View Full Version : I charred my titanium pot....how do I clean it?
Hey. I did a little hiking this weekend, and learned the hard way that the Pocket Rocket does no good in 17 degree weather.
There was no water, so we had to melt snow, and since the Pocket Rocket failed us, the only way to melt was over a camp fire in my Titanium pot....needless to say, it is charred and super super ugly!
Please tell me I can salvage it, and get it cleaned up? There has to be some kind of cleaner out there...right?
Your expertise is greatly greatly appreciated....thank you!
Alligator
11-24-2008, 12:47
I charred some Stainless Steel pots and used oven cleaner on them. I don't think it would cause a problem with your ti. Of course, there might be less caustic options to try first.
Aside of "super ugly," is its function diminished?
I seem to remember being able to place it in a container full of mixed liquid dish-soap and water and leaving it to sit for a long time will clean the carbon off of it.
I cleaned the outside of a Snow-Peak Titanium Cup with Carburator Cleaner a long time ago. It worked, but I wouldn't recommend it, I was dicking around and I don't think I ate out of it again.
who cares what it looks like...
Well, the inside is pretty nasty....and Thinker, I don't know about you, but even when I'm roughing it...I want my oatmeal to taste like oatmeal....not charcoal.
I swear, some people just make the most negative comments on here sometimes. Obviously, I care what it looks like or I wouldn't have made the post.
I'm sorry for kind of lashing out at you Thinker, but I notice more and more people with negative comments on this site, and there is really and truly no need for it.
Remember what we all learned as little children: "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all."
Might try soaking it in dishwasher soap with a bit of water first, then scour it with a paste made of dishwashing soap. That stuff is made to loosen up baked on crud without scouring.
Cool AT Breeze
11-24-2008, 13:35
I've seen some people just heat them up till the carbon lets loose.
Lone Wolf
11-24-2008, 13:36
Brillo pad
Johnny Thunder
11-24-2008, 13:50
Best way to get charred stuff off the inside of a TI pot is to throw it in the fire until all the organic material is carbon...which flakes off. Sounds counterintuitive, I know.
As far as TI changing color...I think you're SOL. But a dark pot is more efficient for heat transfer from your stove than a silver one.
No Belay
11-24-2008, 13:55
Brillo pad
and Dollar Store Easy Off. Warm up your pan slightly (109.35 degrees) spray on until it actually foams and let sit until the Easy Off almost dries. Wash it off, Brillo a little and, KaZamm, your back to lookin like new...B.:sun
nitewalker
11-24-2008, 17:22
[quote=bobby_d;729482]Hey. I did a little hiking this weekend, and learned the hard way that the Pocket Rocket does no good in 17 degree weather.
i used my pocket rocket last week in 5* weather and had no problems what so ever with it. in my opinion it was the fuel that failed you not the stove.. put your fuel in your bag when you go to bed and it will stay nice and warm, pull it out in the morning and it will perform just fine.
to answer your question about the chared pot. scrub it with a dish sponge that has the mild abrasive on one side. just dont give it too much elbow grease or you mite scratch it too deep.....i did the same thing and cleaned it no problem....
OldStormcrow
11-24-2008, 17:28
You could always try what I use on the bottom my copper pots at home. A combination of lemon juice and table salt. Squirt the lemon juice or imitation lemon juice concentrate on the surface, then sprinkle salt on it and rub it in with a plain ol' washrag. I've got no idea whether this would have any effect on titanium, but it has got to be a lot safer than caustic cleaners.
and Dollar Store Easy Off. Warm up your pan slightly (109.35 degrees) spray on until it actually foams and let sit until the Easy Off almost dries. Wash it off, Brillo a little and, KaZamm, your back to lookin like new...B.:sun
Does it need to be exactly 109.35*? :p
What brand of fuel were you using? This can make a big difference in canister stoves/winter use.
