Blowoff W/O Sanitizer

[brewNYC]

Hello! I’m on a quest to brew beer without stars an (gasp!). I know, Star San is gold - but I brew in close proximity to my 2 year-old, and it makes me worry less if I don’t have to think about undiluted acid getting on them somehow.

all my cold-side stuff is silicon or glass, so I can boil it or sanitize in the dishwasher. The only thing I haven’t figured out is a blowoff for the first few days of fermentation. I usually submerge my blowoff tube in a jar of starsan, but it looks like I may need to find another option. I don’t think plain water would work (the only infection I got as a new brewer came from funky blowoff water- it can make its way back!) I would think cheap vodka would evaporate pretty quickly. Any other ideas?

-Jeff

 

[Carolina_Matt]

I used to use Star San in a growler, then put my blowoff tube in there. There was a thread a few months ago where people said you didn't need it, so I've transitioned to regular water. When you got your infection, where was the blowoff tube? Was it near the same height as the top of the fermenter, or was it lower on the ground? I have mine on the hump of my chest freezer (so maybe a foot or so from the top of the fermentation keg) and nothing has made its way back.

As for the entire situation, I'm curious how undiluted acid would get on your child? I dilute it into a spray bottle for consistent use, and keep the undiluted Star San way out of reach.

 

[brewNYC]

Nice! So you haven’t had problems with just plain water? That might be the soloution. The blowoff water can get pretty nasty, but I guess if you were very careful to avoid any of it siphoning back into the carboy, it’ll be ok.

as for the kids and starsan thing - it’s just more fun to brew if you have one less thing to worry about. I brew in a tiny NYC apartment with 2 kids, so I’m more cautious then someone might be brewing in their garage. If some undiluted starsan accidentally spilled on the floor or on my clothes without me noticing, there is a good chance it would rub off on them (since I’m constantly picking them up to show them what I’m doing) and I probably wouldn’t know about it until I see the chemical burn some hours later. I don’t keep draino or bleach in my house for the same reason - it’s just easier to not have really strong chemicals around till they are old enough to tell me if something is making their skin itch. I guess I could mix the starsan outside then change my clothes, take a shower, etc, but why bother when I can just sanitize everything in the dishwasher?

 

[Jtvann]

I'd be careful relying on only heat of some sort to sanitize everything. Dilute starsan is safe. The only time I got an infection was years ago when skipping true sanitizer solution.

You can get and keep much smaller bottles of it and keep them out of reach. Sounds like something you're trying to avoid using all together. I'd try to look for something else that can work. Iodophor or something.

 

[Spartan1979]

I've only used water for almost 30 years now and never had an issue.

 

[kevin58]

You can use just water but your worries about the safety of star san are overblown. Yes it is acidic but it is food grade and will cause no harm even if ingested.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Years ago I knew a guy who owned a brewery and his toddler was running around while he was brewing.

Let's ignore everything obviously wrong there, and focus on the fact that buckets of caustic or peracetic acid weren't what'd routinely hurt the kid, it was hot pipes.

Star-san or Iodophor are easily your safest options. Any other option either gonna pose an equivalent or greater risk, or isn't gonna work.

If you feel your kids age makes it too big a risk, I'd suggest waiting until they're older. That's my 2c.

 

[CharlieVT]

I use OneStep from my local home brew supply.

https://www.northernbrewer.com/products/one-stepNote: while technically a cleanser, One Step does have some sanitizing properties through the release of hydrogen peroxide. It can be used in no-rinse applications in most home brewing tasks.

 

[catalanotte]

I use OneStep from my local home brew supply.

https://www.northernbrewer.com/products/one-stepNote: while technically a cleanser, One Step does have some sanitizing properties through the release of hydrogen peroxide. It can be used in no-rinse applications in most home brewing tasks.

While I now use Star San for sanitizing, I used One Step exclusively for many years before someone explained that it wasn’t actually a sanitizer Never for had problems. Not sure I’d go back to not sanitizing cold side gear, but one step kept the nasties away, so it would be great for your blow off. I also think if you start with a clean jar of water and cover it loosely with foil to keep things out if it, it’s pretty low risk.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

All the things other than water, that you might use instead of starsan are also likely to pose a risk to your toddler if she ingests it especially vodka. It might be best to contain brewing in a locked room or area if you can.

 

[Nate R]

That was my thought, too... vodka would be way worse than diluted star san!!

How about water, with a more diluted star san mix?? Say, 50% less, or even 75% less concentrate?

Kind of a compromise?

Note- i dont have kids, so not sure i should suggest here.

 

[etk29321]

I've only used water for almost 30 years now and never had an issue.

Same. I’ve only ever used water in blow off jars. Never had and issue. The bugs we care about cannot climb up the blowoff tube.

 

[Mtrhdltd]

Im curious about a different danger. Boiling water or wort is more dangerous than the chemicals we use. Burns are no joke. In my opinion you can not brew safely around young children.
To your question I use water in my blow offs and have never had an infection, gases push out. If your sucking in then something may be wrong.