Water Treatment Questions - Bicarbonate vs Alkalinity

[Begbie]

Morning all!

Response from Westlab regarding my query on the difference between their Epsom Salt and Home Brew Shops' Epsom Salts:

"As a business, we advise our customers not to consume, as these products have been developed as Bath Salts. This is due to production & storage of goods (especially once opened).

We hope this answers your question."

It doesn't really answer my question. An older package of this states that it's food grade (as per @marshbrewer post) but it's removed from new packaging. It makes me think that something has happened to make them remove the statement, or they've changed the production process in a way that no longer makes it fit for consumption. Either way, my 1kg bag of Epsom Salts will now be used as per instructions i.e. in a bath. I'll be placing an order on TMM soon for replacement salts and I think I'll try another NEIPA AG recipe. Cheers!

 

[peebee]

Response from Westlab regarding my query on the difference between their Epsom Salt and Home Brew Shops' Epsom Salts:
...

It does answer your question; exactly as would be expected. They will not say it's safe to consume. It's for you to decide from the information provided and accept the consequences, or else pay someone else a big markup on the product to accept the consequences on your behalf.

I look at my "chemistry set" of water additives and some of them have "Hazchem" labels! "Slaked Lime", "Gypsum" (Plaster-of-Paris), etc., I don't really believe any are suitable for eating. Even the calcium chloride solution doesn't say "food-grade" but is sold for cheese making. You use such tiny quantities (a few parts-per-million) is there really any concern? Perfumed additives excepted! What of the stuff already in the water? Measurable quantities of Nitrates and Nitrides (both toxic in quantity).

Of course, if the stuff is contaminated with a Russian nerve-agent there might be a problem. But back to reality ...

 

[Sadfield]

"We make this along side other ****, that you really wouldn't want to eat"

 

[Neale]

Pretty much the first thing it says on my pack is 'Pharmaceutical grade Magnesium Sulphate' that would suggest its ok for consumption to me. Pharmaceutical grade products are generally purer than food grade.

Westlab are never going to say that its fine to eat because someone may decide to have Epsom salts on toast and probably do themselves some serious harm. But as Peebee says we use these in ppm quantities so any impurities from production, handling etc must be even smaller. (although they state its 100% Mag Sulphate so there should be no impurities). They also make a point of referring to storage after opening when the cleanliness/purity is out of their control.

The small quantity that I use for brewing came out of a brand new unopened pack and is stored with my brewing supplies so no ones had their dirty hands in it.

 

[Sadfield]

Pretty much the first thing it says on my pack is 'Pharmaceutical grade Magnesium Sulphate' that would suggest its ok for consumption to me. Pharmaceutical grade products are generally purer than food grade.

Depends on whether they've produced pharmaceutical grade MgSO4 or they've used, repackaged it. It ceases to be pharmaceutical grade if they've cross contaminated it. It's likely the average bag of skag started out as pharmaceutical grade ingredients.

 

[Neale]

But if it isn't Pharmaceutical grade in the pack then they cant use that description on the pack or they would be breaking UK advertising laws? because as you say it wouldn't be pharmaceutical grade any more.

 

[Begbie]

I understand/agree with everyone's comments here, and I was tempted to just proceed with using the Westlab stuff until I checked the CML website and found that they sell Epsom Salts. So, 100g bag ordered along with a packet of yeast for a future brew. £5, free postage. Sorted.

 

[Sadfield]

But if it isn't Pharmaceutical grade in the pack then they cant use that description on the pack or they would be breaking UK advertising laws? because as you say it wouldn't be pharmaceutical grade any more.

Technically the wording only states that they source Pharmaceutical Grade, it arrives at them as pharmaceutical grade. Their reply to @Begbie suggests it's the post handling environment that renders this unfit for consumption.

Each to their own. Crack on.

 

[Neale]

I understand/agree with everyone's comments here, and I was tempted to just proceed with using the Westlab stuff until I checked the CML website and found that they sell Epsom Salts. So, 100g bag ordered along with a packet of yeast for a future brew. £5, free postage. Sorted.

Fair enough cant argue with that, I'm sure 100g will be good for many brews.

To be honest the only reason I started using the Westlab stuff was because in my early water treatment days I discovered I needed some the day before brewday and I'd just bought all the salts I thought I needed so just went with the Westlab stuff because it was available.