Alright, really, no rinsing of Star San foam?

Yakima 728
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I do use it correctly...I'm just saying that if somebody wants to rinse it that it's perfectly fine to do so. There was an implication that one is ruining their beer or completely 'unsanitizing' their equipment by rinsing and that's just not the case.

I could drive my car (which has air bags and correct seat belts) with a full face helmet and flame-proof suit...and I would be safer. But that doesn't mean it's a huge, negligent risk to not do so.

Still, beginners who come here looking to learn correct sanitizing procedures should hear the truth.
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Exactly why I called shenanigans...because what you were saying was not the truth. I don't think lying to them to scare them into doing it your way is the right way. Just give them the truth and let them decide.
 
wildwest450 said:
+1, Polite golf clap. Why do people find it so hard to follow basic directions?
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My sentiments exactly. This has turned into a needless BS debate. Just follow the freakin' directions and be done with it.

macabra11 said:
Quick Question... after you mix up a batch of StarSan solution, how long is it good for? Could you reuse it for any given length of time? Or does it loose effectiveness?
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It can last for months if you use distilled water. Using regular tap water or spring water is fine short term (A few weeks even). But after a period of time, the minerals in the water will begin to hamper the effectiveness of the sanitizer action. This can be determined when it begins to cloud. Length of time is basically determined by the type and concentrations of the minerals.
 
There's a little angel on the other shoulder saying "that's a lot of gunk, it can't be good for you, I mean you wouldn't drink the Star San solution straight out of the bucket, so why would you want to drink it in your beer?"
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I feel the exact same way, matter of fact, i don't trust something i cannot rinse, i only use chlorinated soap (type of bleaching) and rinse thoroughly.
No star san for me... wanna drink some funky chemicals?
no thanks...
 
Ok i have gone and looked out Star san, the site said the main active ingredient being phosphoric acid.
I have googled phosphoric acid and it is regularly used in soft drinks like Pepsi, Coke and such, it is also said to leach calcium from the bones, weakening them and making them more prone to breaks.

Not so harmful as i thought, i may try it but no one will convince me into "not rinsing" it thought.
 
Stef1966 said:
No star san for me... wanna drink some funky chemicals?
no thanks...
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I think this is a very uneducated response and hate seeing it's kind.
Oh no that's chemicals, I won't eat/drink that. You think any of the stuff you buy at the grocery store is chemical free?

Chemical doesn't mean "harmful to the body".

Chemical "any substance used in or resulting from a reaction involving changes to atoms or molecules "

Doesn't mention anything bad in there.

It's your right to rinse because you want to, but if your only reason is because drinking chemicals is bad for you, then you need to do a little more research.

Stef1966 said:
I feel the exact same way, matter of fact, i don't trust something i cannot rinse,
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So what do you rinse your rinse water with afterwards? This is a rediculous comparison but in reality is just as good or bad for you.
 
It's your right to rinse because you want to, but if your only reason is because drinking chemicals is bad for you, then you need to do a little more research.
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You are right, and this is exactly what i have done if you check the post i did just after my initial one.

The main active ingredient in star san is phosphoric acid and it is a nuisance to the bone system.
That personally speaking, is enough of a reason for me to avoid using it.
 
Stef1966 said:
You are right, and this is exactly what i have done if you check the post i did just after my initial one.

The main active ingredient in star san is phosphoric acid and it is a nuisance to the bone system.
That personally speaking, is enough of a reason for me to avoid using it.
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And if you religiously avoid soft drinks for the same reason, then you have a valid reason.
If you are pecking away on your keyboard while sipping a Coke, then your concerns are asinine.

Also, to everyone who has these "chemical" concerns, never ever buy ANY meat products, especially chicken. They all use an acidic sanitizer like StarSan on all of their equipment and conveyor systems and don't rinse.....
 
Really, it's a dead horse. If you want to rinse, then go for it. Your beer will be fine... most of the time.

Me, I'll stick to not rinsing, following proper sanitization guidelines, and being careful. My beer will also be fine... all of the time.

Edited: Oh, and as for phosphoric acid being bad for your bones, this is true. However, I recently learned of another chemical in our homebrew that is bad for your liver, stomach, and can potentially kill brain cells. Man, I can't believe I went this long without hearing about it, it's not mentioned in Palmer, Papazian, or any of the other homebrew books. Anyone who's curious, go google "alcohol." That stuff is evil!
 
Hmmmm, people here are worrying about pouring 5 gallons of wort onto some residual suds, while lazy brewers (read:me) have used our spray bottle of star-san as our boil-over control when the water bottle was all the way downstairs.

