[redtangent]

Hey all,

Need some advice, been brewing for a long time but may have screwed something new up this time. 5.5-6 gallon batch of beer in a SS Brew Tech brew bucket fermenting in a the fermentation fridge, I used a blow off tube into a small bucket of starsan (mabye 2 qt.). Crash cooled from 70->38 over the course of a few days ( a bit colder than I normally do). Finally went to keg it maybe a week later and found the blow off tube bucket empty, no sanitizer left at all. Where did the sanatizer go...my thought is in the beer?! I have trouble beliving it siphoned up 24 inches of vertical tube into the beer, but i can't explain it otherwise. I've never had that happen so I have no idea of the effects. The beer tasted ok, but i was likely biased knowing there may be sanatizer in the beer. I've been fermenting this way for nearly 2 years and have never had this effect, maybe the 38 degree fridge was so dry it evaporated (wishful thinking)?

Questions:

Is the sanatizer in the beer?
Is it safe to drink if it is indeed in there?

Thanks,

Steve

[Stevie]

Yes, it got sucked into the beer due to the difference in pressure when you crashed it. Next time replace the tube with an s-lock or a solid stopper (I don't know if solid stoppers are ok with the brew bucket or not)

Do some research and decide for yourself if it is safe to drink. From what I have read and heard, it should be fine.

[redtangent]

Yup research seemed to indicate it wouldn't kill me, but that I should feed it to people i don't like first. oddly the FG didn't change, 1.015 before and after the 'incident', measured with a finishing gravity hydrometer and temp corrected...odd.

[JT]

No way would I consume 2 quarts of starsan. 
You only need enough sanitizer to cover the end of the hose.  About an inch or 2 in the bottom of you container.  Also, the S lock is good advice.  Or just remove the tube and cover the fermenter with foil. 

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[morticaixavier]

I don't think it all went in the beer. some maybe. depending on headspace. If the gravity didn't change measurably than the liquid didn't contract enough to pull 2 qts of liquid in. The air would have contracted a lot more though. Still, if the fridge was running for a couple days to bring the temp down and it's a 'frost free' type with good air ciruculation a lot of it probably did evaporate. Unless you topped off when you crashed the temp it had been evaporating throughout the fermentation.

[jackmarshall77]

Should be fine but it is easy to check the ph with a test strip first. Starsan works on extreme ph so it will only impact on acidity. If the test strip says it's fine then it should be?...
Unless I am wrong....?


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[JJeffers09]

Is vodka or clear rum a good substitute for the blow off tubes?  if it gets sucked up it will change the flavor, but not going to hurt anybody

[denny]

Is vodka or clear rum a good substitute for the blow off tubes?  if it gets sucked up it will change the flavor, but not going to hurt anybody

Neither will StarSan.  I just use plain water...no problems.