Star San- who uses it?

[brewinhard]

Just wondering how many BN'ers use Star San out there. If you do, what are the pros and cons?

[SocietyDweller]

I am... only con I can see is the foam.... which is not really bad when listening podcast with StarSan people... Just bad it's hard to get here in Montreal....

[Bugeater]

Foam is your friend. I've been using Star San for the past 7 years and am quite happy with it. Diluted properly it is quite cheap to use, doesn't stain like Iodofor, and sanitizes with only 30 seconds contact time. The downside is that if you mix it with hard tap water, the carbonates will buffer the acid and raise the ph to where it is ineffective in short time. This is easy to see as such water will turn the solution cloudy in short order. As long as the ph remains at 3 or below, it will sanitize just fine. If you mix it with RO or distilled water, you can store the mixed solution almost indefinitely. I mix 5 gallons at a time and keep it in a keg. I use a picnic tap to dispense a little whenever I need it. I also keep a spray bottle of it handy in the brewery for spot sanitizing. It takes me 8-10 weeks to go through this much sanitizer and it is good to the end.

Wayne

[siwelwerd]

Foam is your friend.

+1. Don't fear the foam. Takes me like a year to go through a bottle of StarSan, so it's cost is pretty low. I honestly can't see why people would use anything else.

If for some reason you can't stand the foam, try Saniclean. It's just a non-foaming version of Starsan. But the foam is a sanitizing agent as well, and completely harmless (and tasteless and odorless).

[Grist Licker]

Star SAN is the best!!!! I too mix up 5 gal using RO water and store in a keg. I use it over and over. When wort hits the star san foam in your fermenter, that star san breaks down to it's chemical components and becomes nutrients for the yeast! Star San just cannot be beat.
The only downside I have seen is that Star San will corrode brass and plated metals if you leave them soaking overnight. It has no detrimental effects on stainless or plastics. You get no benefit out of a soak of more than a minute or two anyway.

[Sent From My iPhone]

Yeah, what they said. I don't think there are any cons.

[TheDarkSide]

I use it and pour the spent stuff in my garden.

[Chupa LaHomebrew]

I use Star-san and Iodophor for different applications.
I know the foam is not bad but I prefer not to have it in my beer. So I like iodophor for carboys and kegs.

Star-san is great for spray-bottle applications!