Growing food on a boat

[dannc]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Dan-
You can buy pint or quart H2O2 at 40% in any hair or beauty supply store. It is used as hair bleach. Might upset the bilge pump but it isn't terribly caustic or noxious compared to common acids in that concentration.

That is good to know. We have some grout we cannot get cleaned and we wanted to try some high concentration H202. I will have the wife ask to get some from the hair salon.

The H202 is supposed to be food grade to use with sanitizing seeds for sprouting. What ever "food grade" means. People are DRINKING this stuff diluted in water.

35% H202 still can cause skin issues so I don't think you really want it on your bare skin. It is also a fire hazard if left to dry so it would have to be stored and used carefully.

Hmmm, I got curious and checked the ERG(Emergency Response Guide. I should have done this over the weekend. The ERG is used by first responders to identify the characteristics of chemical spills and the proper response. One can download the ERG for free, just google it. You can look up a chemical by its name as well as it's guide number.

Fro H202 20-60%, here are some tid bits from the ERG:

• Keep combustibles (wood, paper, oil, etc.) away from spilled material.
• Do not touch damaged containers or spilled material unless wearing appropriate protective clothing.
• Remove and isolate contaminated clothing and shoes.
• Contaminated clothing may be a fire risk when dry.
• In case of contact with substance, immediately flush skin or eyes with running water for at least 20 minutes.
• These substances will accelerate burning when involved in a fire.
• May explode from heat or contamination.
• Some may burn rapidly.
• Some will react explosively with hydrocarbons (fuels).
• May ignite combustibles (wood, paper, oil, clothing, etc.).
• Containers may explode when heated.
• Runoff may create fire or explosion hazard.
• Toxic by ingestion.
• Inhalation of dust is toxic.
• Fire may produce irritating, corrosive and/or toxic gases.
• Contact with substance may cause severe burns to skin and eyes

Me thinks I will not have this on the boat.

I make my own beer and use a sanitizer called Star San. Star San is a contact sanitizer and works really well. I have not had a contaminated batch of beer. Star San is sold as a concentrate and a few ounces makes a few gallons of sanitizer. I small bottle will last years. Star San will kill E Coli and other bad bugs according to the creator but I did not see anything about killing Salmonella.

We will use Star Sans to sanitize the seeds/beans and stay away from H202.

Later,
Dan

[sparrowhawk1]

The hydrogen peroxide that you buy in the grocery store has heavy metals in it food grade does not

[Ukeluthier]

Back when I lived aboard, I grew lots of stuff in my fridge when I neglected to clean it out for a while.

Wouldn't want to eat it, though.

[hellosailor]

The food grade would be processed to not have the manufacturing contaminants that "industrial" grade might. Apparently some complex chemisty can be involved. But the warnings that it might blow up if left to dry out....I somehow doubt that applies to what you can buy in the stores, even in the hair stores. It typically loses the extra pxygen and turns into a bottle of weaker peroxide, as it continues to turn into plain water and eventually evaporate.

Grout cleaner? Don't hold your breath, I tried that last year. Totally unimpressed.

That's one of the great things about sailboats, there's usually no grout to clean on them.(G)

[Adventurebound]

Originally Posted by Ukeluthier

Back when I lived aboard, I grew lots of stuff in my fridge when I neglected to clean it out for a while.

Wouldn't want to eat it, though.

It would be plant life and wiggly protein. Not so hard to grow on a boat is it.

[sparrowhawk1]

A friend gave me some cuttings of tropical oregano. It's growing faster than I can eat it. It's different than regular oregano because it's a succulent. I left it in water until it grew roots and then planted in my self watering containers