# Epsom Salts



## scooterism (2/10/17)

Is what you buy at woolies or other suitable for brewing?


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## Lyrebird_Cycles (2/10/17)

Yes.


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## scooterism (2/10/17)

So there is no fillers, bonding agents or other crap in it?


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## technobabble66 (2/10/17)

Lyrebird_Cycles said:


> Yes.


@LC, so you believe the Epsom salts in the supermarket intended for use in baths, etc, is food quality & totally fine for consumption?


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## DJ_L3ThAL (2/10/17)

Can you smoke them?


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## Lyrebird_Cycles (2/10/17)

technobabble66 said:


> @LC, so you believe the Epsom salts in the supermarket intended for use in baths, etc, is food quality & totally fine for consumption?



Yes. The stuff occurs naturally so most of what you can buy has been mined from a deposit where it crystallised out of dripping water. It will likely have some calcium sulphate and calcium carbonate in it as they occur together.

When sold for use in contact with people it will have been analysed to ensure it contains nothing unsafe. "Food grade" is largely a certification issue.

In any case, we are talking about use at less than 50 ppm. 

BTW that also measn that a 25g bag lasts me more than a year so I am perfectly happy to buy it from my LHBS.


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## technobabble66 (2/10/17)

DJ_L3ThAL said:


> Can you smoke them?


different bath salts


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## technobabble66 (2/10/17)

@LC, yeah, i was wondering about purity of non-LHBS epsom salts a few day ago - i was chucking a bit around the garden from a small bag i bought at bunnings, the crystals looked homogenous and identical to the LHBS stuff. I know that's a bit loose to assume equal purity, but it made me wonder how different the 2 were given it really looked identical.


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## technobabble66 (2/10/17)

So if we're now using garden nutrients in brewing, would Seasol help my yeast grow better?

Only kidding


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## manticle (2/10/17)

In my understanding, magnesium additions are only necessary when using high amounts of adjunct. All malt beers (or mostly malt beers) should have sufficient provided by the yeast and too much is never a good thing.


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## Lyrebird_Cycles (2/10/17)

technobabble66 said:


> @LC, yeah, i was wondering about purity of non-LHBS epsom salts a few day ago - i was chucking a bit around the garden from a small bag i bought at bunnings, the crystals looked homogenous and identical to the LHBS stuff. I know that's a bit loose to assume equal purity, but it made me wonder how different the 2 were given it really looked identical.



Although crystal structure is a very unreliable guide, in this case it is reasonable to assume that if it has a moderately uniform crystals it has been purified by recrystallisation.


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## Lyrebird_Cycles (2/10/17)

manticle said:


> In my understanding, magnesium additions are only necessary when using high amounts of adjunct. All malt beers (or mostly malt beers) should have sufficient provided by the yeast and too much is never a good thing.



I assume you mean sufficient provided _for_ the yeast.

Both Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ have the same uptake route and if there is a high enough ratio of Ca / Mg, the calcium can saturate the uptake channel and prevent yeast growth. I prefer to add magnesium to the boil at about 1/10 the total calcium add.


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## manticle (2/10/17)

In a nutshell, yes. It has similar effects on pH, enzymatic activity, etc to calcium but to a much lower degree so I'd prefer to forget about it.

Not sure what the required ratio is before yeast growth is retarded but my calcium doses are at the lower, rather than higher end (sub 100 ppm, usually closer to 50).


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## Bribie G (2/10/17)

Aldi call their version "Medix" which is as good as drink the stuff if you like but we didn't tell you that nudge wink.

I use it in bronzed brews for reasons explained by Manticle, and for Burtonising.


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## wynnum1 (2/10/17)

technobabble66 said:


> @LC, yeah, i was wondering about purity of non-LHBS epsom salts a few day ago - i was chucking a bit around the garden from a small bag i bought at bunnings, the crystals looked homogenous and identical to the LHBS stuff. I know that's a bit loose to assume equal purity, but it made me wonder how different the 2 were given it really looked identical.


Produce stores that sell to race horse trainers have food grade cheaper then bunnings fertiliser and a quarter of the price of LHBS seems to have gone up in price by 30%
*Epsom Salts FOOD Grade 25kg*
* $65.99*
*Epsom Salts FOOD Grade 2kg*
* $9.99*

Epsom Salts is commonly used to soak?injured hooves & as a poultice for leg injuries.??Can also be used as an electrolyte supplement in the feed, & as a purgative drench


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## Ducatiboy stu (2/10/17)

Bribie G said:


> Aldi call their version "Medix" *which is as good as drink the stuff if you like but we didn't tell you that nudge wink*.
> 
> I use it in bronzed brews for reasons explained by Manticle, and for Burtonising.



I would NOT recommend drinking epsom salt mixed with water...its a pretty shitty drink...literally


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## Bribie G (2/10/17)

Yup goes through you like a dose of salts.


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## Grott (2/10/17)

Good for the lemon tree.


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## peteru (3/10/17)

If you want to go bulk, check out Blants. Years ago I bought a 25kg bag of BP (British Pharmaceutical) grade Epsom Salts for $50 + $9 for overnight delivery. I still have a few kg left - most of it ended up going around the citrus trees.


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## manticle (3/10/17)

25 kg would take an average homebrewer about 6 lifetimes to get through unless they had a second use (ongoing constipation, good size citrus plot, etc).


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## scooterism (3/10/17)

I contacted Sanofi who produce Espom Salts in the blue box at chemists and the lady told me me that if there are no ingestion rates on the packaging then it's not food grade.


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## wynnum1 (3/10/17)

Ingestion rates would not be on packaging because that would leave seller at risk .


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## scooterism (3/10/17)

Just contacted Wollworths, they claim their Epsom Salts are not food grade either..


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## manticle (3/10/17)

Because they legally can't. Might as well ask someone if they can guarantee 100% purity or if unpasteurised milk is ok to consume.


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## scooterism (5/10/17)

Just recieved an email my one of my LHBS, I asked the question about 'brewing salts' and food gradeability, they happily sent photos of the sacks inwhich the product is delivered from their supplier with 'food grade' printed on also included a material data sheet stating that the product is food grade and LHBS even contacted their supplier and asked for more material data sheets.

Interesting.


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## Vini2ton (5/10/17)

It's a wonder that SWISSE hasn't got onto it and packaged it as " A tonic for stressed home-brewers and alcoholics with muscle cramps." Maybe they have.


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## good4whatAlesU (5/10/17)

drop in some of the nice new Powerade, that will sort out your salt requirements;

https://www.powerade.com.au/products/ion4​


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