# We're makin Brine!



## navyman (Dec 1, 2013)

I got this assembled yesterday and so far it works great! had to make some minor adjustments.


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## LogansLawnCare (Aug 3, 2007)

I like the set up! We are currently looking into making our own brine this year as well. I'm excited to hear how it works out for you


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## navyman (Dec 1, 2013)

LogansLawnCare;2052477 said:


> I like the set up! We are currently looking into making our own brine this year as well. I'm excited to hear how it works out for you


We are new to Brine too, but have spent months researching and feel confident we can use it correctly. let me know if you need any help.


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## CityGuy (Dec 19, 2008)

Nice looking setup. Keep us informed on how it works.


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## navyman (Dec 1, 2013)

CityGuy;2052730 said:


> Nice looking setup. Keep us informed on how it works.


right now we have about 500 lbs salt to 400 gallons water and the salimeter is only at 40....


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## tpendagast (Oct 27, 2012)

navyman;2053081 said:


> right now we have about 500 lbs salt to 400 gallons water and the salimeter is only at 40....


2.5 pounds of salt to 1 gallon of water.

water weights approx. 8lbs per gallon... a finished brine should be at 10.5 gallons. when you mix this with an corrosive inhibitor (like road guard 8) youre running at approx. 11 lbs per gallon, total weight.
so if you have a 300 gallon spray tank youre at 3,300 pounds of product.

Our tank is 750, and we don't fill it all the way....stuff gets heavy!


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## navyman (Dec 1, 2013)

tpendagast;2055687 said:


> 2.5 pounds of salt to 1 gallon of water.
> 
> water weights approx. 8lbs per gallon... a finished brine should be at 10.5 gallons. when you mix this with an corrosive inhibitor (like road guard 8) youre running at approx. 11 lbs per gallon, total weight.
> so if you have a 300 gallon spray tank youre at 3,300 pounds of product.
> ...


my largest tank is my hydroseeder and it is 1200 gal. I also have a 500 that I spray with.... the 1200 is storage on wheels...all stainless so no corrosion, the other 500 is poly.


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## 86 CJ (Jan 11, 2010)

Looks good man. We used similar build last season and had to build a new one this season because we grew out of it. Good luck with it this season


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## navyman (Dec 1, 2013)

86 CJ;2056201 said:


> Looks good man. We used similar build last season and had to build a new one this season because we grew out of it. Good luck with it this season


Thanks, I am still trying to fig. out the cal. chlor. part. Not sure if I add cal. to the 23.3% sodium or a lessor sodium %. I worry about suspension. Will adding cal.contribute to the overall chloride % thus losing suspension?


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## mpriester (Oct 2, 2011)

navyman;2056644 said:


> Thanks, I am still trying to fig. out the cal. chlor. part. Not sure if I add cal. to the 23.3% sodium or a lessor sodium %. I worry about suspension. Will adding cal.contribute to the overall chloride % thus losing suspension?


From what i have read , do a 90/10 mix (90% salt brine and 10% lcc) and it seems to work well and stay mixed.


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## 86 CJ (Jan 11, 2010)

navyman;2056644 said:


> Thanks, I am still trying to fig. out the cal. chlor. part. Not sure if I add cal. to the 23.3% sodium or a lessor sodium %. I worry about suspension. Will adding cal.contribute to the overall chloride % thus losing suspension?


There has been a few on here that add dry Calcium Flake to there Brine maker and let it blend together with success I believe, but from my experience and research I would mix your dry calcium in a separate tank with water, get it to 32%, then add 10% to your Brine storage tank.


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## navyman (Dec 1, 2013)

86 CJ;2056769 said:


> There has been a few on here that add dry Calcium Flake to there Brine maker and let it blend together with success I believe, but from my experience and research I would mix your dry calcium in a separate tank with water, get it to 32%, then add 10% to your Brine storage tank.


 so will the eutectic point change? since sodium chlor will fall out of suspension after 23.3% will adding the calcium contribute to the total chloride content and the resulting % would be more like 33% + and the brine will fall out of suspension?


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

navyman;2057203 said:


> so will the eutectic point change? since sodium chlor will fall out of suspension after 23.3% will adding the calcium contribute to the total chloride content and the resulting % would be more like 33% + and the brine will fall out of suspension?


Hmm don't think so, I'm sure someone would have brought that up since a ton of guys run 90/10. Case of thinking to much it sounds like.


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## 86 CJ (Jan 11, 2010)

terrapro;2057212 said:


> Hmm don't think so, I'm sure someone would have brought that up since a ton of guys run 90/10. Case of thinking to much it sounds like.


Correct, dont think too much into all of this, we did the same thing last year. Make your brine at 23-24% close to 60 degree water, unload it into storage. Make your calcium in a separate tank to 32%( put water in first, dont melt your **** to the ground). Add 10% of your calcium to how ever many gallons of your brine storage tank. Then go spray and make some $$$ It can store all year and be fine. That's it....


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## navyman (Dec 1, 2013)

terrapro;2057212 said:


> Hmm don't think so, I'm sure someone would have brought that up since a ton of guys run 90/10. Case of thinking to much it sounds like.


 Could be, I do that sometimes. Just want to get a full understanding so I can actually calculate rather than speculate. I probably should have studied Chemistry rather than Electronics, may have led me into something other than Landscaping/Lawncare & Snow removal.


