help with using Star san

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ethangray19

ethangray19

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I have a bottle of concentrated starsan and not sure how to best use it to sanitize my brewing stuff.

Up to this point if I want to sanitize my glass carboy, I just pour a small amount of starsan into the clean carboy, then add a few gallons of tap water from my hose and then shake it around. It creates lots of foam, which when I empty the carboy lots of foam is left behind. Even though it sats not to rinse woth water I always do because there is soo much foam in the carboy that I cant see how that will not do something to my beer.

Also whn I want to sanitize my racking cane, spoon, or rubber stoppers I put them all in a large like 20 gallon rubermaid tub and pour a little starsan in and add water to make sure the water level goes above everything.


Here is waht I am asking:

1. Am I using starsan as effeciently as I can. I feel like it takes awhile to do this and there must be a better way

2. What i the best method to sanitize a carboy and other home brew equipment using Starsan???


Thank you to anyone that can offer advice.
 
ethangray19 said:
I have a bottle of concentrated starsan and not sure how to best use it to sanitize my brewing stuff.

Up to this point if I want to sanitize my glass carboy, I just pour a small amount of starsan into the clean carboy, then add a few gallons of tap water from my hose and then shake it around. It creates lots of foam, which when I empty the carboy lots of foam is left behind. Even though it sats not to rinse woth water I always do because there is soo much foam in the carboy that I cant see how that will not do something to my beer.

Also whn I want to sanitize my racking cane, spoon, or rubber stoppers I put them all in a large like 20 gallon rubermaid tub and pour a little starsan in and add water to make sure the water level goes above everything.


Here is waht I am asking:

1. Am I using starsan as effeciently as I can. I feel like it takes awhile to do this and there must be a better way

2. What i the best method to sanitize a carboy and other home brew equipment using Starsan???


Thank you to anyone that can offer advice.
Click to expand...

I mix up 5 gallons at a time in a bucket with a lid. 1 oz of star san per 5 gals of water. I siphon it into the carboy when I clean then whirlpool it around and sit it back down.. I whirlpool it once more then dump it out. I just soak stuff right in the bucket when I want to sanitize other things.. ie airlocks, spoons etc..
 
1. Mix some in a gallon jug: 0.2 oz/gallon, that is about 6ml. If you make this in RO/distilled/deionized water it will last a while. You can probably go through 2-3 brew/bottling sessions with one gallon.

2. It needs a contact time of 30 seconds and the objects do not have to be submerged just wet.

3. Do not rinse. The foam will not hurt your beer and protects it from anything falling in.
8361-100_2609_2.JPG


4. If you do not like star san many others use iodophor or to a lesser extent bleach. It is my opinion that Star San is the best, easiest, and cheapest sanitizer available. 5 Star also makes SaniClean which is the same idea as Star But is no foam, it might be harder to find though.
 
I make about 10L (about 2.5 gallons, requires 1/2oz of concentrate) at a time and keep it in a sealed bucket. I've found for my water it's good for about 4 weeks before I need to refresh it.

I put a large bore plastic spigot on my bucket so I don't have to try and pour it out. Just put it up on the counter and crack the spigot whenever I need some. I also use a length of 3" PVC pipe with an end-cap for doing long skinny items (auto-syphon, spoon, wine thief, etc.). I just put the items in the pipe and fill it up. Nice and easy and you don't need a lot of starsan that way.

As others have said: don't fear the foam! :D
 
thanks that helps

Do you spry star san on or just put some of the 1 gallon solution you made in your carboy and swish it around??

The one gallon of solution sounds like an easy way to go but how do you apply it and how do make a gallon go so far??
 
bradsul said:
I also use a length of 3" PVC pipe with an end-cap for doing long skinny items (auto-syphon, spoon, wine thief, etc.). I just put the items in the pipe and fill it up. Nice and easy and you don't need a lot of starsan that way.
Click to expand...

Excellent Idea Bradsul
I was looking for some sollution for these pieces

:mug:
BeerCanuck
 
ethangray19 said:
thanks that helps

Do you spry star san on or just put some of the 1 gallon solution you made in your carboy and swish it around??

The one gallon of solution sounds like an easy way to go but how do you apply it and how do make a gallon go so far??
Click to expand...

I spray it on some things if I cn't dunk it. I have a large flat bottomed plastic container that I fill. I can fit everything I need in there (air locks, tubs, etc.). When I sanitize the carboy, I dump about a half gallon into the carboy and shake, let it sit, then shake some more. When I am done, I dump all back into the jug.

It will continue to sanitize if the pH is below 3.something. There are two major factors that will effect its effectiveness:
-heavy organic load...clean everything well first
-metals in the water...make with DI/RO water ($0.99 at the grocery)

I have used a gallon quite a few time before I worry it is spent. I then check the pH.
 
You definitely want to make sure that you're mixing it to the proper concentration. Stronger does not necessarily mean better.

I have a syringe (probably 10 mL) that I measure 6 mL of StarSan in 1 gallon of water.

I too use a spray bottle and a pvc tube.
 
3' capped PVC pipe for long items is a good idea.


Anybody use a wallpaper soaking tray?

Got one to try, 3 bucks at Lowe's. My racking cane just fits in with only 3/4 in. to spare...
 
Sing it with me: "Don't fear the foam!"

+1 for a spray bottle of star-san for odd sized/shaped equipment.
 
how dry must the starsan rinsed carboy, wine theif, or racking cane be??
 
ethangray19 said:
how dry must the starsan rinsed carboy, wine theif, or racking cane be??
Click to expand...
It doesn't need to be dry at all. Just rinse out your cleaning solution to make sure there is no residue. Then add your starsan and shake it around to coat all the surfaces, then pour the starsan out and do whatever you were going to do.
 
beergears said:
Anybody use a wallpaper soaking tray?

Got one to try, 3 bucks at Lowe's. My racking cane just fits in with only 3/4 in. to spare...
Click to expand...

I've been using one since I started brewing. Makes santizing stuff simple. I also use it for storing all the long and small items between brews.
 
really, i dont have to worry about some of the starsan in my carboy or in my racking cane???
 
ethangray19 said:
really, i dont have to worry about some of the starsan in my carboy or in my racking cane??
Click to expand...

Really.

Star-san, in the proper concentration, can be drunk safely. I wouldn't recommend doing it for various reasons but keep that in mind. A lot of outdoor brewers dump star-san water in their back yards and it doesn't harm the grass.

The foam in your carboy or racking cane is probably a few drops at most of Star-san, it won't hurt you or your beer.

malkore said:
Don't fear the foam!
Click to expand...

+1
 
bradsul said:
It tastes funny though. :D I sucked up a mouthful once getting a syphon started or something.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I got taste the other day...not very pleasant at all but the important part is that we aren't dead.
 
yeah, you wouldn't really enjoy drinking it, but it won't hurt you. as a comparison, you wouldn't even be able to swallow a bleach solution...the alkalinity would start burning your mouth/tongue almost instantly. (and of course..you can't safely drink it either).

a little star-san residue will be completely un-noticed in the final beer. a few guys here have made two batches before, one sanitized with star-san, and the other batch with bleach. no rinsing of star san, bleach was rinsed. foam from star-san left intact.
both batches tasted identical.

Let's put it another way: commercial breweries use Star-San....why wouldn't you?
 

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