CaCl caking up from moisture

[ncbrewer]

My CaCl cakes up, from moisture apparently. The house generally stays at a good humidity, around 50% +/-, although sometimes it is higher when the HVAC isn't needed. Does anybody else have this problem? Do I need to put a dessicant pack in the bottle?

 

[DBhomebrew]

Hy[g]roscopic and deliquescent

The latter is a new vocabulary word for me.

 

[hotbeer]

hygroscopic, not hydroscopic.

https://lambdageeks.com/hygroscopic-vs-hydroscopic/
I've made the same mistake several times. For me personally, it was much worse being corrected by someone many times my intellect. So rest well knowing that I'm only average IQ.

 

[balrog]

It'll suck up whatever moisture is available, that's for certain. Baking it, vacuum sealing it, keeping it in a cooler dryer place is your only hope.

Although I've read about making a saturated solution and using that, thinking it keeps water uptake at a minimum. @Silver_Is_Money might have some pointers.

 

[Mr. Vern]

The latter is a new vocabulary word for me.

I work with deliquescent. If you have seen those "dehumidifying buckets" like Damp Rid that collects water slurry.. that is deliquescent. I use it to treat compressed air and gas for select applications, it is old tech in the air & gas treatment biz. aka salt tablets.

I just keep mine in a bottle, in my ammo case that holds all of my water treatment and test equipment. The box has a gasket and the bottle cap is the last line of defense. This has done very well and it also helps keep some level of organization which makes SWMBO happy.

Water vapor has such a high attraction to dryness it will travel uphill and to greater pressure zones to achieve a humidity balance. A positive seal and cool storage should be good. I wouldn't bother with silica gel packets or anything like that.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

It'll suck up whatever moisture is available, that's for certain. Baking it, vacuum sealing it, keeping it in a cooler dryer place is your only hope.

Although I've read about making a saturated solution and using that, thinking it keeps water uptake at a minimum. @Silver_Is_Money might have some pointers.

What you want is a solution with a density such that it will be readable via the scale of a typical beer hydrometer.

Here are links to a couple CaCl2 solution building and solution assessing calculators as assistance:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...ing-calcium-chloride-wt-vol-solutions.688308/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...-via-sugar-refractometer-brix-reading.687728/

 

[Tom R]

I vacuum bag mine, after once having a small puddle of CaCl in my weighing cup after it sat out overnight.

 

[jerrylotto]

You can always dry it out in the oven but you can usually just assume it is the dihydrate and compensate accordingly. 147.01 (mw dihydrate) / 110.98 (mw anhydrous) = 1.32 times the "dry" weight.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

You can always dry it out in the oven but you can usually just assume it is the dihydrate and compensate accordingly. 147.01 (mw dihydrate) / 110.98 (mw anhydrous) = 1.32 times the "dry" weight.

Fresh is closer to anhydrous, being in the range of about 94-96% CaCl2. You can never assume.

 

[ncbrewer]

Although I've read about making a saturated solution and using that, thinking it keeps water uptake at a minimum. @Silver_Is_Money might have some pointers.

What you want is a solution with a density such that it will be readable via the scale of a typical beer hydrometer.

Here are links to a couple CaCl2 solution building and solution assessing calculators as assistance:

I think you’re suggesting making a solution with the CaCl and keeping it on hand in a bottle, then dosing by volume of the solution. Is that right?

 

[marc1]

I think you’re suggesting making a solution with the CaCl and keeping it on hand in a bottle, then dosing by volume of the solution. Is that right?

That's what I do.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I think you’re suggesting making a solution with the CaCl and keeping it on hand in a bottle, then dosing by volume of the solution. Is that right?

That is correct.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I'm only guessing at this, but by the time Calcium Chloride shows signs of turning mushy it is likely to be on the order of about CaCl2.6H2O. Or only about 50% CaCl2.

 

[ncbrewer]

Lots of good ideas - thanks to all.