Dangers of Molecular Gastronomy

[Jack]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/5821433/German-Hest
on-Blumenthal-blows-off-both-hands-in-liquid-nitrogen-kitchen-accident.html

Filling a gas lighter/blowtorch incorrectly seems to me to be a more likely
cause of explosion, than anything involving liquid nitrogen.

Jack Lang

[Alessio]

The report on the event sounds quite fuzzy... An explosion could have been
caused also by the container getting to hot and the nitrogen passing back to
the gaseous state. Anyhow, I am quite sad for the guy mostly because it is
always remarked to take great care when using liquid nitrogen.
I can understand the excitement of making instantaneous ice-cream but we
must understand that not everything is Plug&Play.
A bit of common sense should help preventing lots of accidents.

Alessio Fangano

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Jack" <Ja...@lang.net>
Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 9:30 AM
To: <molecular-...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [MG] Dangers of Molecular Gastronomy

[Roy]

I think what most aspiring molecular cook have to bear in mind is
that chemical hazard awareness is becoming applicable in their
trades.....

Normally chefs hare just HACCP vigilant , now they have to worry
more about HAZMAT....

On Jul 15, 6:48 pm, "Alessio" <alessio1...@msn.com> wrote:
> The report on the event sounds quite fuzzy... An explosion could have been
> caused also by the container getting to hot and the nitrogen passing back to
> the gaseous state. Anyhow, I am quite sad for the guy mostly because it is
> always remarked to take great care when using liquid nitrogen.
> I can understand the excitement of making instantaneous ice-cream but we
> must understand that not everything is Plug&Play.
> A bit of common sense should help preventing lots of accidents.
>
> Alessio Fangano
>
> --------------------------------------------------

> From: "Jack" <J...@lang.net>

> Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 9:30 AM
> To: <molecular-...@googlegroups.com>
> Subject: [MG] Dangers of Molecular Gastronomy
>
>
>
>
>

> >http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/5821433/Germ...

> > on-Blumenthal-blows-off-both-hands-in-liquid-nitrogen-kitchen-accident.html
>
> > Filling a gas lighter/blowtorch incorrectly seems to me to be a more
> > likely
> > cause of explosion, than anything involving liquid nitrogen.
>

> > Jack Lang- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Brian Allen]

i feel anytime you are using new ideas or technique you should alway
"consult the manual" i.e. understand that this thing could explode if
not stored properly

anything that can create large amounts of pressure can explode if stored
in a small enough space that can't hold the pressure. hell a bottle of
vinegar and some baking soda will take a mailbox off its stand

and all the years of research and scientific study that have been put
into understanding our world around us not just the food world go to
waste when someone doesn't take the 30 seconds to read the caution label

[jacklang]

According to the press reports such as http://preview.tinyurl.com/laz8sk the
chef stole some liquid nitrogen from the restaurant which he took home in a
cream whipper, and subsequently tried to open with a screwdriver.
Liquid nitrogen must always be in a vented or open container.

[Chef Shane]

Sure.

I think we would all be amazed if he had NOT been injured.

I use LN2 regularly for ice cream - and it's not dangerous at all.

If you use a proper LN2 dewar to transport & store it, and as long as you pour from an open container when using.

Of course, keeping LN2 in a sealed container is guaranteed to make an explosion.

So is throwing a bucket full of cold water into a hot deep fryer.
Or melting solid fat in a deep fryer turned on.

So he learned the old lesson of - steal something and you lose a hand (more common in Saudi than Germany).
And he also learned never to seal LN2 and carry it in his pocket.

Poor guy. But predictable and silly.
I hope that rather than putting people off using a substance 192 degrees C below zero - that it will demonstrate the need to learn about it first.

Just like teaching an apprentice how to clean, use, fill and safely handle a deep fryer. Exactly the same thing - but 190 above zero instead of below.
And DAMN those French Fries are popular.

I don't see the public put off eating fries because of the dangers of hot fat.

2009/7/16 jacklang <jackl...@googlemail.com>

--


Chef Shane B.
Business Development Director
Pro Chef 360- Created and maintained by the culinary minded
W: http://www.prochef360.com
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"Practical Networking for Real Time Chefs"

[Roy]

On Jul 16, 1:07 pm, Brian Allen <DJbees...@nc.rr.com> wrote:
> i feel anytime you are using new ideas or technique you should alway
> "consult the manual" i.e. understand that this thing could explode if
> not stored properly
>
> anything that can create large amounts of pressure can explode if stored
> in a small enough space that can't hold the pressure.   hell a bottle of
> vinegar and some baking soda will take a mailbox off its stand
>

Then its will be just a matter of time that a molecular chef will
have difficulty travelling by plane as they will be put under the
terrorist watch list for being skillful in concocting vinegar and
soda improvised explosive...LOL!

[Adam Danforth]

Interestingly enough, I'm sure the biggest accolade of this young
bloke's existence was being called the "German Heston Blumenthal."
It's a tough price to pay for his mistakes, though.

[Roy]

Hmm
I just hope that his next explosive accident will serendipitiously
enable him to make a groundbreaking developments in the fiield
molecular gastronomy!
Masochist sometimes say....
If there is no pain....... then there is no gain <big grin>.....

> > soda improvised explosive...LOL!- Hide quoted text -

[JB Cada]

I guess I was the only one who feared it might've been Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck that'd blown his hands off. Yes I'm aware he's not German but I was confused for a moment there :-) I think maybe The Telegraph article should've inserted the line "not to be confused with Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck..." et cetera. That and getting their grammar straight. "An German" haha. Isn't The Telegraph a big British paper? Britain, where the English language came from? :-D Have a great day, everyone! STAY SAFE! ------------------------------------------- JB Cada | 0927-9923096 | jb_...@yahoo.com "If you're going to be a starving artist, you might as well work on an art that feeds you." --- On Wed, 7/15/09, Jack <Ja...@lang.net> wrote:

From: Jack <Ja...@lang.net> Subject: [MG] Dangers of Molecular Gastronomy

To: molecular-...@googlegroups.com Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2009, 3:30 PM http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/5821433/German-Hest