Mixing up kalkwasser

[Salty_Northerner]

I've pegged my dkh to 8.9
I'm using BRS Pharma kalk and adding 2tsp to 5000ml reservoir and am dosing 880ml 24/7 with a Versa dose pump.

I have the slightest amount of dusting in the bottom of the reservoir and just unplugging the dose line and carrying it to refill it is starting to become a pain, just because my OCD kicks in and has me bringing the scrubbing brush out and draining the container to clean out the silt on the bottom.

I'd really like some proper info on- I'd just like to leave the container sit and just add the RODI water and kalkwasser powder and just stir it to mix and be done with it. Will I still be able to have the alkalinity pegged at 8.9-9dkh? .. is it possible to just leave the kalkwasser powder in the bottom of the container and not have the potency change? I've heard that leaving the silt in the container alone and adding water and the regular amount of kalkwasser powder will supercharge the solution. Is this true? Or Is their to many variables by doing that? Or am I just going to need to rinse the container out clean, and mix the way I've been doing it so far?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

the solids remaining are not going to be very useful in the next batch unless they are undissolved calcium hydroxide from incomplete stirring and dissolution of the last batch.

I wouldn’t bother to rinse them out.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

Josh had a video on YouTube on kalkwasser and where I heard "the sediment left on the bottom would supercharge the solution" they also had what looked like about an inch of sediment on the bottom.

When I mix kalk I'll add half of the water and then the kalk powder then top off with water and then use like a spatula I've confiscated from the kitchen lol and use it to mix. It mixes well and then I just drop the top on to limit CO2 from getting into the container. Even though I've added 1.5 tsp to a new mix to see what the alkalinity would do, there was still some sediment on the bottom and the potency wasn't strong enough to peg the alk where I wanted it.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

I've weighed out 1 tsp and it's 6 grams on the nose.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Josh had a video on YouTube on kalkwasser and where I heard "the sediment left on the bottom would supercharge the solution" they also had what looked like about an inch of sediment on the bottom.

When I mix kalk I'll add half of the water and then the kalk powder then top off with water and then use like a spatula I've confiscated from the kitchen lol and use it to mix. It mixes well and then I just drop the top on to limit CO2 from getting into the container. Even though I've added 1.5 tsp to a new mix to see what the alkalinity would do, there was still some sediment on the bottom and the potency wasn't strong enough to peg the alk where I wanted it.

I hope there is some confusion here.

Sediment cannot supercharge anything unless you dose the particles.

When staying in the reservoir, the most potent thing it can do is act like additional calcium hydroxide added, but you are near saturation so the max amount that can dissolve is 2 level teaspoons per gallon, no matter what solids are sitting in the bottom.

If the solids are calcium carbonate or magnesium hydroxide (both do form) it won’t do anything for the clear kalkwasser potency.

I usually left undissolved calcium hydroxide as well as calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide on the bottom between batches.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

I hope there is some confusion here.

Sediment cannot supercharge anything unless you dose the particles.

When staying in the reservoir, the most potent thing it can do is act like additional calcium hydroxide added, but you are near saturation so the max amount that can dissolve is 2 level teaspoons per gallon, no matter what solids are sitting in the bottom.

If the solids are calcium carbonate or magnesium hydroxide (both do form) it won’t do anything for the clear kalkwasser potency.

I usually left undissolved calcium hydroxide as well as calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide on the bottom between batches.

Ok copy that, I just wasn't sure if the additional 2 teaspoons added to under a liter left in the container would change the solution enough to swing the alkalinity higher. That's my only concern. When I mix the kalk up, I mix it just enough so any powder that may not dissolve immediately when adding the top off water sitting on the bottom gets suspended and then that's all I'll stir. I've heard, just stir it enough to not have a clump on the bottom and that's it, as continuous or over stirring it can introduce CO2 into the mix and take away some potency. It's taken me a bit of trial and error of the amount of powder and the amount dripped to hit the mark. Unfortunately ph isn't high as I'd like but it's alot better then before not using kalk.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

I just left it be and added half water and the silt pretty much cleared off the bottom. Added my normal 2 teaspoons and filled the container and stirred it so nothing was on the bottom. We shall see if it doesn't change the alkalinity as I'm sure it won't. Thanks for taking the time to give me some well needed info Randy!

Have a great day