Cheap Alcohol

woodster · Aug 9, 2013

FourPoints said:
ok, you probably thought I was meaning the kind you drink... but no, I'm looking for cheap sources for stove fuel. The Kleen Strip denatured alcohol that is readily available burns dirty and leaves a sooty residue on the pots as well as on the burner itself.

The Origo fuel burns clean, but it's harder to find and much more expensive.

I did a little searching online and came across this, http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Firep...ies/Eco-Feu-Liquid-Ethanol-Fuel-Gallon-4-Pack which is really cheap at $20/gal, and claims to be clean burning.

Which fuel does everyone use in their stoves, does it burn clean, and has anyone tried this Eco Fuel I found?

why not go to the commercial paint supply and buy a 5 gallon pail for $45.00 and pour it up in your old 1 gallon cans......45/5= $9.00 per gallon not including sales tax......

regards

woody

RichH · Aug 9, 2013

If this is for a pressure alcohol stove, If your getting soot, adjust your burners for MORE AIR intake.

RichH · Aug 9, 2013

Then I suggest that you increase the space under your 'pots', use smaller 'pots', so the alcohol can fully 'burn'. If you have soot, youre 'overfueling' the 'burn' ... and you need to 'lean out' the combustion with more AIR or less fuel available.

Donnybrook · Aug 9, 2013

I use the Crown brand from Lowes. About $17 for a gallon. I haven't had any noticeable smell or soot in my Origo.

Jeff · Aug 9, 2013

I burn the cheap stuff from Lowes. Never noticed much soot on our pots and pans. We also put a thin piece of rubber over the canisters when not in use. It keeps the evaporation down quite a bit.

Winkfish · Aug 9, 2013

FourPoints said:
ok, you probably thought I was meaning the kind you drink... but no, I'm looking for cheap sources for stove fuel.

Dang! "Finally" I thought , "Here's a thread I know something about!!"

Ross · Aug 9, 2013

It all depends on what they use to denature the ethanol. Different suppliers can use different poisons. If you buy shellac thinner it should not contain and pertroleum

shemandr · Aug 9, 2013

Winkfish said:
Dang! "Finally" I thought , "Here's a thread I know something about!!"

you dawg!

All U Get · Aug 10, 2013

FourPoints,

My wife would rub a little dish soap on the bottom of the pans so that any soot would readily come off. That worked well on our Catalina, (holdover from our camping days as young newly weds). We used ordinary denatured alcohol found in the paint section of the local hardware or big-box stores. Camping fuel had an odor and more soot.

All U Get

jibes138 · Aug 10, 2013

Could you distill it and get just pure alcohol? The boiling point of whatever they use to add to the alcohol is likely different than the alcohol so you should be able to separate out the two compounds by boiling off and condensing. Of course this may be illegal according to ATF regulations but I really don't know? You might have to do this up in the mountains in a wilderness area. :>)

ggrizzard · Aug 10, 2013

Jibes,
The ATF is now the ATFE, Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, which means if they suspect you of re-distilling denatured alcohol they will send a drone and create one big explosion!

Ross · Aug 10, 2013

Their only concern is if you are trying to make it drinkable. And you can't do that but you could die trying.

Allan12210 · Aug 10, 2013

jibes138 said:
Could you distill it and get just pure alcohol? The boiling point of whatever they use to add to the alcohol is likely different than the alcohol so you should be able to separate out the two compounds by boiling off and condensing. Of course this may be illegal according to ATF regulations but I really don't know? You might have to do this up in the mountains in a wilderness area. :>)

Probably not. Certain chemicals (including water) mixed with alcohol form a constant boiling mixture (azeotrope) that will distill instead of the individual components with their discretely different boiling points. You have to use some other rather sophisticated methods to purify denatured alcohol. Example: 95% ethanol/5% water. You can distill it all day and all you get is 95/5 ethanol/water. To remove the water you can add benzene. Then the benzene/water mixture will boil off leaving the "pure" ethanol behind, except there is always a tiny bit of benzene left behind. Its only enough to give you cancer if you drink it, but what a Harvey Wallbanger it makes.

jackhartjr · Aug 11, 2013

Well, that brings up this question; could you burn something like Everclear, or any drinking alcohol instead?
Jack

Doc_holiday · Aug 11, 2013

jackhartjr said:
Well, that brings up this question; could you burn something like Everclear, or any drinking alcohol instead?
Jack

Hey now! There's no reason to do the unthinkable!

Chris Patterson · Aug 11, 2013

Shoot, Jack up there in Hickory is more subject to burn white liquor in it, he was just bein' polite..