Star San is making me think twice about home brewing

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SteveLikesBeer said:
Today is bottling day. Or it was until I used star san and realized all of the warning associated with using it. Apparently if you touch the stuff you need to wash your hands for 20 minutes and call poison control. I'm not sure how you guys do it (gloves and protected clothing while sanitizing?). I thought this was the safer and easier solution!

Needless to say I stopped there and have not gone back to my original sanitizing stuff (beer brite I think it's called) due to frustration from using star san. At this point I'm thinking about just dumping the whole first batch so I don't need to handle this dangerous of a chemical :(. Heck, what happens if some gets into the brew during bottling?!
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Over react much?

Try doing more than freak out about the label. It's an acid cleanser. It's just as bad for your skin as a caustic cleaner, like B and C Brite.

They are all suppose to be diluted. So unless you have issues understand and preforming the process of diluting the cleaner, it's harmless enough to drink.

If you are that freaked out about it, I'd avoid eating out anywhere, or doing to a deli, and it's what most use to clean their equipment. Same goes for most commercial breweries.

You have few real options. Bleach, but if you are really freaking out about Star San, then Bleach certainly isn't something I want to even get near my mouth.
 
helibrewer said:
Read the warnings about iodine (iodophor)....Elemental iodine is toxic if taken orally. Iodophor also happens to be deadly to yeast.
From the MSDS:
SECTION VI - HEALTH HAZARD DATA
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of OVEREXPOSURE (Acute and Chronic)
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of EYE CONTACT: Irritant.
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of SKIN CONTACT: Mild Irritant.
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of INHALATION: None.
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of INGESTION: Harmful if swallowed.
EMERGENCY and FIRST AID PROCEDURES
TREATMENT for EYE CONTACT: Flush with cool, running water for at least 15 minutes. Get medical attention.
TREATMENT for SKIN CONTACT: Wash skin & clothing with soap & water. If irritation develops get medical attention.
TREATMENT for INHALATION: Remove to fresh air.
TREATMENT for INGESTION: Drink large quantities of milk or water. Do not induce vomiting. Get medical attention.
CALL A POISON CONTROL CENTER OR PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY

Read the warnings on a bottle of Clorox...scarry stuff.
From Clorox:
DANGER: CORROSIVE. May cause severe irritation or damage to eyes and
skin. Vapor or mist may irritate. Harmful if swallowed. Keep out of reach of
children.
Some clinical reports suggest a low potential for sensitization upon exaggerated
exposure to sodium hypochlorite if skin damage (e.g., irritation) occurs during
exposure. Under normal consumer use conditions the likelihood of any adverse
health effects are low.
Medical conditions that may be aggravated by exposure to high concentrations
of vapor or mist: heart conditions or chronic respiratory problems such as
asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis or obstructive lung disease.
FIRST AID:
Eye Contact: Hold eye open and rinse with water for 15-20 minutes. Remove
contact lenses, after first 5 minutes. Continue rinsing eye. Call a physician.
Skin Contact: Wash skin with water for 15-20 minutes. If irritation develops, call a physician.
Ingestion: Do not induce vomiting. Drink a glassful of water. If irritation
develops, call a physician. Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious
person.
Inhalation: Remove to fresh air. If breathing is affected, call a physician.
,
I will take StarSan over either of these any day......
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I agree with with not using bleach but your blowing up how bad iodiphor is. You sound like the op describing it. By the way, never had any issues with it as a no rinse Sanitizer since that's what it is. All my beer carbs up fine.

Its great that you like star San, its good stuff but this fear mongering is ridiculous about the sanitizers.
 
Bottle tree and Vinator bottle rinser as seen in the Billy Brew video are the way to go. That way you don't have to touch the stuff. But as everyone else said, 1 oz of Star San in 5 gallons isn't going to hurt you unless you drink it straight.
 
