Could using starsan be causing over carbonation?

[ShizuokaBrad]

Any thoughts on this? Would/could the small amount of starsan left over from sanitizing cause over carbonation?

 

[Zinc_Saucier]

Is the thought that it's doing so because it's a yeast nutrient? If so, I'd say no because as long as you've reached FG there isn't anything left to ferment, regardless of the added nutrient

 

[ShizuokaBrad]

But with bottle carbonation you are adding back in a small amount of fermentables to reach the desired volume of CO2, right?

The reason I ask is that I have a friend who has been having an over carbonation problem and aside from wild yeast the starsan is the only other thing I was wondering about.

 

[tmendick]

It could be his regulator those things aren't 100% accurate

 

[Britinusa]

Has he been checking that fermentation is done before bottling?

 

[jekeane]

I uses star San when I formerly bottles and never had extra carbonation.

Is he using a priming sugar calculator or just dumping the whole 5oz of sugar in? Is he properly mixing? If it's gushers he is either racking to soon before fermentation is complete, using to much priming sugar or not mixing it enough. Or a infection. Gusher infections often have a bandaid off flavor.

 

[GHBWNY]

...I have a friend who has been having an over carbonation problem...

So, how long has "YOUR FRIEND" [snicker] been having this problem?

 

[JonM]

Overcarbonation has many potential causes, but StarSan ain't one of them. Your friend's overcarbonation comes from 1) too much priming sugar, 2) inadequately mixed priming solution, 3) infection, 4) bottling before fermentation is complete.

There is nothing in StarSan that could cause overcarbonation.

 

[ShizuokaBrad]

I asked him about fermentation, the type and amount of priming sugar, the method of priming, etc. everything seems to be fine. I was leaning towards some kind of infection too. I was just wondering about the starsan since it acts as a yeast nutrient. It's not a product that I use so I have no idea about the effects of using it. Having a santizer, regardless of what the marketing says, isn't something I want in my beer bottles!

 

[ShizuokaBrad]

So, how long has "YOUR FRIEND" [snicker] been having this problem?

Three batches of beer I think. The problem doesn't seem to be uniform though since it seems to be random bottles that are gushing.

 

[ThatVideoKid]

Three batches of beer I think. The problem doesn't seem to be uniform though since it seems to be random bottles that are gushing.

That sounds he isn't mixing it well enough

 

[passedpawn]

Having a santizer, regardless of what the marketing says, isn't something I want in my beer bottles!

Careful, ethanol is an awesome sanitizer too

The main ingredient in starsan is phosporic acid, which is completely food safe and is found in soda, baking powder (and thus in tons of baked goods), and lots of other stuff. Starsan is deemed food safe by the USDA. Starsan is not some sort of military biological nerve agent - it simply kills microbes as a low-pH acid. You could do the same thing with vinegar, but that would taste pretty bad.

And, to answer your question, the starsan isn't the problem for your friend. JonM got it right, above.