Is Star San sanitizer worth the cost?

Question

Is Star San sanitizer worth the cost?

Andrew

2014年2月8日 00:22

I am a college student brewing in my apartment and while I am pretty dirty on occasion, when it comes to brewing beer I try to be on top of it. While I have not had a bad batch thus far, but the home brew store clerk talked me into buying Star San sanitizer (my defenses are down in the home brew store).

Star San allegedly cleans and leaves nutrients for the beer, but is it worth twice the cost of regular sanitizer?

Has anyone had any problems with a cheaper sanitizer?

Thank you for any advice. I am only on my second batch (Double IPA with motueka and mosaic hops) so any input will help.

Topic sanitizer starsan sanitation homebrew

Category Mac

Jim Booth · Accepted Answer · 2014年2月8日 00:22

When I was in college and could not afford anything other than bleach for sanitizing, but 1/2 of my beers had some sort of problem with them. The problem with bleach or anything you have to rinse off, is that you have to rinse, and rinse, and rinse, and then rinse again. Definitely think StarSan is worth it.

Ryan Shdo · Accepted Answer · 2014年2月7日 14:45

This question has been answered already, but I wanted to add to the testimonials! It's definitely worth the cost and lasts for months (I've never gone a year but I wouldn't be afraid to). Having a spray bottle is very handy for the fact that it works quick and is reliable. It may be small, but no one has touched on this yet: the customer service is excellent. I sent an email asking a relatively specific question and I had an email back later that day that completely answered my question. I really felt like they appreciated my business, which always make anyone feel good.

jsled · Accepted Answer · 2014年2月7日 13:59

Star San is not a cleaner, only a sanitizer. But boy is it a great sanitizer; well worth the price. 30 second contact time, foams readily, no-rinse, breaks down to yeast nutrient. Only thing I'll use or recommend.

(Hint: mix it with distilled water, and it'll last "indefinitely"; that sure helps the cost go down. :)

mpurkeypile · Accepted Answer · 2014年2月7日 03:55

1

mpurkeypile answered at 2014年2月7日 03:55

Short answer: I've been using the stuff for years and wouldn't use anything else. The no rinse is great. While you still (obviously) have to sanitize, it largely eliminates the hassle.

Denny Conn · Accepted Answer · 2014年2月6日 21:28

Keep in mind that you don't actually have to submerge things in StarSan for it to be effective. You can mix it in a spray bottle with distilled water. It will stay good for months at least...a year isn't out if the question. Then you can spray things rather than submersing them in a bucketful. A 30 second contact time is 99.5% effective according to Charley Talley, a chemist at the company that makes StarSan.

Is Star San sanitizer worth the cost?

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