San Pellegrino Clone

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KatoBaggins

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SWMBO loves San Pellegrino. So, in order to appease her I set up one of my taps with a San Pellegrino Clone. I downloaded this spread sheet here: http://blog.khymos.org/2012/01/04/mineral-waters-a-la-carte/

It's a great site with a spreadsheet toward the bottom that probably has your favorite mineral water in it. Using the spreadsheet, I worked out the recipe for a 5 gallon batch starting with distilled water. (Though I think RO water would give you the same results.)

I put the measurements in grams, because it was easier for me to measure (and probably for a lot of people in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and D.C. ;)) I have to convert to grains, because the only scale I have that is sensitive enough to get accurate readings is the one I use to load shells with. I will be buying a decent gram scale sometime soon though.

For 5 gallons:

5 gallons - Distilled Water
2.2 grams - Kosher (non-iodized) salt
0.2 grams - Potassium Chloride
10.6 grams - Epson Salt
0.57 mg - Calcium Nitrate
3.3 grams - Calcium Carbonate
9.5 grams - Gypsum
0.3 grams - Magnesium Chloride

Pour minerals into a sanitized keg and shake for a few minutes. Carb around 10-12 psi (maybe lower) to emulate the carbonation level of real San Pellegrino, or do like I do and carb around 30 psi. I like mine bubbly! By the time it's fully carbonated (force carbing is fine) the minerals will be completely dissolved. The carbonic acid helps to dissolve them. Before that it will have a chalky taste to it.

I've tasted this against the real thing. This clone is not exact, but it is very close.

Between three of us, we've gone through three kegs over the last three weeks. I've saved about $125 by making my own San Pellegrino. It's really great to have something cold and bubbly around that doesn't have alcohol, sugar or artificial sweeteners in it. :rockin:

Good luck! I hope you like it as much was we do.
 
I'm being lazy by not looking myself first, but where do you get the minerals? Some are normal brewing salts, but the others are a bit more elusive.
 
I'm being lazy by not looking myself first, but where do you get the minerals? Some are normal brewing salts, but the others are a bit more elusive.

Kosher (non-iodized) salt - Any grocery store
Potassium Chloride - Used my water softener salts and crushed them in the Vitamix (or Amazon)
Epson Salt - most any supermarket. I got mine from Costco
Calcium Nitrate - Amazon (buy a small amount)
Calcium Carbonate -home brew store/Amazon
Gypsum -home brew store/Amazon
Magnesium Chloride -Amazon (tofu setting agent)

The initial cost of these chemicals is more than made up for just in the first batch, but these chemicals will make many, many 5 gallon batches. Basically, it works out to just a few cents per five gallon batch. And if you have an RO filter at home you are looking at under a dollar for 5 gallons. Well, OK...maybe a couple dollars if you figure in the cost of carbonation.
 
Wow, my wife loves this stuff. I think i'll have to pick up the rest of what i need and knock out a batch.
 
Wow, my wife loves this stuff. I think i'll have to pick up the rest of what i need and knock out a batch.

Wise choice, my friend...wise choice. Your wife will have a different perspective on your kegerator/keezer. Be prepared to be TOLD to get/make a bigger one cause she'll want you to have other stuff in there for her. Mwahahahahaha!
 
Dang!

I never thought I'd get into kegging, but the way I go through San Pellegrino it would pay to buy a setup just for that!

Thanks for posting this. I got some thinking to do.
 
Dang!



I never thought I'd get into kegging, but the way I go through San Pellegrino it would pay to buy a setup just for that!



Thanks for posting this. I got some thinking to do.


Yeah, it could pay for itself quickly if you drink a lot of San Pellegrino. And you get to carbonate lots of things beside beer. We did Apple juice for a martinellis clone during the holidays. I have made ginger ale, and next up will be another big money saver for us...kombucha! I figure a 5 gallon batch of that will save me about $150 over store bought. And of course having beer on tap is just a lot of fun too.
 
I've started keeping carbonated RO water on tap, because my wife was buying so much of it. I've considered adding some minerals to it. I haven't bothered yet, because she hasn't complained as is. I also use it to dilute bigger beers for something lighter after hearing Jamil talk of drinking Watery Grave by diluting his Shallow Grave. Depending on the situation and the beer, I'll use 20-50% carbonated water to create a session strength quaff.
 
You Americans are strange sometimes. San Pellegrino is overpriced outside of Italy. Here it's just ordinary water, and not even that good. Ciao from Milano, Italia.
 
You Americans are strange sometimes. San Pellegrino is overpriced outside of Italy. Here it's just ordinary water, and not even that good. Ciao from Milano, Italia.

What? Only sometimes? ;)

What's the best mineral water in Italy? Maybe we can clone it too.
 
Anyone find a source for food grade Calcium Nitrate?

I'm only seeing agricultural grade stuff on amazon. Would really prefer USP or declared food grade....

I've found a few companies that produce it but i don't need a pallet of this stuff :p
 
Anyone find a source for food grade Calcium Nitrate?

I'm only seeing agricultural grade stuff on amazon. Would really prefer USP or declared food grade....