Snowpeak Giga fuel has been my choice for years in winter. As well, insulating your canister off the ground is another biggie, as is sleeping with your canisters in your bag (though I many times just pop my canister in my cozy overnight).
I have used canister stoves to 5* at 5600 ft with no real issues besides being a bit sluggish.
I run my pots through the dishwasher. A bit of rubbing with a paper towel removes any remaining loose black stuff.
Will it look like new again? Definitely not. Use it with pride!
lol marta..perfect answer !
I run my pots through the dishwasher. A bit of rubbing with a paper towel removes any remaining loose black stuff.
Will it look like new again? Definitely not. Use it with pride!
Marta has it almost right. A dishwasher machine -- especially the new ones -- and especially if they use the latest recommendations will clean a lot of things.
But when I burn on a pot, I pour a little ammonia -- the kind sold in supermarkets -- and add a bit of water, and let it sit for an hour or so. Sorry, I can't give you exact proportions. But just double or triple the package recommendations. Anyway, in my experience, ammonia and water will lift the burnt on stuff, allowing the pot to be cleaned without scrubbing..
Weary
I've seen some people just heat them up till the carbon lets loose.
You can get them plenty hot too without melting them...I left mine on the stove top heating some water, got distracted, came back some time later after all the water boiled out and didn't damage the pot at all. It did remove what little carbon build up was on the outside of the pot, but now it has a nice blue star on the bottom where the heat was the most intense.:eek:
No Belay
11-25-2008, 00:17
Does it need to be exactly 109.35*? :p
No..The temperature is actually altitude specific. The 109.35 is relevant only to 1430' asl. For other altitudes refer to the temp chart on the can's label.
Savor Happy!
I should have specified....it is not the actual Pocket Rocket that failed me....it was indeed the fuel canister.
I was using Snow Peak Giga fuel...and it did work, but was super super sluggish.
Thanks a lot for the advice about sleeping with the fuel.
I love learning new things!!!
Thanks for everyone's input!
The Mechanical Man
11-25-2008, 04:44
Throw it out, and take it as a lesson learned.
Go buy a new pot.
papa john
11-25-2008, 05:49
Throw it out, and take it as a lesson learned.
Go buy a new pot.
Ditto. Send the old one to....:-?
StarLyte
11-25-2008, 06:29
This happens to me all the time using my esbit; just scour with a little Comet.
Throw it out, and take it as a lesson learned.
Go buy a new pot.
that's brilliant
Lone Wolf
11-25-2008, 07:30
MM is not a hiker
I should have specified....it is not the actual Pocket Rocket that failed me....it was indeed the fuel canister.
I was using Snow Peak Giga fuel...and it did work, but was super super sluggish.
Thanks a lot for the advice about sleeping with the fuel.
Last weekend, one of the people I was hiking with had a semi-failure of her canister. She was using MSR fuel. It was fine at dinner. (The canister was new.) She slept with her fuel. In the morning she boiled a pot of water without too much trouble. But when she went to boil another one, the flame was extremely small. (In between boiling attempts, she put the canister inside her jacket--not a pleasant thing to have to do!) Shaking the canister revived the flame a bit, but not enough to boil the water anytime soon.
BTW, the weather wasn't all that cold--probably mid-20's.
This mirrors my experience--usually the canisters work in the cold, but occasionally they don't. In the winter, I do not rely on them, but use alcohol or white gas stoves instead.
I personally like my pot to be charred on the outside, but that is me. So, I can't help with the cleaning part; "I don't care, so I don't know" type deal.
BUT: to prevent the problem, or so I have heard; before putting the pot in the fire, rub aome bar soap (Ivory?) on the pot leaving a heavy coating. Supposedly this will prevent soot from building up OR it helps you clean the pot afterwards. As I don't care, I have never done this, but it may be worth a try. Perhaps practice on a old pot before using it on the ti one.
