Star San is making me think twice about home brewing

[helibrewer]

Read the warnings about iodine (iodophor)....Elemental iodine is toxic if taken orally. Iodophor also happens to be deadly to yeast.
From the MSDS:
SECTION VI - HEALTH HAZARD DATA
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of OVEREXPOSURE (Acute and Chronic)
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of EYE CONTACT: Irritant.
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of SKIN CONTACT: Mild Irritant.
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of INHALATION: None.
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of INGESTION: Harmful if swallowed.
EMERGENCY and FIRST AID PROCEDURES
TREATMENT for EYE CONTACT: Flush with cool, running water for at least 15 minutes. Get medical attention.
TREATMENT for SKIN CONTACT: Wash skin & clothing with soap & water. If irritation develops get medical attention.
TREATMENT for INHALATION: Remove to fresh air.
TREATMENT for INGESTION: Drink large quantities of milk or water. Do not induce vomiting. Get medical attention.
CALL A POISON CONTROL CENTER OR PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY

Read the warnings on a bottle of Clorox...scarry stuff.
From Clorox:
DANGER: CORROSIVE. May cause severe irritation or damage to eyes and
skin. Vapor or mist may irritate. Harmful if swallowed. Keep out of reach of
children.
Some clinical reports suggest a low potential for sensitization upon exaggerated
exposure to sodium hypochlorite if skin damage (e.g., irritation) occurs during
exposure. Under normal consumer use conditions the likelihood of any adverse
health effects are low.
Medical conditions that may be aggravated by exposure to high concentrations
of vapor or mist: heart conditions or chronic respiratory problems such as
asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis or obstructive lung disease.
FIRST AID:
Eye Contact: Hold eye open and rinse with water for 15-20 minutes. Remove
contact lenses, after first 5 minutes. Continue rinsing eye. Call a physician.
Skin Contact: Wash skin with water for 15-20 minutes. If irritation develops, call a physician.
Ingestion: Do not induce vomiting. Drink a glassful of water. If irritation
develops, call a physician. Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious
person.
Inhalation: Remove to fresh air. If breathing is affected, call a physician.

I will take StarSan over either of these any day......

 

[lazarus0530]

Today is bottling day. Or it was until I used star san and realized all of the warning associated with using it. Apparently if you touch the stuff you need to wash your hands for 20 minutes and call poison control. I'm not sure how you guys do it (gloves and protected clothing while sanitizing?). I thought this was the safer and easier solution!

Needless to say I stopped there and have not gone back to my original sanitizing stuff (beer brite I think it's called) due to frustration from using star san. At this point I'm thinking about just dumping the whole first batch so I don't need to handle this dangerous of a chemical . Heck, what happens if some gets into the brew during bottling?!

Just for good luck I do a shot of diluted star-San before each brew I do.
Believe me it's safe. I make sure my keg has foam in it before I fill up. Ill put star-San in my air lock if I forget that I drank all my vodka. It's safe . And ill use it before bleach, hell I'd use soap water before bleach.
Or you can boil water and dump that over your bottles or boil you bottles but take the risk of burning the hell out of yourself.
I boiled my bottles one time. That sucked

 

[jethro55]

You might take a look at this Billy Brews video. This sanitizer is as common as 2-row grain.

[ame]http://youtu.be/vh9Efa0Yjxg[/ame]

 

[VladOfTrub]

BillyBrew is a real expert on wrapping his nimble fingers around something and pumping. A few pumps and the tree made life easier, in general.

 

[unionrdr]

I had to make some fresh starsan on my last bottling day (last week Saturday). A dribble of concentrateran down the side of the bottle & I got it on my thumb & forefinger. Just rinsed it off a minute or two later. No harm done. This isn't the same as battery acid folks. Not nearly.
And starsan breaks down into yeast nutrient. The foam isn't a nutrient in & of itself. Just thought I'd mention that. And it's getting cloudy doesn't negate it's sanitizing powers. PH test strips will tell you if it's gone,which is under 3.

