Sanitiser in beer - help!

[inthedark]

I checked on my fermenter just now having set the brew fridge to crash cool a few days ago. I saw sanitiser being drawn up the blowoff tube.
Once I released the suction and drained the hose I estimate that there’s up to about 150ml missing which I can only assume is now in the beer. Is all now lost?

StarSan, btw.

[alexlark]

Perfectly fine.

[Fil]

what sanitiser?? if your using 5star starsan relax it contains nothing that wont break down into constituents that the yeast can employ.
one of the company reps famously swallowed a cup full on a utube.. and i would be 99% confident that similar acid sanitisers (unbranded) will be OK too.

If using anything bleach based however you can look forward to a tcp taint from the chlorine/chloromides (Im not a chemist) if it doesent knock out the whole yest population, (depends on strength..)


If using sodium met/ campden tabs keep your fingers crossed the so2 it uses to sanitise may just slow down the yeast, and should dissipate without too much other impact.

will keep me fingers crossed for ya.

[inthedark]

Yep, its 5star StarSan, thanks both for the reassurance, much appreciated.

[IPA]

A suggestion for the future. Buy an FV with a 50mm screw cap and use a foam bung. That way you will have no need of a blow off tube. Plus you can transfer without removing it via a tap.

[inthedark]

A suggestion for the future. Buy an FV with a 50mm screw cap and use a foam bung. That way you will have no need of a blow off tube. Plus you can transfer without removing it via a tap.

I have no problems with my fermenter, just need to remember to remove the tube from the sanitiser before chilling next time!

[gobuchul]

Get rid of the airlock and bow off tube.

Problem solved.

[Kev888]

I'd strongly advise keeping the blow-off tube initially 'if' your FV has insufficient head-space. There are various ways in which you can reduce the krausen, but if there is still a danger of overflow then such tubes are by far the easiest way I've found of managing it.

However things will have died down before post-fermentation chilling. So yes, at this stage you can remove it. Something else (say a bit of cotton wool or foam bung) can then let the FV breathe in whilst keeping flies etc out. Some people may apply gentle CO2 instead, but thats rather more exotic.

You could also limit the amount of starsan in your trap, lest you forget. It only needs to cover the end of the tube (and bubbling actually helps too), so you can arrange to use less than would be needed to fill the blow-off tube. Though if the container is in a heated cabinet this may mean it is in more danger of going dry, so perhaps less ideal in that case.

[TheSumOfAllBeers]

Look into methods for CO2 capture. It will solve the suck back issue and will let you draw off samples without risking air intake through taps & racking valves

[MTW]

I did the same when crash chilling a starter a couple of years ago, but on that occasion it was about a litre of star san into a 3L starter! I posted a thread and was told in no uncertain terms that it would be a write off (from petite mutants, IIRC). 150ml into a full brew, of presumably many litres, may well not be such a problem. It's not a mistake I will ever make twice...I hope.

I avoid blow off setups completely by using a 35L bucket for a 20L brew. Even then, things like WLP530 still creep out, but I keep an eye on it the following morning and crush the top down with a sanitised spoon. Occasionally it requires removing a bit of the yeast, but I keep it in there if I can. If you can't be there at the peak times, have a more enclosed FV, or simply insist on having it airtight, then I guess that's not an option.

[guypettigrew]

My FV uses a blow off tube. Essential as the wort often fills the FV close to the top. If the fermentation is vigorous the blow off tube conducts the yeast overspill into the bubble bucket.

When it's time to cool the beer the blow off tube is removed from the yeasty liquid in the bucket, but left fixed to the FV. The bucket is emptied and the blow off tube is bent into a 'U' shape. This is held in place by shoving the bottom of the 'U' back into the bucket.

Some Starsan is then poured into the tube to fill the 'U' bend. Air sucked into the FV as a result of cooling bubbles through the Starsan, but the Starsan is never drawn into the FV. I also like to think this technique sanitises the air drawn into the FV as the beer cools.

Guy