I suspect, as others have stated, if you actually burned the ti, it may never be back to the original color. I have seen them be a slight blue color instead of the gray of "Normal" ti. But if all you want is the black off, , , , ,
FritztheCat
11-25-2008, 16:07
Please let us know what works. I have the titanium set and while I haven't charred it (yet), it is bound to happen. :)
Hikes in Rain
11-25-2008, 20:30
I've done it, and it does work. Doesn't stop sooting, but the soot does wash right off. Of course, the parts you miss are pretty much permanently blackened. :)
I'm with Doctari; my ancient pot is scarred by more fires than I can remember.
The Solemates
11-25-2008, 20:42
just got back from hiking the Mid State Trail (PA) today. it was approaching single digits at night.
dont ever bring a canister stove in cold weather. rule #1 of stove suggestions. i learned that lesson a while back, and it looks like you learned it too.
i take my liquid fuel stove for winter excursions and the no-fuss factor makes the extra weight worthwhile. most people will tell you alcohol or canister stoves work well in the cold, but I have yet to experience that. I want bombproof when its single digits out.
long story short, I often purposefully boil water over a fire because when its that cold out and if I have the time I want a fire anyways. Since its there, I use it for cooking function as well. I just use dirt (snow and leaves can also work) and a creekbed to wash my pot inside and out after each use. then i wipe it down with a bandana.
usually though, its just the outside of the pot that is charred. i can live with that. my ti pot looks horrible, but it does the job. how did the inside of your pot get nasty?
Apart from the usual inane answers, it appears that most have failed to understand that Bobby is not worried about the cosmetic of the pot, it is charred on the INSIDE, that is the bit that he wants to clean...
Franco
Skidsteer
11-25-2008, 21:00
Well, the inside is pretty nasty....and Thinker, I don't know about you, but even when I'm roughing it...I want my oatmeal to taste like oatmeal....not charcoal.
The inside, huh? Impressive.
Try a cup brush attachment with your electric drill. Brass bristles.
atraildreamer
11-25-2008, 21:10
All of the above sounds like the "Hints from Heloise" newspaper column. :-?
Is it still being published? :confused:
Skidsteer
11-25-2008, 21:16
All of the above sounds like the "Hints from Heloise" newspaper column. :-?
Is it still being published? :confused:
Yes, but the original Heloise (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heloise_(columnist)) assumed room temperature despite valiant efforts to revive her with a solution of lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda.
atraildreamer
11-25-2008, 21:28
Yes, but the original Heloise (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heloise_%28columnist%29) assumed room temperature despite valiant efforts to revive her with a solution of lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda.
They forgot to add salt...no wonder it didn't work! :eek: :banana
Here is a preventive measure you may take when using your pot over a wood fire, rub some bar soap over the exposed surface. This keeps from charring the outside of the pot. any bar soap will do. The previous ideas on clean up have worked for me.
The Mechanical Man
11-27-2008, 02:50
MM is not a hiker
Ignore this persons posts, he knows NOTHING.
How did the inside get nasty? :confused: You were melting snow, right? You did add some water with the snow I am hoping before introducing heat?
oldfivetango
11-28-2008, 08:05
It's painfully obvious that this pot is a lost cause.What the poster needs
to do now is get a kettle and subject it to the same snow torture that the
pot endured.This will result in a matching set and the pot and kettle can
then exchange epithets;thereby cutting their collective misery in half.
The end result will be some sort of profound mystic karma of goodness
that will likely benefit the user.I just love happy endings.
Oldfivetango
mweinstone
11-28-2008, 08:45
johnney thunder has spoken. burn the ti pot in fire untill all is loose carbon. the blueing and rainbows of colors are natural aftr this and cannot be removed. the darker surface now saves fuel forever and looks really cool. as long as its smooth your oats will be as horrible as usuall.
How did the inside get nasty? :confused: You were melting snow, right? You did add some water with the snow I am hoping before introducing heat?
If I had water, then I wouldn't be melting snow!! haha...
