Jim’s Homebrew Forum Newsletter

Summer 2007

Here it is at last!

Summer is (allegedly) here, and most home brewers will have scaled down production and be concentrating on enjoying the fruits of their labour at various parties and barbecues. The English way is to stand by your barbecue in your wellies in the pouring rain, holding an umbrella in one hand and a pair of salad tongs in the other.

Meanwhile, here at Jim’s, we have a thriving forum to keep you out of mischief, which now includes quite a few famous names among it’s membership of over 700 enthusiasts. As ever the admin team are striving to improve the facilities, and currently in the pipeline we have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section and an Events section where members will be able to announce get-togethers, beer festivals etc). I might even get round to updating the website one day!

In this summer edition of the newsletter we have not only the usual features such as the Recipe of the Month (well, of the season anyway) and DaaB’s Forum Gossip, but also an interview with Charlie Talley of Star San fame in 'Over a Swift Half'. Also this month, DaaB stoically takes on the task of visiting the Ringwood Brewery - and as we know how much you love pictures, he's taken a few for you.  I’m sure you’ll find this edition a great read.

Cheers,

Jim

Name Dropping

And now we find that some famous names of the British home brew scene are actually among us!

David Edge of the Craft Brewing Association has been an active member for some time now, but imagine our collective surprise when Mark Ollosson,  author of  ‘Real Ales for the Home Brewer’ turned up on our doorstep.

Surprise was replaced by astonishment when none other than Graham Wheeler (he of ‘The CAMRA Guide to Home Brewing’ fame) announced his presence in a thread which grew and grew, and included fascinating contributions by all three!  

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5970

Over a Swift Half

Following increased UK interest in Five Star Chemical's 'Star San' no rinse sanitiser, Jims Beer Kit decided to question Charley Talley about the product, how best to use it and why it is so popular in the US:

Jim's Beer Kit: Charlie, could you tell us a little bit about Star San and how to get the best from it?

Charlie Talley: When I developed Star in the late 60's (yes I am that old) it was tested against S. aurous, E. coli, L. bacillus, A. Niger and a few other nasty bacteria. All were at 10 to 30,000,000 colonies per cc. The contact time was at 30, 60, and 120 seconds. The end result was 10 to 30 colonies per cc after 30-second contact time and 0 after 60 seconds of contact time. Since our EPA will only recognize the 120-second contact time that is why it is on our label. So as you can see it is very effective with just a 20 second contact time.

The ingredients that are in Star San are based on food grade or G.R.A.S. materials (Generally Recognized as Safe). They are phosphoric acid, dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DDBSA), propylene glycol, and a coupling agent. When it is diluted to 300 ppms one ounce per 5 (US) gallons of water or 1.5-1.6 mls/liter the actives are 300 ppms of DDBSA and 930 ppms of phosphoric acid. This will produce an end pH of 2.5 to 3.5 (depending on the alkalinity of the water used for make up. Where the confusion comes in is the length of time the solution can be kept and how can you tell if it is still good. The answer lies with the acid concentration and the types of minerals in the water. When there is a high calcium or carbonate content in the water the pH of the end solution will approach 3.5 if it is above this then the solution will not kill micro-organisms. Because phosphoric acid is a poor chelator* for manganese this element if present in the water will react with the DDBSA and make a type of hard mineral soap. This soap is the cloud that will some times appear in a Star San Solution. The amount of this mineral and in some cases even iron can be chelated by using citric acid in the make up water. Most of the time I tell brewers to use a mixture of DI water or distilled what that is common in super markets. As long as the solution is clear and the pH is below 3.5 it will kill, how long this is will depend on the amount of times used and how clean the equipment was when sanitized.

When using the Star San the foam will penetrate and reach places that normal sanitizers cannot so yes just embrace the foam it is your friend. Most of the home brew clubs I speak at I just tell them to allow the foam to drain and pitch the yeast right on top of the wort. The wort will raise the pH of the Star San left in the container and turn it into food. The phosphoric acid will produce phosphates and the DDBSA will produce organic materials that normally kick off vigorous fermentation.

JBK: It’s said that due to the acidic nature of Star San it isn’t suitable for use on soft metals. What effect would a short 30 second contact have on a plate chiller for example?

CT: As to Star San vs. soft metal Star San will always win. The trick is the contact time and when it is used. I have everyone run the Star San through the chillers just prior to use, this will not damage the units even with all of the different metals found in some of them. The problems occur when Star San is over used or if the units are soaked it in for long periods of time. Keep in mind that it only needs 30 seconds to kill. Also keep in mind that Star San is a concentrated acid sanitizer and as such it will destroy things like carpets, counter tops and the like so be neat and keep the cap on when not using this product.

JBK: At this point I ask Charlie about ‘my not particularly scientific Star San experiment’

CT: The use of the acid product (CRS) will not have any real effect on the Star San and the solution will naturally be more acetic but that is OK. In general you have determined that the solution will stay clear if the conditions are correct. The HCl in the acidifier will take care of just about any trace mineral that will affect the clarity of the Star San.

JBK: As Star San is becoming popular in the UK I asked if it would be possible to add a dilution rate per litre on the bottle?

CT: At the present time the label that is on the bottle is an EPA approved label and cannot be changed, however when we come up for revue on the next go around we can put metric measurements on the label.

JBK: Can Star San be used for spraying on aluminium foil before using it to cover an Erlenmeyer flask when making yeast starters?

CT: As far as sanitizing the aluminum foil that is not a very good idea. I normally tell brewers to follow so simple rules.
1. If you are heat sterilizing anything, foil them first, place in an oven and heat to 140 to 160C for 2 to 3 hours (this was my standard practice in the micro lab.).
2. When crowning a bottle have all of the crowns in a container of Star San solution, place on the bottle wet and keep your hands wet as well.
3. When transferring or chilling your beer sanitize the tubing just prior to transfer keep them wet with sanitizer and then transfer.

CT: These are the three main reasons for secondary infections and as long as the Star San is present in a wet form there will be a very good protective barrier against infections.

*A chelator is an organic chemical that bonds with and removes free metal ions from solutions.

Note: if anyone wants to try Star San but isn’t able to get hold of DI (De-Ionised) or RO (Reverse Osmosis) water, Harry Clelland has found that Tesco Ashbeck Mountain Spring is suitably low enough in calcium and bicarbonate to use with Star San (and I noticed it was only 44p for 2L in Tesco Express).

You can read more here

Jim