I marinate meat in Star San. Gives it a nice citrus flavor. Anything you marinate in it turns spoon tender. You can eat it with a straw. And I don't mean a big straw. I mean its so tender you can suck it up with one of those little coffee stirrer straws. Best part is that when you're done marinating the meat, the pan is already clean since you soaked it in sanitizer.

So yeah, no worries about Star San.
 
i've been using star san ever since i started brewing, and except for the limp, the facial tic, and the hunchback, no problems yet. they are my neighbors... :D
 
I won't beat you up for your concerns, looks like others have done plenty of that and I won't pile on. But I will give you a few alternatives. You could bake the bottles. This is tim consuming because you have to step up the heat in the oven slowly, and lower it slowly. Not a great option, due to the chance of breaking bottles in your oven. The least work, and the method I use is using the dishwasher. Just run it empty to wash out any food residue then put all your bottles in on the high temp setting. When it's done, crack the door to let the air cool the bottles. Then I just remove my bottles from the rack in the dishwasher as I'm filling. I hope this helps.
 
Maybe this is a dumb question, but I've seen it a few times and don't really understand. What's wrong with bleach water?
 
lumpher said:
i've been using star san ever since i started brewing, and except for the limp, the facial tic, and the hunchback, no problems yet. they are my neighbors... :D
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Just find a sharp knife to nick those benign tumors off your hands and fingers. No problems. Saves on a co pay for the oncologist anyway.
 
fluidmechanics said:
I won't beat you up for your concerns, looks like others have done plenty of that and I won't pile on. But I will give you a few alternatives. You could bake the bottles. This is tim consuming because you have to step up the heat in the oven slowly, and lower it slowly. Not a great option, due to the chance of breaking bottles in your oven. The least work, and the method I use is using the dishwasher. Just run it empty to wash out any food residue then put all your bottles in on the high temp setting. When it's done, crack the door to let the air cool the bottles. Then I just remove my bottles from the rack in the dishwasher as I'm filling. I hope this helps.
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You can cook the ever living **** out of the bottles and they won't break. I use the oven method. Start at 225F, then 275F then 340F for an hour at final time. No problems. They're not just clean. They're sterile. You needn't lower it slowly at all. Just leave the oven closed until morning.

Concerns about bottle breaking are far overblown. It's a very simple and chemical free process.
 
Concerns about bottle breaking are far overblown. It's a very simple and chemical free process.[/QUOTE]

Ha ha ha like most things I guess I have some bad luck. The first time I tried this I had 3 break.
 
Somewhere on here I read that undiluted Starsan will bleach plastic laminate. So when I mix up a batch I am doubly careful not to drip or spill. It may not burn your skin, but trashing your countertops could lead to certain death at SWMBO's hands.
 
nelven34 said:
Maybe this is a dumb question, but I've seen it a few times and don't really understand. What's wrong with bleach water?
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you have to rinse the hell out of anything clean/sanitized with bleach water to get rid of the smell and taste. If you rinse everything after using the bleach then you might as well not even sanitized in the first place.

The reason we have No-rinse sanitizers is to KEEP it sanitized.
 
I always have a bin with 5 gallons of diluted starsan on my kitchen counter. With all of the sanitizer I've spilled since I started brewing, it ate the outer layer of laminate off of a lot of my counter. SWMBO is not impressed but realizes that the equipment needs to be sanitized and she drinks a lot of beer.
 
MotorcycleMatt said:
I agree with with not using bleach but your blowing up how bad iodiphor is. You sound like the op describing it. By the way, never had any issues with it as a no rinse Sanitizer since that's what it is. All my beer carbs up fine.

Its great that you like star San, its good stuff but this fear mongering is ridiculous about the sanitizers.
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Sorry, not knocking Iodophor at all, just illustrating that ALL warnings sound like doomsday scenarios, not just StarSan. I use to use Iodophor a lot but I got tired of it staining my tubing and such....it is a great sanitizer...used a lot in the medical field and dairy industry.
 
