Kalkwasser Use

[Shark_Bait]

For some reason I had stopped using this stuff, but now I'm back to dosing. The thing I don't remember is.... You mix it up, use the water in the middle, then what? There is still all that caked on stuff on the bottom. Can you just add more water, mix and repeat? How many mixes can you get out of it?

Thanks

[Wryknow]

Dosing is usually 1-2 tbs per gallon of fresh water. You actually want to mix it, let it settle and then use the clear water off of the top. You can keep using the sediment on the bottom. I just clean my kalk reactor every 6 months or so to remove some of the insoluble sludge.

[Shark_Bait]

OK I knew the mix,settle thing. And to use the water in the middle actually as there will be that crust on top that your not supposed to use.
Now keep using the sediment... for how long? When does it need to be "recharged" with 1-2 more tablespoons for those of us that don't have a reactor

[Wryknow]

The sludge on the bottom is just precipitated calcium hydroxide (assuming of course that you have reasonably high quality Kalk.) Just add water and stir well. It should disolve in the water to its saturation point (about 2 tbls per gallon.) You can test the Kalk water using a calcium test kit. If you find that your Ph or calcium levels are gettng too high then you will need to restrict how much Kalk you are adding per gallon of top-off and mixing to saturation will cause problems for you.

PS - The Kalk water should not be forming a crust. If you are not already doing so, Kalk should be stored in an reasonably air-tight conatainer. Interaction with air reduces its efficacy considerably over time. (A rubbermaid brute trash can with a lid is pretty much ideal for Kalk water storage.)

PPS - A good source of Kalk in our area is Fiesta Foodmart, where it is sold as Cal Mexicana. Traditional mexican cooking uses calcium hydroxide to help breakdown the maize corn into a digestible flour for making corn tortillas. It's $.99 for a 4 oz bag.

[Shark_Bait]

Well thought I had good stuff, Kalcwasser By Kent.. ANd I'm only micing a gallon at a time in an old milk jug. Not using enough to make trashcan full. And my location is Corpus so no Fiesta Foodmart here.

OK I'm getting and knew most of this... But
You have the sludge and you add water for the next batch.... Then there is still sludge, do you just add more water batch after batch till there is not enough sludge for the batch or at what point do you rinse out the container and start over ar add more mix.

[GaryP]

PS - The Kalk water should not be forming a crust. If you are not already doing so, Kalk should be stored in an reasonably air-tight conatainer. Interaction with air reduces its efficacy considerably over time. (A rubbermaid brute trash can with a lid is pretty much ideal for Kalk water storage.)

PPS - A good source of Kalk in our area is Fiesta Foodmart, where it is sold as Cal Mexicana. Traditional mexican cooking uses calcium hydroxide to help breakdown the maize corn into a digestible flour for making corn tortillas. It's $.99 for a 4 oz bag.

1. The crust on top is just Calcium Carbonate that is formed by reacting with CO2 from the air. No biggee. Just more "sand."

2. Just for the sake of accuracy, Cal Mexicana is not actually Kalk. Its Lime. However, when mixed with water it does react to form Calcium Hydroxide (Kalk). Be aware it'll give off a good amount of heat as it is hydrated. This is basically the same reaction that occurs when you mix up Portland Cement.

The sludge in the bottom is mainly undissoved Kalk. Kalk has a fairly low solubitlity in water (~2%). The sludge also does contain some insoluble salts of some other metals that are a minor contaminants of Kalk, primarily Magnesium. Magnesium Hydroxide is very insoluble.

[Ping]

I add 1 teaspoon of kalk into my 1 gal container every day. About once a week I clean out the old kalk from the bottom. I dont know if this is the best way, just what I do.

[Shark_Bait]

Thanks Gary, was wondering how long before you popped in here. So how often out with the old in with new.

Ping that sounds better than my add water and shake for 3 days then clean and start over. I was not "refreshing" at all.
But boy do I see a difference. Don't know why I stopped :roll