Billy can

[mmwales]

Every time I boil water in my TBS Billy can with the lid on or off I get a strange unnatural taste in the water, which makes my coffee taste not so nice.

Any idea why this could be?

And there any think I can do to prevent this?

Many thanks

 

[Janne]

What is your point of reference?
What water do you use in your can.
What fuel to heat it?

 

[mmwales]

I have only ever put water in the Billy can used it about four times now, I use a camp fire to heat up the water and I make a pot hanger out of sticks.

 

[mmwales]

I have only used tap water in the Billy can atm

 

[Broch]

Just exploring the variables (always useful in diagnostics ) - if you've boiled it four times and you are still getting unnatural taste I would look at something other than the billy. Tap water contains a lot of chemicals; I can't drink it because we are on natural spring water that has no taste - try a bottle water to see if the taste is still there. Also, what cup are you using? is the taste there if you make a cup of coffee in that cup at home? Do you use different coffee at camp than you do at home?

I'm always amazed how different coffee and tea tastes in a metal mug compared to bone china; shame bone china isn't more durable

 

[Janne]

Try to boil some water in the Billy on the stove at home.
Same weird taste?

 

[mmwales]

Good idea I will definatly try that tomorrow, I'm beginning to think it is because I have been using pine wood with a high resin content on the fire.

 

[Nice65]

I don’t know these billys, is there a lid?

If not, then it’ll probably be smoke. I had a foul cup of tea years ago boiling the billy on hexi blocks. Not only did it take about half an hour to boil, it tasted vaguely like chemically polluted fish.

 

[Toddy]

I don’t know these billys, is there a lid?

If not, then it’ll probably be smoke. I had a foul cup of tea years ago boiling the billy on hexi blocks. Not only did it take about half an hour to boil, it tasted vaguely like chemically polluted fish.

That's the best description yet of that phenomenon Foul taste and it stayed with me all day too.

M

 

[Billy-o]

pine wood with a high resin content on the fire.

Oh, that'll do it. Also, how long are you taking to boil? The longer its in that tarry smoke the more the grotty taste will stick, especially if you are hanging the pot quite high in the air. Using the lid, a hotter fire, get the pot closer to it ... all help in that particular area.

I remember once asking a doctor why I had a yellow tinge to my feet at one point, and fearing liver failure or similar. He asked if I had tried washing my feet.