I am fermenting a 5 gallon julius clone using wyeast 1318. Fermentation was explosive, so I used a blowoff tube going into a half filled gallon container of starsan. During cold crashing, it looks like I sucked back about 1\8 to a 1\4 gallon of starsan into the carboy. Are there any safety concerns with drinking this much starsan?
Drinking starsan
- Thread starter cwise
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I don't think so. I heard there was a video of a 5 Star employee drinking Starsan solution. It is diluted already diluted 1 ounce to 5 gallons of water then further diluted in 5 gallons of beer.
I have a suggestion. Put about 3/4 inch of Starsan in a small cottage cheese container, It will be about 1/2 cup. Then put that cup in a large sauce pan or something in case it over flows.
AND change to an S-type airlock before cold crashing.
I have a suggestion. Put about 3/4 inch of Starsan in a small cottage cheese container, It will be about 1/2 cup. Then put that cup in a large sauce pan or something in case it over flows.
AND change to an S-type airlock before cold crashing.
Mate, there are videos out there of people eating dish washer detergent.... I wouldn't say that this would proof it's safety.
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It's Tide Pods which is laundry detergent. But anyway, it is so diluted that IMO, it is perfectly safe....
The beer might taste like crap though.
I wouldn't try it. Those no rinse sanitizer have to be rinsed in Germany, in commercial facilities, by law. In other words, they might not be as harmless as everybody thinks. I personally don't rinse but I certainly wouldn't drink a beer made up of about 5% star san solution.
I'm not sure I would drink it either but I also wouldn't go by laws. So many are just ridiculous. And in a commercial setting they are probably using something much different than the Starsan solution that we homebrewers use.
mashinary
Well-Known Member
I have drank Star San, I'm still alive. Your beer might not be awesome, but that much of it in a 5 gallon batch of beer is safe.
I wonder how many biologists and chemists we are having here that are specialised in cleaning and sanitizing products and have real knowledge about their effect on the human body past "I drank it and I am still alive".
mashinary
Well-Known Member
Right, and what information do you have that it's harmful in small amounts? Are you a biologist or chemist that does specialize in these products?
Drinking Starsan? Well, I suppose, if everything else is gone...
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I get this. But according to the chemist manufacturer, it is touted as safe in it's diluted state. This was well documented on a Basic Brewing podcast where the manufacturer was also highly supportive of the use of acidulated bleach.
I drank it and I'm fine too. It's not bad - a little lemony. I heard it is made with the same acid that makes Coke such a fine cleaner.
baldm79
Well-Known Member
The owner of a local brew pub was making his own carbonated water and guzzled down some starsan before he realized why it tasted so funny. He’s alive, a little crazy, but alive.
Sparkncode
Well-Known Member
Looking at the MSDS for both ingredients I would think you would need to drink a huge amount of made up solution to be at any risk but make up your own mind. http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9923881 and http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927393.
A quart of Starsan solution sucked into 5 gallons of beer will be diluted 1:21. I doubt it will be harmful at that strength.
Taste may be another story completely. Try the beer and see how it turns out.
Taste may be another story completely. Try the beer and see how it turns out.
I had a special moment once where I poured an oz of straight starsan into 5 gallons of beer instead of the bottling bucket.
It was noticable to me but not that bad.
Don't think it'll kill you it's just a food safe acid with food safe foaming agents as far as I know. Wouldn't make a habit of it but the regulations for stuff like that allow for a fair amount of idiocy.
Sparkncode
Well-Known Member
The foamer that makes up 15 % of starsan is listed as LD50 RAT 650mg/Kg
So human at 100kg implies 65g what ever that is in funny measurments. Remember LD50 is a dose that kills 50% so dont get that close. The 65g is just for the 15% of the starsan. Im not saying you could drink it straight unless you want to corrode yout GI tract but it does show significant safety margin. As to accumulative effects who knows
The phosphoric acid ld50 is 1530mg/kg and makes up the bult of starsam.
So human at 100kg implies 65g what ever that is in funny measurments. Remember LD50 is a dose that kills 50% so dont get that close. The 65g is just for the 15% of the starsan. Im not saying you could drink it straight unless you want to corrode yout GI tract but it does show significant safety margin. As to accumulative effects who knows
The phosphoric acid ld50 is 1530mg/kg and makes up the bult of starsam.
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Sparkncode
Well-Known Member
Not sure I would have drunk that as my insides don't need sanitising but still wall away from fatel levels.
Now im curious how was the head and head retention. Extra foamey?
My mrs says my insides do need sanitizing...
Beer was pretty normal actually. It bottle conditioned fine so not even any adverse effect on the yeasties. I was sure I could taste a slight acid bite on the swallow but nobody else noticed it.
Yeah I wouldn't stress overmuch. It may not taste great but it shouldn't hurt you.
Your pours will have great head retention and a big frothy head of foam!
John
John
It just so happens that I am a chemist who works in the field of cleaners and sanitizers. A buddy asked me to come over to reply...
Short answer-- don't worry, be loose... especially because the surfactant might loosen you up a little. ;-)
Seriously, that will be the worse thing that happens. The beer will buffer the acidity, so no worries on the gastric irritation. The thing that could cause problems is the dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DDBSA), which is that surfactant I mentioned above (the stuff that foams). Having said that, I don't think the toxicity will be an issue at the level you're talking about, although you might get a low level of harsh bitterness... again, at the level we're talking about, it won't be a problem.
I think my friend is also expecting me to tout my company's new sanitizer that is basically a non-foaming version of Star San... but I don't want to be accused of being commercial here. If anyone is coming to Homebrew Con, come see us and I'll give you the demo!
Short answer-- don't worry, be loose... especially because the surfactant might loosen you up a little. ;-)
Seriously, that will be the worse thing that happens. The beer will buffer the acidity, so no worries on the gastric irritation. The thing that could cause problems is the dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DDBSA), which is that surfactant I mentioned above (the stuff that foams). Having said that, I don't think the toxicity will be an issue at the level you're talking about, although you might get a low level of harsh bitterness... again, at the level we're talking about, it won't be a problem.
I think my friend is also expecting me to tout my company's new sanitizer that is basically a non-foaming version of Star San... but I don't want to be accused of being commercial here. If anyone is coming to Homebrew Con, come see us and I'll give you the demo!
SoCal-Doug
Well-Known Member
Weird tasting beer followed by an explosive #3. Sounds awesome
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