 

[Want2Brew]

Look up Basic Brewing Radio 3-29-2007

 

[jakeperks]

I rub the dilute stuff on my hands as an extra precaution against bugs I love that it's so concentrated, one bottle will last me for ever and a day. Never underestimate any concentrated chemical though; I used to work in the chemical industry and learned to respect them all.

 

[jakeperks]

If anybody's interested in reading the proper safety data...

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/media/downloads/310/Star San MSDS Sheet.pdf

 

[ronsky]

I rub the dilute stuff on my hands as an extra precaution against bugs I love that it's so concentrated, one bottle will last me for ever and a day. Never underestimate any concentrated chemical though; I used to work in the chemical industry and learned to respect them all.

It rubs the StarSan on its skin or else it gets the 'does this look infected' thread again... ::

 

[jakeperks]

It rubs the StarSan on its skin or else it gets the 'does this look infected' thread again... ::

Reminds me of "he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts"

 

[FATC1TY]

Today is bottling day. Or it was until I used star san and realized all of the warning associated with using it. Apparently if you touch the stuff you need to wash your hands for 20 minutes and call poison control. I'm not sure how you guys do it (gloves and protected clothing while sanitizing?). I thought this was the safer and easier solution!

Needless to say I stopped there and have not gone back to my original sanitizing stuff (beer brite I think it's called) due to frustration from using star san. At this point I'm thinking about just dumping the whole first batch so I don't need to handle this dangerous of a chemical . Heck, what happens if some gets into the brew during bottling?!

Over react much?

Try doing more than freak out about the label. It's an acid cleanser. It's just as bad for your skin as a caustic cleaner, like B and C Brite.

They are all suppose to be diluted. So unless you have issues understand and preforming the process of diluting the cleaner, it's harmless enough to drink.

If you are that freaked out about it, I'd avoid eating out anywhere, or doing to a deli, and it's what most use to clean their equipment. Same goes for most commercial breweries.

You have few real options. Bleach, but if you are really freaking out about Star San, then Bleach certainly isn't something I want to even get near my mouth.

 

[MotorcycleMatt]

Read the warnings about iodine (iodophor)....Elemental iodine is toxic if taken orally. Iodophor also happens to be deadly to yeast.
From the MSDS:
SECTION VI - HEALTH HAZARD DATA
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of OVEREXPOSURE (Acute and Chronic)
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of EYE CONTACT: Irritant.
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of SKIN CONTACT: Mild Irritant.
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of INHALATION: None.
EFFECTS and HAZARDS of INGESTION: Harmful if swallowed.
EMERGENCY and FIRST AID PROCEDURES
TREATMENT for EYE CONTACT: Flush with cool, running water for at least 15 minutes. Get medical attention.
TREATMENT for SKIN CONTACT: Wash skin & clothing with soap & water. If irritation develops get medical attention.
TREATMENT for INHALATION: Remove to fresh air.
TREATMENT for INGESTION: Drink large quantities of milk or water. Do not induce vomiting. Get medical attention.
CALL A POISON CONTROL CENTER OR PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY

Read the warnings on a bottle of Clorox...scarry stuff.
From Clorox:
DANGER: CORROSIVE. May cause severe irritation or damage to eyes and
skin. Vapor or mist may irritate. Harmful if swallowed. Keep out of reach of
children.
Some clinical reports suggest a low potential for sensitization upon exaggerated
exposure to sodium hypochlorite if skin damage (e.g., irritation) occurs during
exposure. Under normal consumer use conditions the likelihood of any adverse
health effects are low.
Medical conditions that may be aggravated by exposure to high concentrations
of vapor or mist: heart conditions or chronic respiratory problems such as
asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis or obstructive lung disease.
FIRST AID:
Eye Contact: Hold eye open and rinse with water for 15-20 minutes. Remove
contact lenses, after first 5 minutes. Continue rinsing eye. Call a physician.
Skin Contact: Wash skin with water for 15-20 minutes. If irritation develops, call a physician.
Ingestion: Do not induce vomiting. Drink a glassful of water. If irritation
develops, call a physician. Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious
person.
Inhalation: Remove to fresh air. If breathing is affected, call a physician.
,
I will take StarSan over either of these any day......

