Sterno: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Brand of denatured alcohol fuel in gel form}} |
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{{For|"sterno-" as a prefix|Sternum}} |
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{{For|the record label|Sterno Records}} |
{{For|the record label|Sterno Records}} |
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[[File:Sterno.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A can of Sterno aflame |
[[File:Sterno.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A can of Sterno aflame]] |
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'''Sterno''' |
'''Sterno''' is a [[brand]] of jellied, [[denatured alcohol]] sold in and meant to be burned directly in its can. Popular both in commercial food service and home entertainment, its primary uses are as a [[chafing fuel|fuel]] for heating [[chafing dish]]es in [[buffet]]s and serving [[fondue]]. Other uses are for [[portable stove]]s and as an emergency heat source. It is also used with toy and model steam and other [[external combustion engine]]s. |
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The flame is typically lit with a [[match]] or [[lighter]] and extinguished by placing the lid over the can to starve it of air, though any noncombustible cover will do. |
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{{refimprove|section|date=December 2011}} |
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[[File:Advertising sign LOC 14999564845.jpg|thumb|alt=S. Sternau & Co at 233 5th Av., Manhattan.|S. Sternau & Co at 233 5th Av., Manhattan.]] |
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[[File:Sterno ad 1915.jpg|thumb|1915 magazine ad]] |
[[File:Sterno ad 1915.jpg|thumb|1915 magazine ad]] |
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The Sterno brand and trademark is owned by Sterno Products, a portfolio company of Westar Capital LLC, based in [[Corona, California]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.insideview.com/directory/the-sterno-group-llc|publisher=insideview.com]|title= The Sterno Group LLC |access-date=27 November 2012}}</ref> The brand was purchased from [[Blyth, Inc.]] in late 2012.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Blyth, Inc. Announces Sale Of Sterno Business (Press release)|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/article/2012-10-29/ahfpJSEjayrc.html|access-date=10 June 2014|work=Bloomberg|agency=PR Newswire|date=29 October 2012}}</ref> Blyth had acquired the business from [[Colgate-Palmolive]] in 1997.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Company News; Colgate To Sell Heating Fuel Business For $70 Million|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/02/business/company-news-colgate-to-sell-heating-fuel-business-for-70-million.html|access-date=11 February 2015|work=The New York Times|date=2 October 1997}}</ref> |
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The Sterno brand is owned by the Candle Corporation of America, a subsidiary of [[Blyth, Inc.]] The name comes from that of the original manufacturer: S. Sternau & Co. of [[Brooklyn, New York|Brooklyn]], [[New York]], a maker of [[chafing-dish]]es, [[coffee percolator]]s and other similar appliances. It had previously applied the name to its "Sterno-Inferno" alcohol burner. In 1918 it promoted its Sterno Stove as being a perfect gift for a soldier going overseas{{cn|date=December 2011}}. |
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The name comes from that of the original manufacturer, S. Sternau & Co. of [[Brooklyn, New York]], a maker of [[chafing dish]]es, [[coffee percolator]]s and similar appliances since 1893. It had previously applied the name to its "Sterno-Inferno" alcohol burner. In 1918, it promoted its Sterno Stove as being a perfect gift for a soldier going overseas.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn78004456/1918-08-25/ed-1/?sp=6&st=text|title=Image 6 of The New York Times, August 25, 1918|work=The Library of Congress|access-date=2018-02-04|language=en}}</ref> In his book ''[[With the Old Breed]]'', [[Eugene Sledge|E. B. Sledge]] describes its use on the battlefields of the [[Pacific Ocean theater of World War II|Pacific Theatre]] in 1944 and 1945. |
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Invented around 1900, Sterno is made from [[ethanol]], [[methanol]], water and an [[amphoteric (chemistry)|amphoteric]] oxide [[gel|gelling agent]], plus a dye that gives it a characteristic pink color. Designed to be odorless, a 7 oz (198 g) can will burn for up to two hours. The methanol is added to [[Denatured alcohol|denature]] the product, which essentially is intended to make it too toxic to be drinkable. |
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Discovered around 1900 as a byproduct of the [[nitrocellulose]] manufacturing process,{{cn|date=December 2019}} Sterno is made from [[ethanol]] [[Denatured alcohol|denatured]] by adding [[methanol]], water, and an [[Amphoterism|amphoteric]] oxide [[gel|gelling agent]], plus, in recent decades, a safety dye that gives it a characteristic pink color. The methanol is added to denature the product, which is intended to make it too toxic for consumption. Designed to be odorless, a {{convert|7|oz|g|adj=on}} can will burn for up to two hours.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sterno-CandleLamp-7-oz-Odorless-Canned-Heat-6-Pack-20503/206680428|title=Sterno CandleLamp 7 oz. Odorless Canned Heat (6-Pack)-20503& - The Home Depot|website=The Home Depot|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-04}}</ref> |
