majically appearing sugar in my steamer

[mikedengineer]

I have a cast iron steamer on top of my wood stove that I fill up twice a day. When I came home yesterday it was empty, but there was a layer of whiteish "stuff" under a layer of black "stuff" in the bottom of it. It smelled like carmel or sugar... a sweet smell. As I cleaned it out I tried to figure out what it was and I came up maybe it's some kind of fungus. Now this morning it still smells like this just not the layer of "stuff" at the bottom...yet. Anybody have this happen to them?

-Mike

 

[Mike Wilson]

Do you have a water softener or iron reduction system in your home. If so, it is crystallized salts, which doesn't taste like regular salt.

-- Mike

 

[mikedengineer]

Actually it's just city water. For a few weeks I was putting pieces of a plant that I bought at the florist (the name slips my mind) to add some good smell to the room, but I haven't done that in weeks. This "stuff" seems to have occured when the water runs low. Maybe it's just some of that plant's oils coming out of the cast iron.

-Mike

 

[Willhound]

Actually it's just city water. For a few weeks I was putting pieces of a plant that I bought at the florist (the name slips my mind) to add some good smell to the room, but I haven't done that in weeks. This "stuff" seems to have occured when the water runs low. Maybe it's just some of that plant's oils coming out of the cast iron.

-Mike

I would bet it's from the plant. If not the natural plant oils themselves, I would suspect that the florist uses one of many varieties of plant food or a preserving agent mixed in the water that the plants sit in, or are watered with.

Just like when you buy cut flowers and you get the little packet of stuff to mix in the water to keep the plants longer. My understanding is that most of them are composed primarily of sugar.

Willhound

 

[Mike Wilson]

Yeah, given those facts, I vote plant junk.

-- Mike

 

[gumbydammit]

ANTHRAX!

(LOL)


My water is FULL of minerals and I always get the deposits.

 

[mikedengineer]

I remember what the plant was, Eucaluptus. I put some leaves in. It smelled pretty good.
I'll just try cleaning it somehow.

Anthrax.... that's funny. Homeland security would probably be visiting me if that were true.

-Mike

 

[Mike Wilson]

I heard Anthrax will clog your Catalytic Combuster. Is that true?