Help! have I killed my beer with Chemsan!

[David Woods]

Yesterdays brew completed and using the no chill method in a cube - I just realise I left about 1/2 litre of Chemsan in the cube when transferring. Ouch!

I searched here and seemed to get the OK - albeit with Starsan, but reading elsewhere getting conflicting stories between "it's fine" and "don't go near it".

I don't mind so much if the taste is altered a bit - it's beer after all - but a bit concerned about safety and poisoning my guests! The Chemsan was a fresh batch mixed as per instructions.

It's a 23L batch.

Would really like some help with this before I commit to fermenting it. What an idiot!

Thanks

 

[Agentgonzo]

Yesterdays brew completed and using the no chill method in a cube - I just realise I left about 1/2 litre of Chemsan in the cube when transferring. Ouch!

I searched here and seemed to get the OK - albeit with Starsan, but reading elsewhere getting conflicting stories between "it's fine" and "don't go near it".

Would really like some help with this before I commit to fermenting it. What an idiot!

Thanks

I've accidentally left around that amount in the bottom of my fermenter before adding the wort into it. The beer turned out fine and you couldn't tell there was any starsan in it.

 

[Twostage]

Not done that (yet ) but I would reckon that if the yeast are OK then you will be.

 

[RichardM]

I've done the same with Starsan, the beer was fine.

 

[peebee]

The dilution is documented as 10ml in 5L, or 1ml in 0.5L ... a 0.2% solution. If you stick to the directions (uh?), which you should.

0.5L (1ml neat Chemsan) has been diluted with 23L wort.

Put like that it puts the risk to yourself as insignificant. The most poisonous substance is isopropanol ... I don't think it'll be at a level to worry about (1ml, with everything else, in 23,000ml ... we're talking isopropanol not Novichok!).

As for "killing your beer", I doubt the yeast will notice it's there.


It does illustrate, this stuff is a contact poison for microbes (active principal "benzenesulfonic acid", a surfactant). It only needs spraying lightly on a surface, not soaking anything in litres of the stuff! (For days on end).

 

[David Woods]

Many thanks all,

I have stuck it in the fermenter anyway - the wort looked and smelled OK - very scientific! Too much work to think about chucking it away. I imagine I have drunk worst things in my time anyway!

If I don't come back you will know what did me in, otherwise I will let you know the outcome in a few weeks.

Cheers!