Chloramine Removal Via Aquarium Treatment Products

[RufusBrewer]

In all my years of cruising homebrew forums and reading books on home brewing, I have never seen where aquarium tank water treatment products are used for preparing homebrew water.

Seems like a natural. Tropical fish can be very sensitive, so I assume this treatment is effective and non-toxic. The big concern for brewing water treatment is removing chlorine/chloramine. That is what the aquarium products do. I assume quite effectively. Reading the labels and instructions, I do not pick up on anything detrimental to brewing.

Yes, Yes, Yes. . . . . I know about campden tablets and have been using them for years. But still. . . . . .

Just out of curiosity, do the aquarium water treatment products do things to the water that are good for fish but bad for beer? The cost per brew day is pretty minimal.

So why not use an aquarium chlorine/chloramine product on brew day? If you are so inclined.

 

[Bobby_M]

It very well may be potassium metabisulfite but since it's not for human consumption, I'm sure the ingredients don't need to be labeled.

 

[mabrungard]

I'm with Bobby on this. Those products might be metabisulfite, but who knows. Go with something that you know it's content and origin.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Not expensive or a big deal to add 0.5g potassium metabisulphite to HLT (20 gallons) to remove chlorine/chloramine.

If not having potassium metabisulphite can use sodium metabisulphite, but some are sensitive to the sodium version.

 

[Horseflesh]

There’s no way using those products is better than plain old k-meta.

If anything I should be using my brewing chemicals in my fish tanks.

 

[bruce_the_loon]

Don't think it's a good idea. There are some other things in there that don't look like they belong in beer. The chelating compound is likely EDTA or similar.

As an example, Tetra AquaSafe lists "Sodium Hydroxymethane Sulfinate, Chelating Compounds, Polyvinylpyrollidones, Seaweed Biopolymers, Organic Hydrocolloids" as ingredients, AquaSafe for GoldFish lists "Sodium thiosulfate, chelating compounds, polyvinylpyrolidones, organic hydrocolloids, minerals."

 

[jseyfert3]

AquaSafe for GoldFish lists "Sodium thiosulfate,

I was wondering if these would use sodium thiosulfate. From my pool experience, I knew about that as it's used to neutralize chlorine in the test sample during certain tests where the chlorine would interfere with the test. It can also be purchased in bulk to lower chlorine levels in a pool.

Whether or not that would be safe for food use on it's own, the other stuff I wouldn't want to add to my beer. I think it's to promote healthy slime coats on the fish.

Seems like a natural. Tropical fish can be very sensitive, so I assume this treatment is effective and non-toxic.

I think this is a bad assumption. Fish are not humans, and humans are not fish. For an extreme example to prove the point, back when I had my aquarium, I got an Ick infection at one point. The treatment I purchased had, if I recall correctly, chloroform and a copper solution, niether of which are non-toxic even for fish. But it'd kill the ick before the fish, hopefully...

A different Ick treatment I looked up just now has different ingredients but says "not for human consumption or fish intended for human consumption."

I'd for sure stick to the human food grade additives for the food I'm eating.

 

[passedpawn]

I used Prime to treat RODI water before adding to my saltwater reef tank. It had a strong smell of sulphur. I would not put in beer.

 

[bruce_the_loon]

Another bit of research. EDTA is a metal chelating agent, it renders metals unavailable for biological purposes. including copper, zinc, magnesium, calcium and iron. My memory on which are needed for proper yeast growth, but removing them from the feed water will break your water profile.

 

[RufusBrewer]

OK, I am got answers to my question. Suffice to say I convinced, aquarium water products are not compatible with brewing. Now I understand why.

Still, I am surprised that nobody makes the analog of aquarium water condtiioning for home brewers. Something like use two drops per gallon. Not adapting a product designed for a different purpose

 

[Horseflesh]

Well, they kind of do, they are Campden tablets, which have been used in beer and wine making forever.

 

[RufusBrewer]

Yes, I am aware of campden tablets. Campden tablets are designed to used to to sterilize wine and cider must.
1 tablet per gallon. Turns out potsaium or sodium metabisulphite also removes chlorine and chloaramine.

Home brewers being adaptive by nature, figure out how to make do with what is available.

If a product was designed with home brewers in mind, it would come in a more convenient dosage ready to apply. (1 tablet for 20 gallons does not count) And be easier to apply, as in disolves easily, even better comes in a liquid form.

 

[bruce_the_loon]

Yes, I am aware of campden tablets. Campden tablets are designed to used to to sterilize wine and cider must.
1 tablet per gallon. Turns out potsaium or sodium metabisulphite also removes chlorine and chloaramine.

Home brewers being adaptive by nature, figure out how to make do with what is available.

If a product was designed with home brewers in mind, it would come in a more convenient dosage ready to apply. (1 tablet for 20 gallons does not count) And be easier to apply, as in disolves easily, even better comes in a liquid form.

Liquid forms are out unfortunately. The problem with sulphur dioxide sources like the metabisulphites and other is that an excess dose can react with dissolved oxygen when in water solution to form sulphates. Not an issue for immediate use, but anything stored would degrade to the point of ineffectiveness. Solutions in other solvents are probably not food-safe.

You can buy potassium metabisulphite in crystalline form from the brew stores if you don't like the slow dissolving of the campden tablets. You just have to make sure of your weights.

 

[catalanotte]

I maintain a number of aquariums and treat all the water with a Chlorine/Chloramine removal product that smell like a cross between a porta-potty on a hot day and a compost pile. For the simple fact that I don't want to introduce anything that smells that awful into my brewing, I would never use it for beer. On the upside, the fish love it and the smell goes away once mixed, but not for beer. I looked at the lable and there is no indication of what is actually in this stuff except for the following statements: "Contains complexed hydrosulfide salts" and "Aquarium Use Only!"

 

[passedpawn]

I maintain a number of aquariums and treat all the water with a Chlorine/Chloramine removal product that smell like a cross between a porta-potty on a hot day and a compost pile. For the simple fact that I don't want to introduce anything that smells that awful into my brewing, I would never use it for beer. On the upside, the fish love it and the smell goes away once mixed, but not for beer. I looked at the lable and there is no indication of what is actually in this stuff except for the following statements: "Contains complexed hydrosulfide salts" and "Aquarium Use Only!"

Prime?

 

[catalanotte]

Prime?

Yep, recognize the smell I described?

 

[passedpawn]

Yep, recognize the smell I described?

Yea. I just decommissioned a reef I've been maintaining for 30 years. That's another story. Anyway, see post #8 above.