Dissolving water treatment salts/gypsum etc

[TrickyDick]

Howdy.

Been on a brewing hiatus for several years, and getting ready to brew again.
Have a question for folks about getting the water treatment additions to dissolve into the water.
I typically will use my RO water supply to collect water for the HLT/Sparge tank and Mash tun, then use Bru'N Water spreadsheet to figure what additions I want to use. Typically I add them into the water for each tank while the strike water and HLT are heating up. I now have a eHerms three vessel setup, but also had this issue (of getting them to dissolve) with propane direct fired vessels. So what gives? How do you get them to dissolve?? Seem fairly resistant to dissolving, especially Chalk, but also gypsum.
Was thinking to add into a mason jar and shake it up real well to see if that helps.
TD

 

[day_trippr]

I also use RO water, split between strike and sparge volumes in BK and HLT respectively, with their respective salts and acids added. I bring both vessels up to temperature while recirculating, which tends to dissolve most of the additions with the rest collecting in the middle. I periodically give each vessel a vigorous stir to get that all back in circulation, and usually two stirs over time is enough to disperse and dissolve everything.

But...I never, ever use chalk, and that's notoriously tough to dissolve...

Cheers!

 

[matt_m]

I put them in a pint jar add half fill it with water and shake it up until it is all dissolved.

 

[Robert65]

Right, chalk will not dissociate (dissolve) under any conditions present in brewing (will only dissolve at extremely low pH or high partial pressure of CO2,) so it is useless in brewing, and will not provide either calcium or alkalinity. Do not use it, repeat, do not use it. Very safe and easy to use sources of alkalinity are baking soda and calcium hydroxide (aka slaked lime or pickling lime.) As for gypsum, it can require a bit of stirring, but is quite soluble. It is possible that some "gypsum" could contain chalk as an impurity, which then would not dissolve. I have read that gypsum is more easily dissolved in cold rather than hot water, but I've never had any trouble with it.

 

[TrickyDick]

Thanks! I killed a heating element trying to stir the minerals and thus killed that brew session because I didn't have a spare. I Had bought a special bottle cap that let you connect a gas ball lock to it in order to dissolve chalk. I tried it a couple of times and didn't work well. I think is sort of pointless to try doing that anymore. I'll try the pint jar shake up method.

TD

 

[seatazzz]

I add my dry additions (CaCl and gypsum) right on top of the milled grain, before I mash in; lactic acid (if needed) once the strike is in. Everything dissolves fine and works great. My HLT has about 1/2 gallon dead space that won't drain, so in order to get the right measurements I do it this way. Never had an issue.

 

[ALExanderH]

I measure my gypsum addition in a glass and then add some water and stir a little bit and add that while strike water is heating up.
It's the first thing I do after I fill my vessel and start heating the strike. I do the same with calcium chloride.
Then I use a small medicine plastic medicine syringe and draw some lactic acid and add the correct mL to the still rather cold strike water.

I do recirculate and maybe that would be enough to mix it all but with this process I'm 100% sure it's mixed.

I used to stir the gypsum and calcium chloride together in a glass but stopped it because I felt the glass got warm by mixing the two, have no idea if it's at all negative but I do them separately now.

 

[Robert65]

I get everything set up the night before brewday. Just toss the salts in the kettle and they dissolve themselves by morning.

 

[TrickyDick]

I like this last one the best!
TD

 

[mabrungard]

Chalk?? No. Won’t dissolve fully.

Gypsum?? No problem. Always add to water and stir to keep it in suspension until it dissolves. It will take a minute or two, but it will dissolve.

Calcium chloride?? It readily dissolves, but it does produce heat in the process. The heat is due to the water hydration. Gypsum and calcium chloride do not react together, so don’t worry about that.

I strongly caution against adding dry minerals to the grist since it’s nearly impossible to get those ions into solution and distribute them evenly. The only way possible to get this approach to work well is if you recirculate your wort. Moving the wort should eventually distribute the ions. Mixing the grist has not proven effective for distribution.

 

[ALExanderH]

Gypsum?? No problem. Always add to water and stir to keep it in suspension until it dissolves. It will take a minute or two, but it will dissolve.

Calcium chloride?? It readily dissolves, but it does produce heat in the process. The heat is due to the water hydration. Gypsum and calcium chloride do not react together, so don’t worry about that.

Great point about adding gypsum to water - I've been adding water to it and stirring until it is well dissolved and added to strike.
Should calcium chloride also be added to water and not add water to the calcium chloride?

 

[mabrungard]

Should calcium chloride also be added to water and not add water to the calcium chloride?

This exothermic reaction isn't as energetic as some chemical reactions, but I'd say that adding the mineral to the water is safest. That provides the greatest volume to absorb the heat output.

 

[TrickyDick]

What about putting them into a pint or quart sized mason jar and shaking it up before stirring? If I hit a heating element, it can ruin it, while stirring with spoon, and was thinking the jar might work well. Heck, maybe dissolve in my stir plate! Just curious if the volume of either pint or quart would be enough without reaching saturation point. I suspect would probably be fine.
RH