No seriously, we didn't have a SINGLE drop of water and one of us was extremely dehydrated. We had to go into emergency mode to get some water.
So, that's why the inside is charred.
Yeah, that is what I figured happened after I reread your post. Ouch ouch ouch!!!!
I know that not every one knows this, but melting snow in a dry pot is a very, very bad move. Without a bit of water at the bottom you will do a heck of a number to your pot. This is something to remember in winter - don't drink all your water, no matter how thirst you are, until you get the snow melting! Often snow can be like air - fluffy and dry. So it doesn't melt well unless it has a "little help" ;)
[quote=bobby_d;729482]Hey. I did a little hiking this weekend, and learned the hard way that the Pocket Rocket does no good in 17 degree weather.
i used my pocket rocket last week in 5* weather and had no problems what so ever with it. in my opinion it was the fuel that failed you not the stove.. put your fuel in your bag when you go to bed and it will stay nice and warm, pull it out in the morning and it will perform just fine.
The fuel was either the wrong mix or too cold to vaporize. Nightwalker is right to sleep with it.
Nearly Normal
11-29-2008, 05:07
Soak it in Coke or rub on hot sauce and leave overnight.
There's always elbow grease.
Soak it in Coke or rub on hot sauce and leave overnight.
There's always elbow grease.
well, that was an unexpected suggestion. where'd you learn those tricks? you know i've got to go pull out all my old pots now just to try it..
Dances with Mice
11-29-2008, 11:01
Please tell me I can salvage it, and get it cleaned up? There has to be some kind of cleaner out there...right?
So, Bobby, you've collected a lot of suggestions. Have any of them worked?
I am in Bama visiting the fam for thanksgiving. I put the pot in my sink and allowed it to soak in a bath of cleaner and water. I will return tomorrow night and try to scrub it.
I will keep everyone posted on what technique I use and the results.
if nothing works try Brasso polish ,with a piece of paper towel
Hey. I did a little hiking this weekend, and learned the hard way that the Pocket Rocket does no good in 17 degree weather.
There was no water, so we had to melt snow, and since the Pocket Rocket failed us, the only way to melt was over a camp fire in my Titanium pot....needless to say, it is charred and super super ugly!
Please tell me I can salvage it, and get it cleaned up? There has to be some kind of cleaner out there...right?
Your expertise is greatly greatly appreciated....thank you!
FOR 1 ONCE..- pot you can eat and just clean the bottom with esbit.
Sorry,firelite and tab 1oz.
Never could understand a stove of any make?
Hey. I did a little hiking this weekend, and learned the hard way that the Pocket Rocket does no good in 17 degree weather.
There was no water, so we had to melt snow, and since the Pocket Rocket failed us, the only way to melt was over a camp fire in my Titanium pot....needless to say, it is charred and super super ugly!
Please tell me I can salvage it, and get it cleaned up? There has to be some kind of cleaner out there...right?
Your expertise is greatly greatly appreciated....thank you!
R U serious? Expertise? It's just a #$@% pot. Scrub it clean like any other pot. Forget about all that BS U have heard about it being made from the same space age materials like NASA employs. And, there R way too many people with way too much time on their hands that it takes 3 pages of comments to discuss cleaning a pot!!!
Serial 07
11-30-2008, 03:50
Best way to get charred stuff off the inside of a TI pot is to throw it in the fire until all the organic material is carbon...which flakes off. Sounds counterintuitive, I know.
As far as TI changing color...I think you're SOL. But a dark pot is more efficient for heat transfer from your stove than a silver one.
that's why you love johnny thunder...
Brillo pad
and Dollar Store Easy Off. Warm up your pan slightly (109.35 degrees) spray on until it actually foams and let sit until the Easy Off almost dries. Wash it off, Brillo a little and, KaZamm, your back to lookin like new...B.:sun
sounds like the answer...haven't yet read all the others posts...what else have we been talking about?
Just make it a none stick like cast iron fry pans.
