Gypsum Additions

[terrym]

So the question is to all you folks who add gypsum (calcium sulphate) as part of your brewing water treatment regime, do you only use 'food grade' or 'brewing' gypsum or do some of you go and get a measure from that old bag of skimming plaster that you have in the shed, given that building plaster is also gypsum, perhaps just in another crystalline form?

 

[Argentum]

Drywall or Gypsum Board or Plaster Board (or Gypsum Plaster in general) has some rather nasty adhesives mixed in with the gypsum.

 

[terrym]

Drywall or Gypsum Board or Plaster Board (or Gypsum Plaster in general) has some rather nasty adhesives mixed in with the gypsum.

But bagged skimming plaster is, in the UK, just gypsum as far as I am aware with no known toxicological hazards through ingestion although internal burns may occur as the dust hydrates if swallowed in sufficient quantity. However gypsum board products do contain fillers e.g small quantities of fibre glass.

 

[foxy]

It is not pure calcium sulphate, it has additives for bonding and strength plus I believe it has more sulphate.

 

[Horners]

At about three pence a 20L brew for the brewing grade stuff, I'd just buy that.

 

[Drunkula]

For gypsum I bought food grade online. For calcium chloride I use an Aqua-Pak from B&M because it's pure anhydrous calcium chloride and you get a kilo for something like £1.79.

 

[Leon103]

I have seen some crazy stuff on the forum but I think this deserves an award for the craziest to date.

 

[Hoddy]

This has got to be right up there.....

I have seen some crazy stuff on the forum but I think this deserves an award for the craziest to date.

 

[Leon103]

I drop in a chunk of plaster board in all my pales, adds to the hazy look i am after.
The slight burning you can feel is the spicy flavour I aim for.

 

[cheeseyfeet]

For gypsum I bought food grade online. For calcium chloride I use an Aqua-Pak from B&M because it's pure anhydrous calcium chloride and you get a kilo for something like £1.79.

Is this one of those humidity trap things?

Not sure I'd be comfortable using that as aren't they perfumed sometimes?

 

[samale]

I drop in a chunk of plaster board in all my pales, adds to the hazy look i am after.
The slight burning you can feel is the spicy flavour I aim for.

 

[Drunkula]

Not sure I'd be comfortable using that as aren't they perfumed sometimes?

That's why you pick the right one that's just pure anhydrous calcium chloride.

 

[BREWERS DROOP]

I can feel a plasterboard stout developing

 

[foxy]

I can feel a plasterboard stout developing

Or Plasterers Porter.

 

[terrym]

I have seen some crazy stuff on the forum but I think this deserves an award for the craziest to date.

You must have missed this one
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/is-it-viable-to-use-old-creosote-tubs.65900/

 

[The Baron]

Just read that one Terry does take the biscuit

 

[Leon103]

You must have missed this one
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/is-it-viable-to-use-old-creosote-tubs.65900/

Yes, my post is 3rd one down. I think there is a reason why the OP of that thread hasn't been back since Oct 16.

 

[terrym]

OK.
Well in spite of me often reading on here there is 'no such thing as a silly question', which is sometimes fiercely defended by the Forum mods, I am disappointed to find that all I have received back are mostly silly answers to what was, in my view, a serious question. One of you even thought that it was the craziest post he had seen, and a few more apparently agreed.
So to give you all a little background it will cost me upwards of £5 to buy a small pot of brewing gypsum inc p&p since I don't want to buy any more brewing supplies at present and don't have a LHBS close by, whereas I have access to free finishing plaster which as far as I am concerned is the same stuff, a hydrate of calcium sulphate, and even if it wasn't free I can buy the same stuff from Wilko for £2.50 for 1.5kg.
So I'm none the wiser really, I'll just have to make my own mind up what to do, although when it comes to crazy I have my own opinions when I read of people making beer from bird food, or putting peanut butter into beer. But hey ho we are all different.

 

[Sadfield]

I'd be inclined to avoid any building products. The British Standards code that they comply with indicates that Gypsum is the base binder along with other additives. Being Food Safe isn't necessarily limited to composition, but also the processing, where contamination may be an issue.

https://shop.bsigroup.com/ProductDetail/?pid=000000000030171553

 

[The Baron]

Well said Terry imagine if you had not been a battle hardened forum warrior and a newbie it would probably have been the first and last post ever