Quick Star San Questions

[gregblatz]

Hi All,
I am using Star San for the first time today. I have a couple of quick questions.

Is the general rule to use 1oz per 5gal?

If I make a spray bottle, is the concentration the same, or do you go with a more concentrated solution?

I am going to jet wash the bottles with hot water, then dunk them in the bucket of Star San for 30sec without rinsing afterwards. Is it ok to drip dry with Star San without having to rinse?

Thanks a lot for your responses.

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

Dilute as the direction tell you, there is no point in using a more concentrated solution and it may be detrimental.

The whole point and ( best I think ) feature is that it is a no rinse. Leave the residual foam and all on your bottles and equipment.

 

[gregblatz]

Thanks for the quick response Dr Vorlauf.....looks like this stuff may make my life a little easier

 

[gregblatz]

Wow, there is a lot of foam in my now sanitized bottling bucket. OK, I'll leave it there...

 

[Nurmey]

Takes a while to get used to the foam but you will grow to love it.

 

[acesb422]

I also want to start using star san, I will use it first to sanitize my bottling bucket and then will it be ok to dip each bottle in the bottling bucket dump them out and then cover the tops with aluminum foil until i fill. They will only be cover for as long as it takes me dunk all the bottles and rack my beer to the bottling bucket. or would covering with aluminum foil be over kill???? Or is there a better way to do this???

 

[gregblatz]

Wow, bottling day was a breeze. I filled a 5gal bucket with SS, and filled a spray bottle with about a pint of it.

Poured a pint or so of it into my pre-cleaned bottling bucket, and swished it around for 30sec or so. Nice foaming action that covered all areas including the lid.

Poured 2gals into a secondary bucket, then dunked each bottle in the bucket, then let them drip dry without rinse.

When done, I put all SS back into the 5gal bucket for use some other time.

My 32oz SS will last forever at this rate.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

I wish I had learned sooner about sanitizing as we have posted .. . I used a bleach & rinse procedure that worked well but was 3X the time ( at best ).

Star san solutions dont last forever. I like to make a fresh one every time but they last at least a few weeks in a sealed container.

 

[SuperiorBrew]

Wow, bottling day was a breeze. I filled a 5gal bucket with SS, and filled a spray bottle with about a pint of it.

Poured a pint or so of it into my pre-cleaned bottling bucket, and swished it around for 30sec or so. Nice foaming action that covered all areas including the lid.

Poured 2gals into a secondary bucket, then dunked each bottle in the bucket, then let them drip dry without rinse.

When done, I put all SS back into the 5gal bucket for use some other time.

My 32oz SS will last forever at this rate.

Thanks for the help guys!

Get one of these, best thing I ever bought for bottling, works well with the tree too

Vinator Bottle Rinser

Tree

 

[camiller]

I also want to start using star san, I will use it first to sanitize my bottling bucket and then will it be ok to dip each bottle in the bottling bucket dump them out and then cover the tops with aluminum foil until i fill. They will only be cover for as long as it takes me dunk all the bottles and rack my beer to the bottling bucket. or would covering with aluminum foil be over kill???? Or is there a better way to do this???

I'd say the foil is overkill, after I sanitize my bottles I load them in the dishwasher racks to drip dry. Once I have all my bottles in there I set the bottling bucket above the dishwasher and fill bottles on the inside of the open dishwasher door, that way if a spill a little it is self cleaning.

 

[conpewter]

I was listening to a podcast that had charlie (the inventor of star-san) and learned that your star-san will last for a very long time if you only put clean parts in it. Basically you mix it up (You'll want to use distilled/RO water if you have bad hard water) and once the PH goes above 3.5 then you need to make a new batch.

I end up dumping mine every other batch but that includes brew day and bottling day, I have not got around to PH test strips yet to see if I could keep it and use it longer.

Here's the podcast if you have the time, very interesting!
http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/archive/search.php?story=star+san&dosearch=yes

 

[JVD_X]

and the important part here is that you don't HAVE to make a 5 gallon batch. I often only use a a gallon and move it back and forth between the kegs, fermenter, etc.