Alternative to Starsan???

[kfgolfer]

Is there a good sanitizer out there other than Starsan that doesn't stain or leave bubbles like Starsan?? Not sure if I like all the bubbles Starsan produces. Especially if you sanitize the bottles in Starsan before bottling, you still have bubbles in the bottle.. then filling with beer, it just doesn't seem right!! they say starsan is non-rinse, but I always feel like youneed to rinse out the bubbles...

If you do use starsan, how long do the bottles have to sit in the solution before they are sanitized and you can fill them with beer??

 

[desiderata]

There aren't much bubbles if you drain your bottles upside down for a few minutes before filling them. If you are sanitizing a carboy, then don't fill it all the way with water and Starsan. Just put a little in and shake it around (be careful!) to coat the entire inside. Then, dump and drain it upside down as well. Don't worry about bubbles.

Starsan directions say that the surface must remain wet for at least one minute.

To my knowledge, Starsan doesn't stain.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

There aren't much bubbles if you drain your bottles upside down for a few minutes before filling them.

That's bull. I've left my carboy upside down as long as 1 1/2 hours and those damned bubbles are still there. I know they don't hurt anything, but I don't care. I hate Star-San. Five Star does make an acid based cleaner without the bubbles. It's called Saniclean. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm going to.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/sanitizers.html

Cheers

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I have a different take on the bubbles - I like them! They offer a sanitary layer of protection while I'm preparing whatever it is that goes into the bubbly container. Of course, I drain as much of the liquid out as possible, but I just rack/bottle/pour right on top of the bubbles. When bottling or using a carboy, most of the bubbles come right out of the top as they float on top of the beer/wort anyway.

Besides, you can DRINK StarSan solution (diluted to the recommended strength, of course!). It's probably not a good idea to drink a whole glass of the stuff, and it'd probably be REALLY sour, but it's just a food grade phosphoric acid blend (an ingredient in many soft drinks).

 

[homebrewer_99]

I use the bottle sprayer ... the one you push the bottle down and the jet sprays up into and drains back into the tray ... if you spray your last 1-2 sprays S-L-O-W-L-Y it will remove all the bubbles from the bottles ... PROMISE!!

 

[Nate]

You can pretty much avoid the bubbles by not shaking StarSan once it's in your vessel... roll it around the surfaces. I use both StarSan and SaniClean and I just discovered something about SaniClean that I definitely don't like. I run it through my brewery (because it doesn't bubble) and generally leave a weak solution in the system (hard to get it all out anyhow). This last time I left a little in the bottom of a keg and when it dried it left little brown mounds that are hard as rock. I still haven't gotten them off the bottom of the keg and I'm guessing I have the same in my internal tubing now. It's probably a bad idea to leave even a weak sanitizer/cleaner solution of any kind in contact with your brewery equipment.

 

[dantodd]

I will be using Ajax Expert Liquid Sanitizer. I just picked it up a couple days ago so I don't know about bubbles. I'll put together a brew day on the 19th if at all possible. I'll post the results after that.

 

[Biermann]

Ok, I've said this before, and noone takes me serious---

I also don't like the bubbles--just something not real asthetic about seeing suds in something you're going to put beer into. So, to remedy the situation, I've found that putting a little bit of cheap-o Vodka in the container (carboy, bottles, etc) and sloshing it around will get rid of most of the bubbles. Plus the Vodka is neutral in flavor, and is sterile, and is pretty damned cheap, and also ensures you have a sanitized surface.

 

[ajf]

Dare I say bleach?

It takes a lot longer and requires careful rinsing. It doesn't stain, but it can remove colors that you don't want removed if you spill it on your clothing.

The other solution is heat, but you have to wait forever for things to cool down.

-a.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Dare I say bleach?

It takes a lot longer and requires careful rinsing. It doesn't stain, but it can remove colors that you don't want removed if you spill it on your clothing.

The other solution is heat, but you have to wait forever for things to cool down.

-a.

