# Star San for santitizing wine bottles



## Redskins (Jan 24, 2013)

Is star san a good sanitizer for cleaning my new cases of empty wine bottles? I plan on bottling in a few days and will purchase a bottle rinser sulfiter tool and a bottle tree for them to drain/dry. I'm assuming that i just fill the bottle rinser with the diluted star san sultion pump the bottles a few times, let them drain/dry on the tree and they are ready to be filled?


Thanks!


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## Brew and Wine Supply (Jan 24, 2013)

K-Meta ( Potassium Metabisulfite) is more wine friendly (Sulfur based), Star San is more beer friendly ( acid based).


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## Redskins (Jan 24, 2013)

could you recommend me a good product to use in the bottle rinser for my wine bottles if star san will not work? Thanks again!


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## Brew and Wine Supply (Jan 24, 2013)

K meta! (potassium metabisulfite)


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## Rocky (Jan 24, 2013)

As Doug says, use a sanitizing soluton of K-meta and water (3 tbsp of K-meta to 1 gallon of water).


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## TonyP (Jan 24, 2013)

I don't disagree with Doug that k-meta is used more in wine and Star San is used more in beer. However, numerous wine makers use Star San, including me (I use both for different items.), and you'll be fine if you prefer Star San. If you want to use Star San and are concerned about the impact, just wait for it to dry.

Having said that, I use k-meta for bottles because I don't like the foaming Star San makes in the bottle, but that's just a personal thing. K-meta can be used with a Avvinator (I take it that's what you're referring to.) Let the bottles stand upright for 6 minutes in order for the solution to work, then drain.


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## Redskins (Jan 24, 2013)

Thanks for the help, i will order some off amazon today  One more question regarding K-meta. I am doing a grand cru pinot grigio and the instructions said 2 weeks fermintation, then 2 weeks in carboy after stabalize/clear. No if i want to siphon this into another carboy to bulk age do i need to add some K-meta to it if i plan to age for a couple months? I belive some was already added during the stablize clearing from one of the packets that came with the kit?

Thanks!


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## Redskins (Jan 24, 2013)

TonyP said:


> I don't disagree with Doug that k-meta is used more in wine and Star San is used more in beer. However, numerous wine makers use Star San, including me (I use both for different items.), and you'll be fine if you prefer Star San. If you want to use Star San and are concerned about the impact, just wait for it to dry.
> 
> Having said that, I use k-meta for bottles because I don't like the foaming Star San makes in the bottle, but that's just a personal thing. K-meta can be used with a Avvinator (I take it that's what you're referring to.) Let the bottles stand upright for 6 minutes in order for the solution to work, then drain.



Will star san work in the Avvinator or does it foam up too much and make a mess?


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## TonyP (Jan 24, 2013)

Redskins said:


> Will star san work in the Avvinator or does it foam up too much and make a mess?



I wouldn't say it makes a mess, but it does foam some. The issue I have with foaming is inside the bottle.


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## Ricky (Jan 24, 2013)

They make a non foaming star stan.... It's the same company I think, I'll look at it when I get home.


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## MonkeyK (Jan 24, 2013)

I'm no authority, but I have been using Starsan with an Avvinator and a bottle tree. Three or four pumps and then hang the bottle on the tree. No problems with foam.


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## TonyP (Jan 24, 2013)

Ricky said:


> They make a non foaming star stan.... It's the same company I think, I'll look at it when I get home.



Ricky, the Five Star product is called Saniclean. It doesn't foam but requires rinsing.


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## btom2004 (Jan 24, 2013)

I then bottles with it, but use K-meta solution in the pump bottle rinser tool and place it on a bottle tree to drip dry. The K-meta gets all the bubbles out. It also dries with a bit of K-meta inside which help presever wine.


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## Jwatson (Jan 28, 2013)

I use iodophor for sanitizing..never had any off tastes. I use the oven for sanitizing my wine bottles.


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## Brew and Wine Supply (Jan 28, 2013)

Redskins said:


> Thanks for the help, i will order some off amazon today


 
Amazon!!::


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## Redskins (Jan 28, 2013)

How long do you normally let the bottles drip dry? Is it okay to bottle if they are still wet or would you wait untill they are completely dry from rinsing with k-meta?


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## TonyP (Jan 28, 2013)

Redskins said:


> How long do you normally let the bottles drip dry? Is it okay to bottle if they are still wet or would you wait untill they are completely dry from rinsing with k-meta?



Keep in mind that k-meta sanitizes by emitting SO2 gas which takes about 6 minutes to work. Thus, you need to leave it at least that long and perhaps an extra minute or two. Note that SO2 is heavier than air and will fall out if the bottles are left to drain upside down. Leave them upright, then turn them over for a little while to drain.


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## Redskins (Jan 28, 2013)

Thanks Tony, and great cleaning/sanitizing article i enjoyed reading it


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