PBW + StarSan

[wolfie7873]

Can StarSan neutralize PBW residue?

If there's a touch of PBW left behind left in a vessel, and you fill the vessel with StarSan without rinsing it first, will that be sufficient? I'm trying to decide how panicked I should be because I don't remember if I rinsed between the wash and sanitize steps on my keg that now holds my raspberry porter.

 

[Gerry P]

Disclaimer: I'm not a chemist, although I have seen a couple episodes of Breaking Bad. StarSan is an acid and PBW is alkaline. From what I understand an alkaline solution neutralizes an acid so your sanitizing solution might have been compromised somewhat. Here's what Wiki says: "A reaction between an acid and base is called neutralization. In a neutralization reaction, an aqueous solution of a base reacts with an aqueous solution of an acid to produce a solution of water and salt in which the salt separates into its component ions." Note that "salt" in this case means "an ionic compound that results from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base." Idk what the neutralized solution would taste like, but considering the low concentration of it in your beer you should be OK.

Short answer: try a sample and see if it tastes funny.

 

[Mark D Pirate]

Isn't PBW mostly sodium percarbonate ?

 

[wolfie7873]

Isn't PBW mostly sodium percarbonate ?

Well, I suppose I should clarify that this was PBW substitute made from unscented oxyclean and phosphate-free TSP. Sodium Carbonate Peroxide and Sodium Carbonate from the OxyClean and Sodium Sesquicarbonate from the TSP, and Phosphoric Acid from the StarSan.

 

[wolfie7873]

Upon some internet research, it appears that one method for synthesizing Sodium Sesquicarbonate is to add Sodium Carbonate to Phosphoric Acid. Looks like they don't neutralize each other, but rather leave behind a rather nasty chemical. There goes two batches of beer (and this year's Festbier )

 

[Arbe0]

a good way to really know is to contact 5 star chemicals. you should be able to see it on your PBW can and Starsan bottle.