You're never going to hear me criticize for the use of bleach. I used it for years before experimenting with no-rinse sanitizers. So far between bleach, Iodophor, and Star-San, I don't like Star-San, and I'm split between Iodophor and bleach. Iodophor is no-rinse, but it doesn't last and is expensive. Bleach is neither no-rinse nor does it last, but it's cheap and effective. I'll try the SaniClean next and then I'll stick with one.

 

[Buford]

The StarSan suds are your friend. Learn to love them! I did. :fro:

 

[dantodd]

One-Step, It's cheaper than star san and doesn't bubble up.

 

[2pugbrews]

One-Step, It's cheaper than star san and doesn't bubble up.

I started out using One-Step. I thought it was expensive. It doesn't last - in effect only one use.
I switched to Star San. the bubbles give me confidence that I'm sanitary. I don't mind the bubbles.
I mix 2.5 gal at a time. That gives me 32 batches of sanitizer from a $16 16 oz bottle. I've seen it online for $7 or so. The manufacturer says that if you mix with distilled water and keep the container covered it can be effective as long as a month or longer. As I remember if ph is below 5 it's still effective. That means I can mix a batch for brewing and it's still good for bottling. I mix with RO water because I have a RO filter.
I love my Star San

 

[Hopfan]

OK, I have many hot rum drinks in me tonight, so not sure if I can explain this accurately enough....but...

When you have the Starsan in your carboy, and you dump it, you will get bubbles. What you need to do is dump until you have about a quart of fluid in the carboy. You'll have loads of bubbles at that point also. Pick up the carboy and hold it horizontally and "spin" it to bet the fluid inside revolving on the horizontal axis. Once you have a good spin with the fluid, begin to tilt the carboy top down while maintaining the spin along the same axis. What this will do is make a whirlpool effect in the carboy and all of the bubbles will flush out the top along with the fluid. The key is to get a good solid whirlpool going and tip it over gently while maintaining the whirlpool. This gives air a vortex to come into carboy and the fluid swirls out along the diameter of the opening. And it'rs really good for toning your manboobs.

If this doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll try again when I'm sober.

 

[Biermann]

OK, I have many hot rum drinks in me tonight, so not sure if I can explain this accurately enough....but...

When you have the Starsan in your carboy, and you dump it, you will get bubbles. What you need to do is dump until you have about a quart of fluid in the carboy. You'll have loads of bubbles at that point also. Pick up the carboy and hold it horizontally and "spin" it to bet the fluid inside revolving on the horizontal axis. Once you have a good spin with the fluid, begin to tilt the carboy top down while maintaining the spin along the same axis. What this will do is make a whirlpool effect in the carboy and all of the bubbles will flush out the top along with the fluid. The key is to get a good solid whirlpool going and tip it over gently while maintaining the whirlpool. This gives air a vortex to come into carboy and the fluid swirls out along the diameter of the opening. And it'rs really good for toning your manboobs.

If this doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll try again when I'm sober.

Yeah, I've done this as well. I still like the Vodka

 

[tired]

About Star San, on the Northern Brewer website, it states, "since it is an acid; contact with soft metals, rubber, and plastic should be kept to a minimum." Does this mean that I should not use it with my hoses, siphoning attachments, carboy locks/caps, funnels, and bottling bucket? Or am I just reading way too far in to that warning?

Is there any brewing equipment that I should not use Star San with?

 

[Buford]

StarSan will start to eat rubber stoppers if you leave them in it too long. I had a stopper in it recently for a couple hours and when I went to get it out the white rubber felt gummy and the StarSan around it had gotten a thin milky look to it.

 

[RoaringBrewer]

I listened to a PodCast with the chemist who 'invented' starsan. He said if you sanitized your carboy with 2.5 gallons water and the correct dilution of starsan and dumped your wort on top of it (i.e. forgot to dump the starsan solution and dumped your wort on it as you would with a partial boil dumped onto regular water) that the beer should ferment fine and be fine to drink...

