So Star San is no rinse?

[syd138]

After letting my carboys soak in Star San I would rinse them out with sterilized water..

The other week I tried just pouring out the star san and racking right into it..

but the other day I saw an oily film on top of the beer.

Is this stuff really ok to leave in there and not rinse?

 

[alexavery]

everyone here seems to think it's OK. I'm only 3 batches in, but I haven't rinsed out my starsan. No problems so far.

Get ready, cause here come the "Don't fear the foam" responses...

 

[McKBrew]

Is this stuff really ok to leave in there and not rinse?

Yes.

++++++++++

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Get ready, cause here come the "Don't fear the foam" responses...

The foam itself is not harmful to your beer. However, beer pixies live in starsan foam. They have very weak bladders, and their leakage could compromise your beer.......Nah, I can't do this......You are fine, no rinse means exactly that.

 

[cvstrat]

I soak all my utensils, thermometers, etc in it during the brew session, when I pull out the spatula to stir the mash I don't rinse. I do notice when I put the thermometer in the dark wort there is a mini oil-slick that comes from it.. but it's nothing to worry about Beer comes out just fine!

 

[bull8042]

The foam itself is not harmful to your beer. However, beer pixies live in starsan foam. They have very weak bladders, and their leakage could compromise your beer.......Nah, I can't do this......You are fine, no rinse means exactly that.

Well LG, you were off to such a great start...

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Naaaaw. You really do have to rinse it. Five Star just markets the stuff as a no rinse product to give people a reason to ask contradictory questions and because without all the verbiage in their use instructions regarding it's application as a no rinse sanitizer, the page and label would be sparse looking.

 

[Arkador]

StarSan Foam is actually beneficial to your yeastie beasties.

I usually add my water, then starsan, and give it a gentle swirl, so not too much foam is kicked up. I have seem some great pictures of foam stanging 3 feet tall over a freshly filled keg.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Naaaaw. You really do have to rinse it. Five Star just markets the stuff as a no rinse product to give people a reason to ask contradictory questions and because without all the verbiage in their use instructions regarding it's application as a no rinse sanitizer, the page and label would be sparse looking.

+1 to this. A label with words sells a product better than just a bottle with a sticker on it.

 

[Revvy]

No rinse, wet contact means no rinse, wet contact....and don't fear the foam.

I put a lot of info and tips on sanitizing in this thread, including the legendary podcast with Chuck Talley the creator of Starsan....

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/sanitizer-question-54932/?highlight=sanitizer+question

P.S. More than likely the oily film has noting to do with the starsan...it is probably hop oil...

 

[chumprock]

+1 to this. A label with words sells a product better than just a bottle with a sticker on it.

At least that's what Dr. Bronner thought...

 

[boydak]

Don't fear the foam!!

The foam is your friend.

I too have noticed the slick but have not seen any ill effects.

 

[osagedr]

I do not fear the foam. But sometimes I rinse anyway. I have no logical basis for this...

 

[malkore]

I've purposely drank star-san. Didn't kill me, and doesn't actually have much flavor.
Never could detect that flavor in my beers.

definitely no need to fear the foam or residue.

 

[carnevoodoo]

At least that's what Dr. Bronner thought...

Those labels are amazing.

 

[HSM]

Some people rinse, others don't. I'm a rinsers and always will be. I've never seen StarSan as a beer ingredient and I intend to keep it that way.

 

[fatbob]

If you buy Starsan in a 32oz size it will last a very long time if mixed in the recomended strength. It really is one of the cheapest items that I buy for this hobby.

 

[Weezknight]

I bottled my first batch last Friday, and the vinator I used to sanitize the bottles kicked up some crazy Star San foam. And, even though I'm a suspicious noob, I just filled the bottles right on top of the foam. I trust the manufacturer and all of the veterans on this board that it'll be okay.

 

[bull8042]

So you and him feel like spreading bad information?

Well, you are always going to have people that throw batteries in fires and put tin foil in the microwave just because they can. I can't understand why following the manufacturer's recommendations is so difficult.....

People have racked their beer on quarts of StarSan without any negative effect, the beer tasted great without off-flavors. 5-Star says don't rinse....experience here says don't rinse.... Why in the hell do we keep having this debate?!?!?!

To the rinsing proponents: Starsan says, "NO-RINSE". If YOU want to go against the grain and rinse off your sanitizer, by all means, go for it. It will be YOUR beer that may suffer. But don't spread incorrect information by suggesting others do the same. </rant>

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Well, you are always going to have people that throw batteries in fires and put tin foil in the microwave just because they can. I can't understand why following the manufacturer's recommendations is so difficult.....

People have racked their beer on quarts of StarSan without any negative effect, the beer tasted great without off-flavors. 5-Star says don't rinse....experience here says don't rinse.... Why in the hell do we keep having this debate?!?!?!

To the rinsing proponents: Starsan says, "NO-RINSE". If YOU want to go against the grain and rinse off your sanitizer, by all means, go for it. It will be YOUR beer that may suffer. But don't spread incorrect information by suggesting others do the same. </rant>

Yeah. I once accidentally bottled a few bottles with an inch of Star-san in the bottom. The beer was obviously weaker, but still perfectly drinkable.

 

[Revvy]

Why in the hell do we keep having this debate?!?!?!

To the rinsing proponents: Starsan says, "NO-RINSE". If YOU want to go against the grain and rinse off your sanitizer, by all means, go for it. It will be YOUR beer that may suffer. But don't spread incorrect information by suggesting others do the same. </rant>

+1,000...

As we have said over and over and over, if you rinse AFTER you sanitize then you cut the efficacy of the sanitizer in half. AND run the risk of infection from your water.

