Star San disaster...

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jetmechG550

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Had an easy day at work so I was able to get away for a long lunch and decided to hit the LHBS. Got over there, picked up a couple kits, a couple little odds and ends and a 32oz bottle of StarSan. Set it on the floor in the backseat of my 9 month old 2010 F-150 Supercrew and back to work I went. Got home and went to unload and the plastic bag that had my StarSan and a small paper bag with a couple hundred bottle caps was stuck to the floor and upon looking closer I notice the StarSan was laid over on it's side and the cap was off with about 30 of the 32 ounces gone or all over the floor. Grab a towel out of the garage to start cleaning it up and the carpet is coming up in clumps. Quick call to Five Star and I'm told to just keep diluting it with water and and trying to vacuum up what I can. This is my first experience with StarSan and the whole time I'm thinking how can something this potent (in concentrate) have such a crappy cap? Fortunately insurance will cover it but I'm pretty pissed and bummed at the same time. And actually being an aircraft tech, I'm more concerned over whatever corrosive properties this may have while whatever I wasn't able to get cleaned up is just sitting on the underfloor of the truck. Guess I'll find out once I get the adjuster to look at it so I can get it over to the shop. I'll try and get some pics in the day light tomorrow.
 
Every bottle of Star-San I've had either 1) leaked, or 2) ended up with a broken cap...

There's a reason that when it's shipped, it's often covered in plastic/tape/etc....
 
So your truck carpet is really REALLY clean and those 2oz left is enough for a brewday. Sounds like a good day to me :mug:
 
I've never seen a bottle of StarSan that had a decent cap. That's why I'm always so careful with it. Don't let it turn you off from the stuff, it's great. But man, I wish they'd find a better cap system!
 
I can relate, I had the star san sitting on the counter top and somehow it leaked and now I have a permanent stain/fade shape of the starsan container on my countertop! The concentrate was probably only there for a couple hours too! Was not real happy about that and lesson learned.
 
never had a problem with mine at all. maybe you guys just get really angry and black out as youre about to open the cap for some reason and your dark strength just takes over causing you to rip the cap off without regard
 
Well glad I'm not alone in thinking the cap is a pile of crap. At least it's just the carpet in the truck (as long as I can hurry it into the shop so they can get it out) and it's being covered under my comprehensive which is a $100 deductible. I plan to send something to Five Star in hopes they'll improve the cap.
 
I had the same leaky cap problem- my bottle tipped over in one of my boxes of brewing stuff, and it soaked in and partially dissolved the cardboard.(!)
 
Starsan is known for **** caps. My wife used her own money a couple years ago to replace the countertops in the kitchen. I then put 1 large (size of the bottom of the bottle) and 1 small (cap sized) burn in the new countertop :eek: It's now not allowed in the house.
 
Never had any trouble with the caps, myself. I will definitely be keeping a closer eye on them from here on out, though. Thanks for the PSA.
 
Boy, this story really makes me nervous about using as a 'no rinse' sanitizer. I know it is diluted at that point, but still a bit scary.
 
MaltMonster said:
Boy, this story really makes me nervous about using as a 'no rinse' sanitizer. I know it is diluted at that point, but still a bit scary.
Click to expand...

Its good stuff diluted. Concentrated, it needs to be respected.
 
I too had noticed right away the caps were poor. When I went to tighten the cap, not even too tight, it clicked and popped back to the start. So when I tighten it's only a very gentle tighten. Luckily my StarSan is kept under the kitchen sink in a way that it's wedged in place standing up - can't tip over.

The soda bottle cap thing is interesting, wanna give that a shot.


Rev.
 
Five star need to sort out the caps, they are not good, kinda like a bakelite material which breaks really easily.

I have replaced both of my caps with plastic soda caps, I mentioned this on here before. They fit them perfectly and won't smash.
 
Good to know on the soda caps! Thanks, it should manage to keep what's left in the bottle :)
 
Do the instructions on the packaging indicate that the container must be stored in an upright position? Is there a warning of any kind on the label regarding the possibility of leakage?

