remove hornet killer

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jfish63

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I came into possession of a large stainless kettle. The previous owner informed that at one time there was a hornets nest in it. To get rid of them he used an ortho wasp and hornet killer. Do I need to take extra steps to make sure I remove all the poison?
 
How large? If its not pretty big I probably wouldn't risk it. You could probably research and find out what sort of residue it leaves and what it is soluable in. I would probably bleach and or vinegar boil in it. Then starsan.
 
Try not to use bleach, that can pit the SS. I'd boil PBW in it, then scrub the hell out of it with Bar Keepers Friend, followed by another PBW boiling.

Maybe contact Ortho and see what they recommend?
 
Even if you washed it 20 times prior to your first use, would you be able to get it out of your head that your friend probably shot a half can of ortho into it? And now your beer is in there. I'd pass on it because I'd always be wondering...

-OCD
 
I don't care if there was Fing plutonium in that kettle... you never give up on it. Hot PBW or Oxyclean soak and a scrubbing with a 3M pad sounds about right. Then I'd boil some plain clean water as a rinse.
 
Many pesticides aren't water soluble. After the PBW scrub I'd give it a good rinse with ethanol (evereclear) followed by a rinse in acetone (nail-polish remover). And because I'm not sure what kind of other stuff they put in nail polish cleaner, follow that with a good rinse in water. That will remove just about any remaining residue.
 
Here's the MSDS.

IIRC most wasp sprays are "oily". So like the MSDS states for spills, I would use an "industrial strength" detergent. Then maybe a good soak with a caustic soda solution (lye, sodium/potassium hydroxide) for good measure. Then a good scrub with a scotch-brite pad and bar-keepers friend. It seems like a lot, but I don't mess around with pyrethroids... they're essentially nerve agents.
 
I find this bit a little disturbing;

"May react with strong acids, bases, or oxidizing agents such as chlorates, nitrates, peroxides, etc..."

I say you just use soap! :D

I looked up an MSDS from another site that states a neutralizing agent is "Not Known". Ummmm, scary!

Interesting isn't it that we manage to manufacture so many things we have no idea how to get rid of.
 
Try not to use bleach, that can pit the SS. I'd boil PBW in it, then scrub the hell out of it with Bar Keepers Friend, followed by another PBW boiling.

Maybe contact Ortho and see what they recommend?

oooops sorry. I had thought it would only pit if it was left to soak for a while.

I find this bit a little disturbing;

"May react with strong acids, bases, or oxidizing agents such as chlorates, nitrates, peroxides, etc..."

I say you just use soap! :D

I looked up an MSDS from another site that states a neutralizing agent is "Not Known". Ummmm, scary!

Interesting isn't it that we manage to manufacture so many things we have no idea how to get rid of.

That is a little scary. I would say it really depends on the size if I would even bother trying.
 
Here's another MSDS. States 84% petroleum distillates. From the other MSDS it appears to have had its formulation change (this one's dated 93).

If the kettle's worth it - soap multiple times, alchohol rinse (I'd personally use rubbing alchohol - it's cheap and it'll be rinsed out anyways), and follow with plenty of rinses.

I'd personally do a 1/2 hr boil afterwards - but only to make myself feel better...
 
dataz722 said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Derrin
Try not to use bleach, that can pit the SS. I'd boil PBW in it, then scrub the hell out of it with Bar Keepers Friend, followed by another PBW boiling.

Maybe contact Ortho and see what they recommend?

oooops sorry. I had thought it would only pit if it was left to soak for a while.

A quick rinse is no big deal, you're right about the contact time, i just figured in this case why take a chance with another surface reaction going on.

A detergent is a great idea. I'd use Simple Green, followed by regular old Dawn dish soap. It's amazing what that stuff does to oil.
 
I'm not sure I see what the concern is. Wash it, boil some water in it, wash it again and get on with life. The stainless doesn't absorb anything and the bug spray isn't going to be dangerous in small concentrations. I get it on my hands when spraying it. I go wash my hands, then sit down and eat a burger, I'd say that is more dangerous due to my skin being porous and absorbing the stuff.

Maybe I'm to laid back about that stuff.

Linc
 
Here's another MSDS. States 84% petroleum distillates. From the other MSDS it appears to have had its formulation change (this one's dated 93).

If the kettle's worth it - soap multiple times, alchohol rinse (I'd personally use rubbing alchohol - it's cheap and it'll be rinsed out anyways), and follow with plenty of rinses.

I'd personally do a 1/2 hr boil afterwards - but only to make myself feel better...

I would use some 90% ipa (not the beer the solvent) but the only problem is that that itself leaves a residue. This would probably come off from some sort of detergent or vinegar.

I'm not sure I see what the concern is. Wash it, boil some water in it, wash it again and get on with life. The stainless doesn't absorb anything and the bug spray isn't going to be dangerous in small concentrations. I get it on my hands when spraying it. I go wash my hands, then sit down and eat a burger, I'd say that is more dangerous due to my skin being porous and absorbing the stuff.