I'm not lazy, I'm providing yeast nutrients.
 
macabra11 said:
Quick Question... after you mix up a batch of StarSan solution, how long is it good for? Could you reuse it for any given length of time? Or does it loose effectiveness?
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I've been told it keeps as long as the PH remains within a specified limit. (though I can't remember what that limit is) I think as long as you keep it in a closed container you're fine for quite a long time.
 
PhlyanPan said:
I've been told it keeps as long as the PH remains within a specified limit. (though I can't remember what that limit is) I think as long as you keep it in a closed container you're fine for quite a long time.
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So long as the PH is below 3, it's still effective.

Many people find it goes cloudy immediately after mixing, due to minerals in their tap water. I can't remember who, but somebody on the forum did some really extensive testing, and found that the PH stayed well below 3 for much longer than expected, long after it had gone cloudy.

Ah, here it is! Star San cloudiness lab report
 
And if you religiously avoid soft drinks for the same reason, then you have a valid reason.
If you are pecking away on your keyboard while sipping a Coke, then your concerns are asinine.

Also, to everyone who has these "chemical" concerns, never ever buy ANY meat products, especially chicken. They all use an acidic sanitizer like StarSan on all of their equipment and conveyor systems and don't rinse.....
__________________
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Very well said, and yes, i never drink soft drinks.
I would use star san, but i would still rince it personally.
 
Well i tihnk this thread is concluded.

Nothing bad can happen from not rinsing
Rinsing is most likely not going to cause a problem but takes away the sanitizing efforts of the starsan there fore wastig the time and money you spent on it and using it.

If you want advice start a thread, if not don't.

Can we just close this already?
 
My only issue with the foam is when i go to fill a keg with beer. I use starsan to sanitize the keg and there a bunch of foam. The reason i fear it is cause the bubbles have oxygen in it and when i vent the keg it wont get the o2 out of the foam so i vent like crazy hoping that the bubbles fade and any o2 is purged out.
 
I'm one of those people in the minority that does not feel comfortable ingesting a no-rinse sanitizer. I have actually switched from using star san which one of its ingredients is Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid. I'm sure the studies say that its fine to ingest but the benzene ring in there just freaks me out a little. So now I use saniclean which has phosphoric acid just like starsan (which i'm totally ok with as its in every soda that we drink) but instead of Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid it has Sulfonate oleric acid. Sulfonate oleric acid is a fatty acid derivative and our bodies are made to process fatty acids. I know this is extreme overkill but I also rinse the keg out with a little bit of beer first, dump that out then rack over the rest to the keg. I keg in 3 gallon kegs but I brew 4 gallons knowing that a gallon will be lost after racking, rinsing etc. Anyway that's my 2 cents.
 
nitz146 said:
I'm one of those people in the minority that does not feel comfortable ingesting a no-rinse sanitizer. I have actually switched from using star san which one of its ingredients is Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid. I'm sure the studies say that its fine to ingest but the benzene ring in there just freaks me out a little. So now I use saniclean which has phosphoric acid just like starsan (which i'm totally ok with as its in every soda that we drink) but instead of Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid it has Sulfonate oleric acid. Sulfonate oleric acid is a fatty acid derivative and our bodies are made to process fatty acids. I know this is extreme overkill but I also rinse the keg out with a little bit of beer first, dump that out then rack over the rest to the keg. I keg in 3 gallon kegs but I brew 4 gallons knowing that a gallon will be lost after racking, rinsing etc. Anyway that's my 2 cents.
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With such heightened concern, I'm surprised you drink alcohol?


Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/
 
(shakin' my head at all you silly sonsabtiches)

If you are worried about starsan foam (and I admit it... I'm not a big fan of it. I know it's harmless but it just bothers me).

Spend the freakin' $3.50....

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/fermcap-s-1-oz.html

Leave the carboy full of starsan until just before use. Then, add two drops of fermcap, shake and.... IT'S MAGIC!!!! NO FOAM!!!!

... and then dump it out.

Fermcap is sanitary and then you can put two more drops in your wort when you rack to the carboy and then... no blowouts!!




... ya goofy bastids.
 
nitz146 said:
I'm one of those people in the minority that does not feel comfortable ingesting a no-rinse sanitizer.
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So, I take it you've never ever ever even once eaten in a restaurant? Because if you have, I can guarantee that you've ingested no rinse cleansers, no rinse sanitizers and probably a good bit of bleach. :mug:
 
SnakeRidge said:
So, I take it you've never ever ever even once eaten in a restaurant? Because if you have, I can guarantee that you've ingested no rinse cleansers, no rinse sanitizers and probably a good bit of bleach. :mug:
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It depends on the operation...but when my dishmachine is operating functionally it doesn't use any chemical sanitizers, instead relying on a final rinse temp of 190-195F to heat sanitize everything.

