Stovetop kettle fur

[MashBag]

We have had an enamel kettle on the induction hob for years. Furs up like a good'un. Emptied at least monthly.

A good few months ago changed to a stainless on (without a lid) noticeably less fur. Never had to empty it.

The hard as nails water hasn't change so. What is going on peeps?

 

[Galena]

Hardness is not a term we in the brewing game like to use, just ask @peebee

 

[MashBag]

Exactly. I never mentioned it.
Was being careful not you trigger @peebee

 

[peebee]

Hardness is not a term we in the brewing game like to use, just ask @peebee

Too right! Thanks for the introduction ...



It's not even "Hardness" in modern parlance, it's "Carbonate Hardness" ("KH"), caused by anions, not multi-valence cations with which it might be associated ... blah, blah, blah! Could have summit to do with the surface, one being metallic, the other ceramic? But I ain't really got a clue.

But stainless steel certainly doesn't reduce bicarbonates, just seemingly prevents all the resulting insoluble carbonates (resulting from boiling that is) from sticking. You still got the same high alkalinity for mashing whatever you boil in.

 

[Galena]

Exactly. I never mentioned it.
Was being careful not you trigger @peebee

I beg to differ

The hard as nails water

 

[MashBag]

But stainless steel certainly doesn't reduce bicarbonates, just seemingly prevents all the resulting insoluble carbonates (resulting from boiling that is) from sticking. You still got the same high alkalinity for mashing whatever you boil in.

Agreed. So where is the sediment then.

 

[peebee]

Patience! I used to boil my brewing water. It had to be left at least overnight to settle before I'd see a light dusting of calcium carbonate (chalk) fall out onto the bottom (but I was living in "soft" water areas, except for when in Leicester, so there was never much anyway (we didn't really know what we were doing back then).

 

[MashBag]

The op has already waited months.

 

[peebee]

The op has already waited months.

Don't! The precipitated carbonate will eventually dissolve again (convert back into bicarbonate). Or some of the finely divided suspended precipitate will. But something triggers it to create calcite concretions on surfaces (enamel preferred over stainless steel, perhaps?).

You are getting me outside any area of "personal" comfort. I shall stop speculating any further.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Agreed. So where is the sediment then.

Maybe some of the sediment gets poured out of the metal kettle and into the teacups, a small denial amount at a time that you don't notice it.

But it sticks to your enamel kettle and over time builds up to an amount you notice?

 

[MashBag]

It's all very very odd.