Star San for cleaning carboys.

[fakr]

Does anyone use Star San for cleaning their carboys?  

I've been using it for my kegs, but decided to try it on a couple of carboys yesterday....well, about 6 or 7 rinses later I finally got all the damn soap suds out....and I thought rinsing pink stuff out of the carboys was a pain in the arse!

[Kyle]

I use it, and there is no need to get rid of the suds. In fact, you probably undid some of the sanitizing with so many rinses. I fill mine right up to the top with water, wait 10 minutes, and then gently dump out, which still leaves a bit of suds. then put the beer on top of that. It is food-safe as a no-rinse sanitizer as long as you do not exceed the concentration reccomended.

[brew]

To add to Kyle's comments - good to make sure you are sanitizing surfaces that are already clean (like with Oxyclean) - StarSan isn't a cleaner but a sanitizer...

I usually use like a cup or so of StarSan (sometimes less) - swirl it around the inside of a clean carboy - dump it out after a minute or two (30 seconds minimum) - then go crazy with the StarSan spray bottle around the opening. It has worked good for me so far... (8 batches - 1 infection post kegging) - I mix a gallon at a time and fill my spray bottle with it. I spray everything, keep the bottle handy!

[fakr]

If starsan is only a sanitizer, then what should I be using to clean my kegs, or anything SS for that matter?  nothing chlorine based....

Good point on the spray bottle...I'll definitely do that.

[brew]

If starsan is only a sanitizer, then what should I be using to clean my kegs, or anything SS for that matter?

I've been using Oxyclean - got a big box at Costco just recently for cheap... I was using Simple Green before that - seemed to work OK as well. I'd like to try the PBW (Powdery Brewer Wash) from Five Star (the same folks that make StarSan and PH 5.2 Stabilizer) but I think the cost is a bit prohibitive given Oxyclean is so cheap and effective...

[fakr]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I think I'll pick myself up some oxyclean this week, as I'm getting low on pink stuff.

[Kyle]

You can use star-san to clean, I have many times, you just then have to scrub, drain, rinse, and refill with more starsan solution, let sit 10 minutes, then good to go.

[fakr]

Well, I don't know if it's a bad practice or not, but I never scrub anything, with the exception of my fermentors, and I only got an infection once, and that was my second batch of beer ever made.   I think that had to do with not rinsing pink stuff out of the carboy enough....the beer had a chemical taste.

Carboys for instance...I rinse them out with hot water until they look clean, then put pink stuff in and shake it up...let sit 10-15 minutes, then rinse well.

I do similar with my kegs too...I've never touched them with rags or brushes...just rinse with hot water, then put in starsan, seal, hit with CO2, shake, and put on the shelf.

I wonder if I haven't run into issues because I don't let things sit before washing them?   Or maybe I'm asking for it?

[Tony L]

You can use star-san to clean, I have many times, you just then have to scrub, drain, rinse, and refill with more starsan solution, let sit 10 minutes, then good to go.

I wouldn't. It isn't labeled a cleaner and is only effective once the item to be sanatized is clean.
http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/brewer ... /products/

I use PBW or Oxyclean to clean SS with and then sanatize with star-san.
With PBW or Oxyclean there is no need to scrub.. just let time take its toll.