Star-San and Brass ?

[kvh]

So I just built my own MLT using the tried and true cooler + bits of hardware method. I know I need to pickle my brass before I start, but I'd also like to give the inside a rinse with some Star-San at least before I start to wash out any residual chemicals, funky plastic-cooler smells, etc, before I mash.

Should I do that first, rinse, pickle, and then only rinse with water thereafter?

I realize it doesn't need to be sanitary, but I would like to keep it clean. Should I avoid the Star-san as my usual wash-up in the future for fear leaching the lead out?

thx.

kvh

 

[FlyGuy]

Go ahead and pickle, then use Oxyclean or something to clean it. Star-san only santizes -- it does not clean. Sanitizing is irrelevant since your mash is going to get boiled anyways. Cleaning is all that matters.

 

[kvh]

Yes, but Star-San is Phosphoric Acid. It cleans my copper pots up really nicely.

Still no concern?

*edit* I guess you actually DIDN'T tell me to use the stuff... nevermind.

thx.
kvh

 

[FlyGuy]

Sorry -- I guess I didn't exactly answer your question. Since there is no need for Star-san, I would avoid it. It should probably be fine for a quick application, but leaving the stuff sit in Star-san is probably not good, as you suggest.

 

[Biermann]

I guess my question would be, if you are using acetic acid to pickle your brass, and its the acidic environment that removes oxidized lead, then shouldn't star san do this as well, since it is also an acidic solution??

 

[clayof2day]

and its phosphoric acid in a soap (hence the bubbles). so I think it will clean too. I think you would be fine with star san alone.

 

[abracadabra]

My LHBs recommends a solution of 50/50 vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to remove the lead. John Palmer recommend a different mix and the book is at the office maybe someone will post his recommendations

 

[Biermann]

My LHBs recommends a solution of 50/50 vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to remove the lead. John Palmer recommend a different mix and the book is at the office maybe someone will post his recommendations

This should do it.
http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixB.html

 

[Dude]

All of you who posted that star-san cleans, you are right, it does.

Just use a different cleaner to really get the crud off.

 

[kvh]

Incidentally, I've learned my lesson regarding order of operations...

I got over zealous, and bought all my hardware first, then the cooler second. Now I need to go re-purchase some of the bits.

BUT: [url="http://www.amazon.com/Igloo-ICECUBE-ULTRA-Cube-Ultra/dp/B00076THG0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-6666050-5885745?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1174489581&sr=8-1']Igloo's IceCube[/url] was only $30 at my local Rite Aid, and oght to work perfectly. And it's 48 QT (or 44, or somethng...)

Anyway - thanks for the help.

kvh

 

[kornkob]

All of you who posted that star-san cleans, you are right, it does.

Just use a different cleaner to really get the crud off.

It's important to remember what things mean:

Definitions from the National Restaurant Associations Food Service Certification textbook for;
Clean: free of visible soil including food particles and dirt
Sanitary: free of harmful levels of disease causing micro organisms and other harmful contaminates
Sterile: the absence of all living micro organsims

 

[casebrew]

Just exactly how many pounds of lead do you think can leach out of a couple fittings? Your bodies do handle small amounts, quite harmlessly. The greatist environmental exposure was caused by leaded gas. The 'lead poisoning" cases dropped precipitously in the late 70's. Even amounst inner city children, exposed to car exhaust 24/7 for several years, with "lead poisoning", the biggest symptom was a lower IQ, by one point. Drinking lead- free- homebrew will do worse than that to you. Industrial lead poisoning is different, caused by looong time exposure to a very lead-y environment. Like making leaded glass windows. For 40 years.

Lead in houshold items? Check your stainless everything. Forks, pots,... The foundries add lead to stainless so they can form it. Softens the stainless. They add an 'L' to the designation, 316L stainless.

Anyway, I would expect that an acid bath equal to the PH of wort, soaked for the usual mash time, would leach out about what could have gone into said batch of wort. Or just brew a batch, and throw out the first cup of wort, that was sitting in the fitting.

Or worry more abut all those environmental hazards that a homebrewer comes in contact with: CO, CO2 from the burner; Diacetyl, dimethylsulphoxides, from the boils; Pedococcus infections from the grain, pinced fingers, burned hands, sanitizer fumes, exposure to germs from other customers at the home brew store, minds warped by reading Homebrew forums....

 

[D*Bo]

It's two parts vinigar to one of hydrogen peroxide. It will turn a buttery gold when it's done. It will stop bubbling too.
If the solution starts to turn blue/green (it will have a slight hue after a little bit, that's normal) the peroxide is used up and the copper is comming off exposing more lead. You'll need to soak it again in a new solution.

it only takes 10-15 minutes. Or you could just not worry about it.

 

[skifast1]

Or you could just not worry about it.

..........