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In 2007, two [[NASCAR]] crew chiefs were fined $100,000 for lining their fuel tanks and intake valves with Sterno. When the highly regulated NASCAR fuel was added, the Sterno would liquify giving the car an added octane boost.<ref>[http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/021207/spr_7944840.shtml "Waltrip could face a Sterno penalty" The Florida Times Union Feb 12, 2007]</ref><ref>[http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/330478-drinking-sterno.html Pelican Parts Forum Accessed on 10/09/11]</ref> |
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==Abuse== |
== Abuse == |
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Sterno contains methyl alcohol which makes it poisonous. In spite of this there are many instances of people drinking Sterno to become intoxicated as a form of [[surrogate alcohol]]. |
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There are many instances of people drinking Sterno to become intoxicated. The earliest documented case is of notable bluesman [[Tommy Johnson]] in his song ''Canned Heat Blues'' which was recorded in 1928.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/history/delta/blues/people/tommy_johnson.htm National Park Service, Trail of the Hellhound: Tommy Johnson Accessed on 10/09/11]</ref> "Woked up a-this mo'nin with canned heat on my mind, Woke just this mo'nin' canned heat was on my mind. Think alcorub is tearing apart my soul because brown-skin woman don't do the easy roll."<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ7o34UZyXQ Canned Heat Blues recording on YouTube.com]</ref> |
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Moreover, the methanol can cause permanent blindness by destruction of the [[optic nerve]]s. Bluesman [[Tommy Johnson (musician)|Tommy Johnson]] alludes to the practice in his song "Canned Heat Blues" recorded in 1928.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/history/delta/blues/people/tommy_johnson.htm |title=National Park Service, Trail of the Hellhound: Tommy Johnson Accessed on 10/09/11 |access-date=2011-07-31 |archive-date=2011-12-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111229144158/http://www.nps.gov/history/delta/blues/people/tommy_johnson.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> (The blues band [[Canned Heat]] derived their name from the song.) |
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The practice is said to have become popularized during the Great Depression in hobo camps, or "jungles", when the Sterno would be squeezed through [[cheesecloth]] or a sock and the resulting liquid mixed with fruit juice to make "Jungle Juice" or "Squeeze".<ref>[http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1798&dat=19620105&id=5vMeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=04sEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7280,483466 "Police Start Drive on Drinkers of Canned Heat" The Sarasota Journal Jan 5, 1962]</ref> |
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The practice is said to have become popular during [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]]<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PyW8a_2bvMsC&dq=sterno+prohibition&pg=PA95 |title=in google books |isbn=9780801868702 |access-date=2015-02-03 |archive-date=2022-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125233227/https://books.google.com/books?id=PyW8a_2bvMsC&pg=PA95&lpg=PA95&dq=sterno+prohibition&source=bl&ots=XFJlZmBPnB&sig=TrldGlu2LazLf0hO9C64GjItRLw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Hw3QVOjnO4HQgwSC74LQAw&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=sterno%20prohibition&f=false |url-status=live |last1=Murdock |first1=Catherine Gilbert |date=26 June 2002 }}</ref> and during the [[Great Depression]] in [[hobo]] camps, or "jungles", when the Sterno would be squeezed through [[cheesecloth]] or a [[sock]] and the resulting liquid mixed with fruit [[juice]] to make "[[jungle juice]]", "sock wine", or "squeeze".<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1798&dat=19620105&id=5vMeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=04sEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7280,483466 "Police Start Drive on Drinkers of Canned Heat"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125233227/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1798&dat=19620105&id=5vMeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=04sEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7280,483466 |date=2022-11-25 }}, ''The Sarasota Journal'', January 5, 1962.</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The 1956 American documentary |
