Calcium chloride

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Calcium chloride (CaCl₂) is one of the main brewing salts used for water mineral adjustment because it is a good source of both calcium and chloride, both of which are commonly desired in the brewing water. Calcium improves mashing enzyme activity, beneficially lowers pH, improves protein coagulation, lowers oxalate, and improves yeast flocculation. Chloride provides a roundness, fullness, and accentuates the sweetness of the malt. Calcium chloride can be used in combination with calcium sulfate to control the sulfate:chloride ratio of the water, which affects the resulting hoppy vs malty balance of the beer. See water mineral adjustment.

Calcium chloride absorbs water from the air quite rapidly; it should be stored in tightly sealed containers and resealed promptly after use. This is a problem because as the amount of water increases, the amount of salt by weight decreases, and therefore measuring by weight will not give an accurate representation of the salt content. Commercial difference sources may also have different levels of purity.

• https://www.brunwater.com/articles/working-with-calcium-chloride
• https://www.brunwater.com/articles/a-better-way-to-store-and-use-calcium-chloride
• https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/announcing-the-release-of-mash-made-easy-version-8-30-in-us-and-metric-formats.674132/

Products available online

• MoreBeer - anhydrous salt: 2 oz, 1 lb, 5 lb, 50 lb
• Pure (via Amazon) - hydration unspecified: 1 lb
• LD Carlson (via Amazon) - hydration unspeicified: 1 lb

Usage

Use cool water to dissolve calcium chloride because it will generate significant heat. Add solid calcium chloride slowly while continuously mixing.

Chemical characteristics

Solubility 0.745g/mL (at 20 °C)

Density of 10% solution by mass: 1.0835 @ 20°C

Density of 10% solution by mass of calcium chloride in water is 1.0835 g/mL at 20 °C.