Hi guys- I am currently in the process of bottling for the first time. I have heard many places that you can use StarSan to sanitize bottles. If I don't have time to let them dry over night is it okay to bottle with the StarSan large bubbles in the bottle? Will this affect the yeast at all? Thanks in advance.
Once StarSan is diluted, is it okay if there's skin contact? I normally dunk my hands into the sanitizer frequently during brewing activities. I have a bottle of StarSan (that I haven't used yet obviously), and there are warnings about skin contact. Is that only undiluted, or do I need to buy some brewing gloves?
I suspect the warnings are for undiluted starsan. I come into contact with lots of starsan solution, and it's never hurt my skin in any way. YMMV.
I'm going to guess that the warning is there for legal liability reasons because some people are likely more sensitive to it than others. Or as VikeMan said, YMMV.
I have fairly sensitive skin, and a lot of contact with starsan will irritate, but nothing major. DON'T FEAR THE FOAM! ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNO-TOAD!
DON'T FEAR THE FOAM! Also - I would advise against letting starsan dry on anything that you want to be sanitized... Once it has been dried, I imagine it gives the option for other baddies to rest on said object and contaminate. I literally dunk, shake and pour out my bottles (in starsan solution) seconds before bottling them. We have a nice little chain gang going on bottling day.
I do something similar to you, but I hope you are keeping the sanitizing solution in contact with the bottles for more than seconds. It says you need 5 minutes of contact time, I think. I also hope you mean more like an assembly line than chain gang. In a chain gang everyone is doing the same task but their legs are chained together in an uncomfortable way. I mean, bottling is a pain in the ass, but that seems excessive.
If you leave the sanitized equipment where bugs can land on it, that could be a problem. But sanitized bottles, say upside down on a bottle tree for a couple hours or even longer, are not a problem, since bacteria can't climb.
30 seconds is plenty of soak time for Starsan. If you are spraying with a bottle you might extend that to a minute but five minutes isn't required.
Possibly. I am comfortable after 10 seconds of StarSan contact of my previously rigorously cleaned bottles. I have yet to have a contaminated beer. I mean to each their own. Assembly line implies that I pay, but I don't guarantee anything on bottling day except a buzz. The OG mentioned leaving them out overnight. Gave me the Heebie jeebies, so I thought I'd share. I did not know that about bacteria! I am pretty ignorant to them, that is cool!
be careful with starsan if you have granite counter tops. it will eat right through them. also make sure you dilute it properly.