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| ⚫ | The 1956 American documentary ''[[On the Bowery]]'' includes footage of three homeless men straining Sterno cooking fuel to make "squeeze" and then drinking the alcohol.<ref>[http://www.tcm.com/this-month/movie-news.html?id=473080&name=On-the-Bowery-Lionel-Rogosin-s-Landmark-1956-Documentary "On The Bowery" Turner Classic Movies]</ref> |
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| ⚫ | In an article for the [[Journal of the American Medical Association]] in 1961, Capt. James H. Shinaberger, MC writes about a study of |
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| ⚫ | In an article for the ''[[JAMA (journal)|Journal of the American Medical Association]]'' in 1961, Capt. James H. Shinaberger, MC, writes about a study of three people who had suffered methanol poisoning as a result of drinking Sterno. One of the patients "had been drinking Sterno for about a week and had been in the city prison for 48 hours when severe abdominal pain and vomiting occurred".<ref>{{Cite journal |
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| last1 = Shinaberger | first1 = J. H. |
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| title = Treatment of Methanol Poisoning by Extracorporeal Dialysis |
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| doi = 10.1001/archinte.1961.03620120121016 |
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| journal = Archives of Internal Medicine |
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| volume = 108 |
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| issue = 6 |
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| pages = 937–939 |
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| year = 1961 |
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| pmid = 13912015 |
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}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | In December 1963, a rash of 31 deaths in [[Philadelphia]]'s homeless population was traced to a local store that knowingly sold Sterno to people for them to consume and get drunk.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.leagle.com/decision/1967311211PaSuper100_1294.xml/COMMONWEALTH%20v.%20FEINBERG |title=Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Max Feinberg (1967) 433 Pa. 558, 253 A.2d 636}}</ref> |
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In the [[Michael Crichton]] book and movie ''The Andromeda Strain'', the town drunk is one of only two survivors of the fatal alien virus because his blood pH had been altered from drinking Sterno. "We'll have the answer to this disease when we know why a sixty-nine-year-old Sterno drinker with a bleeding ulcer is like a perfectly healthy six-month-old baby." |
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In ''Rocky III'', Paulie yells to two indigents making noise in an alley, "Shut up you lousy Sterno bums, there's decent people tryin' to sleep!" |
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In the [[John Hughes (filmmaker)|John Hughes]] movie ''[[Uncle Buck]]'', Buck tells Roger to "watch the sterno" after Roger makes a pass at the teenage daughter. |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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*[[Beverage-can stove]] |
*[[Beverage-can stove]] |
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*[[Calcium acetate]] |
*[[Calcium acetate]] |
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*[[Coleman fuel]] |
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*[[Hexamine fuel tablet]] |
*[[Hexamine fuel tablet]] |
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*[[Portable stove]] |
*[[Portable stove]] |
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*[[Canned Heat (disambiguation)]] |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{ |
{{Reflist}} |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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* |
* {{Official website|http://www.sterno.com/}} |
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*[ |
* [https://www.sternopro.com/sds Material Safety Data Sheets] |
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*[http://www.labchemaegy.tk Chemical Factory] |
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[[Category:Camping equipment]] |
[[Category:Camping equipment]] |
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[[Category:Fuels]] |
[[Category:Fuels]] |
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[[Category:Alcohol abuse]] |
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[[de:Brennpaste]] |
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[[es:Sterno]] |
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[[it:Sterno (prodotto)]] |
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Latest revision as of 22:25, 31 May 2024
Sterno is a brand of jellied, denatured alcohol sold in and meant to be burned directly in its can. Popular both in commercial food service and home entertainment, its primary uses are as a fuel for heating chafing dishes in buffets and serving fondue. Other uses are for portable stoves and as an emergency heat source. It is also used with toy and model steam and other external combustion engines.
