Adding chalk to RO water

[petree3]

I'm showing my Fiancee`s family how to brew but her mother lives on a property with a well and a Reverse Osmosis system. I'm brewing with the RO water and all I have available is white non toxic chalk. does anyone know how much I should add for a 1 gallon batch for a Calcium Carbonate addition?

 

[tgmartin000]

None. Why do you need it?

 

[Yooper]

The correct answer is "none".

Never use chalk, unless you add it to the HLT and use a co2 bubbler or other system to keep it dissolved and in suspension. And then, even then, you probably shouldn't be using it.

If you''re lucky enough to be brewing with RO water, don't add much of anythng at all, and certainly not chalk (calcium carbonate).

 

[petree3]

I ended up using the RO water, I'll let you guys know how it turns out

 

[DoubleAught]

RO water is awesome, use it all the time

 

[Yooper]

RO water is awesome, use it all the time

Me too! I bought my own RO system this spring, so that I wouldn't have to haul RO water home from the store. I use it for every batch, and I love it.

 

[BigEd]

I'm showing my Fiancee`s family how to brew but her mother lives on a property with a well and a Reverse Osmosis system. I'm brewing with the RO water and all I have available is white non toxic chalk. does anyone know how much I should add for a 1 gallon batch for a Calcium Carbonate addition?

A one gallon batch of what? If you are using RO water with an assumed Ca+ level close to zero a Calcium salt addition to the mash is probably in order but as has been posted above chalk is not really what you want. Calcium Chloride or Calcium Sulphate are the primary brewing salt choices. In overly simplistic terms use Calcium Sulphate (gypsum) for hoppy beers and Calcium Chloride for others, adding enough to bring your Ca+ up to a base level of 50-75ppm. This can be easily figured with one of the many recipe/calculator programs floating around.


Honestly for a one gallon demonstration batch just use the water as is. Beer will still happen. I suggest you scan the threads on Brewing Water in HBT's Brew Science section.