cause some quite expensive corrosion damage.
 
Beerrific said:
Really? How is 32 oz. of Star San in any way a threat to an airplane? I mean if it busts open it is going to do bad things to anything in his suitcase and maybe even other people's stuff, but that is not TSA's concern.
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aside from the long-term effect of it leaking and possibly corroding internal workings of the aircraft, when you have acid disolving various random materials there could be hazardous fumes produced, and in the right circumstances, even chemicals that act like nerve agents. also acids can cause fires due to exothermic reactions with other materials.

i disagree with most of what the TSA does lately, but this one of the few things they have done that seems reasonable.
 
Wish I had looked up this thread before the same thing just happened to me. I believe the EU has passed some strict regulations on this so I have been completely unable to find it in the last year or so. I had a family member visit from Chicago and it got taken. I'm heading back to Chicago in December and will probably try again, but will put some Star San in travel size shampoo bottles. Is Star San safe in all types of plastic?
 
Chicago_Eric_ said:
Wish I had looked up this thread before the same thing just happened to me. I believe the EU has passed some strict regulations on this so I have been completely unable to find it in the last year or so. I had a family member visit from Chicago and it got taken. I'm heading back to Chicago in December and will probably try again, but will put some Star San in travel size shampoo bottles. Is Star San safe in all types of plastic?
Click to expand...

It won't eat through plastic. Pour it into a PET soda bottle, make sure the cap is on tight. Stash in your checked bag, I doubt they will even notice.
 
MaxStout said:
It won't eat through plastic. Pour it into a PET soda bottle, make sure the cap is on tight. Stash in your checked bag, I doubt they will even notice.
Click to expand...
Murphy's Law states someone will accidentally drink it.
 
MaxStout said:
It won't eat through plastic. Pour it into a PET soda bottle, make sure the cap is on tight. Stash in your checked bag, I doubt they will even notice.
Click to expand...
Never, ever put acids or lye in soda or mineral water bottles. People have died or had their stomach ruined forever because of that.
 
Last edited:
Phosphoric acid will attack aluminum so please don’t take starsan on an airplane. It would be completely irresponsible. And don’t compare this to the amount in a soda which is like 0.nothing compared to the concentration in starsan.
 
Be careful. This person accidentally splashed StarSan on his plane.
20190813_052453.jpeg
 

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