The flame is typically lit with a match or lighter and extinguished by placing the lid over the can to starve it of air, though any noncombustible cover will do.
History
[edit]
The Sterno brand and trademark is owned by Sterno Products, a portfolio company of Westar Capital LLC, based in Corona, California.[1] The brand was purchased from Blyth, Inc. in late 2012.[2] Blyth had acquired the business from Colgate-Palmolive in 1997.[3]
The name comes from that of the original manufacturer, S. Sternau & Co. of Brooklyn, New York, a maker of chafing dishes, coffee percolators and similar appliances since 1893. It had previously applied the name to its "Sterno-Inferno" alcohol burner. In 1918, it promoted its Sterno Stove as being a perfect gift for a soldier going overseas.[4] In his book With the Old Breed, E. B. Sledge describes its use on the battlefields of the Pacific Theatre in 1944 and 1945.
Discovered around 1900 as a byproduct of the nitrocellulose manufacturing process,[citation needed] Sterno is made from ethanol denatured by adding methanol, water, and an amphoteric oxide gelling agent, plus, in recent decades, a safety dye that gives it a characteristic pink color. The methanol is added to denature the product, which is intended to make it too toxic for consumption. Designed to be odorless, a 7-ounce (200 g) can will burn for up to two hours.[5]
Abuse
[edit]Sterno contains methyl alcohol which makes it poisonous. In spite of this there are many instances of people drinking Sterno to become intoxicated as a form of surrogate alcohol.
Moreover, the methanol can cause permanent blindness by destruction of the optic nerves. Bluesman Tommy Johnson alludes to the practice in his song "Canned Heat Blues" recorded in 1928.[6] (The blues band Canned Heat derived their name from the song.)
The practice is said to have become popular during Prohibition[7] and during the Great Depression in hobo camps, or "jungles", when the Sterno would be squeezed through cheesecloth or a sock and the resulting liquid mixed with fruit juice to make "jungle juice", "sock wine", or "squeeze".[8]
The 1956 American documentary On the Bowery includes footage of three homeless men straining Sterno cooking fuel to make "squeeze" and then drinking the alcohol.[9]
In an article for the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1961, Capt. James H. Shinaberger, MC, writes about a study of three people who had suffered methanol poisoning as a result of drinking Sterno. One of the patients "had been drinking Sterno for about a week and had been in the city prison for 48 hours when severe abdominal pain and vomiting occurred".[10]
In December 1963, a rash of 31 deaths in Philadelphia's homeless population was traced to a local store that knowingly sold Sterno to people for them to consume and get drunk.[11]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "The Sterno Group LLC". insideview.com]. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
- ^ "Blyth, Inc. Announces Sale Of Sterno Business (Press release)". Bloomberg. PR Newswire. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
- ^ "Company News; Colgate To Sell Heating Fuel Business For $70 Million". The New York Times. 2 October 1997. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
- ^ "Image 6 of The New York Times, August 25, 1918". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
- ^ "Sterno CandleLamp 7 oz. Odorless Canned Heat (6-Pack)-20503& - The Home Depot". The Home Depot. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
- ^ "National Park Service, Trail of the Hellhound: Tommy Johnson Accessed on 10/09/11". Archived from the original on 2011-12-29. Retrieved 2011-07-31.
- ^ Murdock, Catherine Gilbert (26 June 2002). in google books. ISBN 9780801868702. Archived from the original on 2022-11-25. Retrieved 2015-02-03.
- ^ "Police Start Drive on Drinkers of Canned Heat" Archived 2022-11-25 at the Wayback Machine, The Sarasota Journal, January 5, 1962.
- ^ "On The Bowery" Turner Classic Movies
- ^ Shinaberger, J. H. (1961). "Treatment of Methanol Poisoning by Extracorporeal Dialysis". Archives of Internal Medicine. 108 (6): 937–939. doi:10.1001/archinte.1961.03620120121016. PMID 13912015.
- ^ "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Max Feinberg (1967) 433 Pa. 558, 253 A.2d 636".