StarSan for 2 hours?

[Joe S]

I read a lot about people letting their equipment sanitize in StarSan for 2 hours. The StarSan instructions suggest 1 minute.

What is the benefit of waiting for a lot longer?

Joe

[Mike A]

Bottle is correct, 1-2 mins is all you need & "Don't fear the foam".  Warmer water will make it work better/faster too, so that's more of an impact rather than time lots of time.  "Freshness" of the starsan too is more important, it does oxidase over time.  Generally speaking don't use it again if it's more than a few days old if exposed to the air (I've even heard hours).  But if you made up a batch in a keg to use over time, it should last a good while ~week.

One caution with StarSan is it likes to eat Aluminum.  It does so somewhat slowly, but defiantly do not let it soak & pit a nice pot or fitting you may have.  Stainless, most plastics, it doesn't affect.   At the end of the day it's an acid.

I claim no expertise here so if someone more educated than I speaks up, this is just what I've got from manufacturers / retailers on the subject.

[Rob Courtney]

Yeah, there is a reason they say 1-2 minutes, whilst in a plastic container it won't do damage, I'd query the rubber parts.

If you were using say a PBW (powerful brew wash) then you'd leave it for a few hours

[Thagomizer]

22 hours ago, Mike A said:

Bottle is correct, 1-2 mins is all you need & "Don't fear the foam".  Warmer water will make it work better/faster too, so that's more of an impact rather than time lots of time.  "Freshness" of the starsan too is more important, it does oxidase over time.  Generally speaking don't use it again if it's more than a few days old if exposed to the air (I've even heard hours).  But if you made up a batch in a keg to use over time, it should last a good while ~week.

One caution with StarSan is it likes to eat Aluminum.  It does so somewhat slowly, but defiantly do not let it soak & pit a nice pot or fitting you may have.  Stainless, most plastics, it doesn't affect.   At the end of the day it's an acid.

I claim no expertise here so if someone more educated than I speaks up, this is just what I've got from manufacturers / retailers on the subject.

Excellent information.  I have been using StarSan as the droid sterilizer in lieu of the BrewArt sanitation pellet.  Now 1-2 minutes is all that is necessary instead of two hours?  I'll probably cut it back to an hour or less.  I normally bottle some of the expelled StarSan solution for sterilizing other small items.

It is useful to know that a StarSan solution does not last forever, however.

Thanks for this information.

[Mike A]

3 hours ago, Thagomizer said:

Excellent information.  I have been using StarSan as the droid sterilizer in lieu of the BrewArt sanitation pellet.  Now 1-2 minutes is all that is necessary instead of two hours?  I'll probably cut it back to an hour or less.  I normally bottle some of the expelled StarSan solution for sterilizing other small items.

Starsan just knocks back bacteria, fungus etc, it's not a cleaner, please don't use it as that.  The sanitiser tablet is more similar to PBW (Powerful Brewery Wash), aka StarClean, aka, StellarClean, aka Sodium percarbonate  (with a few extras in it like Sodium metasilicate).  StarSan is an acid, PBW is a Alkali.  Both are very powerful and have separate uses.

At a nose bleed level, PBW (available from any good brewery store) is a cleaner, and will help remove dirt, oils, grime etc. It's also cheap, is not a forever chemical, in that it breaks down somewhat quickly. Safe to use on Stainless, Aluminum & plastics. (soaking in alum not a great idea for a long time however).  This is your best choice as your soak cleaner, also works better at a higher temps.  It is not safe for contact with your beer, you must rinse it out reasonably well after use.  Generally not great for any contact with humans other than briefly with your skin, but even avoid that.  It's also great at removing labels from beer bottles!

The droid tablets are great in that they can mostly do the job by themselves, and conveniently packaged with your kits.

I'm a tight-ass at the end of the day so saving a few bucks and knowing it's not bad for the environment is why I use PBW.

Back to StarSan, it's safe for humans in low doses, tasteless in the quantities/dilutions we use them in, are great for use in brewing & canning & things like cleaning jars used for Jam and other preserves.  In fact, Coke has a good amount of the stuff in there.  I still prefer to tip as much out as I can, but if there's foam or whatever, no stress, that's the added surfactant to ensure it sticks to the surface for that 1-2 minutes mentioned previously.  Also re-usable (within the time it's still active).  Keep away from wood, porcelain & anything considered porous.

