Calcium Chloride

[sluggerdog]

Never used this before but I do have some I bought around a year ago.

Cannot seem to find what it does anywhere. Anyone use this with success?

Should it be used instead of calcium sulphate or with it?

How much should be used? Am brewing a pilsner with brisbane tap water.

Thanks

 

[Stuster]

From how to brew

Calcium Chloride
(CaCl2*2H2O) 72 ppm
Ca+2
127 ppm
Cl-1 3.4 Lowers pH Useful for adding Calcium if the water is low in chlorides.

My final advice on the matter is that if you want to brew a pale beer and have water that is very high in carbonates and low in calcium, then your best bet is to use bottled water* from the store or to dilute your water with distilled water and add gypsum or calcium chloride to make up the calcium deficit. Watch your sulfate and chloride counts though. Mineral dilution with water is not as straightforward as it is with wort dilution, due to the various ion buffering effects, but it will be reasonably close. Good Luck!

I've never used it before, sluggerdog, but have been thinking about using it. I think you'd use this instead of calcium sulphate in beers which aren't that hoppy. Calcium sulphate in hoppy beers. No reason you can't use a bit of both I suppose. Have a look here as well for some good info.

You can calculate how much to add using promash (brewsmith?) or something called brewater which is linked to on that brewboard page i linked to. Hope this helps.

BTW, where did you get the CaCl from?

 

[sluggerdog]

Thanks Stuster, I got it from grape and grain when I was ordering some other stuff. I thought I would give it a go one day.

I think I'll give it a go, 1 teaspoon in the mash water instead of the calcium sulphate I usually use.

 

[Millet Man]

Never used this before but I do have some I bought around a year ago.

Cannot seem to find what it does anywhere. Anyone use this with success?

Should it be used instead of calcium sulphate or with it?

How much should be used? Am brewing a pilsner with brisbane tap water.

Thanks

I've just started using it after attending the brewing course at Ballarat Uni. Advice from the course was if you need to add extra Ca then; use CaSO4 for ales to enhance bitterness, and use CaCl2 for lagers to give a smoother mouth feel.

The recommended target for Ca ions was 100 ppm and achieve this using CaSO4 and/or CaCl2. Cl should be kept below 200-250 ppm otherwise it tastes salty.

A point was made regarding the Cl:SO4 ratio based on judging panel feedback; at 2:1 the balance was more towards body and sweetness, at 1:2 the balance was more towards drying, bitter and metallic flavours.

I'm going to play around with this Cl:SO4 balance concept in my brewing now and see if it makes a difference.

Cheers, Andrew.

 

[sluggerdog]

Thanks Andrew, going on those figues and from what I have brisbane tap water at (Ca - 21 ppm) If I add 6 grams of Calcium Chloride I'll get Ca 102 ppm.

 

[Barry]

Good Day
When I can get it I put a teaspoon in the mash of malty beer styles. The Cl promotes maltiness and roundness of flavour. Also good when you want to add Calcium to the mash but not sulphate.

 

[tangent]

i use a small amount in Belgian styles to enhance the sweetness and bump up the calcium levels in rain water.
i got mine from Gaganis in Adelaide. i think the greeks use it as a brine additive in pickled cucumbers etc.

 

[sluggerdog]

Good Day
When I can get it I put a teaspoon in the mash of malty beer styles. The Cl promotes maltiness and roundness of flavour. Also good when you want to add Calcium to the mash but not sulphate.

This sounds great, just what I was after, will give it a crack tomorrow for my german pilsner.

 

[sluggerdog]

Just had a thought, should I be mixing it into my hlt or should I sprinkle it ontop of the mash?

ALSO Should I use 1 teaspoon for the mash water then another for the spare water or would the 1 do the trick?

Cheers!

 

[Jye]

For my last brew I measured out my salt additions (Calcium sulphate and chloride) the night before and added them to the bottom on the MLT. The next morning the chloride had transformed into drops of water and Im guessing it had just absorbed the moisture from the air like Damprid. Can anyone confirm this is correct :huh:

For the record I still used it and didnt think the liquified calcium chloride would affect anything.

