Newbe -San Star - rinsed

[skcm2006]

:smack:

I was sanitizing my kit with San Star and I then did a quick fresh water rinse - Did I screw up and possibly infected my batch?

 

[BrewingGunner]

You are probably ok, but I wouldn't recommend doing this again. If you haven't used the gear yet...just re sanitize it for piece of mind. If you have used it realize 3000 years ago they weren't sanitizing like we are and beer turned out ok most of the time so you will probably be ok this time too.

 

[JeffD1]

Good news and bad news. Bad news, yes it was a mistake. It is a risk to let unboiled water contact the beer. There can be things living in the water. Good news is, that being said, chances are you'll be fine. I had a friend that would top up his fermentors with unboiled tap water and he didn't experience infections. Just in the future make sure anything that touches the wort/beer has been sterilized or sanitized (which trust me, this is so much easier said than done).

 

[atoughram]

I sanitize my hop socks with star san - before I fill them and put them in the fermenter, I ALWAYS rinse them with HOT tap water. I've never had an infection

I figure between the chlorine and the heat, hot tap water is close to sterile.

 

[mpcluever]

I figure between the chlorine and the heat, hot tap water is close to sterile

False. The little bit of contaminants in there get overwhelmed by the yeast. You'll be fine most of the time, but you will get bitten sooner or later.

 

[skcm2006]

Thanks! Lesson learned - I will report back here on this link on how the beer turned out - It is "Holiday Ale" by Brewer's Best..... Smelled so good going into the fermentor!

 

[atoughram]

False. The little bit of contaminants in there get overwhelmed by the yeast. You'll be fine most of the time, but you will get bitten sooner or later.

In fifteen years of brewing - never been bitten... Your results may vary.

 

[JeffD1]

In fifteen years of brewing - never been bitten... Your results may vary.

Wow! Fifteen years of brewing and never one infection?! That's an impressive record! I almost don't believe that. I've only been brewing for a year and I've had two gushers. They were still drinkable, but definitely infected, and I'm careful.

 

[skcm2006]

what is a gusher?

 

[eltorrente]

Wow! Fifteen years of brewing and never one infection?! That's an impressive record! I almost don't believe that. I've only been brewing for a year and I've had two gushers. They were still drinkable, but definitely infected, and I'm careful.

I've been brewing since 1995 and I've never once had an infection, either.

Back in the day, we used to use bleach for disenfectant. After we pulled stuff out of the bleach solution, we would simply wash it off with tap water and lay it down on a towel on the counter top.

I use StarSan nowadays, and I love it - much easier, but I know from experience that rinsing in tap water is nothing to be scared of, but no-rinse Starsan is the best way, of course.

 

[kh54s10]

I have been brewing since July 2011 and have had some gushers but they were not due to infection, or at least I don't think so since they foam but taste normal. One is a winter ale that I brewed in Dec 2011 and still have some.

I would also say that the chlorine and hot water work, but that is not to say that it is the best practice.

 

[atoughram]

Back in the day, we used to use bleach

Exactly - Just like Charlie Papazian taught us!

"Relax - Have a Homebrew"

 

[eltorrente]

Exactly - Just like Charlie Papazian taught us!

"Relax - Have a Homebrew"

LOL yeah - it never seemed like an issue back then.

I never had any idea that people actually got such disgusting infections until I started reading this board a couple years ago. I wonder how people get such nasty stuff growing in their beer/wort. I think maybe people don't actually clean their stuff very well before sanitizing or something like that.

 

[atoughram]

I still have a gallon of bleach in the brewery - If it doesn't have stainless in it and is big, I bleach it.... Glass Carboys - BLEACH, Plastic Fermenters - BLEACH.

Beer Bottles - Star-San! (So I dont have to rinse them...)

 

[Junkster]

Years ago a friend of mine used Starsan on his fermenters and then rinsed with tap water and let air-dry before using. He made a lot of awful beers and I finally asked him "What part of no rinse don't you understand?" I never did get an answer or drank any more of his beers. He IS still alive but no longer brews.....

 

[logan3825]

The best way to use Star San is with distilled water and a spray bottle. You only need to get a surface wet to sanitize with Star San. 8oz can easily last 20-30 batches.