Starsan Cold Crash Solution

I have read many posts where people have a good bit of starsan sucked back into the fermentor when the temp drops. I took a picture of my fermentor with just a five degree drop in temp. This morning the temp was 48 degrees and this afternoon the temp had dropped 5 degrees and the starscan was sucked into the tube 14 inches.

My solution:
Use a 12 oz canning jar with 8 oz of starscan placed in a quart jar (just for the weight) which is placed in a 1 gallon plastic bucket (for overflow).

Switch to an s-lock before dropping the temperature...

Cheers!

day_trippr said:

Switch to an s-lock before dropping the temperature...

Cheers!

Click to expand...

This ^^^^. Simple and it works quite well.

I get very little suck back of StarSan through my S-airlocks even when crashing quickly from 68*F down to 35*F.

The guy at my LHBS told a newb friend of mine NOT to buy S-locks b/c... "if it gets dirty, how are you gonna clean it?" So my friend bought 3-piece airlocks.

My friend said the same thing to me and I responded, "I don't have to clean them, and if i do, it's either a good soak and it's clean or a whole new one for under $2".

Still not sure what the guy at the store's angle was...

Magnus314 said:

Still not sure what the guy at the store's angle was...

Click to expand...

There's a good chance he didn't even have an angle haha. I worked retail for years and when I found a product I like I would latch onto it and recommend it above all else. Or maybe his margin is higher. Who knows? But you are correct. Just buy a new one if it gets nasty. Or I don't know... Fill it with sanitizer? Ha!

I will try an s-lock.

By the time you're crashing, fermentation should be over so you don't need a blow-off tube at all, anymore.

Also, +1 on S-lock airlocks. The 3-piece that came with my original kit was a tempermental piece of crap. I dumped it after my first batch and never looked back. I've crashed numerous batches outside in temps that reach the teens overnight, and never had a drop of starsan sucked into my beer. Work great considering how cheap they are.

If you are using an S lock for cold crashing, how exactly is it going to get gunk in it?

I use s locks anytime I do something where I expect a temperature inversion, but never for active fermentation. I find the s locks ideal for cold crashing because of the ability for them to let pressure in or out.

https://cdn.nexternal.com/hombre/images/air_filter_s.jpg
Some guys here use one of these when cold crashing instead of an airlock

And some folks crash under positive CO2 pressure...



Cheers!

I also forgot the sanitized foil solution. That works also.

Or this . . .