I agree with with not using bleach but your blowing up how bad iodiphor is. You sound like the op describing it. By the way, never had any issues with it as a no rinse Sanitizer since that's what it is. All my beer carbs up fine.

Its great that you like star San, its good stuff but this fear mongering is ridiculous about the sanitizers.

 

[HomebrewMTB]

Bottle tree and Vinator bottle rinser as seen in the Billy Brew video are the way to go. That way you don't have to touch the stuff. But as everyone else said, 1 oz of Star San in 5 gallons isn't going to hurt you unless you drink it straight.

 

[highgravitybacon]

I marinate meat in Star San. Gives it a nice citrus flavor. Anything you marinate in it turns spoon tender. You can eat it with a straw. And I don't mean a big straw. I mean its so tender you can suck it up with one of those little coffee stirrer straws. Best part is that when you're done marinating the meat, the pan is already clean since you soaked it in sanitizer.

So yeah, no worries about Star San.

 

[lumpher]

i've been using star san ever since i started brewing, and except for the limp, the facial tic, and the hunchback, no problems yet. they are my neighbors...

 

[fluidmechanics]

I won't beat you up for your concerns, looks like others have done plenty of that and I won't pile on. But I will give you a few alternatives. You could bake the bottles. This is tim consuming because you have to step up the heat in the oven slowly, and lower it slowly. Not a great option, due to the chance of breaking bottles in your oven. The least work, and the method I use is using the dishwasher. Just run it empty to wash out any food residue then put all your bottles in on the high temp setting. When it's done, crack the door to let the air cool the bottles. Then I just remove my bottles from the rack in the dishwasher as I'm filling. I hope this helps.

 

[nelven34]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but I've seen it a few times and don't really understand. What's wrong with bleach water?

 

[highgravitybacon]

i've been using star san ever since i started brewing, and except for the limp, the facial tic, and the hunchback, no problems yet. they are my neighbors...

Just find a sharp knife to nick those benign tumors off your hands and fingers. No problems. Saves on a co pay for the oncologist anyway.

 

[highgravitybacon]

I won't beat you up for your concerns, looks like others have done plenty of that and I won't pile on. But I will give you a few alternatives. You could bake the bottles. This is tim consuming because you have to step up the heat in the oven slowly, and lower it slowly. Not a great option, due to the chance of breaking bottles in your oven. The least work, and the method I use is using the dishwasher. Just run it empty to wash out any food residue then put all your bottles in on the high temp setting. When it's done, crack the door to let the air cool the bottles. Then I just remove my bottles from the rack in the dishwasher as I'm filling. I hope this helps.

You can cook the ever living **** out of the bottles and they won't break. I use the oven method. Start at 225F, then 275F then 340F for an hour at final time. No problems. They're not just clean. They're sterile. You needn't lower it slowly at all. Just leave the oven closed until morning.

Concerns about bottle breaking are far overblown. It's a very simple and chemical free process.

 

[fluidmechanics]

Concerns about bottle breaking are far overblown. It's a very simple and chemical free process.[/QUOTE]

Ha ha ha like most things I guess I have some bad luck. The first time I tried this I had 3 break.

 

[sdillow]

Somewhere on here I read that undiluted Starsan will bleach plastic laminate. So when I mix up a batch I am doubly careful not to drip or spill. It may not burn your skin, but trashing your countertops could lead to certain death at SWMBO's hands.

 

[grem135]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but I've seen it a few times and don't really understand. What's wrong with bleach water?

you have to rinse the hell out of anything clean/sanitized with bleach water to get rid of the smell and taste. If you rinse everything after using the bleach then you might as well not even sanitized in the first place.

