What The Heck!

[GFHomebrew]

So I went to brew on the weekend and as I went about measuring out me salt additions to add to mash water I opened me calcium chloride container to find it's saturated with liquid what the! First thought was ah bloody acid has tipped over and spoiled me chloride dam it. Ended up using it anyway only needed 2g what could be the worst.

Well this morning before work I though hey I'll spread that out on a plate to dry and maybe I can keep using it.

Well this is what greeted me on the plate this arvo when I got home a pool of luquid!

Silly me had to dip my finger in and taste it... Yeah it was hot like burnt my tongue a bit hot and salty like making saliva come rushing to the Scean of the crime type stuff!

Well what's going on with this?
Some sort of chemical reaction?

 

[thunderwagn]

If you live in a very humid environment and it's not contained air tight, it will absorb moisture from the air...my assumption anyhows.

 

[Yooper]

Calciuim chloride is extremely hydroscopic- so even if you didn't live in a humid climate it would absorb water like crazy.

That's why it's best to buy a little at a time, and keep it tightly closed because the measurements change completely when absorbing water. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/measuring-calcium-chloride.501377/ to read more.

 

[ChicoBrewer]

Or keep it in a stock solution.

 

[Nosybear]

So I went to brew on the weekend and as I went about measuring out me salt additions to add to mash water I opened me calcium chloride container to find it's saturated with liquid what the! First thought was ah bloody acid has tipped over and spoiled me chloride dam it. Ended up using it anyway only needed 2g what could be the worst.

Well this morning before work I though hey I'll spread that out on a plate to dry and maybe I can keep using it.

Well this is what greeted me on the plate this arvo when I got home a pool of luquid!
View attachment 5327
Silly me had to dip my finger in and taste it... Yeah it was hot like burnt my tongue a bit hot and salty like making saliva come rushing to the Scean of the crime type stuff!

Well what's going on with this?
Some sort of chemical reaction?

Calcium Chloride is very hydrophillic - it will absorb enough water from the air to liquify and it looks as if that's what happened. Doesn't taste good at high concentrations, either. Aside: Magnesium chloride will do the same thing. I use a 30% solution in cheese making but here in Denver, we're normally so dry that keeping things from getting moist is never a problem.

 

[GFHomebrew]

WOW ok thanks. I've had that same bag for well over a year with no problems! But i did often wonder why it all likes to clump together. We've had some weather hanging around lately (cyclone hanging around off the coast) and high humidity that explains it then. So much for drying it out eh.