Never tried it, nor do I plan to, but I'm certain if that will work, a few bubbles from the stuff are going to hurt nothing...

On a personal experience note, I've dumped wort on top of 6"+ of starsan bubbles before (I too try to minimize the amount as much as possible without adding water) and the beers turned out fine every time.

 

[Hopfan]

About Star San, on the Northern Brewer website, it states, "since it is an acid; contact with soft metals, rubber, and plastic should be kept to a minimum." Does this mean that I should not use it with my hoses, siphoning attachments, carboy locks/caps, funnels, and bottling bucket? Or am I just reading way too far in to that warning?

Is there any brewing equipment that I should not use Star San with?

My racking hoses start to look a little cloudy after several brews/Starsan soakings, but it's nothing to worry about. I will evenually replace them if I can't see through them

 

[Yooper]

I've always used one-step. Maybe it's because I'm comfortable with it, but I really like it. No bubbles, no staining. Just clear sanitizer. I use some in a gallon jug and some in a spray bottle. The lady at the HBS told me that it's active as long as I can hear the bubbling in the container. So, it does last at least two batches, depending on quickly I'm brewing. It's great for wine- and that's what I started with.

Lorena

 

[the_bird]

I listened to a PodCast with the chemist who 'invented' starsan. He said if you sanitized your carboy with 2.5 gallons water and the correct dilution of starsan and dumped your wort on top of it (i.e. forgot to dump the starsan solution and dumped your wort on it as you would with a partial boil dumped onto regular water) that the beer should ferment fine and be fine to drink...

Never tried it, nor do I plan to, but I'm certain if that will work, a few bubbles from the stuff are going to hurt nothing...

On a personal experience note, I've dumped wort on top of 6"+ of starsan bubbles before (I too try to minimize the amount as much as possible without adding water) and the beers turned out fine every time.

Somebody here DID use a crapload of Star-san as their top-off water, IIRC, to no ill effects.

 

[bandt9299]

I forgot I had it in my beer lines and poured the first glass off a new keg and didn't realize until the glass was empty, no Ill effects and no taste difference.

 

[EdWort]

I've found that putting a little bit of cheap-o Vodka in the container (carboy, bottles, etc) and sloshing it around will get rid of most of the bubbles.

Sweet! Do you do shots afterward?

I love Starsan and I don't care about bubbles. It works for me and is easy on my Septic system. Anyone want to buy a quart bottle of Iodophor?

 

[Dude]

I love Starsan and I don't care about bubbles. It works for me and is easy on my Septic system. Anyone want to buy a quart bottle of Iodophor?

That is one of the reasons why I switched to star-san too--Iodophor isn't very healthy for humans or animals or septic systems.

I dropped the bones on some saniclean last night. We'll see how that compares.

 

[FlyGuy]

Somebody here DID use a crapload of Star-san as their top-off water, IIRC, to no ill effects.

I accidentally racked into a carboy that had at least a full quart (or maybe two) of Star San in the bottom. The beer turned out great -- no off flavours that I could detect.

If you are afraid of the bubbles, then please don't use Star San. But please don't slam it either. The problem isn't with the sanitizer, it is with your fear of bubbles.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

I've found that putting a little bit of cheap-o Vodka in the container (carboy, bottles, etc) and sloshing it around will get rid of most of the bubbles.

I'd rather drink the vodka, right to the point that I'm relaxed enough to not let a few bubbles bother me, then rack on top of them!

Honestly, the bubbles bothered me too at first. No longer. Now I actually like it when they ooze out the top of the carboy or keg, sanitizing the mouth of the vessel. Usually a spot on the kitchen floor gets sanitized along with it. No worries.

 

[ohiodad]

I was just saying to a friend last night.. There are so many things that I have better now than I had when I brewed 5 years ago... One of the best is this Star San!! I used to use bleach.. Yuck! Wow is this Star San awesome... I'm with the bubble loving crowd... I don't mind em at all!! It seems wierd but really I don't think it affects a thing!!