Calcium Chloride

[markpeace]

Hi all,

For my next brew (a bitter), the water calculator on this forum is recommending a Calcium Chloride addition. The other additives I've been fairly confident with, but this one is making me feel a little inexpert (I'm noting the dihydrate reference).

Is this the stuff I'm after...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1kg-Calcium-c ... 2732wt_952

It doesn't seem to be 'food grade', but the only food grade ones I can find are CaCl2 6H2O ... helps!

 

[BIGJIM72]

I'm sure that someone else will put me right,but I would have thought that this would be the stuff you seem to be looking for

http://www.colchesterhomebrew.co.uk/col ... -200g.html

Are gypsum or precipitated chalk not suitable?

 

[Vossy1]

I don't much like the description of that link Jim

Calcium Chloride Flakes is used as an alternative to Gypsum or Epsom Salts to increase the acidity of the mash

All 3 are used in conjunction normally and can/do serve different purposes. How can CaCl2 replace aiether Mg or S04 or the sulphate in Caso4 :wha: ...I don't think so. I think the hydrate reference is indicative of the amount of water molecules in the CaCl2

Are gypsum or precipitated chalk not suitable?

PPT chalk is Calcium carbonate CaC03.

For my next brew (a bitter), the water calculator on this forum is recommending a Calcium Chloride addition. The other additives I've been fairly confident with, but this one is making me feel a little inexpert (I'm noting the dihydrate reference).

Brewing CaCl2 is usually the di hydrate.
Have a look at this page for more info :thumb:

 

[markpeace]

Thanks guys. Vossy, that was my (emerging understanding) - I'm trying to 'learn water' backwards based on the calculator (and it made a massive difference to hop character the pale ale I did last month!). I'm guessing here that I particularly want calcium chloride becausing I'm upping the calcium which keeping the chlorides and suphates in balance...

I'm still not confident what to buy though... would you go for the Brupacks one from Colchester Homebrew (actually, just realised I can get the same stuff from my LHBS), or the ebay one which explicitly talks of dihydrate but not 'food grade'. hmmm.

 

[BIGJIM72]

Thanks for putting me right Vossy.
I'm on the opposite end of the water scale-too much calcium & not enough magnesium.
The link just seemed to be to a food safe version of calcium chloride,rather than a version for aquariums.

 

[Vossy1]

I'm not putting you right Jim, I don't remember enough about water treatment , I've forgotten most of what I knew due to lack of brewing The description on the site was just a bit too simplistic for my liking :grin: Aleman will be able to help, I'll send him a pm to have a look as I'm in over my head :grin:

 

[Elindail]

If you can get food grade calcium chloride (dihydrate or not), I'd use that. Dihydrate just means that for every molecule of CaCl2, there are two water molecules associated with it. If you buy it not as a dihydrate, leaving it out in air it will absorb water to form the dihydrate, or just adding it to water will hydrate it (but then it will dissolve and you wouldn't know any different) .

If you're still not a fan of using a dihydrate for any reason (but really, it's gonna be fine), then whack it in the oven at about 200 c for half an hour or so, that'll drive off any moisture leaving an anhydrous sample. CaCl2 is a really thermally stable salt so won't decompose.

I'm no water treatment expert, but I am a chemist!


Note: Don't try the oven trick with calcium carbonate, as that can decompose at high temperatures...

 

[markpeace]

Thanks Elidail. That all makes sense. So would this ...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1kg-Calci...Equipment_Lab_Supplies_ET&hash=item20b5fe2d11

...Do it?

 

[Elindail]

Looks okay to me :thumb: a kilogram will last you a while too! :lol:

 

[markpeace]

Also, looking at the description, I can use it for genetic experiments. I could make a clone of myself and use it as a brew slave. Pretty sweet.

 

[markpeace]

Hang on ... 6H2O is going to weigh more than 2H2O isn't it... Any easy way of compensating for this (if it's going to be significant).

 

[Elindail]

Just use 1.5 times what you would do if the calculator recommends the dihydrate (e.g if it recommends a teaspoon use one and a half). If it's telling you anhydrous then use twice as much :)

 

[markpeace]

Brilliant! Thanks

 

[Vossy1]

Eli, reading around sources say that at room temperature the hexa hydrate loses 4H2O so do we even have to consider anything other than the di hydrate :hmm: I assume it depends on the relative humidity of the environment as I also read that it can turn to a liquid in the presence of enough H20. Personally I think I'd always dry it off in the oven having read too much about it :lol:

 

[markpeace]

Hmmm. I can't see the better half being happy about trays of white powder in the oven. I've already learnt to call them 'water nutrients' rather than 'chemicals'.

 

[Elindail]

Interesting Vossy :hmm: have you got a link so I can have a look about the water loss? If it does, then personally I'd keep the lid on the jar as often as possible, and use a teaspoon and a half of the hexahydrate, maybe a little less but if the lid's kept on, it won't have a chance to lose too much water, so I wouldn't bother with drying.

In the presence of enough water, it dissolves! Not turning into a liquid, just dissolving in one (It's just like normal table salt, except with calcium instead of sodium). :thumb:

 

[Vossy1]

have you got a link so I can have a look about the water loss?

Yep, it's from a chemical supplier in the states here there's a better description here though their idea of room temp is greater than 30 deg c....we wish :lol:

 

[Aleman]

Sorry Vossy tried to reply to this last night but the forum was on a serious go slow here

Get the dihydrate and don't worry about it . . . I've just ordered it

calcium chloride is deliquescent. it will continue to absorb water, until it becomes a concentrated solution of calcium chloride. This is how those 'water traps' work. . . . Keep it sealed away from moisture when not in use. . . . I have it in a seal container inside a vacuum sealed bag

Bear in mind that while our calculator assumes the dihydrate, others expect the anhydrous form (promash for one). I don't know of any that assume the hexahydrate. . . .

 

[Vossy1]

Thanks Tony :thumb:

Sorry Vossy tried to reply to this last night but the forum was on a serious go slow here

We're looking into that, I had the same problems
Might buy some myself,,,but it will probably have died before I get to use it :lol:

 

[markpeace]

Thanks all - useful input! M