Sanitizer sucked into bucket...a lot

[Taco29wps]

Hey y'all,

So I had 2 5 gallon buckets of a brown that I made in my fermentation chamber. Had blow off tubes in the buckets because I was out of air locks. Anyway, cold crashed them and one of the buckets sucked the starsan solution into the bucket. About a quart worth (diluted to the 5 gallon dilution recommendation). Anywhoo, will it be okay to drink? I don't want to poison myself...lol I appreciate your input. By the way, looked like dirty lake water on the top, pulled a sample with my thief and it looked and tasted fine. The crap on the top was probably the "blow off" from the jug...I hope.

Bob

 

[TheMattTrain]

My understanding of starsan is that you can drink it if it's diluted properly. You should be fine.

 

[IslandLizard]

If you're very diligent and careful, you could siphon off the top layer of pond water, consisting mostly of Starsan. Whatever mixed in won't harm you, but your beer will be a bit diluted. I had that happen once, at least a pint, possibly more. I could not taste it per se, but knowing it was in there made me think I could and made me a bit uneasy. I finished it myself.

You could mix the 2 buckets so the Starsan load is halved, at double the volume.

 

[Subdivisions]

There are many posts about this very thing. Read this thread and feel relaxed:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/racked-fresh-batch-stout-onto-about-1-gallon-star-san-342219/

 

[kh54s10]

As said not much of a problem other than diluting your beer.

The next time use only enough Starsan to keep the blow off tube submerged.

I cannot figure out why people think you need a gallon of sanitizer for the blow off when you only put a couple tablespoons in an airlock.

 

[Taco29wps]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I always appreciate the support and advice that this community provides.

What I did was keg the "sanitized" beer and bottled the other. I am going to basically be my own tester for it-mostly because i'm curious. It is a bit, not much, but a bit thinner than the other bucket.

Now, what should I call it?

Name ideas requested...sanitized brown ale....go

Thanks again,
Bob

 

[sablesurfer]

LOL! Interesting to find this thread just now. First time ever I have attempted a cold crash. Wanted to see if I got away from the big yeast cakes I get in bottom of my bottles.

It was a Belgian strong so I had blow off tube. Why did I have about a pint of liquid in there, because that was how the hose reached the liquid in the carafe.

Got about an inch of whitish cloudy liquid on top, will attempt to siphon off from middle area of my beer. It tasted too good at two weeks to not try to save this one.

 

[ktblunden]

Generally if you're going to cold crash, switch out the blowoff for an airlock. That way worst case is you suck in a couple tablespoons of sanitizer.

 

[ABVIBUSRM]

Generally if you're going to cold crash, switch out the blowoff for an airlock. That way worst case is you suck in a couple tablespoons of sanitizer.

I think switching to foil for cold crash is the best option then replacing the airlock once temp equalizes or use vodka or grain alcohol in airlock instead of star san

 

[sablesurfer]

Actually, my biggest concern about sucking an airlock dry or even the idea of sanitized cotton/foam is....what about oxygen?

We are all trained to freak out about O2 and at this point in a beer, the idea of sucking all that extra air into a carboy seems blasphemous. I mean, is it normal and I shouldn't worry about it? But I have had a big imperial stout get oxidized and that was a lot of work wasted in my early years.

 

[m00ps]

I think oxidation is way overblown in homebrewing. But from what I understand just simple exposure to oxygen wont oxidate beer. The surface needs to be disturbed so it can dissolve into the beer. Otherwise, everyone would be oxidizing their beer every time they open a bucket lid to sample since they expose the entire surface. I do about half my batches in buckets, around 70 so far, and I haven't had any oxidation that I know of yet

 

[ktblunden]

I think switching to foil for cold crash is the best option then replacing the airlock once temp equalizes or use vodka or grain alcohol in airlock instead of star san

I tend to go with foil a lot too.

 

[sablesurfer]

So an update...I pulled about half a gallon of the whitish star san'y stuff off the top of carboy while still in fermentor. This left about half an inch or so. Today I bottled that beer, by putting the siphon way down near the yeast. Then I drew that off into bottling bucket and stopped with about 2 inches of beer left. Overall my sample glass tastes pretty decent. So this may end up drinkable after all.