>Randy wrote:  I'd expect that the beekeeper would
>avoid inhaling any significant amount of the anhydride due to the stink
>from the butyric acid.

Many years ago, I worked in the lab of a fermentation plant, and we received a contract to produce butyric acid, which the client would then esterify to get pleasant flavor notes (they wanted it fermented, rather than extracted from butter, so it could be kosher).  At first, all of us found it unpleasant to the point of nausea to work with the broth and fermented product (we thought it smelled like a cross between baby diarrhea and vomit).  But, very quickly our bodies learned to ignore the smell, and we just went about our jobs.  This happened at the start of every shift.  After a few deep breaths, the stench was just tuned out.  This had implications for after work, as the smell ended up permeating our clothes, got on the soles of our shoes, etc., all of which we did not notice.  I once stopped to get gas after work and a very large guard dog took an inordinate interest in the heels of my shoes, following me around and licking them (BA is added to dog food as a flavor enhancer / eating stimulant).  My then girlfriend, who also worked in the plant, had an embarrassing experience in a shopping mall after work, as she stood in line to pay for something and people started sniffing, then looking around to find where someone had "had an accident."

My point being, it may be that after a while someone working a lot of fume boards might not smell the BA as much and, therefore, not react the same way they would at the beginning of the process. 

Bill
Claremont, NH

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