Chemicals, Minerals, & Other Brewing Treatments
There’s a wide assortment of brewing treatments available for many uses. Yeast nutrients, sulphites, and brewing salts are few of them but there are plenty more. It can be quite confusing to figure out what you need to do this and that. I’ve compiled a table of the most common ones and what they do. I’ve also included dosing but please pay attention to the instructions on the packaging as it may vary.
Whether you’re a new or old brewer sometimes we all need help. There are tons of treatments to perfect your homebrews but you’ll never know they exist unless you look. I’ve used quite a few of the chemicals so feel free to email me or comment if you need any further help. Check out the ingredients page for more info on yeasts, malts, and other brewing ingredients.
| Name | Positive Effects | Negative Effects | Dosage Amount | Dosage Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campden Tablets | Remove Chlorine & Chloramine, Prevent Oxidation | Adds Sulphor To Liquid | 1 Tablet Per 20 Gallons | Beginning Of Boil, When Transfering Wine |
| Irish Moss | Speeds Protein Coagulation, Clears Beer Haze | N/A | 1 Teaspoon Per 5 Gallons | Last 15 Minutes Of Boil |
| Super Kleer KC | Clears Haze In Beer, Wine, & Cider | N/A | 1 Pack 65 ML Per 6 Gallons | End Of Fermentation |
| Pectic Enzyme Powder | Improves Crushed Fruit Juice Effiency, Clears Pectin Haze | N/A | 1/2 Teaspoon Per Gallon | During Fruit Crush , Before Fermentation |
| Potassium Sorbate | Prevents Yeast From Refermenting At Bottling | N/A | 1/2 Teaspoon Per Gallon | At End Of Fermentation, Bottling |
| Pectic Enzyme Liquid | Improves Crushed Fruit Juice Effiency, Clears Pectin Haze | N/A | 1/4 Teaspoon Per 5 Gallons | During Fruit Crush , Before Fermentation |
| Gelatin Finings | Provides Particle Coagulation To Clear Beer, Cider, & Wine | N/A | 1 Teaspoon Per 5 gallons | End Of Fermentation, Cold Crash |
| Potassium Metabisulfite | Kills Wild Yeast & Bacteria, Helps Potassium Sorbate At Bottling | Some People Are Sensitive To It | 1/4 Teaspoon Per 6 Gallons | Bottling |
| Yeast Nutrient | Provides Yeast With Nutrients | N/A | 1 Teaspoon Per Gallon | Beginning Of Fermentation, Yeast Starter |
| Ascorbic Acid | Preservative, Reduces Risk Of Oxidation | N/A | 1 Teaspoon Per 5 Gallons | Bottling |
| Calcium Carbonate | Reduces Acidity In Wine & Beer | Slow To Change PH, Cloudy Water | 5/8 Teaspoon Per Gallon | Water Building Mash (Use With Caution) |
| Burton Water Salts | Harden Brewing Water, Reduce Chill Haze | N/A | 9 Grams Per 5 Gallons | Water Building |
| 5.2 pH Stabilizer | Gets Your Water PH To 5.2 | N/A | 1 Tablespoon Per 5 Gallons | Water Building |
| Calcium Chloride | Lowers PH, Adds Calcium, Useful In Cheesemaking | N/A | 1 Teaspoon Per 5 Gallons | Water Building |
| Epsom Salt | Adds Sulfate & Magnesium | N/A | 1 Gram Per Gallon | Water Building |
| Gypsum | Lowers PH | N/A | 1 Teaspoon Per 5 Gallons | Water Building |
| Lactic Acid | Lowers PH, Useful For Sour Flavoring In Certain Beer Styles | N/A | Varies | Water Building |
| Phosphoric Acid 10% | Lowers PH | N/A | Varies | Water Building |
| Brewer's Sea Salt | Enhance Flavors, Useful in Goses For Salty Zing | N/A | 1/4 Ounce Per 5 Gallons | Last 10 Minutes Of Boil |
| Whirlfloc Tablets | Speeds Protein Coagulation, Clears Beer Haze | N/A | 1 Tablet Per 15 Gallons | Last 5 Minutes Of Boil |
| FermCap S | Reduces Foam During Boil, Reduces Krausen During Fermentation | N/A | 2 Drops Per Gallon | Boil, Start Of Fermentation |