Maybe I'm to laid back about that stuff.

Linc

I am usually pretty laid back about this kind of stuff but I dont know if I would do this. Yes, it is stainless and it will not absorb but it will leave a residue that may be difficult to get off. Yea, it may not kill you in really small amounts but neither will cyanide but i will avoid it if I can.
 
I wonder if he can clean it as best he can, do a few water boils. Then have a test sample of boiled water analyzed? Dont know what it would cost.
 
I wonder if he can clean it as best he can, do a few water boils. Then have a test sample of boiled water analyzed? Dont know what it would cost.

Probably more than its worth. We still dont even know the size of the pot to see if anything is worth it.
 
I'm not sure I see what the concern is. Wash it, boil some water in it, wash it again and get on with life. The stainless doesn't absorb anything and the bug spray isn't going to be dangerous in small concentrations. I get it on my hands when spraying it. I go wash my hands, then sit down and eat a burger, I'd say that is more dangerous due to my skin being porous and absorbing the stuff.

Maybe I'm to laid back about that stuff.

Linc

Oh my God you use bug spray without a full body hazmat suit with positive pressure breathing?!?!? You're nuts!!

I kill me.

Anyway, I understand people's concerns with this, it does have kind of an ominous feeling about it. Like I already said, I'd wash it and go. I've used pesticides in my garden and eaten the vegetables. It's not like he found a container that had been used to store this stuff, nor was it a commercial concentration chemical. Just over-the-counter bug killer.

Let's see for the first batch:

Dead Hornet Hefe Weizen
Wasp Nest Wit
Bug Killer Brown Ale
...
 
How about this:

1. Follow any of the above cleaning methods.
2. Put a small sponge soaked with sugar water (1:1 ratio) in the bottom.
3. Toss in a bunch of ants.
4. Seal the top with plastic wrap, poke a few small ventilation holes, and keep in a cool, dark place.

If the ants are dead in a day, you need to clean more. If the sponge dries out before the ants die, you're probably ok.
 
How about this:

1. Follow any of the above cleaning methods.
2. Put a small sponge soaked with sugar water (1:1 ratio) in the bottom.
3. Toss in a bunch of ants.
4. Seal the top with plastic wrap, poke a few small ventilation holes, and keep in a cool, dark place.

If the ants are dead in a day, you need to clean more. If the sponge dries out before the ants die, you're probably ok.

Not a bad idea but will hornet spray kill ants that easily?
 
I think what Moonshae is saying is is that if it kills the ants, then there's enough bugspray left to hurt you. Or more importantly, cause off flavors in the beer. I see a lot of varied advice here, but most are saying the same thing; clean the heck out of it, and go on with your life. I know I would!
 
Hornet killers are "oil based" so that they stick to the insect. Any surfactant (aka soap or detergent) should easily remove any residue. If you are super paranoid about residue, here is what you can do:

1. Wash well in hot soapy water. If you are really worried about it, wear gloves while cleaning because hot water will open your pores and can increase absorption on your end.

2. Rinse very well. "The solution to pollution is dilution" Hose that sucker out for 5-10 minutes.

You should be good to go at this point, but if you are still worried:

3. Rubbing alcohol, acetone, or ethanol (everclear) are not only hydrophobic enough to dissolve most oily substances, but they are hydrophilic enough to be miniscable with water. Give a good scrub with one of these solvents, then go back and rinse for 5-10 minutes with the garden hose.

If you are STILL worried about it at this point, you are paranoid and a hypochondriac, and no amount of scrubbing will help you.

That is all :D


Note: The pyrethrins/ pyrethroids that are most likely in the spray are not toxic to mammals in small doses, but can have negative effects in high doses. Pretty much you don't need to worry about some remote chance of some miniscule amount of residue left behind after a good cleansing with soap and water. Now if you are drinking the spray right out of the can, you might have issues.....
 
I should just post **** like this and see how many posts I get. ****ing three pages with no response from the OP. Come on guys!:rolleyes:
 
WOW I really didn't expect this kind of response.
I think I started this thread less than 24 hours ago.
Sorry I didn't respond sooner but working long hours only leaves so much time
for the net.
I have a 60 gallon cleveland jacketed kettle.
It has the rounded bottom and bottom drain.
The next time I am home before dark I will post a pic.
It looks like it is in great shape.
There are no obvious problems other than the hornet spray.
 
I have a 60 gallon cleveland jacketed kettle.
It has the rounded bottom and bottom drain.

OK that changes EVERYTHING! Clean it up post it on Ebay - buy everything you need to brew. 3 new kettles, burners, totes, and that really cool 15 gallon plastic inductor cone everyone was talking about yesterday.

Unless... you really were gonna brew that big.:drunk:

-OCD
 
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