 

[PostModern]

Just had a thought, should I be mixing it into my hlt or should I sprinkle it ontop of the mash?

ALSO Should I use 1 teaspoon for the mash water then another for the spare water or would the 1 do the trick?

Cheers!

1 tsp for the whole brew is enough. Either in the mash or the HLT doesn't matter. It dissolves very quickly.

I use a tsp per 20L in the HLT and a "handful" of Calcium Sulphate to mineralise the very soft water of the Illawarra. Works fine for most styles. If I'm making something Burtony, it gets this treatment, plus 50% and a couple pinches of Epsom Salts as well.

 

[real_beer]

Hi sluggerdog

Graham Sanders from Australian Craft Brewers gives excellent information on this subject in the episode listed below. If you download it fast forward to the 50 minute mark where the topic is covered.

http://rss.oz.craftbrewer.org

February#1,2008

Cheers real_beer :icon_cheers:

 

[katzke]

For my last brew I measured out my salt additions (Calcium sulphate and chloride) the night before and added them to the bottom on the MLT. The next morning the chloride had transformed into drops of water and Im guessing it had just absorbed the moisture from the air like Damprid. Can anyone confirm this is correct :huh:

For the record I still used it and didnt think the liquified calcium chloride would affect anything.

Yes Calcium Chloride attracts moisture. Mostly the same stuff as DampRid but the DampRid is not food grade and may have other stuff in it.

It is also used by cheese makers. So if you have any places that sell cheese making supplies they have it. Sometimes it is a liquid.

 

[NRB]

Apparently someone contacted the manufacturer and was assured that it's 100% CaCl and would be suitable for use in brewing. I haven't used it myself, but the stuff I do use is not deliquescent like Damprid is. the stuff I use came from a brew shop.

[edit] I found the post here by Hogan.

Melbourne water is low on calcium, so I always add CaCl and a little CaSO4 to my HLT prior to mashing in. We've only got ~5ppm Ca and I usually bump it up to 50ppm MINIMUM.

 

[Hogan]

Apparently someone contacted the manufacturer and was assured that it's 100% CaCl and would be suitable for use in brewing. I haven't used it myself, but the stuff I do use is not deliquescent like Damprid is. the stuff I use came from a brew shop.

[edit] I found the post here by Hogan.

Melbourne water is low on calcium, so I always add CaCl and a little CaSO4 to my HLT prior to mashing in. We've only got ~5ppm Ca and I usually bump it up to 50ppm MINIMUM.

NRB - I have been using both the Gypsum and Damprid in my brews since the beginning of the year. No problems whatsoever from the damprid. The attached article from Melbourne brewers was very informative and I use the schedule on the last page to mix my additions.

Cheers, Hoges.

View attachment Key_Concepts_in_Water_Treatment.pdf

 

[NRB]

Cheers Hoges. Funny you link to an article from my brew club! It was from discussing things with Tony that I started getting my water up to spec.

 

[Bribie G]

For my last brew I measured out my salt additions (Calcium sulphate and chloride) the night before and added them to the bottom on the MLT. The next morning the chloride had transformed into drops of water and Im guessing it had just absorbed the moisture from the air like Damprid. Can anyone confirm this is correct :huh:

For the record I still used it and didnt think the liquified calcium chloride would affect anything.

Calcium chloride is hygroscopic and will absorb water like buggery. Most of the brewing salts, food grade, are available from a sponsor at the top of the page for about $5 each to keep you going for a year or so. I'm currently using tank water and amongst other salts put some calcium chloride in my Yorkshire bitter to up the calcium, as well as a good dose of calcium carbonate (chalk). Apparently calcium chloride is also present in water from limestone runoff which is what I am trying to emulate in my Yorkies which are full malty and lighter hopped, so hopefully I am on the right track

 

[dr K]

Calcium, good for your bones, good for your hair and good for your beer
as a sulphate increases hop notes
as a chloride rounds malt
as a carbonate balances roast twang
oh and Calcium Chloride sucks (moisture that is)

K