Potassium Chloride? or Calcium Choride?

[Thurston Brewer]

As an old school brewer, I'm working from my well-worn copy of Dave Line's Big Book of Brewing. Based on my water, my recipe and his book I should be using 1/4 tsp Sodium Chloride and 1/4 tsp Potassium Chloride to up the chlorides for my Porter. Problem is I can't find Potassium Chloride.

To my surprise I can't find mention of it at all in modern books or other sources. Has it fallen out of favor? According to Line, it's much easier to measure accurately than Calcium Chloride, but he doesn't give any conversions.

What say the forum? I got some Calc Chloride (because I could). How much should I use to replace 1/4 tsp of Pot Chloride? Any why doesn't anyone use Pot Chloride these days?

 

[GFHomebrew]

Check out the water calculator on this site thirsty it'll give you all the break downs you need with your additions. I use calcium chloride and gypsum what's that calcium sulfate? I have use magnesium but don't like laxative effects it can have if u add too much . Good luck have a play on the water calculator.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

correct every recipe on the Internet is only based on their water supply they have "not yours" so don't pay attention to it and create your own

 

[Thurston Brewer]

Check out the water calculator on this site thirsty it'll give you all the break downs you need with your additions. I use calcium chloride and gypsum what's that calcium sulfate? I have use magnesium but don't like laxative effects it can have if u add too much . Good luck have a play on the water calculator.

Unfortunately I can't use the calculator because I don't know all the constituents of my water. All I know is that it's quite soft...

I ordered a test today but it will probably be a couple of weeks, what with mailing time and such.

 

[GFHomebrew]

You can look on your water providers website like your local government water agency. I also search around on forums here in Aus for people who live in my area and get the specks off them

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/water-profiles/

 

[Thurston Brewer]

Well, as I said, I'll have to wait until I get a test done, since the water I'm using is not city water supply but rather a heavily filtered and processed version.

For now, I'll have to wing it... I'm going with 1/4 tsp of sodium chloride and 1/4 tsp of calcium chloride. I'm sure I'll get beer, but I may adjust in future batches is the body or flavor misses the target.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

yup but be careful with salt, it can add flavor but also swell your feet up fast, I try not to use it for that reason

 

[Nosybear]

I generally use calcium chloride because the calcium is needed in my water supply. Don't pay extra for potassium chloride: The yeast don't need the potassium and it still tastes salty. Good old fashioned salt sans iodine is just fine.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Yep I want 6g gypsum and 3 g cooking salt in a Kolsch turned out nice and crisp I didn't have any calcium chloride at that stage so used table salt