OK, time for my 'is this a disaster' question. Starsan left in bottles...

[Old Fart At Play]

I have just bottled my latest brew. I decided to try using a bottling wand again (after many years), having just used the jug and funnel method for a long time. I think this change to my routine is what threw me off.

Anyway, I had rinsed my bottles, then squirted some star san into each bottle. Left the starsan in there as usual. Moved on to transferring beer from FV to bottling bucket.

Then went ahead and bottled, and I have just this second realised that I didn't drain away the starsan from the bottles first. At a guess there must be an average of 0.5 of a cm of starsan in each bottle - maybe 0.5 of a litre across 45 bottles.

I imagine it would not be safe to drink, but I am asking just in case I am wrong! I did google, but no-one else seems to have made this horrendous mistake.

Thanks

 

[Clarence]

I have just bottled my latest brew. I decided to try using a bottling wand again (after many years), having just used the jug and funnel method for a long time. I think this change to my routine is what threw me off.

Anyway, I had rinsed my bottles, then squirted some star san into each bottle. Left the starsan in there as usual. Moved on to transferring beer from FV to bottling bucket.

Then went ahead and bottled, and I have just this second realised that I didn't drain away the starsan from the bottles first. At a guess there must be an average of 0.5 of a cm of starsan in each bottle - maybe 0.5 of a litre across 45 bottles.

I imagine it would not be safe to drink, but I am asking just in case I am wrong! I did google, but no-one else seems to have made this horrendous mistake.

Thanks

I've never used Star San but if you google "is Starsan poisonous?" you'll find that it's perfectly safe, especially in the quantities you've used. If the beer carbs up then enjoy it. I think you'll be ok.
That's about 2% of the contents of the bottle at whatever dilution you used.

 

[YeastFace]

I've heard a story that one of the makers of Starsan would drink some of it (diluted obviously) at conferences etc to demonstrate it was safe.

 

[Old Fart At Play]

Encouraging, thanks! I'll go ahead and cap the bottles and see what it tastes like when ready, rather than just dumping it. Cheers.

 

[user 47834]

Their motto is "don't fear the foam" as in, don't bother trying to rinse it away. Your beer will be fine

 

[Old Fart At Play]

Their motto is "don't fear the foam" as in, don't bother trying to rinse it away. Your beer will be fine

Thanks. I've been happily not fearing the foam, but I was concerned about a starsan top... No longer!

 

[Meaulnes]

I never use any product to sanitize my bottles. I just rinse them with cold water after use using a bottle brush. Then, the day I need them (often the day before), I cover them with a piece of aluminum foil (around 10 cm x 10 cm, carefully applying the foil around the neck) and put them in the oven a 175 °C for 45 minutes. When they get cold, I can fill them. I have been doing this for a long time and never faced any problem.

 

[hoppyscotty]

The risk of infection is largely gone post fermentation so after that you're just utilising usual food sanitary methods. I use starsan...why not...it's cheap enough but having a bit in the bottom of a bottle when you rack beer is the same as just having that amount of water I the bottle. Its fine.

 

[Foggie]

I use Star San. It does say safe to bottle straight away. No rinse. Only thing to watch is how long you keep it made up. In a sealed container a few weeks. As long as PH below 3 it is still good.

 

[Mash Monster]

I use Star San. It does say safe to bottle straight away. No rinse. Only thing to watch is how long you keep it made up. In a sealed container a few weeks. As long as PH delow 3 it is still good.

You may well find that the Star San sits on top of the beer so you could discard on opening. I only say this as I had 500ml suck back into a fermenter when cold crashing and it floated on top of beer.I was able to syphon off below the level of the Star San the beer was great.
Fingers crossed

 

[Old Fart At Play]

There have been a couple of recent responses to my original post, which have reminded me I didn't post an update.

Not only has the starsan top not been a problem, this has turned out to be one of the best stouts I have ever made!

'Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew'.

Cheers!

 

[Nucbrewer]

Good to know thanks for the feedback.

 

[MashBag]

Not only has the starsan top not been a problem, this has turned out to be one of the best stouts I have ever made!

Perhaps it should be added to the recipe

 

[user 47834]

I use Star San. It does say safe to bottle straight away. No rinse. Only thing to watch is how long you keep it made up. In a sealed container a few weeks. As long as PH below 3 it is still good.

Any link on the few weeks? I thought it was way more stable than that

 

[Foggie]

Can't find an official souce.

Most Google results say - sealed container below ph3 ok 3 - 4 weeks.
Some say left open 1hr max.
Others say cloudy / smelly / soapy - tip

Think it is the old milk test.

Look at it. Smell it and if unsure test it and tip it if off

 

[Agentgonzo]

There have been a couple of recent responses to my original post, which have reminded me I didn't post an update.

Not only has the starsan top not been a problem, this has turned out to be one of the best stouts I have ever made!

'Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew'.

Cheers!

Thanks for this post. Sunday was a hectic brewday for me. Lots of distractions, burnt the sugar I was trying to caramelise, forgot to put the hop filter in and then forgot to empty out the ~0.5L of starsan I used to sanitise the fermenter. I reckon that's probably the same concentration as your bottles. It's bubbling away like a champ at the moment, but at least this thread (and another on homebrew talk) has given me confidence the beer is destined for my gullet rather than the drain.

 

[Old Fart At Play]

Thanks for this post. Sunday was a hectic brewday for me. Lots of distractions, burnt the sugar I was trying to caramelise, forgot to put the hop filter in and then forgot to empty out the ~0.5L of starsan I used to sanitise the fermenter. I reckon that's probably the same concentration as your bottles. It's bubbling away like a champ at the moment, but at least this thread (and another on homebrew talk) has given me confidence the beer is destined for my gullet rather than the drain.

Subsequently, I made the same mistake with a pale ale and it, too, turned out delicious.

 

[RichardM]

Thanks for this post. Sunday was a hectic brewday for me. Lots of distractions, burnt the sugar I was trying to caramelise, forgot to put the hop filter in and then forgot to empty out the ~0.5L of starsan I used to sanitise the fermenter. I reckon that's probably the same concentration as your bottles. It's bubbling away like a champ at the moment, but at least this thread (and another on homebrew talk) has given me confidence the beer is destined for my gullet rather than the drain.

I've done the same thing once before, the beer was fine.