Home Brew

[Yucateko]

I've been reading posts on this forum and see I need 3.1.1.1, Sand, Fireclay, Portland cement and Hydrated lime to make Home Brew. Which name brand product is Fireclay and Hydrated cement? I live in San Antonio. Thanks in advance.

[DavidApp]

Re: Home Brew

Hello Yucateko

You should be able to get the fire clay from any brick merchant. The lime should be "S" Type lime. I got some from a feed and seed store but it does seem hard to locate in some parts of the US.

Hope that helps.
David

[NCMan]

Re: Home Brew

I've been reading posts on this forum and see I need 3.1.1.1, Sand, Fireclay, Portland cement and Hydrated lime to make Home Brew. Which name brand product is Fireclay and Hydrated cement? I live in San Antonio. Thanks in advance.

Hi Yucateko. Although the 3.1.1.1 ratio is a standard mix, you can use 4 or even 5 parts of sand, if you like. If possible, use a finer sand as opposed to a course sand. Best of luck w/your build.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Home Brew

San Antonio Masonry supply will have Type S lime, fireclay and good Whitacre-Greer firebrick, and should also have perlite.

[AJR]

Re: Home Brew

Hi Yukateko,
I made a 3:1:1:1 home brew and bought vermiculite and perlite from Home Depot and it is also available at any nursery. The mason's lime was bought from a masonry supplier and its a white powder (The big box stores sell garden lime in granules and you don't want that). Portland type "S" is available at any big box store as well as any masonry supplier. The mason's sand is also available at any big box stores but buy the one that is in a white canvas bag because that is a mason's fine grade sand with minimal pebbles, here in NY it's that way (The masonry supplier definitely carries it). The fireclay was bought from a pottery supplier online at "Sheffield pottery" because nobody in my area carries it. I used Hawthorne fireclay and bought two 50lb. bags and with shipping it cost about $75.

[Yucateko]

Re: Home Brew

Thanks to all who have replied. I have been waiting on our HOA to give me the go ahead. I got it last Friday. I can now officially start my build.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Home Brew

Portland type "S" is not portland cement, although it may have some in it. Portland is Type "I", Type S is masonry cement, and may contain masonry cement, portland and lime, or portland and other plasticizers. Type I is a type designation, Type S is a strength designation. Confusing, but there it is.

Also, home brew is better at 1-1-1-6.

[v12spirit]

Re: Home Brew

The lime I bought was (sodium metasilicate pentahydrate granular). This doesn't look to be the right one is it?

[Tscarborough]

Re: Home Brew

No, it isn't what you want. You want one like this (PDF):

http://ahisupply.accountsupport.com/...Lime_TypeS.pdf

[v12spirit]

Re: Home Brew

No, it isn't what you want. You want one like this (PDF):

http://ahisupply.accountsupport.com/...Lime_TypeS.pdf

Thanks for the link. Actually there are only two types of lime available in my region; "Quick lime" which dries fast and gets hot when mixed with water, and "hydrated lime" which is the one I pointed to. May the "quick lime" be what I want?

[Ilfornaio]

Re: Home Brew

Hi AJR! What part of NY are you from?

[Tscarborough]

Re: Home Brew

You can use quick lime, you have to prepare it by slaking, i.e. covering with water and keeping it covered for a couple of weeks up to a couple of years. Hydrated lime can be used as is.

[v12spirit]

Re: Home Brew

You can use quick lime, you have to prepare it by slaking, i.e. covering with water and keeping it covered for a couple of weeks up to a couple of years. Hydrated lime can be used as is.

Am confused. The hydrated one is sold as the (sodium metasilicate pentahydrate granular). That is the available lime in addition to the quick one. May I use either?

[Tscarborough]

Re: Home Brew

That is not building lime, it is a chemical process material. Hydrated lime is slaked then dried. Quicklime is not yet slaked.

[david s]

Re: Home Brew

That is not building lime, it is a chemical process material. Hydrated lime is slaked then dried. Quicklime is not yet slaked.

Crushed, calcined, slaked then dried actually. The calcining process is most important for our purposes as it's what makes the stuff react and go hard like cement once water is added to it.