The reason we have No-rinse sanitizers is to KEEP it sanitized.

 

[porky_pine]

I always have a bin with 5 gallons of diluted starsan on my kitchen counter. With all of the sanitizer I've spilled since I started brewing, it ate the outer layer of laminate off of a lot of my counter. SWMBO is not impressed but realizes that the equipment needs to be sanitized and she drinks a lot of beer.

 

[helibrewer]

I agree with with not using bleach but your blowing up how bad iodiphor is. You sound like the op describing it. By the way, never had any issues with it as a no rinse Sanitizer since that's what it is. All my beer carbs up fine.

Its great that you like star San, its good stuff but this fear mongering is ridiculous about the sanitizers.

Sorry, not knocking Iodophor at all, just illustrating that ALL warnings sound like doomsday scenarios, not just StarSan. I use to use Iodophor a lot but I got tired of it staining my tubing and such....it is a great sanitizer...used a lot in the medical field and dairy industry.

 

[JoshuaW]

In my unfortunate experience, yes, the undiluted stuff burns a little if you let it sit on your skin. Diluted properly? It is just mildly acidic, like lemon juice. I syphoned some from a carboy to a keg once and wound up with a mouth full. It takes acidic like lemon juice. Obviously no harm, Im still alive.

 

[andycr]

Today is bottling day. Or it was until I used star san and realized all of the warning associated with using it. Apparently if you touch the stuff you need to wash your hands for 20 minutes and call poison control. I'm not sure how you guys do it (gloves and protected clothing while sanitizing?). I thought this was the safer and easier solution!

Needless to say I stopped there and have not gone back to my original sanitizing stuff (beer brite I think it's called) due to frustration from using star san. At this point I'm thinking about just dumping the whole first batch so I don't need to handle this dangerous of a chemical . Heck, what happens if some gets into the brew during bottling?!

Didn't read the whole thread, but that's for the undiluted stuff. Never had a problem with it once mixed. The inventor drank a glass of the stuff to prove it's fine, according to another poster. He hasn't died yet, to my knowledge. Heard a podcast with the inventor of starsan on it once, and he seems like an alright guy.

It's an approved sanitizer, and is used in food service fairly widely AFAIK. I'm sure there's much worse stuff in 90% of what we eat, drink, or come into contact with. I heard someone say there's also phosphoric acid in Coke, which we drink, not sanitize things with and just get the residue of.

The foam's just from the surfactant in it, which makes it stick to things and continuously sanitize them. It's a way of holding water in suspension, just like soap. Don't fear the foam.

As for getting into bottles during bottling, I hope some gets into my bottles. The yeast could use the phosphorus. I always bottle immediately after taking my bottles out of a starsan bath, with them dripping foam, and haven't died yet. That's as accurate scientific evidence as I'm qualified to give.

 

[ReaderRabbit]

I found this thread useful as someone who uses idophor. I've thought about trying StarSan but I was worried if its an acid-based sanitizer if I would need to use gloves or deal with irritated hands afterwards.

 

[CityOChampBrew]

worried about starsan?? ask this guy how is accident went

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/starsan-boil-381691/

 

[Dan]

Somewhere on here I read that undiluted Starsan will bleach plastic laminate. So when I mix up a batch I am doubly careful not to drip or spill. It may not burn your skin, but trashing your countertops could lead to certain death at SWMBO's hands.

I have laminate counter tops in the kitchen, dark green except for three dime sized white spots where some undiluted StarSan spilled and I didn't realize till to late. And yep, that did not make my wife at all happy.

I spray the counters with diluted StarSan with no problems.

 

[lowtones84]

I'm not saying star-san is bad by any means, but I'm actually surprised no one has mentioned "One Step Cleanser" as an alternative. I used that stuff for a year and a half and never had a problem. Yeah yeah I know it's really not a "sanitizer" and I'm sure I'll get flamed for this post, but in my opinion it IS an option.

Now that I've used both I would used star-san probably, but I would have no fears using "One Step."