Working With Calcium Chloride

Calcium chloride can be a confounding salt to work with in the brewery since it readily absorbs water from the atmosphere and effectively dilutes your assumed ionic addition. Fortunately, there are two ways to resolve this.

The most consistent option is to create a liquid calcium chloride solution. That option is discussed more thoroughly in older posts on this page. Another option is to occasionally dehydrate your calcium chloride supply by baking it in an oven.

Since your solid calcium chloride will slowly pick up moisture, even when stored in tightly sealed vessels, baking the solid can dehydrate it to near anhydrous condition. This is an easy process.

Place the calcium chloride solids in a heat-proof open container such as a bowl or tray and heat the solids to about 200C (392F) for at least an hour. Those solids will melt and in the process, they should revert to an anhydrous state (no water of hydration). Once dehydrated, you can have a better estimate of the solid and how much calcium and chloride you are adding via the salt. In Bru'n Water, you can set the calcium chloride form to Anhydrous and be more accurate in your additions.

If you don't think you've been getting what you expect out of your calcium chloride additions or if your solids are getting watery or runny, then this baking technique should help you.

Enjoy!