If not, I would be looking for compensation... like, you insurance deductible and related expenses... and a new bottle.
 
I had a bottle tip over in the cabinet I keep my brew stuff in. It basically ate the particle board shelf. When I saw what it was doing, I just put the bottle on another shelf (upright) and didn't clean up the spill so I could see what it would do. I swear, it almost looked like a scene from Aliens, just much slower.
 
It was kinda funny I guess when I started wiping it up and the carpet was coming up I was like whoa and then I grabbed the bottle and called the 800 number, not realizing the number on the back is the an emergency spill response hotline. The guy I was talking to was like what product spilled and I was like StarSan. He paused a second and then said who makes it, and I was like WTF you do and he kinda chuckled and said politely "sir this is an emergency spill response hotline" I kinda laughed and said oh $hit I just called the first number I saw. He offered to help but I told him I didn't want to tie up his time in the event of a real emergency.

I'm going to read the bottle in it's entirety and maybe place a call to our company legal department and see what kind of recourse I may come up with.
 
Wow! After reading all this,I'm glad the LHBS used masking tape over both caps! I was driving my son's car he just paid off a while back. Had in a bag of goodies I just picked up & tossed in the back seat. Wheeew!:drunk:
 
My dad taught me not to trust any cap or lid on any container. He would yell at us if we didn't have our thumb over the cap when shaking salad dressing, ketchup, mustard or anything else.

Last summer I had a quart of gear lube tip over in my truck and emptied the whole bottle on the floor board. First thing he asked is "did you check the cap?" Well nope! He said that he tightens ever cap anytime he touches a container either at home or at a store. Yeah, a bit much eh?

Oh, the other day I was using Star San to sanitize some jars I was using for food storage and I for some reason dabbed my finger on the container and then to my tongue! WOW I wouldn't recommend that to anyone.....hehe Sour Patch Kids x 1000!
 
Hang Glider said:
really?


really?


oh - okay. I just noticed your handle.
Click to expand...

yes, really. Caustic chemicals are no joke. If a company produces a potentially dangerous product and fail to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of those using the product in the recommended way... then they are liable for damages their lack of Due Care caused.

Any reasonable person would agree that a caustic chemical should have a cap on it that reasonably prevents spillage. this does not appear to be the case. In fact, I am sure the EPA would have something to say about it.
 
I surely would have thought the cap would have been one of those "child-proof" push down and turn type. Like I said, first experience with the stuff so I guess I just didn't realize how potent it was in it's concentrated form.
 
Malintent said:
yes, really. Caustic chemicals are no joke. If a company produces a potentially dangerous product and fail to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of those using the product in the recommended way... then they are liable for damages their lack of Due Care caused.
Click to expand...

This certainly is unfortunate but I'm fairly sure that transporting or storing starsan on its side, is not "recommended". I thought it was common sense to store bottles upright.
 
I don't particularly want to pay an extra $5 for a better cap on my starsan, nor do I want to pay an extra $10 per bottle for your frivolous lawsuit against 5star. Live and learn, store the bottle upright and treat it with some respect.
 
It's not so much just that it leaks if you lay it on it's side. If you try to tighten the cap AT ALL, it breaks. I'm not up for a lawsuit, but I'd be happy if they'd do a redesign on their package.
 
It's also common sense that when you order a cup of hot coffee, the contents therein will be HOT. How much to McDonalds pay that idiot? how much did it cost for them to have to print the warning on their cups?

That was frivolous, but successful.

This is not frivolous... we are talking about a corrosive acid. If one time some guy had a leak, that would not be evidence of negligence.... this thread indicates a systemic problem.. possibly due to negligence.

I recommend everyone that has had a packaging problem to notify the company in writing and ask what measures are taken to ensure the safety of the packaging.

I am going to express my concerns with purchasing their product in the future, for sure. Perhaps they would like the opportunity to prove their packaging is safe by sending me a sample.
 

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