Notes from an interview with the guy who invented the stuff.
Starsan sanitized even if it is not perfectly clean. We always heard you can't sanitize what is not clean. Charlie described how that is not necessarily true. Always clean but you can still sanitize if you miss a spot.
- Starsan become ineffective when the PH exceeds 3.5. I think they said inert but I am not sure. So, a little (or a lot) of starsan will not affect your beer. The foam does not affect the beer. Don't fear the foam. Actually, the phosphoric acid can be good for yeast nutrition.
- Starsan lasts indefinitely in a spray bottle. If you used Distilled or RO (reverse Osmosis) water, it lasts forever. With tap water, depending on things like iron and magnesium, it has a lower shelf life.
- The soapy feeling with tubing in Starsan is normal
- You can drink starsan. You can't drink Idoafor (iodine) or Bleach, so don't try
- Starsan has anecdotal reports of keeping aphids off rose plants and healthier roses.
- Starsan needs only 30 seconds of contact time. The EPA requires 5star to state 3 minutes.
- PBW lasts weeks and can be moved to keg to keg and left over night to clean.
- PBW can separate teflon from the base metal on pans. Don't soak pans in PBW.
- PBW can help get whites whiter
- PBW should not be used on soft metals for long periods. Fine for cleaning but don't soak for hours.
- PBW can be rinsed. Does not need lots of flushing. Rinse and fill your carboy or keg with Starsan and you ad good.
- PBW has been known to kill the fungus between the toes