I’ve not heard of anyone having any actual scale issues (no matter what water they are using) as the descale light comes on pretty early. And as discussed previously independent of whether you actually have any scale build up.
Any recommendations on what descaler chemical to use? I have using RO water from the beginning.
Thanks.
I’m now using citric acid 3 out of 4 times and the standard one from my supermarket the 4th time. The supermarket one seems to work fine but at $8/dose is expensive. The citric acid powder is very inexpensive.
Depending on the components of the mineralization plain old inexpensive cleaning strength vinegar could be an effective descaler too.
It’s the product i use the most to clean my stills right before starting a new batch as any trace of residue is harmless if consumed. And it makes the house and shed smell nice too.
Any weak acid will effectively descale. Vinegar is acetic acid ~ 6%. Citric acid ‘sour salt’ works too if one can make a 5% solution.
Demineralized water can be achieved by a number of means. Traditionally eponymously distilled water is condensed steam but that may contain impurities at concentrations way below what the cook needs be concerned with.
Reverse Osmosis water may be next purest. Be ware that a home RO unit may inject unpurified feed water into the purified product to improve taste. Demineralized water tastes ‘flat’ like melted snow water.
Highest quality demineralized water is ion exchanged in a water softener conditioner which zeolite resin is charged with OH and HOH ions (rather than traditional Na and Cl).
My reactor plants feed water started with steam distilled water then passed through one or more OH - HOH ion exchange Zeolite resin columns depending on its intended use. The water ‘polishing’ unit in the main cooling system is another OH - HOH ion exchange column.
Good point. I might use this as my 4th time option. Certainly a lot cheaper than the specialised solution they sell for coffee machines.