Starsan and iodophor are No Rinse, Wet Contact sanitizers, meaning that as long as the object is wet with the sanitizer any microorganism (airborn or from our hands) that comes in contact with the object is still killed...

Rinsing away the sanitisers means that more than likely the next micro organism that comes into contact with the object will happily land on it and it won't be killed off, and it will happily f with your beer.

I'm sorry you rinsers are scared of it (Because that is the truth, you're scared of something that has been PROVEN to be safe at proper dillution,) but you are NOT using it properly, which means that you are playing Russian Roulette with your sanitization and potentially ruining your beer.

Starsan and Iodophor are the only FDA approved no rinse (foodsafe) sanitisers sold specifically for homebrewing (though there are plenty in the resteraunt and dairy industry you could use. Like I use bulk dairy "iodophor") But those are the only two official homebrewing ones.

There's plenty of info and the links to the podcasts on iodophor and starsan here...You can choose not believe us, or the packaging or the information from the inventors of the products...but at least be informed...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/sanitizer-question-54932/?highlight=sanitiser+question

Not to mention that the foam in starsan actually becomes yeast food when it is in the fermentor or the bottles...it helps have good yeast health.

There's plenty of information, not superstition, on this site, including podcasts by the creator of starsan....it's not because of ignorance for your somewhat foolish choice, to rinse it, but if you choose to do it, and get an infection, don't bother starting an "is my beer ruined" thread...because that's where the problem lies...



[/unsubscribe]

 

[IrregularPulse]

But Revvy, I understand all you logic and the manufacturer's testing and recommendations, and I even understand that the FDA has tested everything and said it's okay, BUT One of the first things I learned in College was that foam in beer is bad!! Next I suppose you'll tell me that foam on top of a glass after pouring is OKAY!

 

[Revvy]

But Revvy, I understand all you logic and the manufacturer's testing and recommendations, and I even understand that the FDA has tested everything and said it's okay, BUT One of the first things I learned in College was that foam in beer is bad!! Next I suppose you'll tell me that foam on top of a glass after pouring is OKAY!

Pshaw...you're obviously NOT a real brewer, because you believe in all the FDA approval mumbo-jumbo...You might as well just use onestep, because you think paying to have your product tested as a sanitizer and paying to have it certified as a safe sanitizer is just a waste of money...Why do that when you can just skirt it the issue, and not call it a sanitizer, yet manage to get it included with just about every starter kit from Mr Beer to many kits at LHBS...I mean why cut into our profits from exclusive contracts for something like the fda.

 

[Orfy]

This is a technical forum.

Please stop with the bickering and OT posting.
You have several other forums for that.

 

[bull8042]

No bickering from here.... just want to say "Thanks" to Revvy for stepping up as usual and providing pertinent facts on the issue.

 

[dec]

I can understand the fears of starsan and it's probably from the amount of foam since it's so visible. If it didn't foam up no one would think twice and just move on.

For example last night I'm moving my first brew from primary to secondary and I'm going about sanitizing my secondary. I put in 1 oz of star san into the secondary and filled with hot water and let it sit for 5 minutes than pour it out.

What came next is what made me go **** and I imagine many others. The carboy was over half full of foamy bubbles. You're thinking oh god, my poor beer.

So what I did and I'm sure I should have just ignored the bubbles was I have a wallpaper tray with proper dilution of star san for hoses, etc. that wasn't all scary foamy.

I took the carboy and gave it a quick rinse at the sink with the bottle washer and let it drip out a bit. I then poured in a couple cups of my wallpaper tray star san into the carboy and swirled it around to cover the whole inside. Let it sit for a minute while I grabbed my hoses and auto siphon. I then poured out what was inside for a good 30 seconds and proceeded to go rack to my secondary.

I felt more comfortable not having a carboy over half full of foam even though I'm sure I ended up with the same amount of star san product just not all scary foam.

 

[Hang Glider]

For example last night I'm moving my first brew from primary to secondary and I'm going about sanitizing my secondary. I put in 1 oz of star san into the secondary and filled with hot water and let it sit for 5 minutes than pour it out.

you could probably save a lot of money here -
just mix up a batch of sanitizer in a gallon bottle (or pail, or corny, or whatever) and use it - don't fill your carboy up to the top... just pour in a little, swish it around all sides, neck, etc. Swish for a minute, or set it down and swish again...and again, and pour out what pours. Done. Leave the full soaking for the cleanser, not the sanitizer.

 

[dec]

you could probably save a lot of money here -
just mix up a batch of sanitizer in a gallon bottle (or pail, or corny, or whatever) and use it - don't fill your carboy up to the top... just pour in a little, swish it around all sides, neck, etc. Swish for a minute, or set it down and swish again...and again, and pour out what pours. Done. Leave the full soaking for the cleanser, not the sanitizer.

Thanks, I kind of figured this out and went hmm that wasn't very effective. From now on I'll just mix up the wallpaper tray batch and the squirt bottle and use those.

 

[boredatwork]

This is always a strange topic. To me, using StarSan is the first step of faith. If you believe the claims from FiveStar that StarSan is an effective sanitizer, then why wouldn't you believe its no rinse? I have never understood why one conclusion is completely acceptable, but the other one is so hard to believe?

 

[chumprock]

Just racked a batch of strong ale into a nice foamy keg.... YUM.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Some people rinse, others don't. I'm a rinsers and always will be. I've never seen StarSan as a beer ingredient and I intend to keep it that way.

Just racked a batch of strong ale into a nice foamy keg.... YUM.

Oh Noes, Ruined, haven't you been reading this thread?

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Some people rinse, others don't. I'm a rinsers and always will be. I've never seen StarSan as a beer ingredient and I intend to keep it that way.

Chlorine is not a beer ingredient either, but if you are rinsing with tap water, well......