Sodium Metasulphite For Chloramine Removal

[KillerRx4]

Spent the morning looking online for a water filter to remove chlorine. At some stage I got sidetracked onto Sydney water website for a water analysis. It seems theres very little to no free chlorine in my water, but monochloramine instead.

So hunting info it seems filtration is next to useless on chloramines. Then i read campden tabs or sodium metasulphite will break it down. So since I think i still have a container of sodium met from the early brewing days somewhere Id like to have a go at it.

Problem is i havent found how much to use...


Any of you guys get involved in this kind of water treatment?

 

[Jye]

From what I have read you only use a pinch in the HLT. I have only just started reading about water and will be giving it ago next brew day.

 

[newguy]

Problem is i havent found how much to use...
Any of you guys get involved in this kind of water treatment?

I got this information from the owner of a micro: 1 campden tablet/80 litres water. Now the question is how much does a single campden tablet weigh, and I can't actually measure it. Don't have a scale with that kind of resolution. Sorry. I'd guess that one tablet is about 1/8th teaspoon, volume-wise (about the size of a 325mg aspirin tablet).

The metabisulfite binds the chlorine, rendering it benign. The reaction also involves the creation of chemicals which are yeast nutrients. I've been using this technique for a while now, and while I didn't have a noticeable problem with chlorophenols before, I certainly don't now.

Hope this helps.

 

[RobW]

I use about 1/8th to 1/4 of a teaspoon of pot. metabisulphite in 20 litres - I don't think you need to be too precise about it.

 

[Screwtop]

Always include a pince of SodMet in the mash here, tip from G Saunders.

 

[KillerRx4]

Well thats easy enough. will add a pich to hlt.

Next Q. Does it require any time or filtration to remove the chorine once its broken the chloramine down?

 

[DJR]

The campden/SMS will remove the chlorine by causing chlorine gas production, what will be left over is some ammonia/ammonium ions - which will be produced by the nitrogenous compounds in the grain when mashing anyway, so if you have chloramines then some metabisulphite will be enough. The quality of my beers improved quite a bit when i started dechlor-ing the water. I had the same thing about chloramines a few weeks ago and found it was fine. Of course a filter designed for chloramines would be nice but if you look at what it removes it's pretty much chlorines and heavy metals, unfortunately there is no cheap filter option for softening the water that doesn't use ion-exchange which will remove all the Ca and other trace metals from the water and replace it with Na and K, RO might be an option but then you have to build your water from scratch. I have a 3-stage RO filter system just waiting to be used, can't be bothered at the moment and just dechlorinate the water anyway!

 

[lonte]

Well thats easy enough. will add a pich to hlt.

Next Q. Does it require any time or filtration to remove the chlorine once its broken the chloramine down?

I have picked up the belief that it takes "some time" to work. I usually fill the HLT (40L) and add 1/4tsp SodMet give it a stir for a couple of minutes to dissolve it, then leave lid loosely on HLT overnight. Somewhere I have also picked up the belief that the chemical process gives off a gas? I then add a pinch to the mash when doughing-in in the morning - more because that's yet another belief I've picked up that it is also a bit of an oxygen scavenger and can reduce HSA when stirring.

 

[tangent]

interesting stuff in basicbrewingradio and video about HSA
they say HSA is actually difficult to achieve on a home brew scale and a bit over-hyped. like autolysis was a couple of years ago - remember that? rack your beer or it'll turn into burned rubber instantly?

old what'shisname "relax have a homebrew" uses 1/2tsp of cinnamon in the mash
s'posed to clean up excess oxygen in the water.... or something

 

[doglet]

Does he use "cinnamon" after too much relaxing having a homebrew??

 

[Wolfman]

Digging up an old thread.

Was in at a brew shop yesterday looking for Campden tablets. On the packet it said each tablet contained 0.5g of Sodium Metabisulphite. It also said use 3-4 tablets per 20l. This was for wine making though. So assuming this should 0.5g be enough in my water to rid it of Chlorine for a 25L batch?

John Palmer says that one tablet treats 76L although in the video he says they are only treating 30L with no adverse problems.

He also says there is also no need to treat your sparge water? Thoughts?

I have read previously that you leave it overnight to do it's thing. In this video he just puts it in the HLT. What time frame do people use?

Here's the video

Any advise would be useful.

Cheers

 

[Parks]

I have actually been looking into exactly this lately - very timely bump.

I have been using a pinch but would like to know an exact amount too. I will be watching this space...

 

[Wolfman]

Like I said I went to buy some campden tabs but on the packet it said "0.5g sodium metabisulfate". So my guess is 0.5g?

Did you watch the video Parks?

 

[treefiddy]

There's some useful info on page 3
http://www.dow.com/scripts/litorder.asp?filepath=liquidseps/pdfs/noreg/609-02034.pdf

If you know how much free chlorine is in the water, you can use that info to work out a dose rate.

 

[benno1973]

I use 1/2 a tablet in 40L of water, but I think that must be based on Palmer's "1 tablet treats 80L" quote. To be honest, it was so long ago that I've forgotten how I calculated it.

Not sure why there's no need to treat sparge water? I'd assume that all water should be treated for chlorine?

 

[manticle]

Are you noticing an issue with chlorephenols wolfman? No chloramines in melbourne water and strike temp should be enough to get rid of most of the chlorine in your water.

Campden in winemaking is used mainly to kill/retard unwanted microflora as far as I'm aware.

 

[Black n Tan]

No chloramines in melbourne water

I thought Melbourne water does contain chloramines (as opposed to hypochlorite), why do you think it doesn't?

 

[Wolfman]

Mants no not noticing any adverse affects. Was just interested to see if I could take it to another level.

 

[manticle]

I thought Melbourne water does contain chloramines (as
opposed to hypochlorite), why do you think it doesn't?

Melbourne water website. Why do you think it does?

Wolfman- no need to remove something that isn't there although it is one way of getting rid of chlorine too. I'm averse to sulphites in brewing - possibly unnecessarily in this case as I'm not 100% sure of the chemistry of what occurs afterwards and the byproducts probably dissipate.*



If drsmurto was still around, he'd tell you what I can't. I still prefer not to add stuff I don't need to.

*from memory smurto did detail what occurs when he looked at my water chemistry paper and I think I included it in an updated version. When I'm not on a phone, I'll hunt it up - I think there is little to nothing left in the water and I'm just being a big sook. Sulphited wine and cider hurt my head in a way no added sulphite beverages don't.

 

[Black n Tan]

Manticle, I was under the mistaken impression that Melbourne Water used chloramine (cant remember where I got the idea). My question was just to find some definitive information about what was used rather than suggesting you were wrong. Badly worded query, appreciate the correction.