Starsan has the benefit of being easy to mix, cheap etc, so also good for flushing beer lines, taps, connects etc. But does not clean same! that's PBW/Droid cleanse.

My suggestion is to use tablet + starSan, or PBW & StarSan.

Again, not an expert, just regurgitating what manufacturers say about what the product is & how it works.

Hope that helps!

[Mike A]

3 hours ago, Thagomizer said:

I'll probably cut it back to an hour or less

Sorry forgot to mention, try to avoid an hour for anything rubber, i think (really not sure) that most acids will deteriorate o-rings etc if left in contact for extended periods.  It's not highly acidic but may take its toll over time if left in a bucket of it for long periods. Use in a pump sprayer or something just before you use the gear your using, including on your hands so if you accidentally touch something you're less likely to leave nasties behind in your beer. With StarSan you're really getting all the benefit within 5 minutes.  Soak using PBW but then wash off generously or just use a droid tablet.

[Steve Gyldenvand]

Good info, good thread. I've been using information I've read here and (especially) elsewhere regarding washing, sanitizing, durations, reusing solutions, etc. Interestingly, it seems that any "words of wisdom" I encountered that simplified the process or made it less expensive, I apparently adopted in good faith. "It's easier and cheaper, so that must be right." This thread makes for a great reality check/reminder that what we often take for granted must sometimes be questioned and reevaluated on it's own merits. 

Now, if someone could just tell me how to do everything right, but easier and cheaper, that would be awesome! 

Sláinte!

[Mike A]

Ahh the old triangle, time - price - simplicity.  Pick 2!

Honestly the good 'ol droid sanitisation tablet is a reasonable on the ease of use & time, mostly just set and forget, you sanitise the droid, collect some of it in a tub and put all your parts and bits and pieces in there after the droid has been cleansed.  Basically done!  As for the price per clean, it's not THAT much more.  Get it done right after a batch, you'll lift almost everything but the worst of the krausen, for that use elbow grease, for example one of the other threads here that takes a head off of an old spatula to not be abrasive on the droid (very important) I still occasionally use a droid tab especially if I'm cycling a beer the same day I bottle / Keg it.

The main reason I prefer PBW (other than price), especially for the heavier beers where you get a bit of a build up, you get that "cleaning phase", and PBW is fantastic at breaking down the harder to move stuff, just need to rince after..  As you're in cleaning phase, introducing old rags or whatever is fine, because you still have the starsan with a spray bottle after in case that rag / sponge / cleaning thing is full of something not great for yeast.  PBW's formulation is there to break up oily, built up, grime, and lift things out of little crevices etc.  Really good at breaking down organic matter.

[Mike A]

For anyone reading this thread after, this is from a manufacturer of cleaning products (StellarSan, StellarClean etc) and their advice on using it rather than some random on the internet's posts

 

[Thagomizer]

This is great advice.  My current (and new) procedure for droid cleansing is to make about a gallon of hot PBW solution in the droid after rinsing with a vigorous water spray.  I use a PBW-soaked microfiber cloth to gently but persistently remove residues from the walls of the droid.  After draining the droid, I pull the soaked cloth through the outlet channel to assure the drain is free of gunk.  A Q-tip soaked in PBW will clean the lower drain orifice.

Also, the bottom of the lid should be carefully cleaned - especially if a vigorous brew has produced a high krausen involving the lid.  Pull the gasket and soak it if there is any doubt. 

Then I carefully rinse the droid assuring that all small openings are cleared of PBW solution.  Now the droid is ready for storage until the next batch.

Before starting the next batch, I apply a short soak of Star-San.  This used to be two hours, but now is reduced to a few minutes.  (My Bride thanks @Mike A for this reduction in time for which the kitchen sink is tied up by a large obstruction!)

After draining the full droid of Star-San, it is business as usual starting the next batch.

🙂 Happy brewing.

Edited August 26 by Thagomizer