I've found a few companies that produce it but i don't need a pallet of this stuff :p

I gave up and just bought the fertilizer grade. You only use .57mg of the stuff in 5 gallons. That's so small an amount the only scale I have that can accurately measure .57mg is the one I use for loading ammo. It's about the same volume as what's in the little scoop I use to measure my stevia out. Basically, what I'm trying to say is you don't use very much, especially considering it's going into 5 gallons of water. I don't even know if I could taste the difference if I left it out, it's so small an amount.

I will never run out of my bag of sodium nitrate, but if I did I'd probably buy this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SXZGKTE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20. It's "reagent grade" which is a classification suitable for lab work. The manufacturer claims 99% pure. I've been drinking the fertilizer grade for about 4-5 months now, and I haven't sprouted anything yet. ;-)

And btw, that little bottle will last you a very, very long time making this San Pellegrino clone.
 
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I gave up and just bought the fertilizer grade. You only use .57mg of the stuff in 5 gallons. That's so small an amount the only scale I have that can accurately measure .57mg is the one I use for loading ammo. It's about the same volume as what's in the little scoop I use to measure my stevia out. Basically, what I'm trying to say is you don't use very much, especially considering it's going into 5 gallons of water. I don't even know if I could taste the difference if I left it out, it's so small an amount.

I will never run out of my bag of sodium nitrate, but if I did I'd probably buy this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SXZGKTE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20. It's "reagent grade" which is a classification suitable for lab work. The manufacturer claims 99% pure. I've been drinking the fertilizer grade for about 4-5 months now, and I haven't sprouted anything yet. ;-)

And btw, that little bottle will last you a very, very long time making this San Pellegrino clone.

I was looking at that one too. it's the most promising one i had found. However after looking at literature from manufacturers the level of contaminates in the 99% grade was quite a bit higher than the USP grade. (not that manufacturer. just some random one that had both listed... can't find the page right now...)

i completely hear you on your point about how much is used. When diluted into 5 gallons of water it is miniscule. And the 1 % that is left is also going to be miniscule.

If it was just me drinking it i'd take the risk. That said, i'm planning on serving this to other people and their kids (and my kids). I won't take the risk of whatever might be in there. i'll just leave it out for now until i find USP grade.

Yes mountain out of a mole hill thing. but for now i'll play safe.
__________

I think you might not be using enough Gypsum. Per the spread sheet he is speccing CaSO4. 0.5H20 which is Plaster of paris.

Gypsum is CaS04 2H20

Gypsum has more water trapped in it and is going to be heavier for the same amount of CaSO4

Still researching but i think the numbers produced by the spreadsheet need to have the CaSO4. 0.5H20 converted into CaS04 2H20
 
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I was looking at that one too. it's the most promising one i had found. However after looking at literature from manufacturers the level of contaminates in the 99% grade was quite a bit higher than the USP grade. (not that manufacturer. just some random one that had both listed... can't find the page right now...)

i completely hear you on your point about how much is used. When diluted into 5 gallons of water it is miniscule. And the 1 % that is left is also going to be miniscule.

If it was just me drinking it i'd take the risk. That said, i'm planning on serving this to other people and their kids (and my kids). I won't take the risk of whatever might be in there. i'll just leave it out for now until i find USP grade.

Yes mountain out of a mole hill thing. but for now i'll play safe.
__________

I think you might not be using enough Gypsum. Per the spread sheet he is speccing CaSO4. 0.5H20 which is Plaster of paris.

Gypsum is CaS04 2H20

Gypsum has more water trapped in it and is going to be heavier for the same amount of CaSO4

Still researching but i think the numbers produced by the spreadsheet need to have the CaSO4. 0.5H20 converted into CaS04 2H20

I hear you on the calcium nitrate. I really don't think I could tell the difference if it were left out. Maybe next time I'll just leave it out and see.

And let me know on the gypsum. As the recipe is, I think it's pretty darn close to the original. But, then again, I'm no mineral water sommelier either.
 
I think the corrected amount for Gypsum is 11.3g/5Gal

___________________________________________

Wondering why only Calcium Nitrate. It's being used primarily for it's Nitrate addition.

Potassium Nitrate & Sodium Nitrate are easy to find in food grade.

Perhaps they are the better way to get the needed nitrate.
 
I think the corrected amount for Gypsum is 11.3g/5Gal

___________________________________________

Wondering why only Calcium Nitrate. It's being used primarily for it's Nitrate addition.

Potassium Nitrate & Sodium Nitrate are easy to find in food grade.

Perhaps they are the better way to get the needed nitrate.

Thanks for the correction on the gypsum. I have 3 or 4 more pre-made baggies ready to go, but after that I'll use the 11.3 g/5 gal and see if I can tell the difference. Maybe that's why its really close, but not exact.

I'm not sure why calcium nitrate. Probably because the guy that made the spread sheet has access to just about anything and that was the easiest way to add in the nitrates...for him.
 
Wondering if anyone has come up with a recipe for the orange or lemon flavores Dan Pellegrino?
 
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