In my unfortunate experience, yes, the undiluted stuff burns a little if you let it sit on your skin. Diluted properly? It is just mildly acidic, like lemon juice. I syphoned some from a carboy to a keg once and wound up with a mouth full. It takes acidic like lemon juice. Obviously no harm, Im still alive.
 
SteveLikesBeer said:
Today is bottling day. Or it was until I used star san and realized all of the warning associated with using it. Apparently if you touch the stuff you need to wash your hands for 20 minutes and call poison control. I'm not sure how you guys do it (gloves and protected clothing while sanitizing?). I thought this was the safer and easier solution!

Needless to say I stopped there and have not gone back to my original sanitizing stuff (beer brite I think it's called) due to frustration from using star san. At this point I'm thinking about just dumping the whole first batch so I don't need to handle this dangerous of a chemical :(. Heck, what happens if some gets into the brew during bottling?!
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Didn't read the whole thread, but that's for the undiluted stuff. Never had a problem with it once mixed. The inventor drank a glass of the stuff to prove it's fine, according to another poster. He hasn't died yet, to my knowledge. :p Heard a podcast with the inventor of starsan on it once, and he seems like an alright guy.

It's an approved sanitizer, and is used in food service fairly widely AFAIK. I'm sure there's much worse stuff in 90% of what we eat, drink, or come into contact with. I heard someone say there's also phosphoric acid in Coke, which we drink, not sanitize things with and just get the residue of.

The foam's just from the surfactant in it, which makes it stick to things and continuously sanitize them. It's a way of holding water in suspension, just like soap. Don't fear the foam.

As for getting into bottles during bottling, I hope some gets into my bottles. The yeast could use the phosphorus. I always bottle immediately after taking my bottles out of a starsan bath, with them dripping foam, and haven't died yet. That's as accurate scientific evidence as I'm qualified to give. :D
 
I found this thread useful as someone who uses idophor. I've thought about trying StarSan but I was worried if its an acid-based sanitizer if I would need to use gloves or deal with irritated hands afterwards.
 
sdillow said:
Somewhere on here I read that undiluted Starsan will bleach plastic laminate. So when I mix up a batch I am doubly careful not to drip or spill. It may not burn your skin, but trashing your countertops could lead to certain death at SWMBO's hands.
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I have laminate counter tops in the kitchen, dark green except for three dime sized white spots where some undiluted StarSan spilled and I didn't realize till to late. And yep, that did not make my wife at all happy.

I spray the counters with diluted StarSan with no problems.
 
I'm not saying star-san is bad by any means, but I'm actually surprised no one has mentioned "One Step Cleanser" as an alternative. I used that stuff for a year and a half and never had a problem. Yeah yeah I know it's really not a "sanitizer" and I'm sure I'll get flamed for this post, but in my opinion it IS an option.

Now that I've used both I would used star-san probably, but I would have no fears using "One Step."
 
I even rub diluted star san in my hands when I´m brewing (by the way NO I´m not taking my shirt off and rubbing lotion like TSA does), I accidentaly drink some diluted star san with no problems. I can´t understand the fears around it. Where I live it´s hard to get star san so I´ve tried almost everything, star san beats all the other options. I love this stuff.
 
When I brew or bottle I keep a few gallons of diluted star san available to dip anything in that might even touch my worth after boil. I also spray down the freezer top to lay sanitized items on. I also regularly dip my hands before touching things. I also have a five gallon bucket of it to rack back and forth between different containers.
 
I have only used bleach in water and am wondering if I should switch over to something else. Any reason I should?
 
I have only used bleach in water and am wondering if I should switch over to something else. Any reason I should?
 
davebstock said:
I have only used bleach in water and am wondering if I should switch over to something else. Any reason I should?
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Bleach is fine but i find it to be a pain to work with and i prefer a no rinse sanitizer. I used bleach until i discovered the wonders of a spray bottle full of star san. I also wasn't thrilled when i accidentally bleached my jeans while cleaning my fermenter.
 
