Starsan......please help

I am starting a brew session and am using Starsan for the first time. Is it supposed to sud up like regular soap. Or is something else making it act this way, such as residual soap?? Thanks for any quick answer.

it foams like crazy, totally normal. Do not fear the foam, you can rack your beer right into it (the foam that is) and it won't harm a thing.

What do you think?


Have you not heard the saying, "Don't Fear The Foam?" Don't.

It foams so it can reach every nook and cranny in whatever you are trying to sanitize, so that everything that could harm your beer is killed. Then in contact with your wort and beer it breaks down into what amounts to yeast food.

Check out this thread. "Stupid Starsan Tricks" or why you shouldn't fear the foam...

Foams a lot. You can brew or ferment right on the foam. Just get out the liquid.

Don't fear the foam!

Don't worry, it bubbles like crazy. The bubbles are harmless.

Yes but not too crazy. Are you sure you used the right ratio

Nope, it definitely gets sudsy...quick, and especially when you first mix a fresh batch. People use the catch phrase "Don't fear the foam," when talking about Starsan and from my experience you can pretty much abide by that rule. Though it's a little akward, I'll admit, when your carboy is filled with foam.

OK good, thanks for the quick replies. I have the Starsan with the measure pocket on the side so I was very careful to use the right ratiio. Thanks again.

jpinetti said:

Yes but not too crazy. Are you sure you used the right ratio

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The foaminess depends on how much water splashing it sees. If you have a bucket of water and you add the 1oz of starsan and then swirl to mix it will barely foam. On the contrary, if you pour an ounce of starsan into an empty bucket and then dump 5 gallons of water onto it or spray 5G of water from the hose or sink into it, it's almost surely going to foam out the top of the container before you reach 5G of liquid.

Follow up question: so is the foam contact enough to sanitize? I know lots of you like to minimize starsan waste, so will 2 gallons of water:starsan at the proper ratio be enough to sanitize a 6.5 gallon vessel if you shake it up and get the foam everywhere?

The equipment doesn't have to be soaked in Star San. As per the Product Techinical Sheet "Apply on surfaces with a cloth mop, sponge, spray or by a 5 minute immersion." I only mix up a half gallon most of the time.

ScoRas said:

Follow up question: so is the foam contact enough to sanitize? I know lots of you like to minimize starsan waste, so will 2 gallons of water:starsan at the proper ratio be enough to sanitize a 6.5 gallon vessel if you shake it up and get the foam everywhere?

Click to expand...

Yes, it is all about surface contact. Keep the foam in contact with the vessel surfaces for a few minutes and your good.

I sanitize my carboys by siphoning a few quarts of Star San from a bucket into the already clean carboy, place a cap on the carboy, and then shake the carboy a bit to get the Star San everywhere inside. After 5 minutes I shake again and pour the few quarts of Star San from the carboy back into the bucket to be re-used somewhere else. There will be a lot of residual foam staying in the carboy...Don't fear the foam, it is OK to rack right on top of it.