Don't fear the foam, they said...

[ILMSTMF]

The foam is your FRIEND, they said...

This is mainly posted as a means to get a laugh but also half seriously for an answer to... did I use too much Star San, will this hurt the beer?

Added an ounce of Star San to a clean and rinsed carboy. Added tap water and the foam got pretty thick only halfway filled. Foam continued spilling out as more water was added. Dumped the liquid after 10 minutes and racked.
I left the room and came back to find the beer pushing the foam out and up the siphon. I freaked but then laughed at what it looked like. Please see photos. Note that I did not get as much beer in the carboy as I would have liked to. Problem?

Ps - sample measured 1.011 from a 1.048 OG. It tastes DELIGHTFUL. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478119774.640892.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1478119824.501740.jpg

 

[popsicleian]

It shouldn't be a problem. May this be a lesson to you to always add Starsan to water rather than the other way around...

 

[Tiber_Brew]

It shouldn't be a problem. May this be a lesson to you to always add Starsan to water rather than the other way around...

This ^ Same with PBW

 

[CU_tony]

I normally pour ~1.5 gallons of starsan into a carboy before swirling/shaking to coat the interior surface before dumping it out and leaving the carboy upside down draining until Im ready for it.
It will be pretty costly to make 5 gallons for each batch!

Before I digress more, dont fear the foam, if you have foam keep racking all your beer into the carboy and just let it push the foam out.

 

[bbohanon]

Looks normal to me. I usually chase the wife around the house with foamed up hands when I clean up anything with Starsan

:fro::fro::fro:

 

[MagicMatt]

I normally pour ~1.5 gallons of starsan into a carboy ...

I hope you mean "~1.5 gallons of starsan solution", lol.

But yes OP, add your water first, then the starsan. Then shake to distribute.

 

[day_trippr]

Hilarious! But using five gallons of Star San to sanitize a carboy is so unnecessary.
I keep 5 gallons of Star San mix using distilled water in a food safe bucket with a drain valve.
To sanitize a carboy I pour in a couple of cups, swirl it thoroughly then pour it out.
Don't need to fear the foam if there isn't any...

Cheers!

 

[ILMSTMF]

Yeah dudes. I **** this up every time (doing a full 5 gallon solution). Keep learning the same expensive lesson but I don't notice it because I purchased a big stock of Star San a while ago. I know, very lame excuse but truly the reason why I forget to correct the behavior.

Meanwhile, first I'm hearing of adding the product to water and not the other way around. Good tip! Though I don't mind the foam. Future clean ups will be using half volume of container worth of solution, or less.

Thanks all, hope you had a chuckle! I know what I'll be doing with my foamy hands next time lol

 

[Atlmustang]

Lol awesome!!!!! I love star san!!!!!

 

[kh54s10]

A while back there was a thread of Starsan "snake" pictures.

 

[petrolSpice]

What a waste of water... I just pour in about 1/2 gallon of starsan solution that I have mixed in another bucket and slosh it around. I do this a few times over about 5-10 minutes, pour it out, then rack in the beer.

 

[CU_tony]

I hope you mean "~1.5 gallons of starsan solution", lol.

But yes OP, add your water first, then the starsan. Then shake to distribute.

haha, yup. I misspoke, 1.5 gallons of starsan (concentrate) would be dumb... 1.5 gallons of starsan solution is hopefully clearly what I meant.

 

[Atlmustang]

I too have quickly learned of the power of star san. For my 5 gallon bucket I put a .5 oz of star san in the bottom and add a gallon or so of water and I put a glove on and wash the solution around the edges of the bucket and slosh it around a bit and it has never not sanitized that way. I also only use a 1/2 the solution that way. It's powerful stuff!

 

[MagicMatt]

I too have quickly learned of the power of star san. For my 5 gallon bucket I put a .5 oz of star san in the bottom and add a gallon or so of water and I put a glove on and wash the solution around the edges of the bucket and slosh it around a bit and it has never not sanitized that way. I also only use a 1/2 the solution that way. It's powerful stuff!

If you're using 0.5 oz of starsan, you should be diluting with 2.5 gallons of water. If you're only using "a gallon or so", that's pretty high concentration. I don't know that it will have negative effects, but you aren't using it to the manufacturer's specification.

If you only need 1 gallon of solution, use only about 6mL of starsan (about 1.2 tsp). This will save you about half of the starsan you're using each time.

 

[Atlmustang]

I guess I never paid too much attention to it. I mean I end up pouring it all out anyways except for residual foam, so I don't think it matters if I'm not measuring it out perfectly, but I agree that I am on the higher side of concentrated and could save even more.

 

[Limbrizik]

I make a solution of starsan and put it in a spray bottle. I can sanitize several kegs and fermenters with only a quart or so of solution.

 

[spiff2268]

I keep my Starsan in a spray bottle. When it comes to the carboy I just pour in a few ounces, swish it around to coat the inside, then dump it out. It's worked so far.

 

[MagicMatt]

I make a solution of starsan and put it in a spray bottle. I can sanitize several kegs and fermenters with only a quart or so of solution.

I'm not sure how effective that really is. We all (well, most of us) keep a squirt bottle of starsan handy for touch ups and whatnot, but I'm very skeptical that sprays from a bottle will properly sanitize a keg. How are you sanitizing the inside of the dip tube or posts/poppets?

 

[Zuljin]

A while back there was a thread of Starsan "snake" pictures.

I just saw snake on TV.

 

[ILMSTMF]

I'm not sure how effective that really is. We all (well, most of us) keep a squirt bottle of starsan handy for touch ups and whatnot, but I'm very skeptical that sprays from a bottle will properly sanitize a keg. How are you sanitizing the inside of the dip tube or posts/poppets?

I'm with you on this. Spray bottle for on-demand tasks (example - I will spray down the siphon and hose, wine thief, and whatever else is going into the beer after the boil). Keg, I can't comment since I'm not kegging. For bucket/carboy sanitizing jobs, larger volume of solution with swirling to coat.

 

[grrickar]

I quit homebrewing and just drink Starsan water now. No mashing, sparging, vorlaufting, and my insides are shiny and sterile.

A buddy of mine attended a brewing 'school' and they taught them to knock down the foam with cheap vodka in a spritzer bottle. He told me that tip and I just shrugged. A little foam never concerned me.

As others said, if you add it to the water and don't agitate too much you won't get much foam.

 

[skraeling]

Completely normal. I love my foam fountains. Freaks the cat out though.

 

[Limbrizik]

I'll rinse my keg, starsan with my spray bottle, and then make a bit of beer line cleaner solution to run through my tap. I figure that cleans out the post just fine on the keg.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

My last batch with Starsan...

 

[MagicMatt]

I'll rinse my keg, starsan with my spray bottle, and then make a bit of beer line cleaner solution to run through my tap. I figure that cleans out the post just fine on the keg.

Right, I'm sure that's better than nothing, but you're also suppose to rinse the BLC with plain water afterwards to wash it away. And just to be clear, cleaning is not the same as sanitizing. BLC does not sanitize, nor does the water you should be running after it. I use PBW and push it through the keg, then push clean water through, then starsan solution.

Besides, BLC is expensive. I only use BLC about 4 times a year when I deep clean my system, or whenever I use my jockey box before storing it again. I can't imagine running it through my keg every time I keg a beer.

 

[Cape Brewing]

1) two drops of fermcap into starsan sani "cycle".... Shake shake... no foam. Dump out and avoid foam snakes

2) just go SaniClean.. sanitizer by Five Star (same company as Star San) only no foam.