I'll give san star a try somwtime. Looking at buying a bottle dryer rack and the rinse top. I imaging san star would work well with those.
 
davebstock said:
I have only used bleach in water and am wondering if I should switch over to something else. Any reason I should?
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You need to either rinse it or use a very diluted solution. If you use the diluted solution, you still may end up with chlorophenol bandaid flavors.
 
Star San Rules. I use it all the time. I even rinse my beer glasses in it when I have a party. I have a tub with oxiclean, then a tub with diluted star san. I have never sent anyone to the hospital. If you did this with bleach, you would need a third tub and by the end of the night you might be tasting the bleach. By the way, when backpacking, adding iodine or bleach to water then drinking it is common practice. Not to mention most of the treated water in the USA has the equivelent of bleach added during processing. Star San is safe, Does not bleach your favorite brew jacket, and does a good job for it intended purpose. Star San is more expensive than Idophor or bleach, but easier to work with and it will not flavor your beer. It will also last in a spray bottle. Do not fear the bubbles, I brew on top of foam!
 
Last time I used starsan I didn't use gloves big mistake. My arm started burning then my skin started peeling off my arm!

Just kidding I never had a problem and I have never worn gloves I get it on my skin all the time. When it is that diluted you'll be fine.
 
For anyone concerned about DILUTED Star San hurting you.

Star San when properly diluted 1oz/5gal, has a pH of about 2.5 - 3.0

Coca Cola (Coke) has a pH of 2.5.

Drinking diluted star san is about as dangerous as drinking a soft drink...it just tastes a little worse.
 
I accidentally got some undiluted Star San on my skin a while ago. At first I had a hard time getting used to the extra pair of arms and hands, but I learned how to control them after a couple of weeks of practice. The extra hands help out a lot while adding strike water / stirring.

Of course, I can't buy any shirts off the rack now. That part is a pain.
 
I was starting the auto-siphon one time when the hose slipped off and sprayed diluted Starsan all over my friend's face. She wiped it off with a towel and is fine.

I probably would have been more concerned if it was diluted bleach.
 
I make sure there is plenty of Star San foam left in the bottle when bottling. it pushes out the top when filling and sanitizes the bottling wand. Plus, I think it enhances the high notes on the aroma of the beer and provides a clean finish to both lagers and ales. Mmm...Star San!
 
Red_Scooter said:
I make sure there is plenty of Star San foam left in the bottle when bottling. it pushes out the top when filling and sanitizes the bottling wand. Plus, I think it enhances the high notes on the aroma of the beer and provides a clean finish to both lagers and ales. Mmm...Star San!
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A clean finish indeed.
 
LandoLincoln said:
I accidentally got some undiluted Star San on my skin a while ago. At first I had a hard time getting used to the extra pair of arms and hands, but I learned how to control them after a couple of weeks of practice. The extra hands help out a lot while adding strike water / stirring.

Of course, I can't buy any shirts off the rack now. That part is a pain.
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Man, I can only imagine what a breeze bottling is for you now!
 
Jayhem said:
For anyone concerned about DILUTED Star San hurting you.

Star San when properly diluted 1oz/5gal, has a pH of about 2.5 - 3.0

Coca Cola (Coke) has a pH of 2.5.

Drinking diluted star san is about as dangerous as drinking a soft drink...it just tastes a little worse.
Click to expand...

Lots of people in here are comparing star san to soda.

How does it kill stuff if it's that benign?
 
ReaderRabbit said:
I found this thread useful as someone who uses idophor. I've thought about trying StarSan but I was worried if its an acid-based sanitizer if I would need to use gloves or deal with irritated hands afterwards.
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Seriously, though...the first few times I used Star-San it dried out the skin on my hands pretty bad. But now it doesn't bother me.
 

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