When the water heater isn't working at full blast, we use a sodium hypochlorite based sanitizer, which is basically bleach.
 
Brettomomyces said:
It depends on the operation...but when my dishmachine is operating functionally it doesn't use any chemical sanitizers, instead relying on a final rinse temp of 190-195F to heat sanitize everything.

When the water heater isn't working at full blast, we use a sodium hypochlorite based sanitizer, which is basically bleach.
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And you don't wash down your food prep surfaces....
 
evanmars said:
And you don't wash down your food prep surfaces....
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? Of course we do. We use a quaternary ammonium based sanitizer for all food contact surfaces, prep tables, sinks, etc, in addition to a plain soap and water scrub. I was just pointing out that not every dish machine uses an actual chemical sanitizer for small wares that food is going to be served in, instead relying on heat to sanitize.
 
i usually just rinse out the foam with a bit of water then rack, seems to work just fine that way.
 
(which i'm totally ok with as its in every soda that we drink)

Anyone stating concern about what they drink who admits to drinking soda is interesting! :drunk:

Not busting your balls, just poking fun! :ban:

I recently had a chance to help on brew day at a commercial brewery and was shocked to learn they rinse their ferm tanks with hot tap water AFTER sanitizing with starsan. That goes against all conventional wisdom I've read about sanitation practices but the head brewer claimed he has NEVER had a problem with infection, ever.

When you think about it, if you put tap water in a jar and placed it in your fridge, when do you think you would see microbial infection begin? Maybe not for a very long time. That's not to say there is NO activity , but it might be negligible. Seeing a pro rinse the starsan rocked my sanitation thoughts to the core!
 
On the same token I would think buying a cheap fifth of vodka; swishing it throughout your fermenter; and recapturing the vodka for next use would be just as efficient. It may even cost less in the long run.

I, however, will stick with starsan ;)
 
What's in it? Sounds counter intuitive to suggest adding another chemical to deal with the current chemical.! 'jus sayin':confused:

Cape Brewing said:
(shakin' my head at all you silly sonsabtiches)

If you are worried about starsan foam (and I admit it... I'm not a big fan of it. I know it's harmless but it just bothers me).

Spend the freakin' $3.50....

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/fermcap-s-1-oz.html

Leave the carboy full of starsan until just before use. Then, add two drops of fermcap, shake and.... IT'S MAGIC!!!! NO FOAM!!!!

... and then dump it out.

Fermcap is sanitary and then you can put two more drops in your wort when you rack to the carboy and then... no blowouts!!




... ya goofy bastids.
Click to expand...
 
i mean everyone has their own opinion on contamination and for the most part i think people can tend to go way overboard. The foam is safe and rinsing it is gunna be fine too so do whatever makes you warm and fuzzy. Most of all enjoy the final product!
 
Cape Brewing said:
(shakin' my head at all you silly sonsabtiches)

If you are worried about starsan foam (and I admit it... I'm not a big fan of it. I know it's harmless but it just bothers me).

Spend the freakin' $3.50....

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/fermcap-s-1-oz.html

Leave the carboy full of starsan until just before use. Then, add two drops of fermcap, shake and.... IT'S MAGIC!!!! NO FOAM!!!!

... and then dump it out.

Fermcap is sanitary and then you can put two more drops in your wort when you rack to the carboy and then... no blowouts!!




... ya goofy bastids.
Click to expand...

Ah, but Fermcap-S contains silicone and everyone knows how poisonous that stuff is. The FDA says you have to filter it back out of your beer.
 
WissahickonBrew said:
(which i'm totally ok with as its in every soda that we drink)

Anyone stating concern about what they drink who admits to drinking soda is interesting! :drunk:

Not busting your balls, just poking fun! :ban:

I recently had a chance to help on brew day at a commercial brewery and was shocked to learn they rinse their ferm tanks with hot tap water AFTER sanitizing with starsan. That goes against all conventional wisdom I've read about sanitation practices but the head brewer claimed he has NEVER had a problem with infection, ever.

When you think about it, if you put tap water in a jar and placed it in your fridge, when do you think you would see microbial infection begin? Maybe not for a very long time. That's not to say there is NO activity , but it might be negligible. Seeing a pro rinse the starsan rocked my sanitation thoughts to the core!
Click to expand...

Do you know what temp he was using to rinse? I suppose if you were blasting 195 water down your tanks you would be sanitizing as well as rinsing, but using extra time and energy to accomplish the same thing.
 
I, for one, am actually finding StarSan foam threads warm and inviting to read on these increasingly cold day...

Hearth.jpg
 

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