How to CORRECTLY Extract Calcium from Egg Shells for Healthy Plants

[@SJ-gj7mx]

Loved this video. It was one of the best videos I have watched recently on youtube.

[@Johan-bb4sy]

You can also do calculations on how much soluble calcium is in your end product, which helps dosing it as fertilizer. Short: 5% vinegar added to egg shells will lead to 1,67 gram soluble Calcium / liter. Here will follow some chemistry: The reaction is 2 CH3COOH + CaCO3 --> Ca+ (aq) + 2 (CH3COO-) (aq) + H2O (l) + CO2 (g). The eggshells are in excess, so all acetic acid in the solution reacts. The vinegar you are using is a 5% (weight percent) solution of acetic acid, CH3COOH. For each liter there will 5 grams of acetic acid. The molar weight of Acetic Acid is 60,0520 g/mol. So 5 grams = 5 / 60,052 mol = 0,08... mol. Out of the reaction equation it is visible that 1 part Ca+ will be formed, when two parts Acetic Acid react. So per liter added vinegar, 0,0416 mol Ca+ wil be formed. The molar mass of Ca+ is 40,078 g / mol. So per liter added vinegar, 40,078 g / mol * 0,0416 mol = 1,67 gram Ca+ is formed. So when you add a liter to eggshells, wait for the reaction to occur, then drain the excess of eggshells and catch the liguid, there will be a concentration of 1,67 gram Ca+ per liter. Actually using 5% vinegar, always leads to a 1,67 gram Ca+ / liter solution.

[@BalticHomesteaders]

Yes dusted off the dslr and put it to use at last. Thanks for the calculations.

[@paulbraga4460]

thank you so very much...blessings

[@TubeDupe]

Thank you. I have absolutely no idea but you've successfully blinded me with science. So, when I soak eggshells in 5% vinegar, and as long as eggshells remain in the solution, it will have 1,67 g of Calcium per liter? And will the solution have a neutral pH of 7? Thank you.

[@Johan-bb4sy]

@@TubeDupe yes that’s correct, let it react in an open jar, so that CO2 that comes free can escape. Good luck!

[@TubeDupe]

@Johan-bb4sy Would concentrated vinegar with 25% acid lead to five times the Calcium in the solution i. e. Ca+ 8.35 g/l? Thanks again!

[@mymateian]

Surely if you’ve been adding shells to your soil for the last 5 years and you are continuing to do that, then the shells will slow release calcium into the soil continuously. Love the idea of feeding them to the chickens and completing the cycle. Really enjoy your channel.

[@BalticHomesteaders]

This is true of course although arguably still not the most effective way to do it/distribute it.

[@amyblueskyirl16]

Love the practical garden science😂 What about grinding the egg shells into powder and mixing it with water?

[@-RONNIE]

Thank you for the information I seriously did not know about that method. I thought you just cracked it up and put it in the ground

[@saptack53]

Yo this chemistry video was sick!!! 🤙🏻

[@anncazares111]

Thanks!

[@jasongood354]

Fantastic video. I've got a handful of roller derby players that turn to me for diy heath advice. Would this method of making calcium more bioavailable be useful for human consumption?

[@BalticHomesteaders]

I wouldn’t like to say to be honest. There’s probably better ways to get more calcium into your body.

[@BalticHomesteaders]

@user-dh9rx5mm7h this is for gardens not human consumption.

[@friederkrug]

How long does the reaction need in your experience? Good to hear, that it doesnt need a ratio of 1:10 shells:vinegar, like other sources say. We have lemons growing here so i will try that also. For now half a kilo of eggs are sitting in their brew, dancing and stinking! :D

[@BalticHomesteaders]

How long it takes depends on a number of things so it’s hard to say but once it’s completely stopped gassing it’s done.

[@theabino9718]

I have washed and dried eggshells and the out then through a grinder into powder form. It's much simpler but whether it helped I am not sure

[@BalticHomesteaders]

It’s still calcium carbonate and not water soluble so needs the same time to breakdown into a form that the plants can use. Maybe it helps a bit though.

[@TubeDupe]

What happened to the hydrochloric acid in method 4?

[@BalticHomesteaders]

What do you mean what happens to it? You mean stomach acid?

[@TubeDupe]

@@BalticHomesteaders 7:55 "... and for that we need hydrochloric acid" - you meant the HCl of the chickens' stomach acid dissolves the eggshells?

[@BalticHomesteaders]

@TubeDupe yes

[@TubeDupe]

@@BalticHomesteadersThanks! Well, that went above my head. But now that I grasp it, I can laugh about it.

[@humanfamilymember]

And can use for self?

[@BalticHomesteaders]

I don’t see why not but there probably are better ways to consume calcium for humans.

[@ethereal369]

Or... you could just get some calcium acetate.

[@BalticHomesteaders]

You could but this was about reusing what you already have at hand.

[@heavenbound78]

so..how many teaspoons per 1 gallon of water?

[@BalticHomesteaders]

1 per litre so that’s 4.5 roughly.

[@ashfacefriend6906]

For a small batch (in imperial), it's like 1tsp:5.21qts, but I just round it to 1tsp:5qts.

[@elzorro7235]

Good and thank you, but your 10+ minute video is competing with a reel that is 1 minute long.

[@BalticHomesteaders]

I don’t compete with reels, both forms have their audiences :)