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

You know what I have been overthinking the last couple years? Making the brine in my spray tank since I have not had the spac for a storage tank...the only thing that Kubota and I couldn't figure is how to protect the pump from damage of the large chunks. Mesh bags are the only thing we came up with. 
Or I thought up of a 55gal drum to hold the salt and use your pump and spray tank to continuously run the water trough the 55gal drum to make the brine. There are so many of us that pay insane $$ for someone else to store our product in huge tanks that we don't have the availability to.


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## navyman (Dec 1, 2013)

86 CJ;2057242 said:


> Correct, dont think too much into all of this, we did the same thing last year. Make your brine at 23-24% close to 60 degree water, unload it into storage. Make your calcium in a separate tank to 32%( put water in first, dont melt your **** to the ground). Add 10% of your calcium to how ever many gallons of your brine storage tank. Then go spray and make some $$$ It can store all year and be fine. That's it....


 Thanks. I will try this...


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## navyman (Dec 1, 2013)

terrapro;2057271 said:


> You know what I have been overthinking the last couple years? Making the brine in my spray tank since I have not had the spac for a storage tank...the only thing that Kubota and I couldn't figure is how to protect the pump from damage of the large chunks. Mesh bags are the only thing we came up with.
> Or I thought up of a 55gal drum to hold the salt and use your pump and spray tank to continuously run the water trough the 55gal drum to make the brine. There are so many of us that pay insane $$ for someone else to store our product in huge tanks that we don't have the availability to.


 How much 4" perforated tile with sock will a 300 gal. tote hold????? slots are small enough to keep all dangerous sized salt out. the sock will do even better. I use this stuff for lake supply sprinkler systems, and usually only 10 ft. lengths. at 18-20 GPM.


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## navyman (Dec 1, 2013)

terrapro;2057271 said:


> You know what I have been overthinking the last couple years? Making the brine in my spray tank since I have not had the spac for a storage tank...the only thing that Kubota and I couldn't figure is how to protect the pump from damage of the large chunks. Mesh bags are the only thing we came up with.
> Or I thought up of a 55gal drum to hold the salt and use your pump and spray tank to continuously run the water trough the 55gal drum to make the brine. There are so many of us that pay insane $$ for someone else to store our product in huge tanks that we don't have the availability to.


 How much 4" perforated tile with sock will a 300 gal. tote hold????? slots are small enough to keep all dangerous sized salt out. the sock will do even better. I use this stuff for lake supply sprinkler systems, and usually only 10 ft. lengths. at 18-20 GPM.


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

navyman;2057278 said:


> How much 4" perforated tile with sock will a 300 gal. tote hold????? slots are small enough to keep all dangerous sized salt out. the sock will do even better. I use this stuff for lake supply sprinkler systems, and usually only 10 ft. lengths. at 18-20 GPM.


That's funny cause that's what I use for inertia reduction in my spray tank.


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

navyman;2056644 said:


> Thanks, I am still trying to fig. out the cal. chlor. part. Not sure if I add cal. to the 23.3% sodium or a lessor sodium %. I worry about suspension. Will adding cal.contribute to the overall chloride % thus losing suspension?


Just add the cacl to the 23.3% brine. Yes it does add to the overall chlorides that are dissolved. But from different mixes I have experimented with, I didn't start having any issues with falling out of suspension until I was mixing 75/25.


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

navyman;2057203 said:


> so will the eutectic point change? since sodium chlor will fall out of suspension after 23.3% will adding the calcium contribute to the total chloride content and the resulting % would be more like 33% + and the brine will fall out of suspension?


I assume it will, but so slightly you might not notice? You are only adding 10% by volume, and not being a mathematician, I suspect it is not very much.


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

86 CJ;2057242 said:


> Correct, dont think too much into all of this, we did the same thing last year. Make your brine at 23-24% close to 60 degree water, unload it into storage. Make your calcium in a separate tank to 32%( put water in first, dont melt your **** to the ground). Add 10% of your calcium to how ever many gallons of your brine storage tank. Then go spray and make some $$$ It can store all year and be fine. That's it....


yep, seems the right way to me too.

"Make your brine at 23-24% close to 60 degree water" very important!

I still get confused when I have to adjust for water temp that is like 45 degrees.


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

navyman;2057278 said:


> How much 4" perforated tile with sock will a 300 gal. tote hold????? slots are small enough to keep all dangerous sized salt out. the sock will do even better. I use this stuff for lake supply sprinkler systems, and usually only 10 ft. lengths. at 18-20 GPM.


About 100 feet per 100 gallons of tank generally. I cut mine into pieces 18-24" long.


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## Kubota 8540 (Sep 25, 2009)

navyman;2051879 said:


> I got this assembled yesterday and so far it works great! had to make some minor adjustments.


Hey that looks familiar.


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## navyman (Dec 1, 2013)

Kubota 8540;2057785 said:


> Hey that looks familiar.


 Any similarities are purely coincidental... lol. I have seen every pic posted on here regarding mixers and sprayers. The totes are 275 gal. at $50 each and readily avail. from the farms. the pumps I had on hand for filling my hydroseeders from lakes and ponds. Note I did however plumb the 2" to go up the side and down to the bottom of the tank with 90* el's at bottom. this gives me a good roll and allows the salt tank to completely empty by "Syphoning" to the other tank and because of the "lift up" to the top of the tank any salt left from mixing will not travel up the 2" since there is not enough suction thru all 4 pipes to carry the salt up. It seems to work perfectly. I still have to put together a sprayer.


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