Calcium Chloride

Hey folks,
Maybe a stupid question, and if so I apologize in advance.
I received my Ward lab report, and downloaded B'run water. So far so good.
In getting water salt supplies, I found CaSo4(gypsum) and MgSo4(Epsom salt), but could not find any CaCl2. Granted my LHBS is pretty lame(it's just a corner in the health food store). But, I know that some winter deicers are Calcium Chloride. So, my Q is: can I use this or should I try to find food grade CaCl2?

I'm kinda of astonished that your LHBS doesn't have it. But you can find it at the grocery store as a product called Pickle Crisp. It's probably in the canning section, near or in the baking isle.

I've never compared this to the LD Carlson LHBS stuff, but I would just assume it's the dihydrate until you find out otherwise. I'm sure someone has tested it. (Ahem... AJ)

Thanks Push,
It's pickle-making season, so I'll check for the 'pickle crisp' at the local grocery store.
I was a little wary about possible unknown additives in the CaCl2 deicer. Granted I'd only be using about 1gm in 4 Gallons, but who knows what I might be adding besides CaCl2.

JimRausch said:

Thanks Push,
It's pickle-making season, so I'll check for the 'pickle crisp' at the local grocery store.
I was a little wary about possible unknown additives in the CaCl2 deicer. Granted I'd only be using about 1gm in 4 Gallons, but who knows what I might be adding besides CaCl2.

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Even if the manufacturer doesn't intentionally add anything besides CaCl2 to the deicer (and that could be a big if), I think you're right to be cautious.

There are regulations governing the cleanliness of the equipment, etc., with regard to foodstuff manufacturing. I doubt these same rules would apply to deicer manufacturing, so were it me, additives or no, I would still only put ingredients intended to be used as foodstuffs in my beer.

WTF? This is a serious question? Anyone who can post to Internet forums can visit a homebrew supply website to order some CaCl.

The question as to what percentage of 'calcium chloride' is calcium chloride is a good one though. No, I have not done anything other than cursory tests. If you look at the specs of calcium chloride suppliers they generally list the calcium chloride content as a percent by weight and, IIRC, that seems to vary from 75 - 82% or so. There will be traces of other salts (such as calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide...) but most of the 'other' is water. From this I conclude that the formula is CaCl2.xH20 where x is not an integer i.e. it is not pure dihydrate but rather a mix of dihydrate and monohydrate. I've never seen any of it from an LHBS marked with a number. This may be in part because whatever its water of hydration it will take up more water from the air.

AJ, data I've encountered suggests that a primary adulterant in calcium chloride is sodium chloride.

Obviously one can't really say that the contaminants are sodium hydroxide or sodium chloride... Most technical (and even FCC and ACS to a lesser extent) products will contain sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, hydroxyl chloride and, doubtless, traces of heavy metals, fluoride etc. The main contaminant of interest to my way of thinking is the hydroxyl. I was extremely surprised the first time I added the 'neutral' salt, calcium chloride, to water and saw the pH go up. Apparently this is common enough that the ISO assay procedure includes determination of the samples alkakinity.

SpeedYellow said:

WTF? This is a serious question? Anyone who can post to Internet forums can visit a homebrew supply website to order some CaCl.

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Yes , I was/am serious. Shipping from NB to Maine takes a week or more and costs more than the little bottle of CaCl2. Other places would probably be the same. I live in the boonies and my 'local HBS' is a corner in a health food store. I could drive 40 miles to the next closest, and probably will when I have another reason to head to the 'big city'. I was just looking for a local supply. I'm brewing this weekend and can do without it, but improving my water is my latest step to improve my brewing techniques. "Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better".

Thanks everyone for your help.
Figures- my search today to 2 grocery stores, and 3 garden supply stores was a big negative for 'pickle crisp'. I reworked my Brun water additions to drop the CaCl2 and up the CaSo4. Works for the calcium, and while the sulfate is a little higher than I want it for an 'Amber Malty', I can live with it for this batch.
So, thanks again.

Jim, that is odd that you can't find pickle crisp locally. I found the cheapest way to get you some CaCl2
though. You can have 2oz shipped to you for $3.84 from here. http://www.ritebrew.com/product-p/842419.htm

Cheapest shipping on small items I've found.

Thanks RCCOLA. I brewed today without it, and next week I'm going up to the 'bigcity' to attend the Bangor Brewfest. Might actually get to meet John Palmer. Wicked excited about that possibility. Maybe I'll bring a couple bottles of his 'Belladonna Took's Oaked Mild' for him to sign(plus THE book of course). While I'm there I'll pick up some CaCl2.
I'll keep ritebrew.com in mind for the future.

Went looking for Calcium Chloride (and Gypsum, Campden tablets and acid malt) today. Drove 30 minutes to the local "big" brew shop as I figured they were more likely to have the Calcium Chloride than the closer small shop - was also itching to go fer a quick motorcycle ride. They didn't have it (they did have acid malt, Gypsum and Campden tablets) and the guy looked at me like I was kinda crazy. So....rode back to town and then 20 minutes the other direction to the small shop. He had it - and knew what it was for. Go figure.

Anyways, got back home and was putting stuff away and my brother picked up the pack of Calcium Chloride and said "This is the same stuff used in the Dri Z Air dehumidifiers". Looked at the Dri Z Air pack and sure enough...it says Calcium Chloride.

So, just out of curiosity, does anyone know if it IS the same stuff? It's a lot cheaper (not that I'm really concerned with that) and available everywhere.

No, it isn't the same stuff and the distinctions have been pretty thoroughly covered in the preceding posts in this thread.

Understood. Thanks for the reply!

i admire your perseverence, i really do. but you could have had some for $4 by now.

Threads like this make me never want to drink others' homebrew. You'd think it would be obvious to, say, only use food-safe ingredients, but apparently not. That scares the hell out of me.

Midwest Supplies LLC

Description Unit price Qty Amount
Gypsum
Item# 7580 $3.09 USD 1 $3.09 USD
Calcium Chloride
Item# 7522 $4.99 USD 1 $4.99 USD