Serial 07
11-30-2008, 04:06
It's painfully obvious that this pot is a lost cause.What the poster needs
to do now is get a kettle and subject it to the same snow torture that the
pot endured.This will result in a matching set and the pot and kettle can
then exchange epithets;thereby cutting their collective misery in half.
The end result will be some sort of profound mystic karma of goodness
that will likely benefit the user.I just love happy endings.
Oldfivetango
johnney thunder has spoken. burn the ti pot in fire untill all is loose carbon. the blueing and rainbows of colors are natural aftr this and cannot be removed. the darker surface now saves fuel forever and looks really cool. as long as its smooth your oats will be as horrible as usuall.
and that's that...
Blue Jay
12-01-2008, 16:30
And, there R way too many people with way too much time on their hands that it takes 3 pages of comments to discuss cleaning a pot!!!
Hey, a lot more of us have spent, way more time, on much dumber stuff than this. This pot has become a symbol for truth, justice and the American Way. We must clean this pot at all costs.
ChinMusic
12-01-2008, 16:58
This thread reminds me of the King that got salt in his coffee....
Hey, a lot more of us have spent, way more time, on much dumber stuff than this. This pot has become a symbol for truth, justice and the American Way. We must clean this pot at all costs.
Unfortunately, after a careful analysis, I've decided the pot isn't dirty. It has simply been overheated and the metal has changed color. The only way to get it to change its color a second time is to melt down the metal and mold a new pot.
I haven't worked with titanium enough to know what color the remolded metal might turn out to be. Actually, if the truth be known, I've never melted any metal except solder in its several manifestations.
Well, once during a camping party on an island in the Kennebec, I managed to melt a few aluminum beer cans, but those just turned to a white powder, a discovery that probably won't help solve this problem.
However, if by chance, super overheated titanium acts the same way, we could just quietly stir the powder into the ashes, thus enabling us to move on to other pressing issues. To be fair, we probably should send a bucket of the titanium and wood ashes to the owner of the pot as a consolation, of sorts.
Weary
I am in Bama visiting the fam for thanksgiving. I put the pot in my sink and allowed it to soak in a bath of cleaner and water. I will return tomorrow night and try to scrub it.
I will keep everyone posted on what technique I use and the results.
And?
Dances with Mice
12-01-2008, 18:15
I think he needs to buy about a dozen more pots then char something in all of them to test each suggested cleaning method.
Then he can test staining of waterbags.
SurferNerd
12-01-2008, 19:17
I cooked soup in my Trek 700, it got too hot and cooked some into the bottom. Darn it all, was the worst thing I ever (*&^() did was removing that caked on (&*. Dawn overnight in warm water did crap, 409 did crap, bleach did crap, brillo did crap. So I figured it out, BOIL water in the pot with small amount of CampSuds. Then gently lift the spot with a plastic scrubby side of sponge, came out easy.
I am in Bama visiting the fam for thanksgiving. I put the pot in my sink and allowed it to soak in a bath of cleaner and water. I will return tomorrow night and try to scrub it.
I will keep everyone posted on what technique I use and the results.
And?
He's too depressed about the game. He can't think about trivial things like his charred pot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOLRzBfpzjw
oldfivetango
12-02-2008, 04:29
can we please see a picture posted of this pot? I really want to see what it looks
like and I bet it would be helpful to others as well.
Oldfivetango
sheepdog
12-02-2008, 08:44
Brothers and Sisters of the WB, it may be time for an intervention. bobby_d starts out smoking a little pot, what is next? Hanging out with unshaved, dirty, longhaired types. He may even experiment with denatured alcohol. Time to stop the madness.
Two Speed
12-02-2008, 10:06
Brothers and Sisters of the WB, it may be time for an intervention. bobby_d starts out smoking a little pot, what is next? Hanging out with unshaved, dirty, longhaired types. He may even experiment with denatured alcohol. Time to stop the madness.How do you know it's a little pot?