Did you carry the meths in the same section of your bag as the Trangia, or pack the burner into the Trangia after you'd filled it with meths? Even if the burner section is empty because you used it all the night before the smell from the meths will taint the pot section if you don't wash out the burner really well.
Solution is to take a wee ziplock bag for the burner and to pack it (and the meths bottle) in a completely different section of your backpack, well away from any foodstuffs or pans.
We've used the same SIGG bottle for meths for around the last 20 years, btw. DS took that same bottle on his first DofE expedition last month. We were proud...
That might have been the problem, I was just putting the burner back in the windshield part and then putting both back in the saucepan, followed by the frying pan/lid on top so it all nestled together. I'm guessing any remaining meths might have leaked out a little as you say. Fortunately it wouldn't have got into the main pack though because I was storing all the food related stuff inside a exped dry sack (which I'm guessing it would be wise to clean out thoroughly now as well). Good idea about the zip lock bag, and it wouldn't need to be very big because the burner is quite small.
The main fuel bottle I usually store well away from anything secured to the outside of the pack so that wouldn't have contaminated anything.
UK meths is horrible stuff. HMRC have the suppliers add purple dye to it to stop people drinking it. it`s this dye that causes all the problems of soot/tainting etc. If you ever pop over to France, nip in a hypermarket and buy "alcohol a bruler". It`s the same denatured alcohol as meths but without the added dye. You can find it in most of the hypermarkets in the isle with the cleaning products. If you "declare" it on return to the UK, you will either have it confiscated or pay duty on it. If you just happen to forget you`ve got it and you get searched, well, it`s only about £1.50 a litre anyway. In all the times I`ve "forgotten" I was carrying it, I was never asked. You can buy Denatured Alcohol in the UK from authorised suppliers but you`ll need a licence or an authorisation letter from HMRC which is unlikely. But who the heck is going to drink this stuff anyway? I can`t understand why HMRC get so uppity over it. do they think we`re all just ol` fashioned tramps who live in the hedgerow. Flippin` eck, it`s more expensive than booze from Tesco.
------------- You don`t stop playing `cos you get old, you get old `cos you stop playing!